Football London

Tottenham are battling to secure their Premier League survival and would face strict new Championship spending rules if relegated, after EFL clubs voted through a big change

Tottenham Hotspur would face complying with new rules should they suffer relegation from the Premier League to the Sky Bet Championship. Second-tier clubs have today approved significant amendments to the league's financial regulations, with backing from 20 of the division's 24 sides.

Clubs have endorsed proposals to replace the existing profitability and sustainability (P&S) framework with a squad cost ratio model (SCR) from next season. The revised regulations will bring the division into closer alignment with the Premier League's new rules and restrict expenditure on football costs to 85 per cent of total revenue.

SCR expenses are directly linked to the first team, encompassing player wages, manager salaries, agent fees, and the annual amortisation of player transfer fees. They are combined into a single budget pool that reflects the actual cost of the squad.

Should Championship clubs fail to adhere to the regulations, then a non-negotiable sporting sanction is imposed in the season that a breach occurs. Breaching limits triggers an automatic six-point deduction.

The point deduction escalates according to the severity of the breach. For every £6.5 million spent above the threshold, an additional one-point penalty is applied.

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In a statement, the EFL said: "Championship Clubs have approved a new Squad Cost Rules (SCR) financial framework that will replace the current Profitability and Sustainability (P&S) rules from Season 2026/27.

"During the course of the 2025/26 season, Championship Clubs have been operating an SCR system in shadow, alongside the P&S Rules, to allow Clubs to assess the proposed rule changes and provide the League with further information to enable wider consultation with stakeholders.

"The SCR system limits Clubs spending on Player and Manager-related costs (including transfer fees) to a set percentage of their income, alongside a limited level of owner funding.

"From the 2026/27 season the SCR allowance for Clubs will be set at 85% of income, with a flexible equity top-up allowance of £33m over a three-year period (up to a maximum of £15m a season).

"The new framework allows for real-time monitoring during the season, rather than reviewing ‘after the event’, with the aim of giving Clubs greater clarity and the Club Financial Reporting Unit earlier visibility over Clubs’ financial position. The framework also includes safeguards around commercial deals linked to Owners or associated parties."

The changes are intended to create a simpler and more responsive system of cost control within the Championship.

A version of the SCR framework is also to be introduced in the Premier League for the 2026/27 season, bringing closer alignment between the divisions.

Spurs return to Premier League action next week with their top-flight status still hanging in the balance. They currently sit two points clear of the relegation zone, having amassed just 38 points from 36 fixtures this season, not securing a league victory in 2026 until April 25.

Monday's 1-1 draw with Leeds United saw Tottenham squander the opportunity to extend their advantage over bottom-placed West Ham United. The Hammers suffered a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday and at one point during the Spurs versus Leeds encounter, trailed by five points with two matches left to play.

However, that margin has now narrowed to two, with the Hammers facing Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon before Spurs take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening.

When questioned about his predominant emotion while watching his former club fight against relegation, ex-Spurs chairman Daniel Levy confessed on Thursday: "Emptiness...I'm feeling the pain but I'm optimistic that we'll get through it.

"It's been very, very difficult - Spurs is in my blood. I could never have envisioned this at the beginning of the season. Obviously incredibly disappointed. Let's look forward and very much hope that next season we're still in the Premier League."

He added: "I'm optimistic that we will remain in the Premier League. I think Tottenham has a great coach, and all the fans and all the employees and everyone now are behind this coach.

"Let's hope that the players can do it for the last two games. Like every fan there'd be emptiness in the stomach. But, we will bounce back.

"Let's be optimistic and hope that doesn't happen. I just hope at this moment in time that Tottenham manages to remain in the Premier League."

The north London club have made a subtle little tweak to the huge stadium in a place which only really affects the players

Spurs have made a recent tweak to the players' tunnel at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to change things up a bit amid the club's home troubles.

The north London outfit have not won a Premier League game at their home stadium since December 6 when they overcame Brentford 2-0. Since then Tottenham have been unable to add to the win column despite a couple of victories there in the Champions League.

Even with the improvement under Roberto De Zerbi, with the team unbeaten in four under the Italian, they have not been able to hold on to leads to win in N17 in the league games against Brighton and Leeds.

