Football FanCast

Everton have welcomed their new Director of Football, Angus Kinnear, to the club. He's got a lot to do, with David Moyes expecting to be backed by the Friedkin Group as he improves his squad this summer.

The experienced manager returned in January after 12 years away and guided Everton away from relegation bother and into the tranquillity of the Premier League's mid-table pack.

But Moyes no doubt has his eyes on loftier ambitions. He'll want to strengthen with statement signings this summer, one of which may be Tottenham Hotspur's Richarlison, who left the Toffees for London in a £60m package back in 2022.

The latest on Richarlison to Everton

It's all gone a bit quiet, truth be told. But then, the 2024/25 campaign has yet to finish up, and there's plenty of time for TFG to make their move for the former Toffees star.

Earlier this month, Sky Sports published a report claiming Everton are interested in bringing the Tottenham forward back to Merseyside.

Across four campaigns as a Blues player, the 28-year-old scored 53 goals from 152 matches and was hailed by Carlo Ancelotti as a "modern and complete forward."

Richarlison's most consistent seasons all came at Goodison Park, but despite issues down N17, he's still managed to display a degree of prolificness under Ange Postecoglou's wing, having fallen by the wayside in his maiden year at the club.

It's clear he needs a fresh start, and after such interesting performances with Everton, why not bring him back to spearhead this new era? Moyes, for sure, has the gritty leadership style to bring the Brazilian back to his best.

And Richarlison isn't the only former player on the Scottish coach's radar...

Everton could sign another former star

With many out-of-contract Everton players about to move away for new pastures, Moyes is bound to target signings across numerous areas.

Defence is one such priority position, especially with Michael Keane slated to depart and James Tarkowski sidelined after tearing his hamstring.

And, according to a report from GIVEMESPORT earlier this month, Manchester City's John Stones could be the player the Merseysiders go for to instill experience and improve passing and ball retention.

Stones, 30, is one of the most decorated Englishmen of his generation, notably lifting five league titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League, and has been hailed for his "world-class" talent by Three Lions teammate Ezri Konsa, but injuries have limited him to a bit-part role for Pep Guardiola's side in recent seasons.

Everton paid just £3m to Barnsley to sign a teenage Stones back in 2013, and he would go on to feature 95 times for the club before leaving for City for a mammoth £47.5m fee.

He might not be quite at his peak anymore, but the £250k-per-week talent is not ready to hang up his Premier League boots and could be a brilliant addition to Moyes' outfit, ranking among the top 1% of defenders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goal involvements, the top 2% for pass completion, the top 4% for shot-creating actions and the top 11% for progressive passes per 90, as per FBref.

Given the player's pedigree and proven talent, there's no reason why he can't go on to be Everton's most exciting signing in a very long time, perhaps not even since Richarlison left Watford after a breakout term of much promise and devoted several of his best years to the Liverpool-based outfit.

After yet another defeat, Tottenham supporters surely cannot wait for this Premier League season to end.

On Friday night, Spurs were beaten once again, this time 2-0 by Aston Villa at Villa Park, both goals coming in the second half.

This was their 25th defeat across all competitions this season, and their 20th in the league, the most they have suffered in a single league campaign since being relegated 90 years ago.

The Lilywhites had previously finished no lower than eighth since 2008, but are currently 17th, which will represent their lowest finish since 1977.

Nevertheless, of course, Tottenham could conclude the campaign both in the Champions League and having ended their 17-year trophy drought, facing fellow strugglers Manchester United in Wednesday's Europa League Final at San Mamés; an era-defining night for both clubs.

Regardless of the outcome in Bilbao, Daniel Levy has already started to plan for next season, so does he have an 'excellent' manager at the top of his wish list?

The latest on Ange Postecoglou's Spurs future

Back in September, Ange Postecoglou declared that "I always win things in my second year", and, after months of ridicule, is now potentially 90 minutes away from delivering on this manifesto promise.

But, is this assertion actually true?

