Football London

Tottenham Hotspur don’t have any concerns when it comes to the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR) this summer, but they still will likely have to sell players to recruit.

Spurs, who despite a dismal domestic season under head coach Ange Postecoglou, with the 5-1 loss to Premier League champions Liverpool keeping them 16th but with the very real chance of finishing the campaign one spot above the drop zone, can still make next season’s UEFA Champions League if they win the Europa League this season.

Spurs face a two-legged semi-final with Norwegian side FK Bodø/Glimt, with the prize on offer for the victors, and then the winners overall, being a spot in European club football’s most lucrative knockout club competition.

Success would be a major boon for Spurs and would allow them to invest more than they otherwise would this coming summer thanks to the guaranteed sums that will come their way thanks to the expanded and revamped competition. Aston Villa, for example, with all things taken into account such as participation fees, prize money and additional matchday revenue, bagged some £90m this season.

But for all the good that could do, Spurs know they will have to make some plans for a season without those kind of funds, with two different kinds of shortlist likely drawn up when it comes to transfers.

But why, when the club are one of the Premier League sides with the most PSR headroom, which is around £200m, do they face the prospect of a transfer policy of having to offload before recruiting this summer?

Much of Spurs’ transfer debt has been on credit in recent years, and as of the 2023/24 accounts, published last month, the transfer payables, which is the money the club owes to other clubs still for transfer fees, stood at £337m, an increase of around £250m from the £88m it stood at back in 2019, the year they moved into their new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium home. Sitting behind only Chelsea’s £479m, Spurs’ transfer debt is the second largest in the Premier League.

In terms of what is coming the other way, Spurs are owed £58m in transfer receivables from clubs, meaning that there is a £279m difference between the two, and that is not insignificant.

Given the way that PSR looks at allowable losses of £105m with permitted deductions for investment into infrastructure, the women’s team, the academy and community initiatives, Spurs’ heavy debt, much of it attributable to the new stadium, means that they are still in a good PSR spot, especially given their significant commercial and matchday revenue, and the low wages to revenue ratio that they have.

But cash in the bank as of March 31, 2024, stood at £79m, down from £198m the previous financial year. Spurs have been eating into the cash reserve in the past 18 months, and with the potential of another lean year if they miss out on the Champions League through failure to win the Europa League, that could have to continue.

Owners, ENIC, have not regularly pumped in cash. In fact, as per the Telegraph, only £122.1m has arrived in owner funding since they acquired the club in 2001, the majority coming from a £97.5m share issue in May of 2022. If they don’t step in to bridge the gap then sales will be likely if the plan is to refresh the team.

That is because, like all football clubs, Spurs are a business, and businesses have to be cashflowed. With such heavy transfer debt, even with the £79m being the second highest cash balance in the bank among Premier League clubs, Spurs have a large amount of transfer payables to meet in the coming seasons, with instalments due to various clubs at different stages of the calendar year.

Rather than continuing to add to that transfer debt, and especially given the low amount of transfer receivables due in comparison, focusing on moving on some high-earning players that still carry healthy market value will be impactful.

The club can spend, but with transfer debt hanging over them, they won’t want to increase that yet again without starting to recoup more in the other direction. If that trend were to continue, and with the very real threat of some time away from European football if they don’t succeed in the Europa League this season, that would start to challenge chairman Daniel Levy’s assertions that the club are operating on a sustainable level.

There will also be the not-so-insignificant matter of who will be the head coach come the start of next season, and whether or not severance pay will be required.

With Tottenham's loan players almost at the end of this season, attention has turned to what comes next for them, where their future lies and whether they will return to north London with something to celebrate.

Spurs have got 13 players out on loan, or 14 if you want to count Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg who is set to join Marseille permanently. There is also teenager Luka Vuskovic, who will join Tottenham this summer after his loan at Westerlo in Belgium from Hajduk Split, alongside Tottenham midfielder Alfie Devine, so we've been including him in our loan round-ups throughout this campaign.

football.london has taken a look at how all of the Tottenham loan players got on this week across England, Spain and Belgium.

