Football London

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Luka Vuskovic

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

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

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

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

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

Verdict: Keep for goodness sake

Mikey Moore

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Alfie Devine

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kota Takai

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

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

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

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

Verdict: Loan

Alejo Veliz

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

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

Verdict: Sell

Manor Solomon

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

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

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

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

Verdict: Sell

Will Lankshear

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

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

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

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

Jamie Donley

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

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

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

Verdict: Loan

Ashley Phillips

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

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

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

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

Verdict: Sell, to let him enjoy his career

Yang Min-hyeok

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

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

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

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

Dane Scarlett

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

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

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

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

Verdict: Loan or sell

Oliver Irow

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

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

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

Verdict: Loan

George Abbott

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

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

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

Verdict: Loan

Yusuf Akhamrich

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

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

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

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

Verdict: Loan

Tyrese Hall

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

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

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

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

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

Verdict: Loan with an option

Damola Ajayi

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

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

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

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

Verdict: Loan

Alfie Dorrington

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

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

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

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

One Tottenham youngster is getting plenty of attention this summer and looks set to depart from the north London club amid the interest

Tottenham midfielder Alfie Devine looks set to have a big decision to make this summer amid what could turn into a transfer tug of war for his services.

The 21-year-old has enjoyed a memorable season out on loan with eight goals and eight assists in the centre of the park from 48 appearances for Preston North End. He earned plaudits aplenty for his performances across the season and football.london understands that Devine currently has eight clubs interested in taking him permanently from Spurs.

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

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

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

A future at Tottenham looks unlikely for Devine unless new head coach Roberto De Zerbi gets the chance to take a look at the player in more than a month's time when pre-season starts. However, a deal for the midfielder's exit could be sealed before that point.

Devine is the north London club's youngest ever goalscorer after his FA Cup strike in 2021 as 16-year-old against Marine, but two appearances in that competition are the only occasions in which he has pulled on a Spurs shirt in senior competitive matches. Instead he has been sent out on loans over the years to Port Vale, Plymouth, Belgian side Westerlo and then Preston last season.

With the large number of midfielders in Tottenham's squad and more potentially arriving this summer, Devine's future looks set to lie elsewhere despite high hopes for how good he can become.

Tottenham will be looking to bolster Roberto De Zerbi's attacking options in the summer transfer window after narrowly escaping relegation

Roberto De Zerbi admitted he plans to create his "dream" Tottenham team this summer as they look to end their participation in relegation battles.

The north London side secured their Premier League status in their 1-0 win over Everton last Sunday as they condemned West Ham to playing in the Championship next season. The Italian head coach earned three wins in his first seven games in charge with Spurs now looking to return to the top half of the table - at the very least.

De Zerbi was quick to announce his plans to reconstruct the squad after their win against the Toffees. He said he will keep a core group of 12 players with considerable "change" needed this summer.

He said: "From tonight, we have to start to organise and to build a new team. I 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."

He added: "My target is to start the pre-season with the team I have in my dream." Among the changes Spurs must make, their wiltering attack would be a good place to start. The attacking trio of Richarlison, Mathys Tel and Randal Kolo Muani managed just 15 league goals between them this season.

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One player that De Zerbi is reportedly chasing is Manchester City winger Savinho, per the Daily Mail. The Brazilian was subject to bids made by Spurs last summer but Pep Guardiola kept him at the Etihad Stadium after failing to find an adequate replacement.

The 22-year-old scored just one league goal this season but could give Spurs a new lease of life on the right-wing given the injury issues of Dejan Kulusevski and Mohammed Kudus. Savinho was willing to make the move to north London last year and could remain interested in the transfer given his lack of minutes at City.

City are reportedly holding out for £60million for the forward - double what they paid Girona for his services in 2024 - as it remains to be seen whether Spurs fork out the staggering figure despite the flashes of brilliance he's shown at times in Manchester.

Another possible attacking arrival could be that of Crysencio Summerville. The West Ham star suffered the second Premier League relegation of his career - following Leeds' drop in 2023 - but enjoyed a purple pitch in front of goal earlier in the season where he scored in four league games in a row.

According to Voetbal International, De Zerbi is keen on signing the Dutchman, who Gazetta dello Sport say carries a £35m price tag. The 24-year-old's speed, dribbling ability and coolness in front of goal gives Spurs a threat on the flanks they've severely lacked this campaign.