As the table outlines, Postecoglou does indeed always win a trophy in his second season at a club, which surely has to be a good omen for the thousands of Tottenham supporters traveling to the Basque Country next week.

Nevertheless, as reported by Matt Law and James Ducker of the Telegraph, the Australian is still set to lose his job as Spurs manager, with Postecoglou himself admitting that the "general sentiment" is that "even if we win it, I’m gone anyway".

So, who could Tottenham target as a potential replacement?

Tottenham's potential Postecoglou replacement

According to a report by Rudy Galetti of Team Talk, Spurs are 'seriously considering' appointing Ajax head coach Francesco Farioli as their new manager this summer.

Farioli, who is just 36 years old, took over the Amsterdam giants just last summer, but this is his fourth senior head coach position already, as the table below outlines.

Up until recently, we'll come onto that shortly, Farioli had been earning widespread praise for his work in the Dutch capital.

Mike Verweij of De Telegraaf praised his "excellent tactical plan", following Ajax's 2-0 De Klassieker victory over fierce rivals Feyenoord at De Kuip in October.

Meantime, Joost Berger of Opta's the Analyst outlines how he has 'transformed' Ajax, who had endured a 'nightmare' campaign last time round, 'turning the club around' without mass-recruitment, praising 'Farioli’s ability to make the most of what he’s got'.

Berger also highlights how the Italian has prioritised 'defensive discipline', going against the traditional Johan Cruijff Ajax-style, insisting that his team plays 'short passes' in an attempt to 'lure the opposition forward out of their shape'.

Well, just a few weeks ago, Farioli was on course to become the youngest manager to win the Eredivisie but, as noted by Barry Glendenning​​​​​​​ of Guardian Football Weekly, his team have since endured an 'all-time collapse'.

Having been nine points clear a month ago, Ajax have collected just two points from their last four games, conceding a 99th-minute equaliser against ten-man Groningen on Wednesday, so will go into the final day a point below PSV Eindhoven, highly likely to miss out on the title.

Of course, this is disastrous, but Ajax have qualified for the Champions League group stage, doing so after a two-year absence, and Farioli has exceeded all expectations, having taken over a team who'd finished fifth, 35 points below the champions.

Valentijn Driessen of De Telegraaf asserts that Farioli's position in Amsterdam is now 'untenable' due to the fact that the recent collapse 'will forever be negatively associated' with the Italian manager and his philosophy.

Tottenham Hotspur are in ongoing talks with a "superstar" player who's already announced that he's set to leave his club this summer, with chairman Daniel Levy attempting to reinforce the Spurs squad early doors after an injury-ravaged campaign.

Ange Postecoglou dealt injury headache ahead of Europa League final

Whether or not Ange Postecoglou remains at N17 beyond 2024/2025 is up for debate right now, and reports suggest that the 59-year-old is highly likely to depart regardless of their success in the Europa League final next week (David Ornstein).

Statistically, Postecoglou is Spurs' worst-ever manager of the Premier League era, having recently guided the club to their record number of defeats in a single campaign since the competition's inception.

Their dismal number of top-flight losses this season now stands at 21, following Spurs' 2-0 defeat at Aston Villa on Friday, but Postecoglou still has a chance to etch his name into the club's history books in much more positive fashion on Wednesday.

The Lilywhites face-off against fellow strugglers Man United in a blockbuster Bilbao encounter, where Postecoglou could win Spurs their first major trophy in 17 years while simultaneously qualifying for next season's Champions League.

However, the tactician, akin to the vast majority of this campaign, has been dealt an injury headache going into the final - with Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall all set to miss the Europa League final next week.

Postecoglou was also dealt a major Pape Sarr scare, after the Senegalese went straight down the tunnel following his substitution against Villa through injury.

Even though Postecoglou has since confirmed that he doesn't think Sarr's problem is too serious, the series of aforementioned injury blows highlights Tottenham's need for reinforcements in key areas, as Spurs head into their biggest game of the season with a weakened squad.