Bryan Gil (Girona)

Bryan Gil has been talking about his future and has made it clear that he thinks it's best to leave Spurs after four years. The winger looks to have played the last game of his Girona loan spell after undergoing knee surgery last month and it could be the same for his Tottenham career.

Speaking with the channel ‘El After de Post United’, and reported this week by Estadio Deportivo, the Spaniard explained what comes next for him.

"I haven’t given it much thought because I’m focused on recovering as best as possible and being back. That’s something my agent will tell me where things are going, but they [Tottenham] told me, and I told them, that the best thing is for us not to continue being linked to Tottenham, but there’s no problem or bad feeling, quite the opposite," he said.

"They bet on me when I was young, and they’ve treated me fairly well, but if I have to go back there, I’ll focus on giving my best as always. I’m calm because no one can have a bad word to say about me not being professional, without playing. I’ve always trained well, I’ve done what I had to do, so whatever has to happen, will happen. We’ll see where we are next year."

Alfie Devine and Luka Vuskovic (Westerlo)

Alfie Devine returned to action after illness in a double bill for Westerlo against KV Mechelen this week in the Jupiler Pro League Europe Play-offs to decide who plays in the UEFA Conference League next season.

The 20-year-old came off the bench to play the final 25 minutes of a good 3-2 win away from home on Tuesday night against their 10-man hosts following a first half red card. Then on Saturday the midfielder came off the bench for the second half of a game that brought a dramatic 2-2 with a 97th minute Westerlo penalty saved but the rebound was bundled home to cancel out what Mechelen thought was a 77th minute winner.

In the first game, Luka Vuskovic had played his part in the visitors' first equaliser with a flick of the heel that sent a Mechelen effort into his own net. However, he made up for it with a great ball to pick out Isa Sakamoto to score in the second half for Westerlo.

The 18-year-old played the full 90 minutes plus in the second game and now has a remarkable seven goals and three assists as a teenage centre-back.

Manor Solomon (Leeds United)

Manor Solomon will be hoping to feature on Monday night as Leeds welcome fifth-placed Bristol City in their quest to jump back over Burnley to the top of the Championship table before the final weekend of the season. City are chasing a play-off spot themselves so will be going all out for the points.

Solomon has racked up 12 assists and nine goals in 39 matches so far for Leeds and the club's promotion will give them a stronger chance of securing his permanent future, although there is expected to be plenty of interest in the winger's services this summer.

Jamie Donley and Josh Keeley (Leyton Orient)

Jamie Donley and Josh Keeley both played the full 90 minutes as Leyton Orient kept their League One play-off hopes very much alive with a vital 1-0 win against third-placed Wycombe on Saturday afternoon.

The victory keeps injury-hit Orient in the final play-off spot with one game remaining at 10th-placed Huddersfield on Saturday, while their rivals for the remaining place, Reading, host 12th-placed Barnsley.

It was another clean sheet for Keeley to make it 16 in 35 league games this season while Donley has 10 goals and six assists 48 appearances in all competitions.

Ashley Phillips (Stoke City)

Ashley Phillips and Stoke have been on the wrong end of back-to-back defeats to the teams fighting at the top of the Championship. They followed up the heavy 6-0 defeat at Leeds with a 2-0 loss at home against Sheffield United on Friday evening.

The 19-year-old received a five in Stoke-on-Trent Live's player ratings with the review: "Struggled against Moore, as Stoke defenders always have in the Championship."

Stoke are in peril ahead of the final game as they sit 18th in the table and just two points above the drop zone. The teams from 18th to 22nd are all separated by those two points and Phillips and Stoke must travel to 19th-placed Derby on Saturday looking to avoid defeat at the least.

Alfie Dorrington (Aberdeen)

Alfie Dorrington helped Aberdeen keep a clean sheet on Saturday as they beat Hibernian 1-0 in the Scottish Premiership.

The victory kept the good feeling going after the Dons and Dorrington won their Scottish Cup semi-final last week against Heart of Midlothian thanks to an extra-time victory.

The 20-year-old has now made 13 appearances for Aberdeen, getting 892 minutes of senior football under his belt north of the border.

