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Roberto De Zerbi looks to be having a direct impact on Tottenham's summer transfers with a move made for Brighton star Jan Paul van Hecke made

Tottenham have seen an opening bid for Jan Paul van Hecke rejected by Brighton. The central defender played under Roberto De Zerbi at the Seagulls with the Italian clearly keen to bring the central defender to north London.

Spurs' first offer for the Netherlands international fell below their valuation, with The Telegraph stating that is £70million, but talks are set to continue with the aim of striking an agreement.

The Lilywhites have already agreed deals for Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson following their departures from Bournemouth and Liverpool, respectively, as free agents.

Those two deals were all but finalised in April but depended on their Premier League status being confirmed as to whether or not they would both get over the line.

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Spurs ended up surviving on the final day with a victory over Everton while West Ham United were relegated to the Championship.

Staying in the top-flight was vital to how the upcoming summer transfer window would play out with Spurs able to target players like Van Hecke and Manchester City winger Savinho.

The Brazilian was strongly linked with a move to Spurs last summer and their interest has been reignited after another challenging season for the 22-year-old.

Pep Guardiola played a key role in keeping him at Etihad Stadium for the 2025/26 season but he has now left City which could prove pivotal. His reduced minutes over the last nine months also makes it likely Spurs won't have to pay the £70million they were quoted in the summer of 2025.

Spurs are in desperate need of a new winger with a striker addition also on the priority list after difficult seasons for both Dominic Solanke and Richarlison.

With Senesi already set to join and Van Hecke being formally pursued, it looks as though at least one of, but potentially both, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero will depart the club this summer.

Liverpool and Atletico Madrid appear as their most likely destinations while Manchester City are interested in signing Pedro Porro.

Another loan move for Luka Vuskovic also appears likely while Yves Bissouma, Radu Dragusin, Guglielmo Vicario could all move on permanently.

Tottenham have been linked with a number of centre-backs already and one of De Zerbi's former players has told him who he must sign

Sandro firmly believes that Jan Paul van Hecke is the perfect centre-back his old boss Roberto De Zerbi could sign this summer for Tottenham Hotspur.

There are expected to be plenty of personnel changes at Spurs after another 17th-placed finish and the north London club surviving relegation by just two points on the final day. Tottenham are closing in on the free transfer of Bournemouth's player of the season Marcos Senesi but the left footer could potentially be brought in to battle with Micky van de Ven for one centre-back spot while De Zerbi brings in another new face on the right.

Captain Cristian Romero and Ragu Dragusin have both been heavily linked with moves out of the club, which on the right of central defence leaves Kevin Danso and a decision to be made over Luka Vuskovic as the 19-year-old returns from his impressive loan in Hamburg, where he made the Bundesliga team of the season.

Sandro, who played for De Zerbi in Italy at Benevento, believes his old boss should go all out for one of his former Brighton players in 25-year-old Van Hecke, who is approaching the final 12 months of his contract.

"They are talking about Marcos Senesi, at Bournemouth, but I really like the defender from Brighton, Van Hecke. I really like him. He's good on the ball, he played with De Zerbi before too. He's not only good on the ball, but he can be very aggressive and in a way that he’s not stupid, he's not doing crazy things without the ball, but I think he's mature," said Sandro, speaking exclusively to Reach PLC ahead of the World Cup thanks to betFIRST sport.

"For me, Van Hecke is ready. He's ready to play because he played under De Zerbi and he showed that he can play in the moment, that he's mature, and we need players that are already mature. I think we are now going to the market and have to buy players that are ready."

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While Romero could depart this summer, despite signing a new bumper contract a year ago, Sandro has made it clear that Van de Ven must remain in north London.

"100 per cent, he needs to stay. He needs to stay, Van de Ven needs to stay, he needs to be the captain for next season. I think De Zerbi will build a strong squad and it will help Micky as well. He's so important for Tottenham and he's been there for three seasons and it's important for him to stay, I think," said the Brazilian.

"If we let him go, it will be losing Romero and him, so I hope he is at least there for three or four seasons. We need to keep him, I think he's happy now with De Zerbi because De Zerbi can put a smile on the players' faces and it’s so needed. Van de Ven needs to stay and I hope he does stay and build the team around him at the back and then around the midfielders. I think we are okay in the middle."

The former Tottenham midfielder even went as far as comparing Van de Ven with a certain much-lauded Brazilian centre-back down the road at Arsenal.

"Gabriel suits the Arsenal squad so well, and we need Van de Ven to become that same defender at Spurs. Micky is one of the top defenders, he just needs to have a team around him as well for him to grow, for him to shine. I just want De Zerbi to do his magical things, I'm a fan of his and I think he will," he said.

"Van de Ven has that ability to become that good. Yeah, 100 per cent. He's been there in the club for three seasons so he just needs the players, the squad to help him a little bit and, having a strong team around him, he will be even more effective in the squad. De Zerbi is the guy to build the team and he needs to build around Van de Ven."