Injury absences have debilitated Postecoglou's options and chances of success throughout 2024/2025, and it's made the need for Tottenham to strengthen this summer pretty evident.

Tottenham in talks with Lille striker Jonathan David

The trouble for Levy is that credible media sources report Spurs may need to operate on a sell to buy policy, with transfer funds seemingly limited.

That makes world-class free agents, like Lille star Jonathan David, all the more tempting for Tottenham's recruitment team.

The Canada international has been free-scoring in Ligue 1 since his move there five years ago, racking up strikes in big Champions League games this season against the likes of Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid and Liverpool.

Earlier this week, David announced that he is set to leave Lille when his contract expires, and this has piqued interest from a host of top sides, including Spurs.

Postecoglou's side have had some contact with the 25-year-old's camp leading up to the summer (Graeme Bailey), but as per esteemed French newspaper L'Équipe, Tottenham are in ongoing talks with David over joining them right now.

The north Londoners, despite murmurs of advanced Napoli talks for the Brooklyn native, haven't given up hope of striking a deal for David, with Spurs, Antonio Conte's side, Juventus and Aston Villa all in the mix.

Aston Villa gave their Champions League ambitions a massive boost after they defeated Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 on Friday evening.

Spurs had one eye on the Europa League final next week, but Unai Emery’s side delivered a confident performance.

The game was even balanced before Villa opened the scoring courtesy of Ezri Konsa, who netted from six yards out following a flick-on from Ollie Watkins.

Boubacar Kamara doubled the lead 15 minutes later with a shot from the edge of the box that all but sealed the victory.

In the end, the three points were well deserved, and the starting XI was excellent. Konsa must receive extra praise, not just for his goal but also for how imperious he was at the heart of the defence.

Ezri Konsa’s game in numbers vs Spurs

The Englishman has missed just four Premier League games for Villa this season, becoming one of Emery’s key players as they seek to make the Champions League group stages yet again.

Although used on the right side of defence at times this season, Konsa is at his best in the middle, using his incredible physical strength to win duels.

Against Spurs, he made three clearances and two tackles and won four of his six ground duels throughout the match.

Furthermore, he only lost possession twice and committed two fouls, but he was in total control against the North Londoners.

He will be integral to Villa should they finish in the top five and secure a spot in the promised land next term, that’s for sure, due to his fantastic defensive work.

Someone else who could also prove influential is Amadou Onana, who made just his fifth league start since the beginning of February on Friday evening.

Amadou Onana is now undroppable for Aston Villa

While plaudits have gone to Youri Tielemans for the superb job he has done in the Villa midfield this term, Onana may give Emery plenty to think about due to his display against Spurs.

The Belgian not only completed 91% of his passes, but he also succeeded with 100% of his dribbles, made a single key pass, and lost the ball only four times when he was on the pitch, which shows how reliable he was with the ball at his feet.

Four tackles and winning six of his seven ground duels proved his tenacious nature was on show for all to see, and it certainly gave the likes of Morgan Rogers and Marco Asensio more freedom to express themselves in the final third, as he constantly broke up Spurs attacks to regain possession for his side.

Journalist John Townley gave the former Everton man a rating of 8/10, saying that ‘Onana covered ground effortlessly and showed his range in possession, playing accurate balls out wide and combining well in tight areas. A strong all-round showing', which shows that he was as good and as effective as Konsa.

Villa need to win their final game against Manchester United, who will either be on a high or despondent after the Europa League final in midweek, to secure a top-five finish in the top flight, and Onana's performance against Spurs shows that he should be undroppable heading into that match.

If they perform like they did against Spurs, United will stand no chance.

The bad news is that Tottenham Hotspur picked up their 21st defeat of the Premier League season last night, but the good news is that there is just one more game to go.

In fact, the even better and more consequential news from last night was probably that the North Londoners didn't lose any more important first-teamers ahead of the Europa League Final next week.

However, with all that said, Ange Postecoglou can't be particularly pleased with his team, as even though they had some good chances and put in a far better showing than they did on Sunday, they're still going into their most important game in years off the back of a defeat.

