Football London

The Dane has become associated with a nearly disastrous season at Tottenham Hotspur as they escaped relegation by just two points

Sporting director Johan Lange's future at Tottenham remains in serious doubt after their dreadful season, football.london understands.

The Dane has become one of the targets for the Spurs fans' anger after a campaign in which the club only escaped relegation by two points thanks to Roberto De Zerbi dragging the broken club off the floor and bringing in 11 points from the final six matches to instead send West Ham into the Championship on the final day.

With four different head coaches in the past year, Lange has become the main football voice within the club and was handed a promotion in October last year from technical director to sporting director. Fabio Paratici's brief three-month return alongside him ended with the Italian heading back home to work for Fiorentina in February. The 53-year-old has already been linked in the Italian media with a move to AC Milan this summer.

Lange's transfer dealings, heavily led by data with changes made to the club's scouting department, have brought mixed results since his arrival from Aston Villa in 2023. There have been numerous young signings under the 46-year-old, with more successful ones such as Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray, who have won the supporters' player of the year awards in successive seasons, alongside others who are yet to even play a competitive game for the club such as Kota Takai and Yang Min-hyeok.

The club's bigger senior signings in recent years such as Dominic Solanke, Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus have succumbed to long-term injuries. The team chosen by De Zerbi to see off Everton on the final day was made up on the whole by players signed before Lange's arrival, albeit that was also down to the club's horrendous list of injuries.

Tottenham's non-executive chairman Peter Charrington wrote in an open letter to the supporters on Monday that "the board are committed to this leadership group and will give them the stability and support they need to run this club in the right way".

That was assumed to include Lange but football.london understands that while CEO Vinai Venkatesham remains part of the club's plans moving forward, there are those inside and outside the north London outfit who believe it is increasingly unlikely that Lange makes it through the summer, as the football figurehead for a horrendous season, and if he does, it will be in a role supporting a new sporting director.

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Spurs are on the hunt for a world class new sporting director to fill the void left by Paratici and lead the football side of the club to ensure they never go through another season like they have before and instead push back towards the other end of the Premier League table.

De Zerbi made it clear that transfer plans for this coming summer must be put in place this week and those talks will happen with the Italian, while Tottenham are keen to bring their new football head in as soon as possible to push the club on with funds available to improve the squad alongside selling those players the head coach decides are surplus to requirements.

"We have to start to organise and to build a new team," said De Zerbi on Sunday. "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.

"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.

"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."

Now it is down to Tottenham to ensure De Zerbi's dreams are realised and that may not involve Lange leading the way.

The goalkeeper has been speaking about his dramatic turnaround and the moments that were worse than what happened to him in Madrid

Antonin Kinsky has made it clear that two members of Tottenham staff were crucial to his incredible turnaround to help keep the club in the Premier League.

The 23-year-old Czech has enjoyed a remarkable transformation in his fortunes over the past month. On March 10, Kinsky endured a horror night in Madrid with a miss-kick and a slip leading to Atletico racing into a 3-0 lead at the Metropolitano and interim boss Igor Tudor hauled off the young goalkeeper just 17 minutes into his Champions League proper debut.

Some believed Kinsky's Tottenham career was done in that moment and many feared how he could get past the humiliation of that night as the clips spread far and wide across social media.

Kinsky was stronger though than anyone expected and then two things happened. First Guglielmo Vicario required hernia surgery on a long-running problem and then Roberto De Zerbi arrived, with Vicario making it clear to the new head coach that Kinsky had already put that night in Spain behind him and was ready to replace him.

De Zerbi quickly found that out for himself and Kinsky did not look back with a string of remarkable last-gasp saves against Wolves, Leeds and on the final day against Everton, playing a huge role in keeping Spurs in the Premier League.

When asked about that night in Madrid and whether it felt like a lifetime ago, Kinsky admitted that it wasn't even the worst time of this season for him.

"No it feels as long ago as it actually was. The season was not about Atletico for me. Of course for the fans, definitely yes, because it was a big moment to be knocked out of the Champions League and this played a big part, but for me, the six months on the bench were definitely harder than this one moment," he said.

"It was just about believing, working, because I know I do the right stuff, I'm able to work, I'm able to perform well. I have the confidence based on the work that I do. The preparation made me feel well in this moment."

De Zerbi played his part in picking up Kinsky but the young stopper points immediately to two men as the ones who are responsible for his turnaround.

