Football London

The Tottenham youngster had a big moment in only his second international appearance as the Republic of Ireland gave Canada a World Cup warm-up

Mason Melia was denied the opportunity to send the perfect summer message to Roberto De Zerbi as he saw a big chance saved late on in the Republic of Ireland's 1-1 draw in Canada.

The 18-year-old striker is so highly rated in his homeland that he was called up by Heimir Hallgrimsson to make his senior Irish debut before he has even been in a matchday squad for Tottenham. After just a couple of minutes late on in the friendly win against Qatar in Dublin last week, Melia experienced his first transatlantic trip with the senior team as they eventually gave Jesse Marsch's Canada side a tough World Cup warm-up game in Montreal on Friday night.

Ireland struggled in the first half against their hosts and former Spurs forward Troy Parrott flicked a Canadian corner on and it hit Jake O'Brien and bounced in for an own goal. The visitors reorganised and improved in the second half and while Parrott's 59th minute penalty was saved, Chiedozie Ogbene nipped in ahead of him to ram home the rebound to level the match.

Melia made his entrance in the 70th minute and had a huge chance to win the friendly game 12 minutes later. As the Irish broke up the pitch, an Ogbene ball from the right fell perfectly to the teenager in the Canadian box after Niko Sigur made a mess of his clearance and completely missed it.

The Spurs youngster reacted quickly, controlling the ball with his right foot before hitting a low shot that the hosts' diving goalkeeper Max Crepeau did well to get a hand to and then gathered at the second attempt, leaving Melia with his hands on his head as his first senior international goal eluded him on this occasion.

"That’s just football. You get your chances and he got his because he’s a willing runner," said Hallgrimsson. "He went in behind and all of a sudden he was one on one with the keeper Sometimes you score. Sometimes you are the hero."

Melia, who joined Spurs in January from St Patrick's Athletic after the deal was agreed last year, had needed to overcome a back issue and a chest infection before finally getting to work at Tottenham in April for the club's U21s. Despite his age, he had played 98 senior games for St Pat's before arriving in north London, scoring 25 goals and providing eight assists, so he is well aware of the physicality of the men's game.

After his Irish debut last week the teenager was left buzzing by the sudden rise in his career.

"It was a surreal moment to come on, even though it was short but I had all my family there and it was a dream for me to make my debut, especially in the Aviva, so buzzing," Melia told RTE. "It shows there is a path if you prove what you can do on the pitch in League of Ireland, you're going to get your chance. There's a lot of LOI players in the squad at the moment. But yeah, there is a chance."

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Now Melia is aiming to impress Spurs boss De Zerbi this summer after getting involved in some of the Italian's training sessions last month.

"When I first went over, it was quite hard," he said. "They found a little niggle in my back, but I just had to get myself right, all the other stuff off the pitch right.

"But since I've been back fit, I've been feeling really good and obviously getting my call-up here, so something must be going well. But I'm enjoying it at the moment. I've been playing just to get my fitness back mainly. Scoring is always nice."

Now Melia must wait to see whether he remains with Spurs this season or gets sent out on loan to play more minutes to help his development.

"It's hard to say right now. I know they want me to come in, do my pre-season and pretty much go from there," he said. "But there isn't really a structural plan at the bottom for what my future is. I'm really open to anything. I just want to get playing.

"It's nice for De Zerbi to see that I've made my international debut, but I just want to make a good impression when I get back in pre-season."

Roberto De Zerbi has sealed his first summer signing at Tottenham but already has his second transfer of the window lined up

Tottenham Hotspur are already up and running in the summer transfer market after confirming the arrival of Andy Robertson. And in-keeping with the free agent theme, Spurs' next recruitment decision needs to be the signing of Bournemouth's Marcos Senesi after the defender confirmed he'll be leaving the Vitality Stadium.

One of the Premier League's stand-out central defenders in recent years, the recently turned 29-year-old is, in short, too bright an opportunity to pass up. Roberto De Zerbi's biggest priority by far this summer has to be tightening up a defence that shipped 57 Premier League goals this season and Senesi comes with too much upside to ignore.