Moreover, while some players made a good case for why they should stay in the team, like Wilson Odobert and Son Heung-min, other players most certainly did not.

Odobert & Son's game vs Aston Villa

So, while they might be rather small, let's start with the positives then, like Odeobert and Son.

The former moved from the right wing to the number ten position in the absence of Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison, and while he didn't exactly blow us away, he offered something fresh.

While he was guilty of a mistimed shot here or a dodgy pass there, the Frenchman was incredibly busy and, at points, interchanged with his fellow attackers in a way that could cause problems for Manchester United on Wednesday night.

It was a performance that left a somewhat favourable impression on the Standard's Dan Kilpatrick, who awarded him a 6/10 match rating.

He gave the same rating to Son, praising him for showing some of his 'trademark bursts down the left flank', which at points were the team's best moves.

Moreover, while his end product wasn't ideal, journalist Seb Stafford-Bloor argued that he looked "quicker with the ball at his feet than he has in months."

In all, while it would be hyperbolic to suggest either player was fantastic last night, it would also be fair to say they both showed enough to be in contention to start the final, which cannot be said for one of the other starters.

The Spurs star who has to be dropped

Unfortunately, there were a few players who were rather unimpressive last night, such as Mikey Moore and Pape Matar Sarr, but the starter who has to be dropped ahead of Wednesday is Archie Gray.

Now, it should be said that the former Leeds United gem has generally been great for Spurs this season and has done an admirable job filling in across the backline.

However, just like last weekend against Crystal Palace, the versatile 18-year-old really struggled in the middle of the park.

If he wasn't making a poor pass, he was struggling to cope with the defensive side of the game, and there was more than one occasion in which the Villans simply bypassed him without much trouble.

Kilpatrick wasn't particularly impressed with him either, awarding the Englishman a 5/10 match rating at full-time and writing that he 'struggled to impose himself on the game.'

Ultimately, while it was another night to forget for Spurs, Son and Odobert showed that they might be able to make something happen on Wednesday. On the other hand, Gray reminded Postecoglou that he is not ready to start in the middle of the park.

A very highly-rated forward is tempted by a move to Tottenham Hotspur behind-the-scenes following "fresh" transfer discussions, according to reports, with chairman Daniel Levy rumoured to be in pursuit of attacking reinforcements this summer.

Tottenham set for vital Europa League final next week

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou could end the club's 17-year wait for silverware and qualify for the 2025/2026 Champions League in one fell swoop, as the Lilywhites prepare for a vital Europa League final against Man United next week.

Both sides have endured torrid Premier League campaigns, which fell miles below expectations, but the Europa League represents a chance to quite literally rescue Spurs' season from the depths of mediocrity.

Postecoglou's squad has been hit with wave after wave of injuries to key players, especially midway through 2024/2025, and this cannot be discounted, amid reports that the Australian is likely facing his final few games in charge.

As Tottenham prepare for their most important match of the season by some distance against United, the club's recruitment team are already working on reinforcing the squad for next season, regardless of who is in the dugout by that time.

Levy and technical director Johan Lange are rumoured to be targeting a new attacker or two in particular, with Tottenham intending to keep Mathys Tel beyond his loan from Bayern Munich alongside bringing in other names.

Spurs will reportedly need to err on the side of caution when it comes to expenditure, though, with reports claiming they may even need to adopt a sell to buy policy.

Luckily for Levy, a quality, in-form attacker, who looks set to be available for a very doable price, comes in the form of Lyon sensation Rayan Cherki.

The 21-year-old has enjoyed the campaign of his life with 12 goals and 19 assists. Interested clubs are able to sign Cherki for just £19 million as well, due to a bargain release clause in his contract.

Le Parisien reported earlier this week that Tottenham have made contact over signing Cherki, with GiveMeSport now following up that report with his stance on a switch to the Premier League.

Rayan Cherki tempted by Tottenham after "fresh" discussions

As per GMS, Spurs have held "fresh" discussions over signing Cherki, with the outlet backing up previous claims of an approach.