Yang Min-hyeok (QPR)

Yang Min-hyeok was an unused substitute for QPR as they found themselves on the end of a heavy 5-0 hammering at home by promoted Burnley.

The 19-year-old missed out on the home humbling and has made 14 appearance during this half-season loan in the Championship, scoring twice and laying on one assist.

Will Lankshear (West Bromwich Albion)

Will Lankshear was also an unused substitute as West Brom drew 0-0 at Cardiff in the Championship on Saturday.

With Tony Mowbray sacked last week, former Albion midfielder James Morrison was in interim charge but did not introduce the 20-year-old Tottenham striker into the game.

Alejo Veliz (Espanyol)

Alejo Veliz's run of watching on from the bench at Espanyol took a worse turn as he wasn't even named in the squad that lost 1-0 at Villarreal on Sunday.

The 21-year-old striker has made 24 appearances for the La Liga side this season but has only played 46 minutes since mid-February.

Matthew Craig (Mansfield Town)

Matthew Craig was back from illness to play 44 minutes as Mansfield Town were beaten 4-0 at League One champions Birmingham on Sunday.

The Spurs man limped off just before the half-time break. Despite the defeat, Nigel Clough's Mansfield side were saved from the drop after Reading won at Bristol Rovers.

The 22-year-old had only just got back into action after a hamstring injury and will be hoping that's not his season over.

George Abbott (Notts County)

George Abbott's terrific season at Notts County has brought some individual silverware as he won the EFL Goal of the Season award this week in League Two.

He bagged the prize for his brilliant volley at Accrington, beating competition from Sheffield Wednesday’s Josh Windass and Oxford United’s Mark Harris. The 19-year-old was also shortlisted for League Two’s Young Player of the Year award, missing out to Walsall’s Nathan Lowe.

There was also joy on the pitch for Abbott as he scored another goal in his brilliant first loan move in helping County secure their play-off spot with a 3-1 win at Harrogate Town. The Spurs man followed up a saved shot with an instinctive volley to open the scoring on the day.

The 19-year-old has now made 42 appearances for County, with 13 goal involvements and will be looking to continue to impress in the play-offs.

Luca Gunter (Wealdstone)

Luca Gunter remained on the bench for National League strugglers Wealdstone as they lost 3-0 at Southend on Saturday. Wealdstone need to win their final game this weekend at home against sixth-placed Halifax Town otherwise they face relegation.

There is interest from various clubs in the 20-year-old goalkeeper Gunter for another loan move next season if Tottenham decide to send him out again.

Luis Diaz and Alexis Mac Allister must be relishing their decision to join Liverpool, having recently celebrated the team's Premier League title win. Both players had garnered interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, respectively, before deciding to join the Merseyside club.

Arne Slot's squad needed a draw against Tottenham Hotspur to secure Liverpool's 20th league title. On Sunday, Anfield cheered the team on to a resounding 5-1 victory over Spurs, with both Diaz and Mac Allister finding the back of the net.

The duo have featured in all but one of Liverpool's league matches during their title run and have more than earned their Premier League winners' medals. However, their careers could have easily taken a different turn, having drawn attention from rival teams before completing their respective moves to Liverpool.

In January 2022, Liverpool secured Diaz's signature from Porto for a cool £49million. It was widely reported that Liverpool had fast-tracked their summer transfer plans after learning of Spurs' interest in the wide forward. The deal was also said to have been expedited by the Portuguese club's readiness to accept offers below Diaz's €80m release clause.

Diaz enjoyed a successful start at Liverpool, winning both the League Cup and FA Cup in his debut season, despite ending it with a defeat in the 2022 Champions League final. Last season, he added another League Cup winners' medal to his collection and has been instrumental in Slot's title-winning team this term.

Diaz, who was on the brink of signing for Spurs, would have had a significantly less successful stint in north London. Tottenham secured a fourth-place finish in 2022 but failed to qualify for European football the following year.

Under current boss Ange Postecoglou, the club narrowly missed out on a Champions League spot last season and have since plummeted to 16th in the Premier League table, with their remaining aspirations pinned on Europa League success.

