Football FanCast

You could cut the tension with a knife at Tottenham Hotspur, who have a two-point safety net in their battle against relegation from the Premier League, just two games to go.

Roberto De Zerbi has done an excellent job so far, replacing the beleaguered Igor Tudor during the March international break, taking them out of the relegation zone and restoring the winning feeling on the road.

Spurs have so many problems, but there's a sense that the frontline hasn't been hitting any of the right notes throughout the campaign. In other words, the Londoners miss the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son.

Why Spurs are missing Harry Kane

It goes without saying that Kane is one of the best strikers in Premier League history. He has scored more goals than any other Tottenham player - ever.

Kane has been gone for some time now, scoring for fun over in Germany with Bayern Munich, but with Son having left last summer and Brennan Johnson, Spurs' top scorer in 2024/25, joining Crystal Palace in January, attacking quality has been exposed.

Dominic Solanke's injury problems have ruined his chances of succeeding at the front of the ship, and with Richarlison mooted for a summer exit, the importance of signing a new striker this summer has been heightened.

It's only attacking deficiencies that are letting the Lilywhites down this season, though. In defence, Tottenham have been porous, and with Cristian Romero set to leave at the end of the season, something needs to change.

Luckily, De Zerbi and his staff may be able to throw the new Kane in at the deep end - even though he's a defender.

De Zerbi must unleash Spurs' new Kane next season

Luka Vuskovic might not be a forward, but he does have the potential to develop into one of the world's leading centre-backs, currently thriving out on loan with Hamburg in the Bundesliga.

Whether the Croatia international plays for Tottenham next season remains to be seen. He would not fancy a dip into the Championship as his rises, to be sure, but if De Zerbi secures Spurs' Premier League seat, the teenager could play an instrumental role next season, guiding Tottenham back into the light.

Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke has even claimed that the chiefs are preparing to throw him "in at the the deep end" next season, and with Romero looking to leave, this makes a lot of sense.

The young defender has even been described as a "monster in the making" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, so dominant in the air and composed on the ball.

He is a unique centre-back, tailored toward the modern age. He wants to get on the ball and start forward sequences, maintaining authority and a willingness to engage in physical battles.

He might not strike home with the same consistency as Kane (though Vuskovic has scored five times from 26 Bundesliga appearances this season), but he's unquestionably one of the most talented young centre-halves out there.

Vuskovic has not yet played a competitive game for Tottenham, but he has the world at his feet, and it would be a travesty if Spurs let him leave before enacting positive change in north London.

He has the potential to rival Kane down N17. Maybe not in positional value, but rather, through his world-class potential and his capacity to steer this club back up into the limelight.

Will Tottenham Hotspur play in the Premier League next season? That is the million dollar question.

This has been a tough and interminable season for Spurs, with years of poor decisions leading to a genuine relegation battle. Roberto De Zerbi has lifted them out of the drop zone, but with two games remaining, 18th-place West Ham United are breathing down their rivals' neck.

With Xavi Simons out and James Maddison shorn of match fitness as he makes his return from a year of ACL recovery, Tottenham need all they can channel over these final few weeks.

And that's not just in attack, but defence too, with Micky van de Ven tasked with holding down the fort in Cristian Romero's continued absence.

Luckily, Luka Vuskovic will return to north London this summer, and the Croatian defender may even establish himself as the cream of the crop.

How Vuskovic compares to Van de Ven

Vuskovic, 19, is one of the most exciting young defenders in the world, and though Tottenham secured his signature back in 2023, he still hasn't played a competitive game for the Londoners.

Out on loan in Germany, the Croatian is thriving, looking very much the superstar for his Bundesliga outfit. There's no question that he has the potential to step in alongside Van de Ven after Romero leaves, though the Premier League is a different ballpark for so many hopefuls.

However, given that the teenager is already playing at an elite standard, hailed last year by content creator Fiago as "the best 18-year-old center back I've ever seen in my life", he should make the grade for De Zerbi.

To be honest, there's a case to be made that Vuskovic would outshine his Dutch peer in Tottenham's defence next season, potentially enjoying a better campaign for Hamburg than Van de Ven did for Wolfsburg back in 2022/23, leading to Ange Postecoglou overseeing a £43m transfer in July 2023.