Eagle-eyed fans might have noticed a slight change to an area of the ground in-between those home games after changes were made to the tunnel at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where the Spurs players walk out after turning right from the dressing room.

Now above the tunnel, the beam sitting above it has been painted gold with the words 'All Together Always', the motto captain Cristian Romero has always used when posting on social media about the club. Also printed on the walls of the tunnel as the Tottenham players walk out now are images of the fans with the players celebrating in front of them, with that 'All Together Always' again written in white on both sides in big letters.

The motto was also emblazoned across the electronic hoardings in between tiers around the stadium in the build-up to Monday night's kick-off.

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The new scenery could be seen in the club's pre-match video on social media of James Maddison giving the players a little pep talk before they went out to warm up ahead of the Leeds match. It coincided with the fans creating a huge Tifo in the big south stand that read 'Together Always'.

The match against Daniel Farke's side also featured machines launching flames into the air before kick-off, as seen at other stadiums across the Premier League, as Tottenham tried to create a different atmosphere.

Spurs have just the one home game remaining on the final day of the season next Sunday when they welcome Everton. Before that De Zerbi takes his side to Chelsea on Tuesday night looking to pick up only the club's second victory in the Premier League era at the West London stadium.

The Tottenham teenager has been speaking about what comes next for him when his loan at Rangers comes to an end this weekend

Mikey Moore admits that his Tottenham future lies in the hands of Roberto De Zerbi as his big season on loan at Rangers reaches its conclusion.

The 18-year-old has developed in leaps and bounds this season at the Glasgow giants, hitting the back of the net on the big stage in two different Old Firm Derbies among his 10 goal involvements across 46 games for Rangers as he has become a popular figure among the fanbase.

Moore overcame a difficult start during Russell Martin's brief and problematic tenure before flourishing under Danny Rohl. Unfortunately Rangers could not keep up their momentum and fell from the Scottish Premiership title race in recent weeks, leaving Celtic and Hearts to battle it out for the prize on the final day.

Moore will travel with Rangers to Falkirk on Saturday afternoon to sign off his loan season north of the border and at a press conference on Friday he admitted he does know yet what comes next for him at Spurs.

"For me now, it's hard because it's the same as for me last year. A new manager [ Thomas Frank ] was in at Tottenham and I had to go back in and see what he was saying about me and then see what everyone was doing. To be honest, I think it will be the same sort of process," he said, as reported by Rangers Review.

"There's a new manager at Spurs at the minute and obviously I'm a Spurs player, so we'll have to see what he says about me, what he wants me to do, what the people around me want me to do. I think that's all I can say at the moment. I'm going to go back there and see what the new people say in the building and from there I'll make a decision."

Moore has loved his experience at Rangers and believes it's changed him on a personal level as well as engendering a huge affection for the club.

"No matter what happens now, this club's been a huge part of what I'm going to become and it's helped me so much. So, for me, no matter what happens, I'm a fan of this club for the rest of my life now. So, it's been a special experience," he said.

"I think, mentally, I've just changed so much as a person. The way I look at stuff now, I think I've realised that every day means something. So, before, maybe I'd have days where I was a bit switched off and I'd come into training and I'm kind of not on it as much as I need to be.

"But if you want to go and win every single game, that's the way we need to be. I think, as a team, we need to learn that as well. So, we need to realise that every day means something and it's a chance to improve. So, for me, that's been the biggest learning point for me."

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On Scottish football getting a bad rap down south, he added: "I'll tell [people] how tough it is and how mentally I've been challenged every day. I don't think people realise how tough a place it is and I'll definitely be telling people what a good place it is to live and play."

It was put to the teenager that the Rangers fans have never questioned his mentality and that pleased him.

"Yes, 100 per cent. I think that's what you need. You need people to think of you, that you're going out there and giving your all," he said. "I've had many days this year where I've not been good enough and I've not showed enough, but I think I've shown that I'm still trying and I'm trying to give my all.

"So, it's nice to have that respect. Obviously, the gutting thing is that we don't have that as a team to really make your mark. I think people remember winning titles, not just individuals. So, that's the disappointing thing for me."

Moore had plenty to say on Rangers during his press conference and did not hold back when asked why the club ultimately failed to deliver this season.