Lionel Scaloni has, for some reason, decided to go without the Concordia-born star for his World Cup 2026 squad. That makes negotiations all the simpler from a Spurs perspective in that there need not be any delay in committing to talks with the player and his representatives.

That also comes with the added risk that if Tottenham don't move quickly and with intent, another suitor could swoop in. All the more reason to ensure he becomes the club's highest priority as their next recruit.

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Micky van de Ven's future remains up for discussion amid a swell of interest in his signature. That fear has been somewhat allayed after securing top-flight survival but there are other factors at play that force the need for additions at centre-back all the same.

Captain Cristian Romero continues to be linked with a move away from north London once the World Cup is over. There's also the Luka Vukskovic situation to consider after the youngster's marvellous campaign on loan at Hamburg, though he too is being touted for a big move away.

It remains to be seen whether Ben Davies will be offered a new short-term extension, though it's possible the Welsh defender leaves this summer. There are also doubts over whether Joao Palhinha will sign permanently from Bayern Munich and the Portugal star was a key defensive presence at the base of midfield.

Speaking to football.london recently, club legend Toby Alderweireld commented on the links to Senesi and Brighton's Jan Paul van Hecke. He rated both deals highly, though Van Hecke comes with the not-so-slight complication that he's expected to cost in excess of £70million.

"They both know the Premier League. That's good, because I think Spurs now need stability," said the Belgian. "They need to know the players can perform every week, week in, week out. They perform on a good level. Of course, a transfer to a new club, it's always a bit different, but they know the Premier League and that's very important.

"Because next season, it's impossible that we go back to this [awful] period. So I think it's understanding they are looking for players who are proven in the Premier League. That's something they should do. They should have a little bit more security in that."

Alderweireld rightly went on to stress Spurs "don't have the time" to wait on transfers that may need time to adapt to the Premier League. Senesi has proved over the course of his four years in England that he's up to the task, and his free agent status mitigates any concern caused by the fact he's slightly older than Spurs may want in an ideal signing.

In the event Vuskovic is committed to trying his hand under De Zerbi, it would ease the defensive burden greatly. However, that appears a big 'if' amid rumours of interest from Bayern, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.

In the meantime, it would be folly to ignore the opportunity presented by the free signing of Senesi. The South American would be an ideal replacement in the event compatriot Romero decides to leave but Spurs have to act now as a statement of intent to get back in the ring for top-six contention.

The former Tottenham Hotspur centre-back has been speaking to football.london about what is going on at the north London club this summer

If anyone knows a top centre-back or a star defender in the making, it's Toby Alderweireld.

During his career the polished Belgian won six league titles across three different countries, played at three World Cups, two European Championships, appeared in two Champions League finals and turned out 236 times in a Tottenham shirt. So when you want to know about Spurs centre-backs of the present and future, the 37-year-old from the recent past is the man you go to.

The Lilywhites' defence is set to undergo some major surgery this summer for new head coach Roberto De Zerbi. On Friday Spurs announced the free transfer of left-back Andy Robertson and Bournemouth centre-back Marcos Senesi is expected to follow him through the door in north London.

Tottenham have also been in talks to sign another central defender in Brighton's Jan Paul van Hecke. Senesi recently won the Cherries' player of the season award while Van Hecke earned that prize with the Seagulls at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

"They both know the Premier League. That's good, because I think Spurs now need stability," Alderweireld said in part one of his interview with football.london. "They need to know the players can perform every week, week in, week out. They perform on a good level. Of course, a transfer to a new club, it's always a bit different, but they know the Premier League and that's very important.

"Because next season, it's impossible that we go back to this [awful] period. So I think it's understanding they are looking for players who are proven in the Premier League. That's something they should do. They should have a little bit more security in that.

"I want players that the desire is there to improve. The best example is PSG. They had the biggest players. They won the French league, but never in the Champions League. They went back, sold their best players and went with people that have a fire in them.

"I can only speak from my own experience. We had people that wanted to improve - Harry Kane, Sonny, Eric Dier, Wanyama. There were players that want to improve and put the team as number one."