He's arguably Tottenham's most exciting up-and-comer, but he's certainly not the only one, with a Dele Alli-esque attacking midfielder looking to make a name for himself next season.

Spurs' new Dele is up there with Vuskovic

While a tumble down into the Championship would allow Luca Williams-Barnett to earn more opportunities in De Zerbi's Tottenham side, there's a case to be made that the 18-year-old has what it takes to make his mark in the Premier League.

Williams-Barnett is an incredibly talented attacker, capable in the middle of the park but at his rip-roaring best when deployed behind the centre-forward, picking out passes and using his skilful footwork to weave into promising positions.

Hailed as part of the "special generation" of academy talent rising up to the fore down Hotspur Way, Williams-Barnett might even be the cream of the crop, someone who can rival Vuskovic for the crown over the coming years (hopefully in the Premier League).

This season, he's scored 16 goals and supplied eight assists from 19 matches for the Spurs development side, making his senior debut as Thomas Frank's Tottenham passed Doncaster Rovers in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

He has been described as "one of England's best talents" after all, and with that in mind, the teenager might just grow into a superstar of the same quality as Dele in his Tottenham heyday. Wouldn't that be something?

The 30-year-old playmaker was genuinely one of the most awe-inspiring youngsters to emerge in the Premier League, tearing opponents to shreds after his £5m move from MK Dons as a youngster. Williams-Barnett has a similar aura about him, and the youthful emergence, partnered with Vuskovic's return, might be exactly what the Lilywhites need.

Dele might no longer be lashing them home for the Tottenham persuasion, but fans aren't soon going to forget just how brilliant the England international was under Mauricio Pochettino's wing.

In Williams-Barnett, Spurs might just have a rare kind of No. 10 with the potential to thrive in a similar manner, rivalling Vuskovic for the top spot at the club.

Richarlison has confirmed Tottenham will keep an eye on West Ham’s trip to Newcastle, but urged his team-mates to stay calm in the relegation battle.

Spurs are 17th in the Premier League and hold a two-point advantage over the bottom three ahead of this weekend where Roberto De Zerbi’s side are without a fixture.

Tottenham are next in action on Tuesday away to rivals Chelsea - who contest Saturday’s FA Cup final with Manchester City - and may have dropped into the relegation zone if West Ham win at Newcastle on Sunday.

Monday’s 1-1 draw at home to Leeds made it four unbeaten for Spurs, but also represented a missed opportunity to put another nail in the coffin of 18th-placed West Ham.

“It’s tough, but point by point we’re making progress and depending on the result of next weekend’s game, with one more point we can avoid relegation,” Richarlison told ESPN Brasil.

“We’ll be keeping an eye on our opponent (West Ham), but we need to do our part.

“We have the advantage of scoring well away from home, so it’s about staying calm.

“We played a very intense game (against Leeds), unfortunately we conceded a penalty goal, it’s part of football. Now it’s about continuing with these last two games.”

It has been a largely strong season individually for Richarlison, who has scored 11 goals in all competitions and won five points with his strikes in the Premier League.

Mikey Moore confirms Tottenham return this summer

On loan winger Mikey Moore has confirmed he will return to Spurs before deciding his next steps this summer.

He told Rangers official media channels ahead of their season finale against Falkirk: "Mixed emotions for the game tomorrow, it is not the position we wanted to be in, but it is my last game. For me, I have so much love for everyone. I understand the way people feel, and I have tried to give my all for the club. This club has been a huge part of who I am going to become. I am a fan of this club for the rest of my life.

"The backing that this club has, there needs to be a few changes, but there is a base there to go and make a mark. Obviously, we need to win the league and Europe, but it is there.

"There is a new manager at Spurs at the moment. Obviously, I am a Spurs player, so I will go back and continue to work hard."

De Zerbi has a host of exciting players out on loan set to return this summer, with Moore joining centre-back Luka Vuskovic and striker Will Lankshear.

Tottenham Hotspur could be travelling up north to Lincoln City's LNER Stadium for a Championship clash next season, or they could be resurgent under Roberto De Zerbi as Premier League competitors.

It's been a tough year for the Lilywhites, who have escaped from the relegation zone, but only by two points, and with two matches left to play.