In a similar vein, Liverpool had to fend off competition to secure the signature of Mac Allister from Brighton in 2023. Chelsea were among the clubs rumoured to be interested in the midfielder before his move to Anfield was finalised for an initial £35m.

While Mac Allister has lifted trophies in both of his seasons at Liverpool, he could have been part of the significant squad revamp at Chelsea. The west London club ended up sixth last year and are currently battling for a Champions League spot this season after implementing a frenzied transfer strategy in recent years.

Mac Allister was one of four midfielders brought in by Jurgen Klopp in his final year as Liverpool manager. However, the Argentine's father, Carlos Mac Allister, revealed to the Liverpool ECHO that the club's keenness to sign his son and talks with Klopp saw Liverpool prevail over the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City in the race to snap up the Brighton star.

In an interview with the ECHO in October 2023, Mac Allister Snr explained why his son chose Liverpool: "The reason why Alexis went to Liverpool is because they showed so much interest in having him on their team," he said. "They showed a desire to count on him and we wanted Alexis to go to a team where he could be settled for the start of pre-season; move on the first day of the transfer window - all that stuff. This was so important because we wanted him to have a good preparation with the team he decided to sign with.

"Jurgen Klopp was crucial a figure in the transfer. He was talking with Alexis. When he received the phone call from Jurgen it was important in deciding which team he should choose to play for."

Fast forward to the present day, and the Liverpool squad are still savouring their Premier League title win. "Champions! A dream come true. History written with passion, hard work, and heart," Diaz shared on Instagram.

In the meantime, Mac Allister marked another career milestone with a touching post. "I never forget where I come from. From a family that taught me the value of hard work, from dreams born with an Irish surname and a truly Argentine heart," he wrote on social media.. "And today, from Liverpool, it writes an unforgettable chapter.

"When I joined this club, I knew it was a special place. But what I've experienced this year has gone beyond anything I ever imagined."

Mac Allister expressed his delight at winning the title with the Merseyside club, adding: "Today, lifting the Premier League trophy with Liverpool is the dream come true. One that began many years ago, and today becomes reality."

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has had a disastrous season in charge in North London.

Currently lying in 16th, they are on track for their worst-ever Premier League campaign, worsening the 15th-placed finish they achieved in 1993/94 under Argentinian legend Ossie Ardiles.

Spurs were limp in a crushing 5-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield and must now regroup before the biggest game of their season so far.

Thursday’s visit of Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League semi-final first leg represents Postecoglou’s final chance to save the season and potentially his job.

It is still plausible that the Australian could depart in the summer even if his side go on to claim the Europa League title and secure Champions League football.

Fan anger has so far been largely directed at the club’s hierarchy but patience for persistent poor performances is fast running out.

Here football.london takes a look at five managers who could be in the N17 hot-seat come August if Postecoglou is, as expected, relieved of his duties this summer.

Mauricio Pochettino

After leaving the club six years ago, Mauricio Pochettino is being tipped by bookies for a grand return to North London.

The Argentine, who has cemented himself as Spurs’ most successful manager in recent history, is currently in charge of the US national team but could be tempted by a return to the Premier League and to the club that he took all the way to the Champions League final.

The European run in 2019 which included amazing comeback victories against Manchester City and Ajax, seems a far cry from the state the club are in now.

Perhaps Pochettino is the man to reverse their fortunes and get this young and talented side moving in the right direction.

Xavi Hernandez

Xavi Hernandez is another name that has been linked to any potential vacancy at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The former Spanish midfield legend was most recently in charge of Barcelona, where he made more than 500 appearances as a player, and has been without a job since departing the Catalan giants last May.

A serial winner as a player, Xavi would certainly be able to call upon his playing experiences to help Spurs compete at the right end of the table.

However, his lack of managerial and Premier League experience would be a worry, and it is hard to see Daniel Levy taking a gamble like this.

Andoni Iraola

Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola is a name that will be on managerial shortlists across Europe.

The Spaniard’s work at the south coast club has been excellent. They play an attractive possession-based style of football and find themselves in a tight battle for European football next season.