However, they add that the Frenchman has privately refused to rule out joining Tottenham behind-closed-doors, even if English champions Liverpool are his personal preference as things stand.

Despite Arne Slot's side being his ideal destination, Spurs are touted as prime contenders for Cherki and north London is seen as a very credible destination for the player, so this could be one to watch.

The attacking midfielder is gaining a reputation as one of Europe's most exciting final third prodigies, and his very astute price tag makes this potential move all the more enticing from Levy's perspective.

"He is the best natural talent I've ever seen," said ex-Arsenal defender and Lyon teammate, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, to BBC Sport.

"An absolute master, a wizard with the ball."

The representatives of a "massive" striker have reached out to Tottenham Hotspur as they attempt to find their client a new landing spot, with his club now ready to sell.

Daniel Levy targeting new forward for Tottenham this summer

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is reportedly on the look-out for new attacking players this summer, even if the club may be forced to adopt a 'sell-to-buy' policy over the next transfer window.

While uncertainty surrounds the long-term future of manager Ange Postecoglou, regardless of what happens in the Europa League final next week, the Australian could be joined out of the exit door by a string of surplus Spurs forwards.

Manor Solomon and Bryan Gil don't appear to have a long-term future in north London, having spent the 2024/2025 campaign out on loan at Leeds United and Girona respectively, while it is also believed Richarlison could be put up for sale by Tottenham as well.

As such, Postecoglou or any new manager would need attacking reinforcements in the event all three depart Hotspur Way.

Tottenham have expressed an interest in Ipswich Town starlet Liam Delap, who will be available for just £30 million thanks to their relegation to the Championship, with Borussia Mönchengladbach striker Tim Kleindienst also on Spurs' radar after his impressive season in the Bundesliga.

Levy is also keen to make Mathys Tel's stay at Tottenham permanent, as per Sport Bild this week, so recruitment plans are in full flow ahead of the first summer window's opening on June 1.

According to GiveMeSport, Juventus star Dusan Vlahovic could emerge as a target for Spurs as well, with the Serbia international out of contract in 2026 and could be available for an affordable fee this year.

Dusan Vlahovic's agents hold talks with Tottenham

Now, journalist Graeme Bailey has weighed in with an update of his own on the 25-year-old's future.

Writing for The Boot Room, Bailey reports that Vlahovic's agents have contacted Tottenham over a potential move to the Premier League, alongside other interested sides, and Juventus are prepared to sell him for around £25 million.

The ex-Fiorentina star hasn't enjoyed the best second half of 2024/25, scoring just two Serie A goals this calendar year, but Vlahovic does boast 14 in all competitions with four of them coming in big Champions League games.

He can be a truly devastating centre-forward when at his very best and consistently reaches double figures in a season. However, Levy will be very keen to negotiate a salary far beneath his rumoured £320,000-per-week take-home at Juve, which would make him Tottenham's highest-earner by miles.

"I’ve been saying it for a long time. He’s strong, massive, he fills up front, he’s a reference, he’s a ‘left-footer’ full of courage," said ex-Juve striker Roberto Boninsegna about Vlahovic.

"A good centre-forward. I also like Retegui from Atalanta, he scores easily."

The fans and players might have a Europa League final to look forward to next week, but the powers that be at Tottenham Hotspur will be looking past that and at the upcoming transfer window.

Daniel Levy and Co have to ensure it's a massive window this year; otherwise, Ange Postecoglou - or whoever replaces him - could just find themselves in the same place this time next season.

Fortunately, there has been an increasing number of reports linking the North Londoners to a host of incredibly exciting players in recent weeks.

However, while the talented attackers touted for moves to N17 should excite the fans, they could also spell trouble for some of the club's current stars, such as Bayern Munich loanee Mathys Tel.

Tottenham transfer news

Before we get to the player in question, it's worth examining some of the other exciting attackers linked with Spurs in recent weeks, like Eberechi Eze and Liam Delap.