He added: "So you might say 'Spurs need to become better so we need to pay for big players'. We don't need big players. We need players with big hearts who can improve and that's something I really want to see. The team, the club, comes number one and that's very important.

"I think with, for example, those two (Senesi and Van Hecke), they're on the right direction to do the good transfers. To buy some players with a lot of potential from abroad, they need time and we don't have the time now. We need to be there very quick to be ready and to get directly into the new season with points.

"Directly is not top three again. I understand that's not easy, but it's not like two points or something from [the first] five games. Then you get in the same thing as last season."

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The knock-on effect of Spurs potentially signing both Senesi and Van Hecke is that there would be no room for the club's rising star Luka Vuskovic. The 19-year-old centre-back is yet to play a competitive game for Tottenham but has had a season to remember on loan at Hamburg where he was named in the Bundesliga Team of the Season.

The Croatian teenager, who will play at the World Cup this summer, has clubs like Barcelona and Bayern Munich circling him and his value has shot up to become a £50million or £60million player, depending on who you ask.

Alderweireld came up against Vuskovic before he hung up his boots in Antwerp and he believes a certain former Spurs manager would have given the youngster a chance.

"I played against him in Belgium. He played for Westerlo. He was, of course, a very good defender. He was very aggressive in the opposite box with corners. So he's got a good header and he has a nose for goals," said the Belgian. "Is he ready? I think if you have a manager like Pochettino, for example, he gives players a chance. It's possible.

"But then you need someone next to him. For example, I was at Antwerp and I played with Willian Pacho. Before I was there, he didn't play one minute, but then I played with him and now he has won the Champions League two times. Not because of me, but I mean, you need someone who's there and he can count on, because if you put all the pressure on him, it's going to be difficult.

"But if you're someone who's a leader, a leader not only with talking, then why not? Why not give him a chance? He proved in Belgium he was good. In the Bundesliga, he was good."

On the alternative of sending the young defender out again, Alderweireld said: "You can loan him again. He's very young, so he has time, but the thing is, you have to have someone next to him who is there all the time and not this guy and this guy.

"He needs to be together [with a regular partner] because he has to improve, he has to improve by himself, but as well, you're a team. At centre-back, I think Jan [Vertonghen] and me are the best example. We were one team and that's very important.

"Even, maybe I don't want to talk about it, but the quality of Arsenal at centre-back. Those two, they play together all the time, and they play good together. They know he's doing this and he's doing that. That's the quality of him and the quality of him and they play together.

"That's something, at Spurs, we need to get as quickly as possible to get a good partnership as centre-backs."

Tottenham's current leader at the back is Cristian Romero but the Argentine has been tipped to depart this summer after the World Cup. De Zerbi was unable to confirm at the end of the season that the club's captain would be part of his plans for the future.

Alderweireld knows what is required in the Tottenham defence, as part of the backline under Mauricio Pochettino that conceded fewer goals than any other Premier League clubs for a couple of seasons in a row. In Romero, he sees a world class defender on his day but one who he believes is not always there in the difficult moments because of his decision-making.

"He's an unbelievable player. Very aggressive. When he's on his level he can beat any striker," said the Belgian. "But on the other hand, as a centre-back, you need to see not only yourself, but you need to help the team, you know? And some moments with the red cards, moments that he's injured - injury is not always, of course, your own fault - but especially the red cards and moments.

"The moment at Old Trafford, 29 minutes in and you get a red card, this is not possible, you understand? There's a red card, if he's the last man and he wants to try to tackle ok, but with a 50-50 challenge, then I think 'wow, you don't help the team in the situation they're in' and then I get a little bit of my doubts.

"Because if he can get all that anger sometimes in the right moments with his head, I think he's one of the best centre-backs in the world. But sometimes those things, it doesn't help the team. Especially in difficult moments, real leaders, they get to the level of thinking 'now we're going to help the team'.

"And sometimes we missed him. That says a lot, because he's an unbelievable player, that's why we miss him. But he wasn't always there when the club needed him."