His project at the Vitality Stadium is clear and well established and it remains unclear if an approach by Spurs would be enough to tempt him away from a club that is moving in the right direction.

Marco Silva

Fulham’s Marco Silva has also been touted for a move to North London following the steady progress he has made at Craven Cottage.

The Portuguese’s work in the Premier League is well documented with his sides known for their patience and control. He has a proven track record of improving players and would work well with a talented squad in need of guidance.

Again, much like Iraola, Silva has established a clear way of working and is in the middle of a successful project. Any move may not be straight forward.

Thomas Frank

Thomas Frank is the Premier League’s second-longest serving manager after Pep Guardiola and has been in situ at Brentford since 2018.

The club’s rise in that time has been remarkable; gaining promotion, moving to a new stadium and firmly establishing themselves in the top-flight.

The Dane has been the perfect man to oversee this long-term project. His calm and structured approach has allowed his side to steadily grow and adapt to the demands of the league.

The West London club have a unique way of approaching recruitment relying heavily on data insights to identify targets. Frank is used to this way of working and it remains to be seen how would adapt to working in a different environment.

Antonio Conte may not have guided Tottenham to silverware but he is in an excellent position to achieve that feat with Napoli. Taking on the hotseat at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona last June, the Italian side are now top of Serie A heading into the final four games of the 2024/25 season.

His former club Inter Milan were previously leading the way for the Scudetto but it is now Napoli in the driving seat following what could prove to be a decisive weekend in the campaign. Playing prior to Napoli's home encounter against Torino on Sunday, Inter succumbed to a 1-0 home defeat against Roma following Matias Soule's first-half strike.

A result that gave Napoli a huge lift going into the evening game, they didn't pass up the opportunity to take pole position in Serie A as a Scott McTominay double helped them claim three precious points. The Scudetto could now be heading to Naples for only the fourth time after their previous successes in 1986/87, 1989/90 and 2022/23.

It will be some achievement from Conte as well if they do claim the title after such a dreadful title defence 12 months ago that saw Napoli finish 10th in Serie A. The former Chelsea boss even said on the eve of the season that it could take at least sixth months for his new club to be competitive again.

However, with four games left to play they hold a three-point lead over their title rivals. The remaining fixtures look extremely kind to Conte and Napoli as they do not play a team higher than 13th in the standings in their final four games.

It's hard to see them passing up their lead and allowing Inter to come from behind to triumph, especially with Conte having a wealth of experience in getting his teams over the line. The Nerazzurri's run to the Champions League semi-finals could also have an impact on their title chances as they will be targeting European success after losing the final to Manchester City two years ago.

Amid Tottenham's struggles to get their hands on silverware after last winning a trophy back in 2008, there is a long list of players who have enjoyed success elsewhere having departed N17. That list could become even bigger next weekend with Harry Kane and Eric Dier on course to win the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich as they hold an eight-point lead over Bayer Leverkusen with three games remaining.

Managers have also triumphed since departing Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Conte in line to win Italy's top prize in his first season since returning to club management following his Spurs exit in March 2023. His departure followed an incredible press conference at Southampton where he pulled no punches as he let fly at his team and the club after surrendering a two-goal lead late on to draw 3-3 with Saints.

“I think it’s better to go into the problem, we are not a team. We are 11 players that go into the pitch," he stated. "I see selfish players, players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart [into it]. This season compared to last, now we are worse in this aspect. When you are not a team you cannot improve.”

He later added: “It is easy in this way [playing without pressure or importance]. Tottenham’s story is this, 20 years there is the owner and they never won something but why? The fault is only for the club, or for every manager that stay here.”

Napoli's 2-0 win over Torino came on the same day when Ange Postecoglou, Conte's Tottenham successor, saw his team thumped 5-1 at Liverpool. Tottenham remain 16th in the Premier League table after their Anfield embarrassment but the Australian, who is under huge pressure right now, does still have the chance to buck the trend of the Spurs head coaches before him failing to win a trophy.