The former could reportedly cost the North Londoners a cool £68m, but given his ability to play in a number of positions and the fact he's racked up 12 goals and 11 assists in 40 games this season, it would be hard to argue with that valuation.

Likewise, while Delap is still young and relatively inexperienced, his £30m release clause seems more than fair for a striker who has scored 12 goals and provided two assists in 35 Premier League games this season.

However, if a player is going to come in and send Tel packing back to Bayern, they're going to have to be someone seriously special, someone like Rayan Cherki.

Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Spurs are one of several sides incredibly interested in the Lyon gem.

The report has revealed that the player's agent has approached a number of 'top Premier League clubs' over a potential transfer, and according to reports from earlier this week, the North Londoners have already inquired about the player, who could be available for just £19m.

It could be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Cherki's immense ability, it's one worth fighting for, even if it could be bad news for Tel.

How Cherki compares to Tel

So, the first thing to say is that Cherki is capable of playing off the right of a front three and in attacking midfield, but with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski locking down the former and Brennan Johnson scoring bags of goals from the latter, we reckon the Frenchman would play off the left at Spurs.

Therefore, his arrival in the summer could see the club thank Tel for his service and send him back to Bayern in the summer, as when we compare the two players, it's abundantly clear that the Lyon ace is the far more dangerous and effective attacker.

For example, in terms of pure output, the "insane" 21-year-old, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has scored 12 goals and provided 19 assists in 43 games, totalling 3009 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.38 games, or every 97.06 minutes.

In contrast, since moving to North London, the Sarcelles-born gem has scored three goals and provided one assist in 18 appearances, totalling 1083 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 4.5 games, or every 270.75 minutes.

Unfortunately for the Bayern loanee, the incredibly one-sided nature of this comparison only continues when we take a look under the hood at their underlying numbers.

For example, in practically every relevant metric, Lyon's "future ballon d'Or winner," as dubbed by The Athletic's Alex Barker, comes out on top.

These metrics include things like expected and actual non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries, passing accuracy, key passes, passes into the final third and penalty area, shot and goal-creating actions, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, it's clear that Cherki is a far superior player to Tel, and while it would be handy for Spurs to have both next season, we wouldn't be surprised that signing the former will force the latter to move on.

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy has made a popular new manager their top target to replace Ange Postecoglou after advice from ex-managing director Fabio Paratici, according to reports this week.

Tottenham dealt injury blows ahead of Europa League final

Spurs take on Aston Villa in the Premier League this afternoon, but with nothing to play for domestically, all eyes are fixed on their looming Europa League final against Man United in Bilbao on May 21.

Their clash against the Villans serves as a warm-up game for Postecoglou's side, but the under-fire Australian will be praying his squad suffer no more serious injuries, with Lucas Bergvall, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison all set to miss their trip to Spain next week with long-term problems.

Kulusevski became the latest star player to be ruled out of their crunch clash with United after news emerged of his knee surgery earlier this week, and it is a hammer blow for Postecoglou, who's looking to both end Tottenham's 17-year wait for a major trophy and qualify for the Champions League at the end of an all-important 90 minutes next Wednesday.

"Look, I guess because it’s been a constant with us during the year, we’ve kind of become almost accustomed to it," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's recent injury blows.

"It would probably be a bigger issue if we had a smooth run all year and got hit with injuries now and deal with missing key players, but we’ve pretty much been without key players all season. There hasn’t been a time where we had a three or four-week spell with our strongest line-up, so the boys are getting on with it.

"They’re disappointed for the people involved and Deki being the latest one because he had a fantastic first part of the year for us and was just working his way back into it. At the same time as I keep saying to the group all along, you can’t pick and choose when these opportunities come along."

Even if Postecoglou defies the odds and beats United with a weakened midfield, reports suggest the 59-year-old could still part company with Tottenham at the end of the season (David Ornstein).

Ajax boss Francesco Farioli now "top" Tottenham manager target

Levy has been linked with a host of coaches to replace him.