"For me, there's no digging out players. Personally, I think as a squad, there needs to be a lot more driving each other to be better. There are top people in the group, but we need to have each other's back and when it gets tough, I don't think we've done that enough," he said.

"I think in tough moments this year, we haven't had each other's back and we haven't got together as a team and really said ‘right, we're going to stick together, we're going to get through it.’ We need to just grab the game and when it's tough, a few more, we need to have big personalities and go for the game.

"I can't put it down to much for other people. I don't think boys have gone out of their way to not do it. I just think as a team, we need to help each other more. When it's getting tough, we need to get behind each other and not get on each other's back. I think it's a collective.

"To have a winning culture, you need to have those standards. It's hard to put it down to one thing. For me, when it's got tough, we just need to stick together more. I think that's the main thing for us. When we're probably doing well in a game, everyone's probably full of confidence, but when it gets tough, then we need to show real personality."

Tottenham are keen to bolster Roberto De Zerbi's squad once they secure Premier League survival

Bournemouth have finally confirmed defender Marcos Senesi will leave the club on a free transfer this summer.

The Argentine international is rapidly approaching the end of his contract and has publicly confirmed he will not extend his stay at the Vitality Stadium.

The call is perhaps the worst-kept secret in the Premier League because a cluster of top English clubs are already vying for his signature.

Tottenham are leading the charge but first, they must secure safety in order to proceed with a transfer.

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Any deal ultimately depends on what division they will be playing their football in next season as Senesi is not a viable target if they are relegated.

Liverpool have also been sniffing around while Manchester United and Chelsea have shown varying degrees of interest.

Clubs from Italy have also looked at Senesi, who joined the Cherries from Feyenoord back in August 2022.

He was largely a key figure on the South Coast, though he lost his place in Andoni Iraola's starting XI last season to Dean Huijsen and Illia Zabarnyi.

Both players have since moved to Real Madrid and PSG, enabling Senesi to showcase his importance and experience again.

He told Bournemouth's website after confirming his imminent departure ahead of the club's final home game of the season against Manchester City: “From the first day I arrived, I felt at home at this club.

"I’m proud of everything we achieved over the last four years and I’m grateful for the support the fans have always given me.

“AFC Bournemouth will always hold a special place for me and I will look back at my time here with fond memories. For now, there are still two big games left of the season and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together.”

Spurs are also keen to sign Andy Robertson on a free transfer and will look to pursue that deal if they beat the drop.

Robertson came close to joining the Europa League winners for a small fee in January but Liverpool were reluctant to weaken their squad and Kostas Tsimikas was not able to return from his loan with AS Roma.

Media in Argentina have provided the latest news on the Tottenham skipper as he continues his rehabilitation from his knee injury

The Argentina national team have flown a staff member over to help Tottenham captain Cristian Romero accelerate his return from his knee ligament injury ahead of the World Cup after the defender decided to stay with his team-mates in north London.

The 28-year-old was injured after being pushed into Spurs goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky by Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey just over a month ago at the Stadium of Light in Roberto De Zerbi's first game in charge. Romero has remained around the squad and could be seen on Monday night delightedly racing from his dugout season and tackling set piece coach Andreas Georgson after Mathys Tel's goal against Leeds United.

Argentinian media outlet Dario Cronica reported on Thursday that Romero, now out of his knee brace, made the decision to remain in England with the team as they fight relegation rather than travel back to his homeland, which has meant the Argentina FA have sent out a member of staff to London to aid his recovery ahead of this summer's World Cup in which he will once again be a crucial player for Lionel Scaloni.

The outlet reports that initially, Romero's plan was to travel to Buenos Aires, to the Lionel Messi Training Centre in Ezeiza, to complete his rehabilitation, but his desire to be around his Tottenham team-mates during their relegation fight meant that the Argentine medical team instead sent kinesiologist Luis Garcia to the English capital to complete the World Cup winner's rehabilitation process.

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Romero included an image of himself working with Garcia in his latest Instagram post and the recovery timescale from his injury was estimated by the publication to take between six and seven weeks. That would make a Spurs return unlikely with just nine days remaining of the season and the crunch games against Chelsea and Everton.