The full focus in what remains of the season is on Tottenham winning the Europa League, with the first leg of their semi-final showdown against Bodo/Glimt coming in north London on Thursday night. Spurs can still finish the season on a positive note by winning the trophy in Bilbao but it's hard to escape from what has been a truly dreadful season at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Conte, on the other hand, has enjoyed a remarkable campaign in Naples since a heavy defeat on the opening weekend at Hellas Verona and it may well end in Scudetto success.

There are set to be a number of absences from the Europa League semi-final first leg on Thursday night as Tottenham Hotspur host Bodo/Glimt.

Spurs' season will be defined by what happens in the Europa League and whether their campaign is purely remembered for their dismal Premier League form or whether 2025 becomes the year in which Ange Postecoglou led the north London club to finally end their trophy drought with a first piece of silverware in 17 years and what would be their first European trophy in 41 years.

Both sides will be hoping to go into Thursday evening's match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with their best possible starting XI but that already will not be the case for Boro/Glimt. Here's what players look set to be missing for Spurs and their Norwegian visitors for the first leg clash.

Tottenham

The main doubt for Spurs going into the game comes with captain Son Heung-min. The South Korean star's foot injury has kept him out for four matches now, including the victory in Frankfurt that took Tottenham into the semi-finals.

While Postecoglou said ahead of Sunday's defeat at Liverpool that Son was improving and was back in training, he kept things a bit more vague after the game, saying that the skipper was "touch and go" to face Bodo/Glimt in the first leg but should be available for the second leg in Norway the following week.

On the other players in the squad, Postecoglou added: "Yeah everyone is good. The ones who played all got through it ok. So in terms of Thursday, everyone should be fine."

That means only the injured Radu Dragusin and unregistered Antonin Kinsky and Timo Werner will otherwise be unavailable as Postecoglou waits on the fitness of Son.

Bodo/Glimt

The visitors have problems galore when it comes to unavailable players and potential further ones out of action for Thursday night's match.

The Norwegian outfit have three players missing through suspension as captain Patrick Berg is out due to an accumulation of Europa League yellow cards as is his midfield partner Hakon Evjen. On top of that, forward Andreas Helmersen, who scored a big goal against Lazio, is also banned after he was sent off in that same game.

Manager Kjetil Knutsen has further worries as winger Ole Blomberg picked up an injury this month that meant he missed Sunday's 3-0 league win against KFUM and he will be a doubt for Thursday night's match.

Then in that victory on Sunday, centre-back Odin Bjørtuft was forced off in the 54th minute and left the pitch holding his groin. The 26-year-old has been a near ever-present for Bodo/Glimt this season and a key component of their successful Europa League run.

His team-mate Ulrik Saltnes spoke to reporters after the victory about the defender and said: "He was disappointed and told me that his groin was painful, but you can feel pain without that necessarily meaning it is something [bad]."

Knutsen added: "I do not know anything. I never enjoy a player laying down, but the medical staff are looking into it."

All eyes will be on what team Bodo/Glimt are able to put out in N17 on Thursday night.

We could well see an all-English Europa League final. Tottenham play host to Bodo/Glimt in the first leg of their semi-final this Thursday, with Manchester United travelling to Bilbao to take on Athletic Club.

It is a huge opportunity for both Premier League sides to end what has been a dismal domestic campaign on a high.

Manchester United sit 14th in the Premier League with four games to go, while Spurs are two points and places behind in 16th. It has been a truly miserable season for both so-called big six sides and the Europa League is their only saving grace.

United have already got something of an advantage over Tottenham when it comes to the fixtures in the semi-finals.

Firstly, Ruben Amorim's men have the second leg at home at Old Trafford, something which is always seen as important when it comes to two-legged affairs.

Then, there's the fact that Spurs' opponents play on a 3G pitch - something Premier League clubs are not used to and will be a huge leveller in the Lilywhites' second leg clash.

There's also the fixture situation before the potential final showdown. United are currently set to travel to Chelsea on Friday, May 16 rather than having a weekend game. That would currently mean a two-day advantage over Tottenham, who are due to play Aston Villa on Sunday, May 18, should both teams make it to the final.

And now there's been another potential boost for United - there is a huge power cut in Spain right now.