Thomas Frank has opened up on his Tottenham exit and made a decision on his next job amid rumours linking him with a return to a Premier League club this summer

Former Tottenham boss Thomas Frank has confirmed he will not return to management this summer - and has a new job lined up in the meantime.

Frank was sacked by Spurs back in mid-February, despite only being appointed last June. The Dane, who previously spent five years at Brentford, has been linked with a number of jobs since leaving the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

He has been placed on Crystal Palace's shortlist to replace Oliver Glasner and has been tipped to succeed Marco Silva at Fulham. But now, Frank has revealed he won't be stepping back into the dugout before the start of next season, instead taking a break, spending time with family and friends, as well as working at the World Cup.

Frank will be working for the BBC during the tournament and will also appear on television in his native Denmark.

"I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has reached out over the past few months," Frank said in a statement released on Friday afternoon. "Your support and encouragement have been greatly appreciated.

"Leaving Tottenham has given me the chance to step back and reflect on my journey so far. Football management is a profession that demands complete commitment every single day, and periods like this are a rare opportunity to assess, learn and gain a fresh perspective.

"From the outside, it may have looked like a time of many challenges at Tottenham when results were not what we wanted. From within, however, it becomes clear why the club is so special - full of talented people who work tirelessly every day. I have no doubt Tottenham has a bright future.

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"Football remains a huge part of who I am, and I have chosen to use this time productively. Over the coming months, besides spending time with family and friends, I will continue studying, observing and learning from other leaders both within sport and beyond it.

"I am also looking forward to covering the World Cup for Danish television and the BBC, as well as experiencing the Tour de France. Time away from the touchline is allowing me to broaden my perspective and gather insights that I look forward to bringing into my next challenge.

"There have been conversations and opportunities since leaving Spurs, but I have decided not to rush into the next role. For me, this summer is not the right time to go back into management.

"When the time is right, I will look forward to my return as a manager, ready to embrace the job with great energy and dedication."

The former Tottenham Hotspur head coach has released a statement on his time at the club and playing down any links this summer

Thomas Frank has made it clear that he will not be returning to football management this summer and has spoken about his time at Tottenham in a new statement.

The Dane replaced Ange Postecoglou last summer but with positive Premier League results hard to come by and a broken relationship with the Spurs fans, the 52-year-old was sacked by the north London club in February. His successor Igor Tudor also parted ways with the club less than two months later after a winless spell in the league and Roberto De Zerbi came in and saved Tottenham from relegation on the final day of the season.

Now four months after leaving the club and amid recent links to both the managerial posts at Fulham and previously Crystal Palace, Frank has spoken for the first time as he has released a statement through the League Managers' Association.

"I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has reached out over the past few months. Your support and encouragement have been greatly appreciated," it read.

"Leaving Tottenham has given me the chance to step back and reflect on my journey so far. Football management is a profession that demands complete commitment every single day, and periods like this are a rare opportunity to assess, learn and gain a fresh perspective.

"From the outside, it may have looked like a time of many challenges at Tottenham when results were not what we wanted. From within, however, it becomes clear why the club is so special - full of talented people who work tirelessly every day. I have no doubt Tottenham has a bright future.

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"Football remains a huge part of who I am, and I have chosen to use this time productively. Over the coming months, besides spending time with family and friends, I will continue studying, observing and learning from other leaders both within sport and beyond it.

"I am also looking forward to covering the World Cup for Danish television and the BBC, as well as experiencing the Tour de France. Time away from the touchline is allowing me to broaden my perspective and gather insights that I look forward to bringing into my next challenge.

"There have been conversations and opportunities since leaving Spurs, but I have decided not to rush into the next role. For me, this summer is not the right time to go back into management.

"When the time is right, I will look forward to my return as a manager, ready to embrace the job with great energy and dedication."

Tottenham Hotspur are looking to hit the summer transfer window hard and they have done so by already wrapping up one key transfer for Roberto De Zerbi

Tottenham Hotspur have announced the signing of Liverpool defender Andy Robertson. The experienced left-back is currently in North America preparing for the World Cup with Scotland.