There is expected to be plenty of transfer movement at Tottenham Hotspur this summer and football.london is going through each department of the squad to see what happens next

Roberto De Zerbi has a football club to rebuild this summer and that mean decisions aplenty when it comes to what his Tottenham squad will look like next season.

Spurs have already been linked with a string of incoming players such as free transfers Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi as well as returning for another run at signing Manchester City winger Savinho. There will be further arrivals this summer with new additions to the midfield and attack expected and potentially a new face between the sticks.

To make room for those new faces, current players must depart and football.london will be running a series of articles in the coming days with our verdict on every single first team Tottenham player and whether De Zerbi will decide to keep, loan or sell them.

Let's kick things off with the men who wear the gloves and decide what comes next for Spurs' three first team senior goalkeepers.

Guglielmo Vicario

Guglielmo Vicario has played 117 games for Tottenham since arriving from Empoli in the summer of 2023 and it feels like the 29-year-old is coming to the end of his tenure at the club.

In those 117 matches, the Italian has conceded 170 goals and kept just 29 clean sheets, although the blame for that cannot be laid solely at his door as he had mostly been the goalkeeper for a club that has leaked goals from everywhere.

This season Vicario appeared in 45 matches and we later found out he had been struggling with a hernia problem for months. The Italian struggled at times, particularly with his kicking, but did make some big saves. It's worth noting that Vicario was left so exposed by those Tottenham players in front of him that he faced more shots on target than most other goalkeepers in the Premier League.

It still was a season in which he was unable to impress as much as he would like and he could be one of those who exits this summer. There is interest from clubs back home in Italy and the main worry for him would be those kicking struggles, as De Zerbi needs his goalkeepers to be calm under pressure with the ball at their feet in order to bait the press and then pinpoint in their passing.

De Zerbi has only ever spoken highly of Vicario, who found himself jeered by the fans on a couple of occasions during this campaign, but this summer feels like a natural parting point for all parties if the interest in the Italy international results in a serious bid.

Verdict: Sell

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Antonin Kinsky

Had this been written a couple of months ago then it would likely have read very differently. That's because Antonin Kinsky has enjoyed a spectacular turnaround and ended up being one of the major reasons why Spurs are still a Premier League team.

The 23-year-old had only played two Carabao Cup matches before those disastrous 17 Champions League minutes in Madrid against Atletico. However, the Czech displayed incredible mental strength to star in the final seven matches of the season with Vicario out recuperating after his surgery.

Huge reflex saves against Wolves, Leeds and Everton ended up securing Spurs the points that eventually kept them up. Kinsky's points per game average was 1.40 compared to Vicario's 1.16 and it's worrying to think what might have happened if he had been loaned out to West Ham in January as reports suggested at the time.

Kinsky proved that he can be a wonderful shot stopper and his ability with the ball at his feet marks him out as a perfect goalkeeper for De Zerbi. The Italian could constantly be seen applauding him after most kicks. A new man will arrive if Vicario goes but Kinsky has now laid the groundwork for his own claim on the number one spot.

Verdict: Keep

Brandon Austin

Such is Brandon Austin's position as Spurs' sole club-trained player in recent seasons he became essential even if he has played just three senior competitive matches for the Lilywhites.

Austin joined the club 19 years ago and now 27, he did not play at all this season after getting his Premier League debut under Ange Postecoglou and two nights between the sticks in the Europa League.

Austin has a contract until 2029 and if there was ever a season when he could get a loan out of the club to play some minutes then it's this one because of the lack of European football and therefore no need to have him involved simply because he gets his own spot as a club-trained player.

However, it's difficult to get loans for goalkeepers, especially ones with so little first team football under their belt so Austin may just continue his role as back-up to the back-up, always ready to come in if needed.

Tottenham star Xavi Simons appears to retain a good relationship with Spurs transfer target Savinho

Xavi Simons appears to retain a good relationship with Manchester City star Savinho, as Tottenham appear set to make a move for the attacker. Spurs wanted the Brazilian last summer but failed to land their target as City rebuffed their attempts.

Simons, who is currently recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury that has ruled him out of the World Cup, posted a photograph of himself celebrating with Savinho. The pair played together at PSV Eindhoven in 2022/23, though the City winger made just eight appearances.

Savinho didn't take too long to provide a message of his own. Just minutes after that image was posted, the 22-year-old responded to another Instagram post of Simons.

The City ace posted "Papi" in response to Simons posting: "Privately winning."

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That post was accompanied by a carousel of photographs that showed Simons hard at work in the gym and with family. It also included a poignant picture of a message he received.

It read: "This is a very difficult moment in your career!! But we will get through this together as well, and know that we are here for you. Don't let anyone drive you crazy!!!"

Pep Guardiola, who has now left City, pushed to keep Savinho last summer before injury derailed any possibility of a transfer in January. The winger has dropped down the pecking order at the Etihad Stadium after Antoine Semenyo's arrival.