Huge swathes of the country are without power on Monday, with reports coming in from Madrid, Malaga, Barcelona, Sevilla, Bilbao and Cadiz that there is a complete blackout.

That is likely to have hit Bilbao's training plans hard, potentially throwing their plans into disarray ahead of their meeting with United on Thursday and they will be hoping it is resolved sooner rather than later.

Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham can now fully focus on Thursday's Europa League semi-final tie against Bodo/Glimt. While of course Spurs have had one eye on the European match ever since achieving a place in the final four earlier this month, the team have had two Premier League fixtures to contend with over the past week.

The second of those came on Sunday afternoon as Liverpool hit the north London club for five to wrap up the Premier League title. Postecoglou made a total of eight changes for the match at Anfield and even elected to leave Rodrigo Bentancur out of his matchday squad, which was a repeat of his decision involving Destiny Udogie last Monday against Nottingham Forest.

Tottenham did take the lead at Liverpool through Dominic Solanke but they were well beaten on the day as the Reds ran riot. Now having a few days to prepare for the Bodo/Glimt fixture, Son Heung-min will be the main topic of focus as he once again missed out due to a foot injury.

Speaking to BBC Sport after the game, Postecoglou issued a fresh injury update on his player and discussed his potential participation in the fixture. "It'll be touch and go for Thursday," he said on Son. "He'll try hard. If [he's not ready] for the first game we think he'll be ready for the second game."

It's been an often-used criticism of the Premier League that they do not help their teams in Europe like other leagues across the continent do but they risk a number of problems if they do not look at rescheduling Tottenham's game against Aston Villa next month.

First off and to be clear, there's no presuming when it comes to Tottenham, especially during this otherwise dreadful season. It's certainly a big if over whether Spurs will get to the Europa League final because they face a Bodo/Glimt side in the semi-finals that, while facing up to five or six key players missing the first leg, has toppled plenty of big clubs this season in the competition with their football and their Aspmyra Stadion in particular proving to be a fortress.

However, the possibility of the north London side managing to seal their place in the final must be planned for in case it occurs and with Aston Villa losing their FA Cup semi-final to Crystal Palace so the Premier League game between Unai Emery's side and Spurs currently remains set for Sunday, May 18.

That would give Tottenham just three days to recover and prepare for a potential Europa League final in Bilbao on May 21.

In a statement released on Sunday, Spurs said: "We should like to inform supporters that we are in discussions with the Premier League regarding a change in date to our away Premier League match against Aston Villa, currently scheduled for Sunday, 18 May."

Spurs are understood to have suggested a number of alternative dates in order to allow for a larger block of days to mentally and physically prepare for a potential showpiece final.

Villa are said to have opposed a move, having played matches every three to four days in April due to their Champions League and FA Cup games and they are also chasing a top five spot in the Premier League so want to prepare fully for the Spurs game. May's matches for Villa are all spaced out currently with one every seven to eight days.

A cynic might suggest that Villa will be well aware that if the Spurs game goes ahead on May 18 then Ange Postecoglou is likely to name a complete shadow XI of fringe players and young players, in order to protect the team he wants to play in the final. While that would benefit the home side at Villa Park, it's not exactly going to go down well with the others in the top five chase. It's diluting the Premier League product.

Villa's objection also reportedly includes an issue that the match, which is Villa's final home game of the season, is set to include a number of pre-planned family activities which will not be possible if it was to be an evening fixture.

Teams in other European leagues often get fixtures moved by their authorities to help them give their best in continental competition, because ultimately it reflects well on the domestic league if they succeed. AZ Alkmaar had similar assistance from the Eredivisie last month before playing Tottenham in the round of 16.

Athletic Club look set to get similar aid from La Liga if they can get past Manchester United in the other semi-final next month. The Bilbao side currently have a game at Valencia slated for May 18 but it is listed as 'to be determined'. Reports in Spain suggest La Liga could move that fixture a day back to Saturday May 17 at the least, and their previous game against Getafe would be pushed back as well.