It would allow Romero though to be back in time for Argentina's friendlies against Honduras on June 6 and Iceland on June 9 ahead of his country's World Cup opening game against Algeria on June 16 in Kansas.

Luka Vuskovic is set to return to Tottenham Hotspur following the conclusion of his loan spell with Hamburger SV

Tottenham youngster Luka Vuskovic is WhoScored's highest-rated centre-back in Europe's top-five domestic leagues this season.

It's quite the achievement for the Croatian, who has helped Hamburger SV preserve their Bundesliga status following an excellent loan.

Vuskovic has scored six goals, including a penalty and a free-kick, to keep HSV afloat while also bolstering his transfer value.

No centre-back, including Arsenal's Gabriel Magalhaes (7.29), has earned a higher average rating than Vuskovic (7.32) this term.

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The 19-year-old even missed several weeks of the campaign with a knee injury and is still the club's joint top goalscorer alongside Arsenal loanee Fabio Vieira.

Director of football Claus Costa has paid tribute to the defender, explaining: "Luka is an exceptional player, but also an exceptional personality. At 18, he exemplified things in the dressing room that you would normally expect from a 28-year-old.

"Added to that was the connection and the history surrounding the Vuskovic name and family. Everyone was looking forward to him. Only Mario [his brother] can fulfil that emotional expectation, no one else."

In a matter of weeks, Tottenham could be facing a big decision over Vuskovic's future, once they know what division they'll be playing their football in next season.

Vuskovic is also admired by some of Europe's top clubs, including Barcelona, who have him on their transfer shortlist.

His agent Pini Zahavi has also been in discussions with Barca over the future of Robert Lewandowski so it's highly likely conversations could be taking place behind the scenes.

For now, Spurs need to make sure they are in the Premier League next season and if they win their remaining two matches, they will secure safety and relegate West Ham.

Speaking after scoring in the recent 3-2 win over Freiburg, Vuskovic made it clear he was "99 per cent sure" he would be departing HSV.

He said: “To a 99.9 percent certainty, it was my farewell party. It’s a special moment. I’m very happy that I could help this team. And I’m very happy that I was allowed to be part of this club."

His Spurs contract runs until the summer of 2030, so the Lilywhites remain in total control of the player's future.

The Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper has been in top form for Roberto De Zerbi just weeks after his career at the club looked to be in doubt

Antonin Kinsky believes the way his parents raised him prepared him for turning around his Tottenham career in the past month.

The 23-year-old goalkeeper found himself mocked after a nightmare Champions League evening in Madrid in March as Atletico raced into a 3-0 lead, helped by two miss-kicks from the young Czech goalkeeper. To compound his embarrassment, Kinsky was hauled off by then interim Spurs boss Igor Tudor just 17 minutes into the match in Spain.

Rather than being the moment when his Tottenham career fell apart, it instead ended up being the catalyst for Kinsky to hit new heights when he returned to goal last month after Guglielmo Vicario needed hernia surgery. He looked back on that night and explained that he analysed it thoroughly in order to understand it.

"Confused is the right word to describe my emotions, and I was angry with myself, as I would be if I didn’t do something well, or the way that I should be doing it, but I did everything as I normally would. After the game, I was asking for clips of everything from warm-ups to all of my actions during those first 17 minutes because I wanted to work out what was behind it, and if I did anything out of the ordinary. I wanted to find a conclusion," he said in an interview with Spurs' matchday programme from their game against Leeds.

"You can have a feeling, but sometimes it is also good to watch everything back, or ask someone that you trust to see if they share the same opinion as you, as a learning point. That gave me the confidence and the calmness not to change too many things and just to keep going and get ready for my next moment.

"I was sad about what happened, but on the other hand, I was calm because I have good people around me who always give me great feedback. They really think about it and are honest with me. I listened to them, and then compared their feelings to mine, and they were similar. At that point for me, it was just about keeping going and making sure that when the next opportunity came, I would be ready again, just as I was before that game."

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Kinsky has since pulled off top drawer saves against Wolves and Leeds in recent weekends to save Spurs from defeats, including eye-catching stops from Joe Rodon and late on Sean Longstaff on Monday night. He has drawn praise from all corners, especially from new head coach Roberto De Zerbi, and he puts it down to the lessons learned as a child.