He joined City from Troyes for £30.8million in June 2024 and has struggled for regular game time. But it is claimed that he is valued at around £60million, with five years left on his contract.

In addition to Savinho, Spurs are looking at some cheaper options too. They are poised to add Liverpool's Andy Robertson and Bournemouth's Marcos Senesi on free transfers to strengthen Roberto De Zerbi's hand.

Robertson is set to arrive as a veteran at left-back, despite the Italian having the youth of Destiney Udogie and Souza to call upon.

Senesi, meanwhile, has drawn interest from Manchester United and Liverpool but could arrive to improve Tottenham's backline with Cristian Romero linked with an exit from north London.

"From tonight we have to start to organise and build a new team," De Zerbi said at the end of the season. "I don't think we have now to change too many players.

"We have 10, 11, 12 players good enough to stay. Good enough. Like players, especially like people, and then we have to complete the squad with the first level of players."

The silly season is upon us as Tottenham Hotspur get linked with every possible transfer going in the summer window but they must not forget their own

The summer transfer window brings the chance of rebirth, a new dawn, but sometimes those within a club can get lost amid the excitement and it's no different at Tottenham.

Spurs need to be something different next season and there's no doubting that. Another 17th place finish in the Premier League and a woeful January window mean the north London club must strengthen in the weeks and months ahead. There is also a new head coach in the shape of Roberto De Zerbi, who will enter this summer window with all the power in his hands to get what he wants after saving the Lilywhites from relegation as well as their pride and that feared £250million or so in lost revenue.

New signings will arrive through the doors with Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi tipped to complete free transfers and Tottenham returning for Manchester City winger Savinho in an attempt to try to add him to their offensive weaponry.

With the potential move for the Brazilian and football.london reporting last week that Spurs are likely to add another striker to their ranks, with Richarlison's future in doubt as he approaches the final 12 months of his contract, the new additions are certainly needed and there will be others, but De Zerbi and the club must also be wary of blocking the long-term prospects of two of their own.

Savinho can play on either wing, but is more naturally a left-sided player. Tottenham's need for another left-footed attacker was clear last season but it's also worth pointing out that they have a big talent for the future in that very position in Mikey Moore.

The 18-year-old starred on loan at Rangers this season, picking up the PFA Scotland Premiership Young Player of the Year and Rangers' Young Player of the Year awards. Moore played 47 matches for the Glasgow giants across the season, with 11 goal involvements despite the team's inconsistent form as Danny Rohl used him in a left-sided playmaker role.

Rangers fans would love to have him back next season but football.london understands there's a lot of interest in the teenager from clubs both home and abroad.

It will be down to De Zerbi to decide whether the teenager needs another season away from N17. The absence of European football at Tottenham in the coming year means the new head coach will have fewer minutes to share around. You could say he needs a smaller, tighter squad but after the injury woes of the past three seasons, that's a dangerous route to take.

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De Zerbi will have a similar decision to make when it comes to Will Lankshear. The 21-year-old striker caught the eye with 12 goals despite Oxford United's struggles in the Championship as they were relegated. He took home a double at the club's end of season awards with the men's Golden Boot and Young Player of the Year prize after he played 47 matches with 16 goal involvements in all.

The striker also bulked up this season with the physical demands of the Championship and De Zerbi will surely want to take a look at him in pre-season to decide whether he's ready for the Premier League.

There's always the dilemma to be had when it comes to transfer windows. Fans naturally want exciting new signings but they also want to see their homegrown products given minutes. Unfortunately the former often cancels out the latter.

Tottenham's problems with club trained players will not affect them this coming season as it's in European football where it hits them. However, they must start thinking about the future and ensuring they do not get into the same problems as previous campaigns with numerous expensive players left out and unable to be registered.

There's also the simple fact of having an academy but not having a clear pathway from it. You'd struggle to count enough Spurs academy players who have broken through for regular football over recent seasons to fill one hand, if you can think of any at all. There's a couple of others like Harry Winks and Oliver Skipp in the past, but let's be honest most people are probably only going to think of Harry Kane.

Not a single academy product started a senior competitive match this season for the north London side. A handful like Dane Scarlett, Jun'ai Byfield and Callum Olusesi got about half an hour of football each amid the depth of the injury crisis, mainly because there was nobody else available, while Luca Williams-Barnett and James Rowswell got a couple of minutes from the bench each at the end of games.

It's not good enough. The academy must do better in what it produces but there's also evidence that when they do produce good players, there's no route through for them.

Noni Madueke will head to the World Cup this summer with England having decided as a teenager that he was not going to break through at Spurs, leaving for PSV Eindhoven instead. Troy Parrott is a wanted man by many European sides this summer after 43 goal involvements in 49 matches for AZ Alkmaar this season. He was desperate to make it at Tottenham but they had no place for the Republic of Ireland international.