The Premier League are often criticised by managers for not helping their teams when in Europe, with fixtures before and after games often in close proximity, and if they do not step in this time then they will also allow a situation where the Premier League schedule favours Manchester United should Ruben Amorim's side and Spurs both manage to reach the final in Spain.

That's because United are currently set to travel to Chelsea on Friday, May 16 rather than having a weekend game. That would currently mean a two-day advantage over Tottenham should both teams make it to the final, meaning the Premier League would have allowed one of their teams to have an advantage over another in a major European final, which would open them up to plenty of criticism.

Tottenham can propose a change and Villa can offer up their objections, as both appear to have done, but ultimately it is down to the Premier League to decide. Common sense must prevail.

Ange Postecoglou's excitement about the future for Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray was brought crashing back to reality in the present during the heavy defeat at Liverpool.

Postecoglou selected a team for Sunday's match that showed his focus is mainly on this Thursday night's Europa League semi-final first leg against Bodo/Glimt. Within the starting XI, the Australian named two teenagers in the midfield trio in Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray- in what could be a long-term future pairing for the club - alongside vice-captain James Maddison.

Dominic Solanke's header from James Maddison's corner early in the game gave Liverpool a shock but Spurs had just four minutes to hold their lead before Luiz Diaz scored from close range following a VAR offside check. Liverpool surged ahead through Alexis Mac Allister's powerful strike and Cody Gakpo's clinical finish.

Mohamed Salah's low effort and a Destiny Udogie own goal in the second half completed the demolition as Liverpool won the title in their own back yard.

For Tottenham it was a case of men against boys with the two midfielders both showing their inexperience at times against Arne Slot's side.

Our Spurs correspondent Rob Guest was at the match and handed Gray a three in his player ratings with the review: "Handed a rare chance in midfield and found it very tough at times against one of the Premier League's best midfield trios. Szoboszlai ran off him to tee up Diaz's opener and then he was outmuscled by Gravenberch for Mac Allister's goal midway through the first half, although it's fair to say it wasn't a great pass from Mathys Tel. Replaced at the break.£

Bergvall got a five with the report: "Active in midfield but produced a poor header from a corner that resulted in Gakpo making it three for the hosts. Kept going despite the scoreline as he tried to get the team moving forward."

Tottenham fans have been calling for Gray to finally get a chance in midfield, having spent much of the season filling in at centre-back during the absence of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, while also turning out as a full-back on both flanks at times.

While he impressed for Leeds in the midfield last season in huge games like the FA Cup tie against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, on this day it was a tough ask against the new champions and Postecoglou admitted that when speaking about his rejigged side for the encounter.

"We knew the challenge today was going to be a big one," said the Australian. "We had a really young midfield with Lucas and Archie and you're asking a massive task of them. Change three of the back four, all of these kind of things logically tell you it's going to be a tough day, but when you're facing the best team, and on such a massive occasion, it was always going to be a huge ask for us and it proved too much."

The young duo are not ready yet to pair up and the problem for Postecoglou is that Tottenham's recruitment strategy is one of signings teenagers for the future, and it's something he has publicly endorsed.

While there's no doubting the potential of teenage signings like Bergvall and Gray, or Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert, or players like Luka Vuskovic and Yang Min-hyeok, Spurs cannot be expected to compete at the same level as a team like Liverpool right now if that is going to be their main policy.

Gray was Tottenham's second most expensive transfer of last summer but at £40m is very much still a work in progress at only 19-years-old. That Postecoglou knew it would be a tough day with two teenagers in the midfield, with another on the left wing, shows that £108.5 million of talent at Spurs means a very different thing than at other clubs who buy players for the now, rather than as a project.

The need to call upon inexperienced youngsters, who will naturally take time to settle into the level required of them and learn what it requires, means a longer path to success than many of Spurs' rivals.

When Postecoglou said recently that the club got it wrong with their squad earlier this season, leading to the injury crisis, you have to wonder whether he meant the type of transfers - although he continues to back the teenage squad overhaul - or whether he should have made more use of certain players remains to be seen.

For now, Postecoglou will have to make allowances for a young midfield that looked overawed and overmatched at Anfield and it could be a future manager who enjoys the benefit of Spurs' current transfer policy.