The competition in the USA, Mexico and Canada has not prevented the north Londoners from officially confirming him as a Tottenham player. Roberto De Zerbi described the Scot as "someone I've admired for a number of years" as part of the club's announcement.

Robertson, 32, brings trophy winning mentality and pedigree, having won two Premier League titles, the Champions League, the FA Cup, two League Cups and the Club World Cup while at Anfield. He also arrives as a free agent, having departed the Merseysiders at the end of his contract.

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In the announcement, De Zerbi said: "Andy is someone I've admired for a number of years and he will bring outstanding technical qualities, experience, leadership and mentality to our team.

"He is a proven winner at the highest level over a long period and is someone who can be a big player for us, both on and off the pitch. I can't wait to start working with him and seeing the positive impact he will have on everyone around him."

Sporting director Johan Lange also added: "We are delighted to welcome Andy to the club. First and foremost, he is an outstanding left-back - one of the best of all time in the Premier League, and someone who will improve our squad.

"In addition, his quality, character and leadership have been evident throughout a career in which he has regularly competed for - and won - major honours. Andy's professionalism and commitment will also be invaluable to the development of our squad.

"He shares our ambition and determination to bring success back to the Club. We are excited for Andy's new chapter with us and look forward to having him here after the World Cup."

Interestingly, Tottenham are yet to confirm what shirt number the Scot will wear in north London. As part of his video, which also featured an appearance from ex-Spurs skipper Michael Dawson, Robertson's shirt was unveiled, without a number.

Either way, he will jostle for a place with the likes of Destiny Udogie and Djed Spence. He will officially link up with the club on July 1, one day after his Liverpool deal expires.

Last season, Robertson made 24 Premier League appearances, scoring one goal. Ahead of his move, Robertson also uploaded a social media video, where he said: "Hi Tottenham fans, it's me, Andy Robertson here. As you can see, I'm not in Glasgow, I'm in America, just preparing for the World Cup.

"I just wanted to send you a quick message to say I cannot wait to play for you guys. I cannot wait to play in the stadium for the first time in front of you. I'm already looking forward to next season. All the best and I'll see you soon."

It has been claimed that the former Tottenham Hotspur chairman has signed an agreement to sell his stake in the club's owners

Eight Sports Capital Limited have claimed that Daniel Levy has agreed to sell a large portion of his stake in ENIC, the company that owns Tottenham Hotspur, to them.

Levy was chairman of Spurs for 24 years before being ousted in September last year by the Lewis family, who own the majority of ENIC. The investment company purchased a controlling stake in the Premier League club in 2001 from Sir Alan Sugar and at that point Levy became chairman.

However after last year's exit for the long serving club head, the current generation of the Lewis family have become more prominent in backing the Lilywhites with CEO Vinai Venkatesham and non-executive chairman Peter Charrington running things.

Then on Friday, British Virgin Islands-based company Eight Sports Capital released a statement to the media, including football.london, claiming that they will own a portion of ENIC and therefore Tottenham Hotspur once an agreed and legally binding sale and purchase agreement with Levy is formally consumated.

Eight Sports Capital is spearheaded by two leading forces involved in two of the three rejected Spurs takeover bids last year. One is Wing-Fai Ng, the CEO of American entertainment company Triller, which owns Eight Sports. The other is tech entrepreneur Brooklyn Earick, who is the CEO of Eight Sports.

There is a third new person involved and that is Taiwanese billionaire Richard Tsai, who also owns Triller as well as Fubon Financial Holding Company, one of the largest financial conglomerates in Asia.

The move from Eight Sports Capital, which is yet to be officially confirmed, is said to be for 24.99% of ENIC. The former chairman, through a family trust, owns 29.8% of the share capital of ENIC. Any such sale would mean the newcomers owning a stake in Spurs but without any decision-making powers or a seat on the board of ENIC. The Lewis family have repeatedly stated that they have no interest in selling the Premier League club.

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The statement read: "Eight Sports Capital Limited today announces the signing of a sale and purchase agreement to acquire a 24.99% interest in ENIC Sports and Developments Holdings Limited (“ENIC”), the parent company of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.