"I have to say for me, two people were crucial. It was Dean Brill and Fabian Otte, the goalkeeper coaches. Since the start of the season which was going bad for me, they just helped me so much," he said. "Every training session we did we were pushing, we were doing so much every day. I’m really grateful to them.

"I don’t need to describe even more because they know it. I just want to mention because they were the most important people for me in this moment. Of course then the coach came and he lifted everything. But for me, these two people are the most important, apart from my family, because I spend every day with them. We just work, we just push, we just prepare and that's the key for this moment."

Kinsky paid tribute to the Tottenham fans and how they got behind him and also the team to help push them all over the line.

"Of course I’m aware because when I stand on the pitch I feel the support. This is the best thing a player can get. Definitely the confidence and everything should be dependent on the preparation and the mentality of the player, but when you go out there on the pitch and sometimes the fans cheer your name or generally, the support is huge, like it was before the game [against Everton] when we were arriving, it gave me so much energy," he said.

"It didn't matter if that game was 30 degrees [in the sun], it could be 45 or 50, I think everyone had so much energy that we could play four halves! If they are thankful and grateful to us, then I have the same towards them because they make the club special. Of course there are people inside [Spurs] but the size of the club is based on the fans and this is incredible."

Kinsky made a wonderful full length 99th-minute save to keep out Tyrique George's powerful curling effort from inside the box and he admitted that required a quick shift of his feet. That moment ensured Tottenham did not undergo a nervy final few minutes in the game, knowing that West Ham had beaten Leeds 12 miles away.

"I was happy [with the save]. I knew he is good one-on-one, the winger, and I was expecting the shot. There was someone blocking the view a little bit so I needed to adjust the position," said the Czech stopper. "But then it was a shot I was able to save so of course that was a nice feeling.

"The season ended really nicely. It didn’t go according to the plan but it ended very nicely. I’m happy for the situation that we stay in the league and at the same time that I was able to get back on the pitch for the seven games. This is why I train every day, why I do football, because I want to experience this moment, not from the bench but from the pitch."

Kinsky will not be at the World Cup with the Czech Republic this summer as he has to undergo a small procedure on a medical issue.

"I had a small problem so I'm going to solve it. As soon as I'm going to be alright, I have planned a nice pre-season with my conditioning coach so we're going to work well and definitely I'm going to be ready for whatever comes next season that I’m looking forward to so much," he said.

"I needed to finish this season which was a great goal for me. The other thing is if I would be going to the World Cup as a clear number one then of course I would maybe think differently. But I knew I was not going as the number one, so in that case I was like 'OK', so probably because I didn’t play any games before in the qualification as I was here on the bench, I accepted it. Now let’s prepare well, let’s do it straight after so I'm ready for next season."

Roberto De Zerbi is eyeing up his third Tottenham transfer with the club immediately reactivating talks with a target that came close to signing last summer

Tottenham have 'reactivated talks' to sign Savinho from Manchester City, it has been claimed. Spurs tried to bring Savinho, 22, to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last summer, after scoring three goals and providing 13 assists in 48 matches during his debut season at City.

Despite coming close to reaching an agreement, Savinho ended up remaining at the Etihad Stadium. Since then, the Brazilian, who joined City from Troyes for £30.8million in June 2024, has struggled for regular game time and has dropped further down the pecking order following Antoine Semenyo's January arrival.

Indeed, the ex-PSV and Girona man started just SIX Premier League matches across the 2025/26 season, and one of those came in Sunday's dead-rubber defeat to Aston Villa. Semenyo has cemented his spot as City's first-choice right winger, while Jeremy Doku and Phil Foden are among their other wide options.

With Savinho's minutes at City reduced, Tottenham are expected to come back in for the forward. According to Fabrizio Romano, initial discussions between Spurs and City are 'back underway' and Savinho is 'open' to a move to north London. It's added that Newcastle United are among the others interested in him.

He is still valued at around £60million and has five years left on his contract at City. So, should Tottenham move for Savinho, he would become one of the club's all-time record transfers, along with Xavi Simons and Dominic Solanke.

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Roberto De Zerbi's Spurs are poised to be active in the summer transfer window as they look to improve on the woeful 17th place Premier League finish. Andy Robertson has reportedly verbally agreed to join Tottenham after he bid farewell to Liverpool on Sunday following a nine-year spell at Anfield.

Robertson, 32, has spent the last nine years at Liverpool, making more than 350 appearances and winning a number of major trophies, including the Premier League twice and the Champions League.