"I know myself, I know the way that my parents raised me, it doesn’t matter how difficult the moment is in life, that's the challenge, to deal with it, and it’s a nice feeling when you do that. While what happened was something that I didn’t wish for, these things happen, and it wasn't my first bad moment," he explained.

"Until the moment that I got here, when I was playing in the different divisions in Czechia, there have been moments like this. The only difference is that more people see it here. I’m not too worried about how those people feel about me. I care about how I feel about myself. I think this is why it hasn't affected me too much.

"I think for me, coming back in goal, even after something like that happens, I get confidence from the work that I put in if I know that I do the maximum every day I can. If there is a game that I’m not playing in, in the morning I do some warm-ups, and after the game I go on to the pitch because I have a lot of energy. For me, it’s another day to use wisely and get the most out of."

Kinsky can often be seen doing extra work after matches at home and away and those around Hotspur Way speak about him being a classic "first in, last out" character when it comes to training. The stopper has benefited from a close relationship with the goalkeeping coaching staff including Fabian Otte and Dean Brill.

"I would say we are really, really close. I’ve been at some clubs and haven't had this connection with my coaches. Not everyone is open to going out and working after a game, especially one that you lose or draw, as they are on their feet the whole day, leading the warm-up and everything," he said.

"After a game, they still go out with me, and they do these 30-40 minute sessions of just kicking. I am really appreciative that they have the energy to do this extra work and am grateful to have this kind of support behind me and helping me do my best every day, because it's part of it."

With all that work on his kicking, a key component of what De Zerbi asks of his goalkeepers, Kinsky believes it will pay dividends.

"I think at these moments, that's the difference. For example, if I have the ball at my feet, I could get an assist or start a good attack. Because of the hours of training, this could be the time when it works perfectly," he said.

"These details are exactly the decisive thing at this level. This is, for me, the reason behind why I do it, as well as for preparation for situations like these when I go out on the pitch in front of the fans in an important phase of the season after not playing the whole season."

Kinsky has been impressed by De Zerbi in the early weeks of the campaign and said the Italian has reminded the squad what they are capable of.

"I think it has gone very well. From the way he speaks and from what you read about him, you can tell that he believes in us. That is the big message that he gives us overall. He reminds us of the quality that we have in the squad, and that instead of speaking about it, we need to show it. This, of course, has helped, and I believe that it is going to work. Our performances are starting to show that," said the keeper."

"Where it all starts is in the head. If you don’t believe it, you can’t achieve it. I hope and believe this is the right way. We all feel that we have the quality to get out of this situation. Now it’s about proving that feeling on the pitch."

It's time to check in with the remaining eight Tottenham Hotspur players who are out and about on loan away from the north London club

Eight Tottenham players remain out on loan as their seasons head towards their final week away from the north London club.

Spurs originally sent out 18 players on loan to sides across various continents during this campaign with most of those having concluded their seasons this month in the Football League, leaving others still playing for their loan clubs in Scotland, Germany, Italy and South America.

Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi will be running the rule over players young and old in the months ahead as he decides what next season's squad looks like and many of those on loan will be looking to force their way into his thoughts.

Here's how each of the eight remaining Tottenham's loan players have got on across the globe in the past seven days.

Luka Vuskovic (Hamburg)

The Luka Vuskovic hype train shows no sign of slowing down thanks to the continued displays of the talented 19-year-old centre-back.

The Croatian made his first start for Hamburg since April 4 following his knee injury and marked his return by showing yet another facet to his all-round game as he crashed home a powerful low free-kick in the 3-2 home win against Freiburg at the weekend. That made him the club's joint-top scorer this season with six goals.

He might only be a teenager but Vuskovic's impact at HSV has been clear as they lost the three matches he missed and have won both that he has returned for, having secured their Bundesliga status for another season as he came off the bench at Frankfurt almost a fortnight ago.

Spurs are believed to be readying a bumper new contract for Vuskovic to ensure he will be a big part of their future amid interest from Europe's biggest clubs.

The defender believes that his next club will not be Hamburg again next season as he told German media after that home win over Freiburg that "to a 99.9 percent certainty, it was my farewell party".