The signings of Savinho and Summerville will certainly freshen up Spurs' wing options and with James Maddison back to full fitness, the 29-year-old will aim to regain his playmaker status after missing almost the entirety of the season due to injury.

However, the number nine position remains a huge problem for De Zerbi with Dominic Solanke managing just three league goals this season in an injury-hit campaign.

Richarlison ended the season as the club's top scorer with 12 goals across all competitions but with one year left on his contract, AS reported that the Brazilian is set to leave. After four years with the club, his possible absence leaves quite the gap at the top end of the pitch.

With no European football to offer potential incomings, Spurs' scope for new forwards will be lessened but could contend in the race to sign AC Milan striker Santiago Gimenez. According to reports in Mexico, via Sport Witness, the 25-year-old is open to leaving Italy after going scoreless in 16 league games.

The Mexico international is an unknown quantity when it comes to English football but given his current value of £15m, as per transfermarkt, he could prove to be a shrewd pick-up by De Zerbi as back-up to Solanke.

Richarlison and Erling Haaland both send brutal Arsenal digs after their Champions League final defeat

Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison and Manchester City star Erling Haaland fired brutal social media digs after Gabriel Magalhaes' penalty miss in the Champions League final, just minutes after the Arsenal defender skied his spot-kick.

Gabriel was inconsolable after his miss handed Paris Saint-Germain their second consecutive Champions League title. Arsenal players and PSG skipper Marquinhos instantly looked to console the central defender, who wept as Luis Enrique's side celebrated.

Gabriel was not the only Arsenal player to miss a spot kick, as Eberechi Eze also failed to hit the target with his effort. However, considering Richarlison and Gabriel's history with each other, it was clear the Spurs ace was mocking his fellow countryman, as was Haaland.

The defender was still being hugged by his team-mates as Richarlison uploaded a video of a young child laughing hysterically onto his Instagram story in a clear dig at the Arsenal ace.

Haaland also took to social media and uploaded a picture of himself and some friends all smiling into the camera. The Manchester City ace has had numerous digs at the Gunners, including his infamous "stay humble" snipe at Mikel Arteta and his side-eye glance at the camera after City beat Arsenal 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium this year.

However, the social media feud between Richarlison and Gabriel is less subtle. The pair have been sniping at each other on social media since last summer, when Tottenham beat Arsenal in a pre-season friendly in Asia.

The Spurs striker tagged Gabriel's Instagram account and uploaded a picture of himself holding a man of the match award. The Arsenal defender then responded by uploading a picture of the three man of the match awards he has picked up against Tottenham.

When the Gunners beat Tottenham 4-1 earlier in the campaign, Gabriel, despite not featuring in the match, posted a picture of Eze's player of the match gong, as well as his own October Player of the Month award.

When Arsenal secured another 4-1 victory over Tottenham, Gabriel sent another dig at Richarlison. He uploaded a picture of himself holding a hand of cards with the four of hearts visibly on display, a reference to the number of goals scored and the fact Arsenal have picked up four wins at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Both Haaland and Richarlison have waited months to get their own back and they did so at Gabriel's lowest moment. The defender was devastated after he watched his penalty sail over the bar.

Tottenham defender Luka Vuskovic is returning to Spurs this summer following the conclusion of his loan spell with Hamburger SV

Luka Vuskovic has revealed his Tottenham future will not be decided until after the World Cup.

The highly-rated central defender is set to feature at this summer's tournament with Croatia as rumours continue to swirl.

A number of top European clubs are said to be interested in the 19-year-old but for now, he's focused on his country.

He told Croatian media: "Well, honestly, I don't know anything yet. I haven't talked to any clubs or agents, so I'm just focused on the World Cup now, and after the World Cup, whatever happens, I think every option is a good path for me, so I don't need to think too much about anything."

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In a separate interview with Nova TV, Vuskovic also appeared to rule out a second loan to Hamburger SV and also had his say on Roberto De Zerbi, who he could work under in N17.

He said: “Playing with my brother at HSV would be a dream and a dream come true for me, but it’s hardly possible. I don’t know what else to say except - impossible.

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

Vuskovic excelled in Germany, earning a spot in the Bundesliga Team of the Season after scoring six times for Hamburg.

Tottenham are stacked with centre-backs though as they are also poised to seal the signing of Marcos Senesi on a free transfer from Bournemouth.