This summer Alfie Devine is expected to depart north London, with many of those clubs chasing him holding Premier League ambitions and the expectation is that he will play at that level. The 21-year-old midfielder, Spurs' youngest ever goalscorer, has been continually farmed out on loan each season with no pathway to break through at his own club.

Ashley Phillips, albeit signed at 18 from Blackburn, has just been nominated for Championship Young Player of the Year while on his second season on loan at Stoke, but has never played a game for Tottenham and it's difficult to see that happening.

The excuse that the pressure is too much for young academy players bears little weight when you look at other bigger clubs using their youngsters in high pressure games and finding a way through. They've also found it clear that using more of your own is a surefire way to build a connection back between the fans and the team.

If Moore and Lankshear are loaned out again this summer then it may well benefit them personally with more regular starts but it's just kicking the can down the road for Spurs. It's the same for Luka Vuskovic, who is not an academy product but is seemingly wanted by everyone outside the north London club, and by many bigger sides, so by logic he must be finally ready to start matches in the Premier League?

It's a problem that Tottenham must address and at least in De Zerbi they have someone who will take a look at young players and has done so in the past. Transfers are much needed at Spurs this summer and they will happen, but it's important that the club's own future is not discarded at the same time.

Figures have been released showing a big drop in value for the Premier League club's sponsorship on their shirts and stadium

Tottenham have lost almost £20million off the value of their front of shirt sponsorship value after recent struggles, according to a new study.

Spurs will have a new front-of-shirt sponsor from the 2027/28 season with insurance firm AIA switching to become their training wear sponsor at that point. The north London club's long-term partnership with AIA began in 2013, in a deal that is currently reportedly worth £40million a season, and has now been extended until 2032 but with that major scaled down change.

AIA will remain as the club’s Global Principal Partner and front-of-shirt sponsor until the end of this coming campaign but then the company will switch to becoming the Global Training Partner from July 2027 through to June 2032.

The north London club will be looking to tie up a new lucrative front-of-shirt sponsor for the 2027/28 season but it comes amid a new report from The Sponsor, with their fifth annual Premier League Fair Market Value Index of all 20 Premier League clubs' front-of-shirt and sleeve sponsorship assets.

The outlet claims that as their figures are grounded in commercial market evidence, the index provides brands, rights holders and agencies with an independent assessment of sponsorship value.

The news is not good for Tottenham as the index suggests that their front of shirt sponsorship value has fallen from £49.1million last season to £29.8million - a 40 per cent drop - after yet another 17th-place finish but without the counterbalance of winning the Europa League and the subsequent Champions League qualification. Some sponsors have reportedly signalled their intention to end their sponsorship of the club.

"The 40 per cent decline in Tottenham Hotspur’s front-of-shirt sponsorship value is the cumulative effect of two consecutive 17th-place finishes," said The Sponsor.

"Last year, losses were mitigated by qualification for European football and the increased exposure that came with it. A second relegation battle, coupled with the loss of exposure for club sponsors in European competitions, has exposed a significant decline in sponsor value as the club enters the final year of its partnership with shirt and sleeve sponsors AIA and Kraken."

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The report says that as well as the £29.8million fair market value for the front-of-shirt, there is also a new figure of £7.2million for the sleeve and £11.2million for stadium naming rights.

Spurs are yet to find a suitable naming rights partner for their ground seven years on from when it was opened. The club have maintained that the unexpected benefits of using the club's name in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium have offset some of what would have been earned by a sponsor.

With £11.2million far lower than the annual sums often associated with what former chairman Daniel Levy was reportedly asking from stadium sponsors, that search for a new name for their home ground could go on for a while longer.

With improvement expected under new head coach Roberto De Zerbi, Tottenham remain sixth on the Premier League list of front of shirt sponsor values but with half the value of Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United, who all remain at £60million or above, with Arsenal on £59.2million and Chelsea fifth on £33.6million after their own drop through poor performances.

"Over the last three years, Tottenham’s sponsorship value has fallen from £49.3m in 2024 to £29.8m in 2026. That fall in value is predominantly driven by on-pitch performance, the loss of star players Harry Kane and Son Heung-min and lack of sponsor exposure through European competitions," concluded The Sponsor.

"Despite this, Tottenham remains one of the most valuable sponsorship opportunities in English football. The club’s fanbase, infrastructure, global recognition and reputation for quality still carry enormous weight with sponsors. Those attributes do not disappear after a couple of difficult seasons."

The Tottenham Hotspur teenager's future has been the subject of plenty of speculation this season but has made it clear what needs to happen for now

Tottenham defender Luka Vuskovic has instructed his agent to halt any talks about his future while he concentrates on his first World Cup with Croatia this summer.

The 19-year-old centre-back has caught the eye over the past 12 months with his performances on loan for Hamburger SV, helping them stay up and earning him a spot in the Bundesliga Team of the Season. Vuskovic has been linked with all of Europe's big clubs, including Barcelona, Bayern Munich and PSG, while it is likely that Spurs will offer him a big contract to reward him for his enhanced status in the game.