He added: "It’s a special moment. I’m very happy that I could help this team and I’m very happy that I was allowed to be part of this club."

HSV coach Merlin Polzin substituted both Vuskovic and Arsenal loanee loanee Fabio Vieira in stoppage time of the game to hand them what he called a "special moment".

"I had the privilege of coaching these players for a year, and I’m very happy about that because they played a superb season," he said.

The Croatian has made 29 appearances and played 2,562 minutes for the Bundesliga outfit and was named in the league team of the year. He will play his final game for Hamburg at Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday afternoon before resting and preparing himself for the World Cup with Croatia.

Mikey Moore (Rangers)

Another talented Tottenham teenager out on loan, Mikey Moore showed his quality on a big stage again but ultimately had a tough week results-wise with Rangers.

The 18-year-old scored yet another Old Firm Derby goal as he clinically fired home a loose ball into the bottom left corner of the Celtic net just nine minutes into last weekend's big game at Celtic Park. Unfortunately, Rangers let the game slip and ended up losing 3-1 on the other side of Glasgow.

The week continued in that trend for Danny Rohl's side, as they now must watch Hearts and Celtic fight out a thrilling finale to the Scottish Premiership season while they themselves fell away to third.

On Wednesday night, Rangers lost 2-1 at home to Hibernian with Moore again starting for the Glaswegian outfit. The teenager played the full match but could only watch on as his Tottenham team-mate Dane Scarlett scored an 89th minute winner for the visitors.

Moore's season has been a big one though on a personal level as he won the PFA Scotland Premiership Young Player of the Year award and Rangers' own Young Player of the Year prize.

Moore has played 46 games at Rangers, getting 2,698 minutes of football to his name, with nine goal involvements in 32 Scottish Premiership appearances. The youngster's final game of a long season comes at Falkirk at lunchtime on Saturday.

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Dane Scarlett (Hibernian)

Dane Scarlett will remember his first goal for Hibernian for the rest of his career after he netted that late winner at Ibrox on Wednesday night to boost his club's European qualification hopes.

The 21-year-old striker came off the bench for the final 12 minutes of the game and after seeing one effort saved by Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland, Scarlett finally got the goal he has been waiting for. While it was probably the closest range senior goal he's ever scored, it required some excellent reflexes and technique as he got in behind the Rangers defence to backheel Felix Passlack's low cross over the line.

Scarlett has made 12 appearances north of the border with one goal and one assist and 484 minutes under his belt. His final game for Hibernian this season comes on Saturday at home against Motherwell.

Manor Solomon (Fiorentina)

Manor Solomon has played three 90 minute stints in a row after returning to full fitness following a hip flexor injury. On Sunday, the 26-year-old was again on the left wing as Fiorentina drew 0-0 at home against Genoa to secure their top flight status next season.

The Israel international has played his part in helping the Italian side move away from the drop zone in Serie A and will be hoping that a reunion with De Zerbi sparks his Tottenham career back to life this summer. Solomon played plenty of football under De Zerbi while the duo were at Shakhtar Donetsk together in the 2021/22 season.

Solomon has scored two goals and laid on one assist in 17 matches for the Italian side as a fixture on either wing. He has two games remaining for Fiorentina, at Juventus this weekend and at home against Atalanta the following weekend.

Kota Takai (Borussia Monchengladbach)

Another young Tottenham centre-back in Germany, Kota Takai was again an unused substitute as Borussia Monchengladbach lost 3-1 at Augsburg on Saturday.

The 21-year-old Japan international has played only four minutes of football since February after picking up a muscle strain and struggling to get back in the team.

Takai has made just eight appearances during his loan spell in the Bundesliga, having endured an injury-hit time since arriving in Europe at Tottenham last summer. Monchengladbach end their season on Saturday at home to Hoffenheim and the Japanese defender will be hoping to get some much-needed minutes before the summer.

Alejo Veliz (Rosario Central)

Alejo Veliz had mixed game time this week as he played just three minutes of Rosario's Torneo Apertura round of 16 3-1 win against Independiente on Sunday but then played 105 minutes as they came through extra-time to see off Racing Club in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.