"The transaction is structured through the acquisition from Oakchester Limited of the entire issued share capital of Walburg Holdings Limited and Larkin Ltd pursuant to the sale and purchase agreement. The target companies together beneficially hold 24.99% of the issued ordinary share capital of ENIC. Oakchester Limited is owned by Whitmill Trust Company (Gibraltar) Limited, acting as trustee of The Levy Children’s Trust and The Walburg Discretionary Trust, which are family trusts established for the benefit of Daniel Levy’s children."

A spokesperson for Eight Sports Capital Limited added: "We are delighted to have signed this agreement to acquire a significant stake in ENIC. We look forward to working with the club’s shareholders, management, staff, players and fans to support Tottenham Hotspur’s continued growth and success."

The statement continued that "the parties have agreed that no further public comment will be made regarding the commercial terms of the transaction".

Tottenham are set to strengthen Roberto De Zerbi's central defensive options but that could have a knock-on effect for the current crop at the back

Roberto De Zerbi looks set to get new defensive recruits with Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke linked to Tottenham but that will mean exits from his current group of centre-backs.

Spurs are expected to seal a free transfer for Bournemouth's player of the season Senesi as the 29-year-old Argentine's contract heads towards its conclusion this month. The north London club are also currently in talks with Brighton over the Seagulls 2024/25 player of the season Van Hecke after having a bid rejected for the centre-back, who turns 26 on Monday.

Handing De Zerbi both of those players would certainly bolster a defence that has conceded 183 goals in the Premier League in the past three seasons. However, it would also have a knock-on effect because the Italian would be left with far too many centre-backs for a season ahead that will not contain the extra fixtures and minutes that European football brings.

With that in mind, football.london is continuing our keep, loan or sell series with a look at Spurs' eight current senior centre-backs, starting with the club captain.

Cristian Romero

Cristian Romero's future looks increasingly like it's not going to be at Spurs next season once the World Cup is done, despite the Argentine only signing a new contract last summer.

De Zerbi was unable to confirm whether the club captain would be sticking around beyond this summer and with Tottenham looking for maximum value for those players who either do not want to be at the club or are not part of the plans, this could be the best chance to get a good fee for the 28-year-old.

That of course depends though on what clubs are willing to pay for Romero. On his day, he's a top drawer defender and a good World Cup with Messi & Co will only push his name further up the wishlists of Europe's big clubs.

In an ideal word De Zerbi would want to keep Romero, who contributed 10 goal involvements last season, but after two seasons in which the Argentine has played 18 and then 23 Premier League matches due to injury or suspension, the Italian and Spurs might feel the money can be better used elsewhere.

Verdict: Sell if a major bid arrives

Micky van de Ven

Micky van de Ven looks set to be a big part of De Zerbi's team after the head coach called the Dutchman the best left-sided centre-back in the Premier League.

After the previous season's injury problems, Van de Ven played more minutes (3,943) than any other outfield Spurs player in the 25/26 campaign, with 45 appearances and 18 of those as captain in the absence of Romero. The Netherlands international also added goals to his game - seven of them - to eventually become Tottenham's joint second top scorer of the season.

Verdict: Keep

Kevin Danso

Kevin Danso became an important part of the defence that ended up keeping Tottenham in the Premier League as he filled in admirably for the injured Romero.

De Zerbi admitted to football.london that the 27-year-old is still getting to grips with his required quick passing style but made it clear that "he will be here next season" after praising the rest of the Austria international's qualities.

Another who will play at this summer's World Cup, Danso offers solid defensive cover and will give his all whenever called upon.

Verdict: Keep

Radu Dragusin

Radu Dragusin is another centre-back who is expected to depart this summer, with the move for Van Hecke signalling that he would move even further down the pecking order.

There are plenty of clubs in Serie A looking to take the Romanian back to Italy, and with an agent who might as well hold a press conference each week with the amount he speaks to the media, the world will soon know about any interest that becomes something more serious.

Dragusin is a good defender who was knocked back by that ACL injury-enforced absence and he needs to get his career back up and running again with regular starts.