Vuskovic, who currently has a long contract with Tottenham until 2030, has seen his form recognised by a call-up to the Croatia squad for the World Cup and he could be involved in their warm-up match against Belgium in his homeland on Tuesday.

According to Croatian media, the teenager has made it clear to his agent that all talks with Spurs and potential suitors must be halted as he concentrates on the World Cup and his international commitments.

Croatian media outlet Sportske Novosti, as relayed by Sport Witness, wrote: "We received information from a reliable source about what Luka told his managers and Tottenham. He told them that he is now concentrating only on the national team, that all talks and negotiations should be stopped immediately and postponed until after the World Cup.

"He does not want anything to distract him from his focus on Croatia and the World Cup, and when he returns from America, he will decide where he will play next. The option of continuing to play for HSV does not seem likely."

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The report went on: "Are there offers and interest from big clubs? There are, it's not just letters, that's true, but he put them all on hold. Vuskovic is only 19 years old, he has his first big competition ahead of him, which he dreamed of, but it's clear that no one, not even him, can dictate everything.

"We often used to see players receive offers that make their heads spin during the World Cup or just before it, and that's how some of our players signed, for example Ivan Rakitic for Barcelona in Brazil, but the young stopper wants to avoid that and return to club matters when he's done with the [World Cup]. He made that clear to Tottenham and the people who represent him. It remains to be seen whether this will be possible given the pressure of the market, but it is clear that Vuskovic, although young, thinks very maturely."

Ultimately, with that long contract, Vuskovic's future is in the hands of Tottenham and his new head coach Roberto De Zerbi.

"Playing with my brother at HSV would be a dream and a dream come true for me, but it's hardly possible. I don’t know what else to say except - impossible," the young centre-back said last week.

"I think he's [De Zerbi] a top-class coach. He likes attacking football, he likes build-up play, and I really like that. I hope we’ll work well together in the future."

A former Republic of Ireland international has made his prediction about what comes next for a Tottenham youngster he believes is gifted

Tottenham youngster Mason Melia could become an exciting story for the club if Roberto De Zerbi gives him a chance, believes former Republic of Ireland international Shane Long.

Melia joined Tottenham in January from St Patrick's but injury and illness prevented him from getting to work for the club's U21s until last month. Even though the 18-year-old striker is yet to play a senior game for the north London club, he is so highly thought of back home that he has already made his Irish debut as he came off the bench late on against Qatar on Thursday.

The youngster, who has trained at times with De Zerbi's first team in recent weeks, will be hoping for another international appearance in the early hours of Saturday morning with Ireland's friendly in Canada.

Long believes that Melia, who was used to playing senior football with St Pat's with 98 games under his belt despite his age, needs to either head out on loan next season to the Championship or be given his chance by De Zerbi.

"It depends on the manager. It could be an exciting story for Tottenham, having a player from the academy break into the first team, it could give the club a lift.

"I don't know if De Zerbi is known for bringing through younger players, he might just make a few signings. If that's the case, then a loan option is the best thing," Long told Boyle Sports.

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Spurs escaped relegation on the final day of the Premier League season with their victory against Everton although Long admits the drop might have been the best thing for Melia.

"Relegation would have been amazing for him because all the big players would have left. I was the same at Reading when I first came over. We went down one season, and then all the senior players left. That's when I kind of broke through, around 20 or 21, and it opened up that opportunity for me," he explained.

"It would have been the same for him. He's a goal scorer, and I'm sure being called up into the Ireland squad is brilliant for him, putting his name out there and letting people see what he's about. He's playing with the U21s at Tottenham as well. It's a big club.

Tottenham Hotspur are one of several Premier League clubs credited with an interest in Marcus Rashford, who Manchester United are keen to cash in on this summer

Marcus Rashford is reportedly not interested in signing for Tottenham Hotspur after claims Spurs are keeping close tabs on the England international.

Tottenham are one of four Premier League clubs credited with an interest in Rashford, 28, with Barcelona yet to exercise a £26million option to sign him permanently as part of their loan deal. The Catalan club reportedly have until mid-June to decide, after which the clause expires.

He would then return to his parent club, Manchester United, after spending last season on loan in La Liga. That is where clubs such as Spurs could come into the equation.

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The Mirror reports Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle and Tottenham are staying abreast of the situation. Rashford, however, is said to have no interest in joining either of the latter two clubs.

United are also reportedly reluctant to do business with a domestic rival. The reason they are desperate to sell is that they want to have his £325,000-a-week wages off their books for good.

Spurs chief executive Vinai Venkatesham has hinted that they will spend more on salaries than under his predecessor, Daniel Levy. However, taking on Rashford would be a radical departure from their long-standing wage structure.

Tottenham have needed a new winger since last summer, hence their pursuit of Savinho, which will seemingly reignite again this summer. Both play primarily off the left, albeit Rashford would also be an option to go through the middle, where Spurs are also in need of another addition.