Veliz has netted five goals in 21 appearances so far this campaign and 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 ends. A £7.8m (9m euros) deal was agreed with £871k in add-ons (1m euros) plus a 20% sell-on clause.

Tyrese Hall (Notts County)

Tyrese Hall was an unused substitute as Notts County grabbed a 1-0 win at Chesterfield in their League Two play-off semi-final first leg.

The 20-year-old Jamaica international midfielder has so far scored eight goals and recorded two assists across 1,850 minutes in 39 appearances after heading out of Tottenham on his first loan.

Alfie Dorrington (Salford City)

Alfie Dorrington could come up against Hall in the play-off final this month after he was also an unused substitute as Salford City won their away first leg at Grimsby Town 2-1 at the weekend.

Both second legs will be played on Friday night to decide who meets in the final at Wembley for the chance to step up into League One.

The 20-year-old centre-back has 11 appearances so far for City since switching from Aberdeen during the winter window.

For 24 years Daniel Levy held a firm grip on Tottenham Hotspur and for the first time this week he has spoken about what has transpired since his ousting.

In September last year, the now 64-year-old was removed from his role after a review into the club, instigated by the owning Lewis family. While Levy remains a big shareholder in Spurs, with his portion being 29.88% of ENIC's 87.62% share of the club he has been left with a minority voice.

For the first time since walking out through the club door, Levy spoke publicly this week in short interviews with media outside Windsor Castle after being made a CBE by the Prince of Wales for his services to the community in Tottenham through charity, supporting education, health, social inclusion and creating jobs, all via the construction of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Talk of course soon turned to Spurs' current plight as they sit two points above the relegation zone and with matches at Chelsea and at home to Everton to decide whether a club that was Champions League finalists just seven years ago and won a Europa League trophy last summer, will even be a Premier League team next season.

Levy was asked by media outlets such as PA and ITV whether he envisaged the club being in a relegation battle and he told both: "Never, no, not in a million years."

When asked how he felt about the club's position in the table, he simply said: "Emptiness… but I’m optimistic that we will remain in the Premier League."

He added: "I could never envisage this at the beginning of the season. Obviously, incredibly disappointed. But let’s look forward and very much hope that next season we’re still in the Premier League.

"I’m feeling the pain but I’m optimistic that we will get through it. It’s been very, very difficult [watching it] but Spurs is in my blood and I’m hopeful we will be OK in the end."

He told ITV News that he still watched "every match" and that a loss "ruins the whole weekend" before saying: "I'm optimistic that we will remain in the Premier League. I think Tottenham has a great coach, and all the fans and all the employees and everyone now is behind this coach… Let’s hope that the players can do it for the last two games."

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Levy also shared his conversation with Prince William while receiving his CBE: "I thanked him for allowing us to beat Aston Villa when we played them a few weeks ago. He wished us luck for the rest of the season, very much hoping that Tottenham survive in the Premier League."

When asked for the highlights of his tenure at Spurs, he said: "I was there for over 24 years and we had so many memorable occasions, the Champions League final, early on, being in Europe many years, opening the stadium, there have been so many achievements."

The former Spurs chairman admitted that he was unable to achieve some of his ambitions during his time in north London: "What I would have hoped for is winning the Premier League, winning the Champions League, which was easier said than done."

For Tottenham supporters, listening to Levy speaking about the club will bring some strange feelings. For much of his tenure, he was a figure of criticism for many, the prudent leader seen as holding Spurs back from achieving those very things he declared he wanted.

Yet, if there's one thing that even many of his fiercest critics would give him in this situation, it's that Tottenham would not currently be where they are right now under him, for Levy would have pulled the plug on the Thomas Frank experiment the moment the fanbase made it clear they did not want the Dane. He would also have been unlikely to have appointed Igor Tudor as his replacement, judging by comments Harry Redknapp made about a phone conversation with the former Spurs supremo.

However, that's not to excuse Levy for his part in the mess that Tottenham have become. He brought in everyone that has been associated with this disastrous season, whether that's CEO Vinai Venkatesham, sporting director Johan Lange and the bewildering managerial process that landed upon Frank as the perfect head coach to replace Ange Postecoglou.