The Scotland international is poised to add some much-needed experience and quality to Tottenham's defence and compete with Destiny Udogie and Djed Spence for the left-back position.

But Robertson may still not sign for Spurs as Juventus have entered the race for his signature. If Tottenham do bring in the left-back, however, he would be a bargain free transfer with his contract at Liverpool coming to an end.

Another player who could come through the Tottenham doors in the coming weeks is Bournemouth centre-back Marcos Senesi, who had been in 'advanced talks' with Spurs, subject to the club securing Premier League survival.

Like Robertson, the 29-year-old Argentine is a free agent this summer with his contract at the Cherries coming to an end. While he has significant interest elsewhere, Tottenham are the leading contenders to land Senesi.

The ex-Feyenoord man has been at Bournemouth since 2022 and has amassed more than 100 appearances during his time on the south coast. This season, he has been an integral part of the Bournemouth side that finished sixth in the Premier League and secured Europa League football.

The Tottenham goalkeeper has opened up on how the Italian head coach saved the club from relegation and why supporters should be excited for next season

Guglielmo Vicario has explained how Roberto De Zerbi saved Tottenham from relegation and revealed that he made it clear to the Tottenham boss that Antonin Kinsky was ready to star for him.

Vicario has had to watch on in the past month as a concerned spectator after undergoing hernia surgery and could be seen on the final day sprinting over to De Zerbi and almost strangling his head coach in delight when Joao Palhinha scored the goal against Everton that played its part in keeping Spurs in the Premier League.

The Italian goalkeeper, who admits he is still "not 100 per cent fit but in a better place", lays all the praise at the door of De Zerbi for turning around a club that was low on confidence and hope.

"A lot of emotion. It has been a very long season. We suffered a lot as a team. Also individually I suffered a lot for many reasons, different reasons. So of course [staying up] was something we were looking for and what we worked for, especially when Roberto came in," said the 29-year-old.

"This club deserves at least to stay in the Premier League. This is the minimum you can get at this football club. Sometimes there are situations that happen that are not more in your control. You lose the focus, you lose hope, you lose a lot of stuff but fortunately Roberto came in and gave us a lot of confidence.

"A lot of patterns, a lot of football. It was not the main focus though. He gave us a lot of confidence, good vibes, good feelings and we got the result."

Vicario drilled into exactly what his compatriot De Zerbi did behind the scenes to lift the north London club off its knees with 11 points from the final six matches to save its top flight status.

"He had a lot of talks with the players. I spoke a lot with him. I was not able to help him on the pitch but I tried to do it behind the scenes. It was important for everyone to get everyone around the environment, very focused and to play for this badge," said the stopper.

"That was his first message. Get behind the people to try to follow us and to stay close to us in these tough moments and they did it brilliantly today. The response from the crowd was unbelievable. We felt it.

"We went through this tough period and we got the result, that is the most important thing. From next season there will be a different Tottenham Hotspur for sure."

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The player who has enjoyed the biggest turnaround under De Zerbi is Vicario's fellow goalkeeper Kinsky. The 23-year-old Czech recovered from a horror night in Madrid against Atletico, which saw interim boss Igor Tudor substitute him after just 17 minutes, to come to Spurs' rescue in Vicario's absence with a string of spectacular saves against Wolves, Leeds and Everton.

Vicario admitted that when De Zerbi asked him about Kinsky he made it clear that the young keeper had already rid himself of his Champions League hangover.

"He has been incredible, impressive, he did unbelievably well. In every game it was not easy. Now it’s easy to say but I was sure of his mental strength and ability. When I spoke to Roberto the first day he signed he asked me how Toni was and I said 'I think he is fully recovered from what happened because in football it can happen', and he showed it," said the Italy international.

"That's the biggest strength he can put on the pitch. I’m very proud of him, he made some really important saves to keep us in the league and he deserved his moment. Sometimes football is downs, I think he had the brilliance to show his ups. Especially in the last two, three games. He did unbelievably for us."

Vicario, who has been linked with a return to Italy and Inter Milan this summer, is on the mend and said he was "confident and I have a break now to be ready for next season". He believes that the Spurs supporters and players should be excited about what comes next under De Zerbi.

"Yeah of course we are [excited]. Roberto has been massively important for us. He changed everything. He changed all the mood, all the vibes, all the football as well, because we needed also the football on the pitch because we were struggling to play good football," he said.