Verdict: Sell

Luka Vuskovic

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. The only concern about his Premier League readiness is his lack of acceleration but Vuskovic has been working on that with a Croatian decathlete this season.

He's now valued as a £50million-plus player and De Zerbi faces a big decision. He must decide whether to continue with the longer road for him, as Arsenal did with William Saliba's three loans after they beat their north London rivals to sign the Frenchman in 2019, or bring Vuskovic back now.

Those in the game say Vuskovic has a far higher ceiling than Van Hecke, but the problem is ensuring the teenager, who has a contract until 2030, gets the minutes he requires for his continued rapid development in a season in which Spurs do not have European football and therefore far fewer games in the schedule.

Verdict: Should be keep but will probably be loan

Kota Takai

Kota Takai had a far less impressive time in the Bundesliga than Vuskovic and his whole experience since coming over from Japan has been a mess.

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 made just three starts for the German side with four minutes of football from the end of February onwards.

The Japan international is miles off playing Premier League football at the moment and with a contract until 2030 the club need to get him out on loan again to help him develop.

Verdict: Loan

Ashley Phillips

Ashley Phillips is the forgotten Tottenham centre-back despite continually impressing out on loan.

In his second season with Stoke, the 20-year-old made it on to the shortlist for the 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.

However, it feels like with the queue of centre-backs ahead of him and more arriving this summer, he may never play a competitive game in a Spurs shirt.

You have to feel for the talented young defender but there will be no shortage of takers for him. De Zerbi might take a look at him in pre-season this summer but the new arrivals being sought do not bode well for his chances of staying.

Verdict: Sell to let him move on and enjoy his career

Alfie Dorrington

Alfie Dorrington made his Premier League debut for Spurs in the 2024/25 season and then enjoyed a Scottish FA Cup-winning loan at Aberdeen.

This season though saw the 21-year-old return to the Scottish club but a groin injury hampered his time there and he then made a winter window switch to League Two side Salford City and helped them reach the play-off final where they lost to Notts County.

Dorrington has a contract until 2029 so another loan move appears to beckon unless a good permanent offer comes in for the defender and he can start to settle at a club rather than continue to be one of Tottenham's nomadic tribe of loan players.

How Roberto De Zerbi's revamped Spurs midfield could shape up next season

It's fair to say Tottenham need reinforcements across the pitch following a dreadful campaign.

After having three managers, Spurs clung onto their Premier League place with a final-day victory over Everton, as West Ham dropped into the Championship instead. Before Roberto De Zerbi's appointment, it was Tottenham who appeared more vulnerable to relegation into the second tier, an unimaginable scenario for a club still regarded by some as part of English football's so-called 'big six'.

Following the trauma of the season, Spurs supporters won't be getting ahead of themselves. Nevertheless, a sense of optimism has emerged amid belief in De Zerbi and his approach. That enthusiasm would grow if the club could enjoy a productive summer.

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The midfield requires attention, with additional quality and greater depth needed to handle the demands of a gruelling season. A couple of holding midfielders would be welcome acquisitions.

Youngster Archie Gray matches the profile but remains a work in progress and requires the backing of a seasoned partner, either next to him or to deputise at times. De Zerbi had Alexis Mac Allister and Pascal Gross at Brighton and Adrien Rabiot at Marseille before he departed for AC Milan last season.

A potential swoop for World Cup winner Mac Allister shouldn't be dismissed out of hand. The Argentine has been linked with Real Madrid, though his father, who is also his agent, has firmly denied any contact.

Having cost Liverpool £35million, Mac Allister endured a frustrating campaign at Anfield and could be prised away for the right fee, with the Reds needing to shake things up following a woeful title defence. The anticipated arrival of Andy Robertson, his former Anfield colleague, could prove a helpful factor.

Highly-regarded Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney, who has attracted attention from numerous Premier League sides, would represent an excellent acquisition. Manchester City's £50million man Nico Gonzalez also looks likely to become available, particularly if Elliot Anderson completes a move from Nottingham Forest.

Returning to another player De Zerbi has previously managed, Carlos Baleba could be on Spurs' radar following Manchester United's cooling interest in the Cameroonian. He would bring some much-needed steel and physicality to the engine room.