They also have Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso, Radu Dragusin, Kota Takai and Ashley Phillips on their books.

De Zerbi is expected to be backed heavily in the summer transfer market too, meaning there will be scope for reinvestment.

Romero's future is in doubt even though he only signed a new long-term contract last summer.

Meanwhile, Micky van de Ven has also been linked with the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool in recent months but there's hope he can be convinced to stay as he has thrived in a leadership role under De Zerbi.

It's time for the latest episode of Talking Tottenham as our Spurs reporters Alasdair Gold and Ryan Taylor discuss the latest news at the club

Roberto De Zerbi's Tottenham transfer revolution is expected to kick off with the double arrival of Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi.

The defensive duo are out of contract next month and will leave Liverpool and Bournemouth respectively with Spurs looking set to bring them in to increase the experience and quality in De Zerbi's squad. Left-back Robertson has won everything possible with Liverpool while centre-back Senesi was named the Cherries' player of the season after their fine campaign and sixth-placed finish in the Premier League.

It is set to be a busy summer around the World Cup after De Zerbi made it very clear on Sunday after the victory that kept Tottenham in the top flight that only half of his squad are fit for purpose.

"From tonight we have to start to organise and build a new team. I don't think we have now to change too many players. We have 10, 11, 12 players good enough to stay. Good enough. Like players, especially like people, and then we have to complete the squad with the first level of players," he said.

"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.

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"And 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."

Our Tottenham correspondents Alasdair Gold and Ryan Taylor discussed the expected arrival of Robertson and Senesi as well as what else will happen in the transfer window at the north London club this season in the latest episode of their podcast Talking Tottenham.

The north London club are set to benefit financially from their players going to the World Cup this summer thanks to an increased pot of FIFA money

Tottenham are set to benefit from a FIFA pot of £263.6million for those clubs supplying players to the World Cup.

FIFA bumped up the fund in their Club Benefits Programme and announced in 2023 that it would now cover 1,009 matches, not only across the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico this summer but also the World Cup qualifiers and the play-off tournament that preceded it.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced last year: "The enhanced edition of the FIFA Club Benefits Programme for the FIFA World Cup 2026 is going a step further by recognising financially the huge contribution that so many clubs and their players around the world make to the staging of both the qualifiers and the final tournament.

"A record USD 355million will be distributed via the CBP to clubs for the release of their players, and this reinforces our solid collaboration with the European Club Association and clubs worldwide as we all look forward to a groundbreaking and globally inclusive edition of the FIFA World Cup next year."

For the World Cup itself, clubs will be paid per day for each of their players involved - they don't have to play in the games either - beginning from the date that they are released for international duty - reportedly 10 days before their tournament begins - up until their final match in the competition.

The daily rate is yet to be announced by FIFA but for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar it was 10,950 dollars (£8,131) so we'll use that figure for now.

Let's offer up Micky van de Ven as an example for Spurs. The Dutchman's first game is against Japan on June 14 in Dallas and let's say the centre-back was released for international duty on June 4. The Netherlands' final group stage game is on June 25 against Tunisia.

That means, using the finances from the last World Cup, Tottenham will get £170,751 for Van de Ven's time with his international squad in the group stage. If the Netherlands were to get all the way to the World Cup final on July 19 in New York, then the north London club would get £365,895 for Van de Ven's participation along the way.

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That's also not including the World Cup qualifier appearance money from FIFA from throughout the season as part of the new regulations.

Currently Spurs have not only Van de Ven but also Cristian Romero, Lucas Bergvall, Pedro Porro, Rodrigo Bentancur, Djed Spence and Pape Matar Sarr at the tournament, along with Luka Vuskovic, who has been on loan at Hamburg this season. So there is potential for Tottenham to earn back millions for Roberto De Zerbi's players as they hope they impress, go far in the tournament and even more importantly from a club perspective, do not pick up any injuries.

There is one more thing that impacts on those finances, but just for one of the players. FIFA share the money not only to the player's current club but also any club that player has represented in the two prior years to the tournament. That means for Vuskovic, the money will be split between Hajduk Split and likely his loan clubs of recent seasons Hamburg and Westerlo as well as Tottenham.

Everyone else in the Spurs contingent at the World Cup should bring home their full share for the coffers in N17. Every little helps.