"But he is probably known very well for the football he wants to play but also the defensive phase since he came in has been unbelievably good. [Against Everton] we conceded just one shot where Toni did this big save at the end of the match but for 95 minutes we didn't concede any shots. Both on the ball and off the ball I think he did an unbelievable job.

"Also the boys, everyone who was playing or not playing followed him in a great way. That is of course the credit he deserves, and I can say without him this result would not have been possible. I want to thank him from the bottom of my heart because we were suffering a lot and he gave us a lot of joy in every aspect."

The Portuguese midfielder played a huge role in keeping Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League but is waiting to find out if he will join permanently

Joao Palhinha wants to be a Tottenham player next season and believes that this dreadful campaign will make the club stronger.

The Portuguese was there in plenty of big moments for Spurs with seven goals and three assists despite his defensive midfield role. His two huge goals at the business end of the season - the late winner at Molineux against Wolves last month and Sunday's final day strike in the 1-0 victory against Everton - kept the north London club in the Premier League.

Palhinha, who turns 31 next month, is on loan from Bayern Munich and Tottenham have an option to bring him in permanently this summer for £25.8million (30million euros). Head coach Roberto De Zerbi wants the club to sign the experienced midfielder but that previously agreed price tag might need some re-negotiating for a player in his thirties.

Palhinha has made it clear that he wants to be wearing a Spurs shirt again next season.

"I always shared my thoughts. Since the first day I arrived I feel at home. From the supporters, the crowd. Top club. Who doesn’t want to play for Tottenham and stay here? I have everything here," he said. "But this is like a marriage. What I can say to you is I would really like to be here and I enjoy it a lot this season with this club even being a tough season."

The Portuguese was delighted to be able to help Tottenham remain in the Premier League with his goal on Sunday. His header just before half-time from Mathys Tel's corner hit the right-hand post and bounced back to the former Fulham man to knock the ball over the line despite Everton's best efforts to stop it.

"Really happy, a really important day for the club, for everyone, for all the supporters," he said. "We are really happy with the way we finished this day today because it was the main objective to keep Tottenham in the Premier League."

The main positive in recent weeks has been the arrival of De Zerbi with the Italian grabbing the club by the scruff of the neck with 11 points from seven matches, a points-per-game average that would have put Spurs in the top six across the season. Palhinha is expecting a far better new campaign under the 46-year-old.

"I think the next season will hopefully be really different and I truly believe that. I think this season will help Tottenham for the future," he explained. "Analyse the season and what we did wrong, what we did well and I think it’s a big improvement and a big relief after the season. Let’s see now."

Tottenham decided their Europa League final-winning hero Brennan Johnson was free to leave the club in January when he signed for Crystal Palace

Brennan Johnson admits he still hasn't had time to properly process his Tottenham departure.

The Welshman, who scored the winning goal for Spurs in the Europa League final last season against Manchester United in Bilbao, was told he was free to find a new club in January after falling out of favour under Thomas Frank.

Since then, Mohamed Kudus, Tottenham's other right winger, missed the remainder of the season through injury, Frank was replaced by Igor Tudor and both were sacked before Spurs stayed in the Premier League by the skin of their teeth on the final day of the season.

Johnson had a whole host of options, Bournemouth, Everton and Sunderland were among those interested but in the end, Crystal Palace edged the transfer battle for the 25-year-old's signature.

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He said when pushed on the toughness of the ordeal: "Yeah, it's something that I haven't had the time to reflect on, to be honest, just because of how it works in January.

"I literally signed and two days later, I was up in Newcastle playing. It happened so fast. It was a new experience for me, changing teams mid-season. I'll be honest, it was one that I probably struggled with a little bit at the time. It was all new, even though it was only in London. But it's a new changing room, a new team, a new club.

"It was one that I didn't really have too much time to reflect. But what I can say is the boys and the staff and the fans here have made me feel welcome. I owe a lot of thanks to them for making me feel at home here."

Johnson also claimed he's had to detach himself from Spurs and his emotional connection to the club amid their struggles.

Now, he could end his first season as a Crystal Palace player with European silverware following Europa League glory last term.

He explained: "Yeah, I think as a player, you have to have a little bit of a selfish aspect to yourself. I think at the end of the day, whatever happened happened in January and I ended up at Crystal Palace, an amazing club.

"I've really enjoyed my time here so far. I feel like if I thought too much about what was going on at Tottenham, maybe I'd lose a bit of concentration and not be able to give it my all. So because it's in January, it happened so fast, I just haven't had the time to think about what happened at Tottenham."