It was also Levy who had a strong relationship with Fabio Paratici and sparked the strange on and off again dalliance between the club and the Italian, now back in his homeland at Fiorentina.

Levy was also at the helm for the failed transfer moves for Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze last summer, albeit the former was beyond anyone's control.

There is also the long-term aspect of the prudence at Tottenham that kept them financially stable but also created a culture where winning the top prizes never truly felt like the ultimate aim, more a hope if possible. Players soon grew disillusioned, the club's record goalscorer Harry Kane was lost as he knew he was never going to realise what he deserved and managers came and went like London buses, unable to recreate what they did elsewhere within the environment at Spurs.

There's no doubting the quality of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium or the Hotspur Way training complex, even if some coaches have complained that the latter is too nice, too comfortable to be a working environment to forge winners. It's been seen as more of a five-star hotel complex than a conveyor belt for sporting success, with some of football aspects and facilities within it needing the impending improvement to take it beyond the surface aesthetic levels.

So yes Spurs would unlikely have fallen this far under Levy, but other than Mauricio Pochettino's years spent punching above the club's weight or Postecoglou's trophy, they never looked like rising beyond the stadium's glass ceiling.

Most ousted employees would raise a smile privately at things falling apart after their exit, but for Levy it probably stings to see what he feels he built tumbling, and also financially he would be affected by relegation as share prices likely fall.

So this appearance from the former chairman, honoured for very worthy improvements to the local community, will hit Tottenham Hotspur supporters in different ways. Some will blame him, some might even miss him but that was Daniel Levy in a nutshell, someone who did and will always divide opinion.

Richarlison has opened up on the Premier League relegation battle and rated his chances of making the Brazil squad for the World Cup.

Richarlison has urged his Tottenham Hotspur teammates to 'stay calm' ahead of next week's clash against Chelsea. The Lilywhites could fall back into the bottom three of the Premier League before they face Calum McFarlane's side at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.

Spurs squandered the chance to go four points clear of West Ham in the relegation zone when they were held to a draw by Leeds United on Tuesday evening. Instead, Tottenham only managed to extend their advantage in the race for survival to just two points, leaving the door open for the Hammers to climb the table.

This weekend, West Ham could leapfrog Tottenham with a win over Newcastle United. Unless Nuno Espirito Santos' side were to make up an 11-goal difference at St James' Park on Sunday afternoon, the Lilywhites would only need to draw against Chelsea to climb out of the bottom three again.

That would leave everything to play for on the final day of the season, when Spurs face Everton and the Hammers host Leeds United. In an interview with ESPN Brazil, Richarlison has urged his teammate to 'stay calm'.

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"It’s difficult, but point by point we’re moving forward," said the Tottenham striker. "Depending on the result of next weekend’s game, with one more point we can avoid relegation, but we need to do our part.

"Away from home we’ve managed to pick up points well. Now we have to stay calm," he added. "Now we have to continue over these final two matches."

Earlier this week, Richarlison was named in the 55-man preliminary Brazil squad ahead of the World Cup in the summer. On whether he'll be selected by Carlo Ancelotti, the Spurs striker said: "Anxious, right?

"I think I gave up a lot for that shirt. I’m doing my work here at Tottenham, I’m playing, I’m scoring my goals. I think I’ll be watching with expectation on TV."

Richarlison added: "I’m confident. I believe I can be there. And if I am, I’ll do my best for the national team shirt, like I always have. Regardless of whether I’m there or not, I have brothers and teammates there. I’m very patriotic. I’ll always support Brazil."

Pedro Porro also recently weighed in on the relegation battle. During an appearance on the Spanish radio show El Larguero, as quoted by Cadena SER, the Tottenham defender said: "On the one hand, we want the season to end, but on the other, we have to work until the very end. There’s no other option.

"We have to finish in the best way possible. It’s true that right now we’re two points above them, and they play before us. Now anything goes. We have to consider everything. That’s the reality, and everything counts."

When asked whether he'll be heading to the World Cup in the summer, Porro remained focused on keeping Spurs in the Premier League. Luis de la Fuente will announce the Spain squad on May 25.

"Hopefully, that would be two pieces of good news," said Porro. And when quizzed on his future, the right-back said: "I already have enough on my plate without thinking about that now. The future is next week."