The Brazilian is evidently a long-term target, whereas Rashford would be an opportunistic deal by taking advantage of Barcelona's indecision. Savinho appears to be the more cost-effective option, too, being six-and-a-half years younger than the England international.

Roberto De Zerbi spoke straight after Spurs stayed up about what he wants this summer. He said: "From tonight, we have to start to organise and to build a new team.

"I don't think we have now to change too many players, we have 10, 11, 12 players good enough to stay, good enough, like players, especially like people.

"Then we have to complete the squad with the first level of players, first level of players, because we suffered too much.

"I suffered a lot, but I think the fans, the club, the board, the players, they suffered too much. We are Tottenham, and we can't suffer like this until the last second of the last game to stay up.

And I will be stronger, I will be stronger. I don't want to decide alone because football is a group - sporting director, scouting, CEO - but my target now is finished to stay up, my target is to start the pre-season with the team I have in my dream."

Tottenham Hotspur sent a huge number of players out on loan this season and the next step is set to be crucial for many of them

Roberto De Zerbi will have a busy summer deciding on his Tottenham squad for next season and that includes the next steps for the 17 players who went out on loan.

Spurs sent a huge group of players off around the globe during this campaign with some plying their trade in Germany, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Scotland and at various levels of the Football League. Decisions will have to be made on all of them this summer and it will be De Zerbi who makes the final call.

Some of them will get a chance to train with his first team when the players return in July as the new Tottenham head coach runs the rule over them ahead of the pre-season tour to New Zealand and Australia, while others will have their futures decided long before the end of the summer break.

Spurs failing to get into Europe next season will affect how much game time De Zerbi has to offer his players which will likely mean a tighter squad and fewer opportunities.

With all of that in mind, we've decided to go through all 17 of the senior loan players sent out of the club this season and delivered our verdict on whether De Zerbi will keep, loan or sell them. Let's start with that young defender who got everyone talking in Germany.

Luka Vuskovic

This really needs to be a no-brainer because Luka Vuskovic's time at Hamburg saw him named in the Bundesliga Team of the Season despite the 19-year-old being in the backline of a club battling against relegation.

The centre-back has got the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich and many more watching him closely as he prepares to head off to the World Cup with Croatia.

Even though he is just a teenager, Vuskovic played 30 matches for HSV and scored six goals, some of them spectacular, while providing one assist. It was noticeable that when he missed three games towards the end of the season with a knee injury, Hamburg lost them all and conceded goals aplenty. Despite his age, he was missed hugely and when he returned they won two and drew one of their final three matches to ensure they stayed up.

The only concern about his game and the Premier League pace is his lack of acceleration but Vuskovic has been working on that with a sprint coach this season.

He's now valued as a £50million-plus player and with defensive exits expected this summer it would seem crazy to send him out again or even worse cash in on a star in the making.

Verdict: Keep for goodness sake

Mikey Moore

Another teenager who had a big season of development is Mikey Moore. The 18-year-old showed great mental strength to overcome a tough start at Rangers, with the fans initially unconvinced about him before he became their darling and picked up the PFA Scotland Premiership Young Player of the Year and Rangers' Young Player of the Year awards.

Despite Rangers' rollercoaster season, Moore has been the beacon of constant effort and endeavour with plenty of moments of magic, including in the big Old Firm Derby games.

The youngster played a whopping 47 matches for the Glasgow giants across the season, with 11 goal involvements as Danny Rohl helped unlock him more often in a left-sided playmaker role after Russell Martin's dismal early months of the campaign.

On one hand, if there isn't room for Moore to flourish under De Zerbi then what's the point of having an academy if not for players like this? On the other hand, he's so young still that another season of regular starts will also benefit the player as the lack of European football at Tottenham means he won't get those minutes at his own club, at least not until he gets a chance.

Rangers fans would love to have him back but football.london understands there's loads of interest in the teenager from clubs both home and abroad and he will have plenty of choice if De Zerbi decides he needs another season away from N17.

Verdict: Keep ideally, but another good loan would continue his development

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Alfie Devine

Alfie Devine is also a wanted man as football.london reported this week and the 21-year-old midfielder has a big decision to make this summer.

Devine had a great season with eight goals and eight assists in the centre of the park from 48 appearances for Preston North End. He earned plaudits aplenty for his performances across the season and football.london understands eight clubs are interested in taking him permanently from Spurs.

Before taking Devine on loan last summer, Preston agreed an option with Tottenham to buy the England U20 midfielder in a deal worth around £6million, more than twice their transfer record. The Lancashire club, who finished 14th in the Championship last season, have reportedly triggered the option with payments in instalments.

That means they will now be able to hold talks with Devine but face plenty of competition for his services with Scottish champions Celtic showing interest in the player as well as a number of clubs at the top end of the Championship with Premier League ambitions, including relegated Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Despite Tottenham's youngest ever goalscorer only having 12 months left on his contract in north London, Spurs may well look for a bigger fee from other interested clubs than the one agreed with Preston after the midfielder dazzled with his displays this season.