The versatile forward already has a Europa League tattoo on his right leg and he's looking to add a Conference League one if Palace do the business in Leipzig.

He can't help but dream of scoring the winning goal again - even if he's yet to find the target since joining the Eagles.

Johnson added when asked if he wants to repeat history: "Of course, of course. It's natural. Even if I'd scored, I feel like I want to be confident that I can always do that. I still have the confidence in me that I feel like I can help the team.

"But when it comes down to finals, I feel like the main thing is getting over the line, no matter how it takes and who scores, I think that's more important."

Tottenham have been heavily linked with a move for Andy Robertson, with PRemier League survival making a transfer more likely

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a potential blow in their hopes for signing Andy Robertson this summer, with Juventus entering the race for the defender.

Sky in Italy claim that Juventus have made a move for Robertson, who played his final game for Liverpool on Sunday afternoon. His deal at Anfield expires at the end of next month, meaning that he will be available on a free transfer.

It's claimed that Spurs do remain in pole position to sign Robertson, who was linked with a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium back in January. Juve are, however, said to have submitted 'an offer'.

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After a disappointing season, Spurs will be hoping to have a successful transfer window to avoid the situation happening again. The side survived relegation to the Championship on the final day of the season, thanks to a 1-0 win over Everton.

Robertson will bring strong Premier League experience and know-how at the other end of the table. During his nine years with Liverpool, he was part of a squad that won two Premier League titles, one C hampions League, two League Cups and one FA Cup.

The full-back will be part of the Scotland squad for this summer's World Cup in North America, something which could potentially delay any decisions over his future. The tournament begins on 11 June, with Scotland playing their first game three days later against Haiti (2am kick-off).

They also face Morocco (19 June, 11pm) and Brazil (24 June, 11pm) in their other Group C fixtures.

Previously speaking about the potential January move to Spurs, Robertson said: "There was obviously interest there - there were discussions had with both sets of clubs.

"But the decision was that I wanted to stay. We stayed at Liverpool and that was the decision made."

Reflecting on his final game for Liverpool and the build-up to it, he told Sky Sports: "Emotionally drained. It's been a busy week trying to keep your emotions in check and saying bye to those you need to say bye to.

"Pep Guardiola pushed us to new limits. We should have won more Premier Leagues if it wasn't for that man. Seamus Coleman is leaving Everton and he's been a fantastic servant for that football club.

"In years to come, then we know we're both welcome back to this football club. This is a big chapter in our book but it's not the end. First and foremost, we have to switch off and focus on the World Cup. I know this is our family and we'll be welcome back."

James Maddison has brought up Spurs' injury problems as one of the reasons behind their struggles this season.

Former Tottenham Hotspur winger Andros Townsend has said that the medical department at the club has ‘not been good enough’ for the last 15 years. The comments come after James Maddison ’s call for an investigation into Tottenham’s poor injury record.

The midfielder has been out of action for the majority of the season after suffering an ACL injury during pre-season.

He made his return as a substitute for the final matches of the season as Spurs scraped Premier League survival on the final day. A 1-0 win over Everton saw them stay up at West Ham’s expense in a nail-biting final day.

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Maddison wasn’t the only injury blow throughout the season, with six key players missing from the squad for the game against the Toffees.

"Our situation with the injuries has been worse than any other club," Maddison told reporters .

"People try and say, 'Oh, but we've got this and that'. But ours is astronomical and we need to look at why that is.”

Speaking to BBC Radio 5Live, Townsend recalled his own time at Spurs, and didn't hold back on his thoughts.

“I left Spurs in 2015 and that was the case 11 years ago as well. The medical department hasn’t been good enough for the last decade and a half,” he said.

When asked if it was quality of care, expertise or the number of staff on the team that made them not good enough, Townsend replied with: “Everything you just mentioned.”

When asked by Joe Hart what makes a good medical department, he said: “Knowledge, protocols.

Like you said, many players go outside for second opinions, and when the second opinion from the expert is completely different to what your medical department is saying, time and time again, on a consistent basis, then that raises questions about the quality you have at your own club.”

He later added: “I’ve had many conversations with medical staff in and out of football , it’s not their fault. The budget, they’re not allocated a budget to build a first class medical department.

“You’re signing players for £50, £60, £70-odd million and then you’re not giving the budget to the people tasked with taking care of those players.