Presenter Richard Keys recently claimed Tottenham held talks with ex-Barcelona boss Xavi last week, with the Spaniard joining Spurs' long list of rumoured managerial candidates, which reportedly includes the likes of Andoni Iraola (Bournemouth), Marco Silva (Fulham), Oliver Glasner (Crystal Palace), Thomas Frank (Brentford), Scott Parker (Burnley), Jürgen Klopp (Head of Global, Red Bull), Niko Kovač (Borussia Dortmund) and Edin Terzić (free agent).

Now, TEAMtalk and journalist Rudy Galetti have information that Ajax boss Francesco Farioli is now firmly on their radar as well, and Spurs are serious about potentially hiring him.

Galetti reports that Farioli has shot to the "top" of Tottenham's managerial target list, after Paratici privately recommended the tactician to Levy, which comes as an intriguing update considering Ajax have just blown a nine-point lead at the top of the Eredivisie table in four games.

The Dutch giants are in real danger of letting the title slip through their fingers in capitulating fashion, so is he really the right man to bring success to N17?

Well, TEAMtalk go on to claim that Farioli is very highly talked about within Premier League circles, so English sides appear to rate the popular young 36-year-old behind-the-scenes. His contract also includes an "affordable" £4.2 million release clause.

Tottenham Hotspur chiefs have been informed that they could sign a high-earning star for below £30 million this summer, with chairman Daniel Levy expected to seek out good-value deals amid the looming threat of a 'sell to buy' summer.

Ange Postecoglou preparing for crunch Europa League final

While Spurs face off against Aston Villa in the Premier League this afternoon, all eyes are instead on their looming Europa League final against Man United next week.

The less said about Spurs' dismal domestic campaign, the better - following a season of record-breaking lows where Ange Postecoglou's side surpassed the club's record for most Premier League losses in a single season (20).

Instead, the Europa League represents a major potential saving grace at the end of what could be Postecoglou's final term in charge.

David Ornstein is among the media sources to report that Postecoglou is highly likely to leave Tottenham, even if they win the European final in Bilbao on May 21, but sealing the Lilywhites' first piece of major silverware in 17 years would be a more-than-ideal send-off.

Victory against Man United would also work wonders in terms of attracting Spurs' top transfer targets, as a place in the Champions League group draw for next season would undoubtedly come as a major pull, even after their struggles domestically.

One of the key items of their agenda, in terms of recruitment, is signing a new striker. Richarlison is expected to be up for sale at Tottenham this summer, and in the event Brazil's number nine departs N17, Spurs or any new manager would need a replacement for him.

Tottenham are believed to be among the contenders for Ipswich striker Liam Delap, who could leave for just £30 million, thanks to a release clause tied in with their relegation from the Premier League.

Levy is also keen on re-negotiating cheaper terms for Mathys Tel's permanent deal, according to reports in Germany this week, but it is unclear what the 20-year-old's long-term role would be in the squad right now.

Tottenham informed they could sign Dusan Vlahovic for under £30 million

Now, as per GiveMeSport, Juventus star Dusan Vlahovic is another centre-forward who could be made available for an affordable transfer fee.

The Serbia international, rumoured to be on around £320,000-per-week in Turin, hasn't exactly lived up to his "superstar" reputation during the second half of 2024/2025 - scoring just two Serie A goals this calendar year.

With his contract expiring next summer, and no extension in sight, GMS now report Tottenham have been made aware that Vlahovic could be sold this summer.

It is also claimed that, while Juve ideally want around £35 million, the Old Lady may even green-light his sale for just £20 million - largely due to his sub-par form lately and the fact he's about to enter the final 12 months of his deal.

This could be a major opportunity for Levy, who's been linked with a move for Vlahovic in past seasons.

The 25-year-old scored 21 Serie A goals during his best season at Fiorentina, and 16 top-flight goals for Juve just last season, so Vlahovic can be a devastating player when at his very best. The trick for Spurs' potential new manager next season is getting it out of him.