Provided De Zerbi maintains his favoured 4-2-3-1 system, two of Mac Allister, Gonzalez and Baleba could operate in support of number 10 James Maddison, who will be desperate to atone for his injury-marred campaign. Such a midfield combination would only serve to boost supporters' growing optimism.

One of the Tottenham head coach's former players has been speaking about the changes to come under the Italian at the north London club

There will be a "massive change" at Tottenham under Roberto De Zerbi because the club must trust him like Arsenal did with Mikel Arteta, believes Sandro, who played for both the Italian and Spurs.

De Zerbi has already made a big splash at the north London side after being parachuted in late in the season and leading the club to 11 points from their final six matches to keep them in the Premier League at the expense of West Ham. That saved Tottenham's dignity and around £250million in potential lost revenue which means the 46-year-old will have a big say in how the club moves forward into a new era under him.

Former Tottenham midfielder Sandro, who played under De Zerbi at Italian side Benevento, believes that after having four head coaches at the helm within a year, his club must trust their new one in the same way as the Premier League champions did to success down the road.

"It will be a massive change, because now we have the idea of the philosophy. Football has changed, because people just want to be successful, but Tottenham, we have always played attacking football and we need to have someone that has the same idea and philosophy.

"Of course you’re playing in the Premier League, it's not just attack, attack and you have to be clever, you need to control the game. Guardiola for example, you can’t be more attacking than Guardiola, it's impossible, but it's very clever. We need to be balanced, attacking and direct, but be ready when we need to defend, and be ready to drop everybody back and really defend," said Sandro, speaking exclusively to Reach PLC ahead of the World Cup thanks to betFIRST sport.

The Brazilian added: "In the beginning of Arteta managing Arsenal, everybody was criticising him saying, ‘Arteta should leave, Arteta should leave', but Edu kept him. And Edu said he needed to buy the players that Arteta needed, that the players that were in the squad were not for Arteta’s style, so he would give him more time, give him more years, give him the players he needs for his style of football; and look at the transition that Arsenal have done.

"Just look at Arsenal now! It's just football, it's not like you can click and everything will happen. No. You have to have the right idea, the first thing is to have the right idea, with the right manager for the team, and then give him the players he needs. And Arsenal did that.

"But I'm telling you now, Tottenham are going to be a success in two to three years' time. We are going to be a success."

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Sandro, who did some coaching work experience under De Zerbi at Brighton, believes that Spurs need attacking additions in the summer transfer window and is happy with the links to his compatriot Manchester City winger Savinho. At the same time he believes another Brazilian and an Argentinean could depart from N17 in the coming months.

"For two seasons we have struggled, but now I'm very confident that De Zerbi will help Spurs, will build the club again and I think he will find the right players because he's so passionate and he already knows what he's going to do," said the 37-year-old.

"We need to strengthen the attack, with wingers and a striker, because players will probably leave, like Richarlison probably will leave. Players that we need, I heard a lot about Savinho coming in as a winger, and we need to focus on these places and that kind of player. Defenders, I don't know but Romero will probably leave as well, and we need to strengthen that central defence zone as well."

On Richarlison leaving, he went on: "Richarlison is the reason Tottenham stayed in the league, but I don't know because it's his contract that only has one year left. But if he leaves, we need one more striker and I'm not sure who, but we need to look at the market very closely because you know how business is. If you get business done early, you can do better business.

"We should get players in our mind and we should sign them before the media realise what's happening and it’s done. The Eze situation [last summer] is for us to learn from."

Sandro pointed to another Brazilian as the type of attacking player that Tottenham should have gone for in the past.

"From before, the striker from Real Madrid, that was in Lyon in France, Endrick. That kind of striker, we need an absolute top, top striker, you know, but in Brazil, I don’t think we don't have any up and coming strikers like he was a few years ago," said the former QPR man.

"But we need to find a striker who can be at that level. A loan move could potentially be good, but it depends on the World Cup, his value could go way up. But he's one of the guys that we needed, you know? We needed someone like him."