“So then you’re spending all of that money, Dominic Solanke, for example, Spurs spent £60 odd million on him, he spent most of the season injured, because you’re not spending the money, some of the budget on the medical team to be able to facilitate someone like Dominic Solanke, and I think that’s the biggest problem. Everywhere I’ve been it’s been the biggest problem that the clubs are not giving the budgets to the medical departments to equal the value of the player they’re signing.”

Bruno Fernandes has become a Premier League star at Manchester United but the midfielder could have previously joined Tottenham Hotspur before he arrived at Old Trafford in 2020

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has explained how close he was to joining Tottenham Hotspur before arriving at Old Trafford in 2020. Fernandes joined United in the January transfer window that year - completing a deal worth up to £67.6million.

But he could have ended up at Tottenham before that United move. The Lily Whites had identified Fernandes as a potential signing in the summer of 2019 and came close to securing a deal, with interest still there in January 2020 when United eventually sealed the deal.

As football.london reported back then, the club's hierarchy saw Fernandes and Giovani Lo Celso as both being replacements for the outgoing Christian Eriksen. Lo Celso came in initially on a season-long loan deal, which was made permanent in January, though Eriksen did not leave until the closing days of the January transfer window.

And the fact that Eriksen did not leave in the summer could have stopped Spurs from going all out for Fernandes. Now, the Portugal international has opened up on the failed move while speaking on The Diary Of A CEO podcast.

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He said: “Yeah, I spoke with Tottenham, and we were very close to getting an agreement done. Then, in the last two days of the market, Sporting just said, ‘We’re not going to sell him. We’re going to keep him because we need him’.

“Yes, because I wanted to play in the Premier League, because for me it is the best league in the world. It’s the most competitive one.

“It’s the one that I think when you grow up, you dream to play for you know, like full stadiums, top clubs, top players.

“Obviously, I was lucky enough that my dream club to play in England was Man United, and obviously, Tottenham at the time was the option I had, and I was very, very happy to join them because they showed me the process that they were going through.”

Fernandes has enjoyed a brilliant campaign at Old Trafford having registered a single-season record of 21 Premier League assists. But the Portuguese has been criticised, with United legend Roy Keane describing Fernandes as being at the centre of a "circus act" following their 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest on the penultimate weekend of the season.

His anger over Keane's comments were clear on the podcast, released on Monday - accusing the Irishman of "lying". The 31-year-old said: "Like I've always said, I don't mind criticism. I've always taken criticism from everyone and anyone and I never reply to anything or whatsoever.

"People have an opinion; they think it's good, bad, whatever. What I don't like is when people lie about things and [in] this case that you said about Roy Keane basically what he said is a lie because… either he saw some other interview or he can't say that I said one thing that I've just not said and luckily for me is everything on record.

"I accept his criticism, I accept that he might like me as a player or not, like me as a person or not. But what I don't like is that he puts words in my mouth that have not been said. That's the only thing I don't like."

The midfielder scored the winning goal for Spurs against Everton as they secured Premier League safety on the final day of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur hero Joao Palhinha reportedly wants to move to Sporting CP, despite Spurs having the option to make his loan move permanent. The midfielder is on loan from Bayern Munich.

The 30-year-old scored what turned out to be the goal that ensured Spurs’ Premier League survival on the final day of the season. His strike saw his side come out as 1-0 winners over Everton, condemning West Ham to the Championship despite their 3-0 win over Leeds.

Following an inquest into the disappointment of the season that has just gone, planning for the summer will already be underway. Palhinha’s future needs to be sorted out.

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A Bola reports that Tottenham have the option to make his loan from Bayern permanent for a €30 million (£25.9m). However, for a deal to be completed, they will need the go-ahead from Palhinha himself.

The report says that talks between the player and Sporting have been ‘going well’. It’s added that Palhinha refused to tell Spurs of his desire to leave before their place in the Premier League next season was secured.

When asked if he wanted to keep the Portugal international at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next season, Roberto De Zerbi said : “Yes I would like to keep him, 100 per cent.

“We have to start from these people. Before we speak about the players, we have to speak about the people.

“And we have to start. Then, I can't give the place for everyone in the first eleven. Because I want to build two players in each position.

“But for sure, I would like him to stay with me. Like Conor Gallagher and [Rodrigo] Bentancur, the same.”

This season, Palhina played a total of 45 times in all competitions, scoring seven goals and providing three assists.

The midfielder came up through the youth teams of Sporting early in his career, going on to play 95 times for the first team.

He completed a permanent move to Fulham in 2022, before joining Bayern Munich two years later.