Devine has impressed over recent pre-seasons but it feels like, with that option agreed before this loan and the number of midfielders at the club, his future lies elsewhere despite his obvious talent.

Verdict: Sell, only because it feels like he won't break through at Spurs.

Kota Takai

The other young Tottenham centre-back in Germany, Kota Takai has had a far less impressive time in the Bundesliga which sums up his experience since making the switch from Japan.

The 21-year-old suffered a foot injury soon after arriving at Spurs last summer and when he returned to fitness months later, he was sent out on loan to Borussia Monchengladbach.

Unfortunately Takai struggled for game time and then picked up a muscle strain which meant he ultimately made just three starts for the German side and played only four minutes of football from the end of February onwards.

The Japan international is miles off playing Premier League football for Tottenham at the moment and the club need to get him out on loan again to help develop him.

Verdict: Loan

Alejo Veliz

We know the answer to this one already as Alejo Veliz is expected to head to Bahia at the end of the season after Tottenham agreed a deal with the Brazilian side to sell Veliz once his current loan at Rosario Central ends. A £7.8m (9m euros) deal was agreed with £871k in add-ons (1m euros) plus a 20% sell-on clause.

The 22-year-old has scored six goals in 24 matches for Rosario this season and starts most matches for his boyhood club.

Verdict: Sell

Manor Solomon

It's crazy to think that Manor Solomon arrived in north London all the way back in the summer of 2023 on a free transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk but has only played six matches for the north London club.

He suffered an injury to the meniscus in his knee just a couple of months into his first season at Spurs which ended it prematurely and was then sent out on loan in the next campaign to Leeds, helping them earn promotion to the Premier League with 23 goal involvements in 41 games.

Last summer, a loan move to Crystal Palace fell through on deadline day and a late switch to Villarreal was arranged instead. Despite five goal involvements in 11 matches, that spell did not pan out for the 26-year-old and he joined Fiorentina in the winter window, with an option for 10million euros [£8.7million] to make his deal permanent, and helped them remain in Serie A with four goal involvements in 19 matches.

Solomon and De Zerbi know each other well as the winger played for the Italian during their season together at Shakhtar, but it remains to be seen whether the Israel international can add to those six appearances, particularly with the number of wingers available when players come back from injury and potentially arrive in the summer window.

Verdict: Sell

Will Lankshear

Will Lankshear firmly falls into the category of those Spurs youngsters who had a terrific loan spell. Oxford United might have been relegated from the Championship but that's not for the lack of trying on the 21-year-old striker's part.

Lankshear was so good for his first loan club that he took home a double at the club's end of season awards. With his 12 goals for the strugglers he earned the Men's Golden Boot at Oxford and also walked away with the club's Young Player of the Year award after he played 47 matches with 16 goal involvements in all.

The striker has bulked up this season with the physical demands of the Championship and De Zerbi will surely want to take a look at him in pre-season. The Italian is expected to want to bring in a new forward this summer, with Richarlison's future in doubt as he reaches the final year of his contract, and what happens there could have a knock-on effect for Lankshear, without those extra European games on offer next season.

Verdict: Keep until January and then loan if he's not getting minutes

Jamie Donley

Jamie Donley had a difficult campaign following a tough spell at Stoke and then a painful injury on his debut for Oxford which delayed his debut for the Championship strugglers.

The 21-year-old Northern Ireland international bounced back to start most of their games in the final months of the campaign, but probably needs another good loan season after his previous impressive year at Leyton Orient.

Donley is the kind of player that De Zerbi will probably like as a former number 10 himself and if he gets the chance in pre-season then he has to grab it. Otherwise another loan season, with plenty of Championship interest, looks likely. Oxford did have an option to buy Donley included in their half-season loan deal and it will be interesting to see whether that happens again on his next move.

Verdict: Loan

Ashley Phillips

Ashley Phillips has become the unfairly forgotten man of the Tottenham defence despite impressing once again during his second season with Stoke in the Championship.

The 20-year-old centre-back was on the shortlist for the EFL Championship's Young Player of the Season award and played more minutes in the league than any other player aged 20 or under this season.

In all Phillips got 44 games under his belt for Stoke this season, recording one assist and earning plenty of plaudits across 3,701 minutes of action in all competitions, but it feels like with the queue of centre-backs ahead of him, including Vuskovic, he may never play a competitive game in a Spurs shirt.

You have to feel for the young defender who has done nothing wrong and in fact has been excellent out on loan at Stoke and before that at Plymouth, where he was named Young Player of the Season despite spending only half the campaign there. But it just feels like he's never going to get a chance at Tottenham and there will be no shortage of takers for him.

Verdict: Sell, to let him enjoy his career

Yang Min-hyeok

Yang Min-hyeok looks even further off playing for Tottenham then he did when he arrived at the north London club two years ago.