West Ham United have hit a snag in the road of late, but one win could change all in this gripping and terrible battle, hanging on a knife-edge at the final stretch.

Understandably, Spurs won't fancy a trip to Lincolnshire for a second tier league match next season, but they will need to maintain their new levels over the final few weeks, with the midfield recharged and the key to driving Tottenham to safety.

Why Spurs' midfield is recharged under De Zerbi

Tottenham still lack creativity and fluency in attack, but they have restored their grit and togetherness in the middle of the park.

Expected Goals (xG) is a metric designed to measure the probability of a shot resulting in a goal.

Much of this owes to the return of Rodrigo Bentancur, who was scapegoated during the first months of Frank's reign, such as it was, and then largely forgotten after injuring himself in January. However, his return to fitness has opened up much-needed passing patterns in the middle of the park.

This, in turn, has allowed Conor Gallagher to open up and showcase the all-action, physical quality that was expected in north London when he arrived from Atletico Madrid for £35m in January.

With the engine room now set, the likes of Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr have fallen to the fringes. The former will leave at the end of his contract this summer, while Sarr's future is uncertain.

The same can't be said for Tottenham's very own Declan Rice, though; even as he struggles for minutes in De Zerbi's system.

De Zerbi has hit gold on Spurs' "young Rice"

Tottenham need to stay in the Premier League, else they could lose potential superstars such as Archie Gray.

Gray, 20, has been hurled into the deep end at Tottenham, featuring prominently - and in any number of positions - since joining from Leeds United for around £30m as an 18-year-old.

Naturally a centre-midfielder, he has been ferried across the park over the past two years. This lends to his dynamism and athleticism and wide range of technical attributes, yet it has also stifled him in his progress.

De Zerbi has picked up on this, determining that Gray needs to nail down a position to call his own. In that, he echoes Arsenal's Rice, who was originally a centre-back when at West Ham United and has since been shaped into a world-class midfielder, playing a series of variations of the role for Mikel Arteta's title challengers.

Gray is not there yet, but he's still so young, and he has already been described as "a young Declan Rice" by The Athletic's Duncan Alexander, his versatility and natural tenacity and skill setting him apart from so many other up-and-comers in the Premier League.

Gray is naturally progressive and has a shrewd eye for a pass. He has completed 33.3% of his crosses in the top flight this season, also getting stuck in and defending resolutely. By playing invariably from midfield, his confidence and coherence in De Zerbi's system will only develop.

The fact that clubs such as Liverpool have started sniffing around for this young talent only underscores the point. In fact, Liverpool were quoted at £70m when making a discreet enquiry in March, marking Gray as having a £40m value increase already, and that in spite of Spurs' wider problems.

De Zerbi sees him as the future of Tottenham, and while he is not starting every week for the Italian tactician, he may yet grow into an elite England international, partnering Rice for his nation but challenging him for the top spot in the Premier League.

Ex-Tottenham Hotspur chief Daniel Levy said after collecting his CBE (for services to charity and the community) that he never would have imagined the club sinking into a Premier League relegation dogfight.

And the rest of us, Dan. Supporters have watched in horror and disbelief as last season's fragilities, covered by that winning run to Bilbao in the Europa League, have devolved into something far more concerning this year, a genuine relegation battle seeing Thomas Frank and then Igor Tudor dismissed.

Four games unbeaten, Roberto De Zerbi is doing a job, having replaced Tudor during the March international break. Whether it is too little too late remains to be seen, though.

Tottenham need to stay up. Aside from the obvious reasons, falling into the Championship would be detrimental, as it would see the Londoners lose top talents such as Luka Vuskovic.

Why Vuskovic could be Spurs' saviour

If Tottenham fight away the clamping jaw of relegation, they will still have plenty of work to do to ensure this terrible situation is not repeated.

Cristian Romero is set to be sold this summer, but with Vuskovic landing in London after the World Cup in North America, Spurs have the potential to welcome a possbily generational talent to their squad.

They mustn't blow it. Vuskovic, hailed by content creator Fiago as "the best 18-year-old center back I've ever seen in my life", has the potential to shine brighter than even Romero and Micky van de Ven in Tottenham's backline, developing into a superstar.