As Spurs tried to acclimatise him to the English game, last season brought a loan move to QPR and then in the first half of this campaign the South Korean headed off to Portsmouth where he made 16 appearances, scoring three goals with one assist.

Then came one of the worst loan moves Tottenham have ever handed one of their young players as the 20-year-old made the switch to high-flying Coventry and Yang was left out of the final 15 league games of the season for Frank Lampard's title winners. Although he now has a promotion to the Premier League on his CV, he got just 29 minutes of football in the Championship for them across three matches.

Verdict: Another loan as he still has four years left on his deal

Dane Scarlett

Dane Scarlett was heralded in the past by former Spurs managers like Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte as a huge star of the future, but it's just never really worked out for him.

Now 22-years-old, the striker has just returned from a loan spell at Hibernian that brought one goal and one assist in 13 matches north of the border. Scarlett has made 27 senior appearances for Tottenham scoring that one goal in the Europa League last season and providing three assists.

Ultimately he needs to score more goals as a striker. If you're De Zerbi then you're looking at Lankshear scoring 12 goals in his first loan move while Scarlett has scored 11 across four different moves out of the club over the years.

Scarlett currently has just a year left on his contract at Tottenham, if no option to extend exists, and a decision will be made this summer about what comes next for him.

Verdict: Loan or sell

Oliver Irow

Oliver Irow enjoyed a really bright second half of the season on loan at Mansfield Town and netted four goals in 17 League One matches.

It was the 20-year-old attacker's first loan move and he helped Mansfield to 10th place in the table – their best finish in 39 years - in his first experience of senior football.

With a contract until 2028, another loan move likely beckons so he can build on what he did this season.

Verdict: Loan

George Abbott

George Abbott was really pushing on in his career with a terrific loan at Notts County last season that brought him plenty of attention with 13 goal involvements from midfield in 44 matches as he helped drive his first loan club into the League Two play-offs.

Unfortunately the 20-year-old's second season in senior football was interrupted by injuries. A bright start at Wycombe ended with a serious quad injury that kept him out for months. He returned to Spurs for his rehabilitation and then they sent him with Irow to Mansfield for the season half of the season only for Abbott to injury the same quad in April, bringing a premature end to his campaign and he will return in pre-season.

Abbott only signed a new contract with Spurs last summer so hopefully he just gets fit and back out on loan to put this season behind him.

Verdict: Loan

Yusuf Akhamrich

Yusuf Akhamrich enjoyed a spectacular half-season loan at Bristol Rovers with plenty of moments for his highlights reel.

The direct 20-year-old winger scored six goals and laid on two assists in his 19 League Two matches with Rovers and his superb technique was on full display whenever he played.

Rovers boss Steve Evans told The Bristol Post at the end of the season that he wanted Akhamrich back next season, saying: "He's a real gifted talent, but don't discount that he'll come back in the summer. We'll work hard to try and make that happen, but ultimately we have to respect Tottenham Hotspur, and we have to respect Yusuf that he has to do what's right for him, but he knows my thoughts."

With another two years on his deal, it could be that Akhamrich gets another loan with a potential option in the deal to set up the next step in his career.

Verdict: Loan

Tyrese Hall

Tyrese Hall became an international this season as he made two appearances for Jamaica during his loan campaign at Notts County.

The 20-year-old midfielder was brilliant between September and December for County with eight of his 10 goal involvements coming during that period.

Hall struggled for starts towards the end of the season though and was not in the matchday squad for the League Two play-off semi-final second leg or the final at Wembley.

However, he played his part in County's promotion campaign with those eight goals and two assists across 1,850 minutes in 39 appearances.

Hall has a contract at Tottenham until 2029 so another loan move beckons unless there's a mutual decision to part ways as he's unlikely to break through into the first team.

Verdict: Loan with an option

Damola Ajayi

Damola Ajayi was another who took on his first year out of the club as he had two different loan spells after last season's spectacular Europa League debut and goal for Spurs.

The first half of the campaign took the 20-year-old winger to League One outfit Doncaster Rovers where he came up against Spurs in the Carabao Cup and during his spell there he scored twice and provided one assists in 18 matches, although none of those goal involvements came in the league.

Ajayi then made the switch to League Two champions Bromley, but found starts mostly hard to come by for the high-flyers.

With a deal until 2028, another loan is likely to be in the offing for the attacker if he sticks around.

Verdict: Loan

Alfie Dorrington

Alfie Dorrington was unable to match last season's efforts which brought his Premier League debut for Spurs and a Scottish FA Cup-winning loan at Aberdeen.

The 21-year-old returned to the Scottish club but a groin injury hampered his time back there and he made a winter window switch to League Two side Salford City.

The centre-back made 12 appearances for City and helped them reach the play-off final where they lost to Hall's Notts County.

Dorrington has a long contract until 2029 so another loan move beckons with the number of centre-backs at the club and more set to arrive.