It goes without saying that the 19-year-old, thriving on loan with Hamburg in Germany, will not fancy a step down into the Championship, so impressive over the past couple of years.

His technicality and freak athleticism mark him down as a world-class prospect, though the fact that he would slot right into the Lilywhites' starting line-up scraps the notion that he is an up-and-comer.

And he's not the only one. Tottenham have another interesting talent out on loan who could play a big role next season. Whether the new Heung-min Son would want to play in the second tier is another question, though.

Spurs' new Son is up there with Vuskovic

Tottenham's frontliners have flattered to deceive this season. The injuries haven't helped, but the fact remains that Spurs haven't been sharp enough, quick enough or imposing enough in attacking battles.

They miss Son, but next season, De Zerbi could replace the South Korean legend through Mikey Moore, who is making progress out on loan in Scotland with Rangers.

Moore, 18, came into his own under Ange Postecoglou's management last season, scoring his first senior goal against Elfsborg in the Europa League. His development was best served in a role with Rangers for the current campaign, though, where he has started to play with consistency.

Fleet-footed and direct, former Spurs star Gary Mabbutt has predicted that the dynamic winger will become a "superstar in the future", scoring seven goals and creating seven big chances in the Scottish Premiership this season.

With an innate goalscoring ability and a dazzling style on the ball, could we be looking at the new Son? Obviously, Moore has a long way to go before he can be considered anywhere near the level that Son reached after so many tireless years of service down N17, but if anyone has the skillset to achieve that feat, it is this youngster.

Though reports over the past few months have suggested that Moore could leave Tottenham and make his visit to Glasgow a permanent trip, there's no question that he would be tempted to forge his way in the Premier League, should Spurs stay up.

The same can be said for Vuskovic, with both elite talents gunning for the top. Tottenham cannot let them slip away.

Moore has grown into an increasingly effective winger at Rangers, and now he has the chance to reemerge in north London and establish himself as one of the new superstars at the club.

Someone in the same vein as a young Son, after the Asian sensation joined from Bayer Leverkusen way back when, perhaps?

Tottenham remain mired in relegation trouble, but fit-again James Maddison has been backed to make a difference after his eagerly-anticipated return from injury on Monday.

Maddison was introduced off the bench in the 85th minute of Spurs’ 1-1 draw at home to Leeds to make his first competitive appearance in 375 days.

A typically candid Maddison described this campaign as “one to forget” for everyone associated with Spurs on Monday after a bright cameo in a draw that leaves the club 17th with a two-point cushion to the Premier League relegation zone with two games left.

However, Maddison is finally able to contribute after a frustrating watching front and his old boss Daniel Farke has no doubt the “baller” can have an impact after he had a front row seat to his comeback where he almost won a stoppage-time penalty against Leeds.

Maddison flourished under the Leeds boss at Norwich, and Farke said: “I have a soft spot for James Maddison. He was my player when he was pretty young.

“If you love football, then you love James Maddison because he is a pure baller. For me, he is one of the most creative, gifted and talented midfield players in England.

“You feel (sorry) when such a great footballer and even better human being is out for such a long time, but I was just delighted to see him back in the last matchday squads.

“What he has shown in the last few minutes, although he was out for such a long time, he can be there with a decisive pass, or a decisive cross or a decisive set-piece.

“He is also smart in and around the box to win sometimes smart free-kicks or perhaps even try to win a penalty sometimes. It’s always good when you have an option like James Maddison. I’m pretty sure he will and can play an important part in the run-in.”

Maddison scored 12 goals and produced 11 assists for Spurs during a roller-coaster 2024-25 campaign.

No Tottenham player has reached that tally this season and unwanted records have tumbled - including a 15-match winless run in the Premier League.

Even with Maddison likely to be limited to substitute appearances against Chelsea and Everton, his composure, calm and quality in the final third should help Spurs regardless of the game-state.

But just as the England international neared his return, Spurs lost club captain Cristian Romero to a collateral ligament injury, and the Argentinian press have shared an intriguing update on his recovery timeline.

Tottenham bring in specialist to treat Romero injury

According to Diario Crónica, via Sport Witness, Romero's injury recovery plans have changed in recent days.

The Spurs defender was supposed to undergo the rest of his rehabilitation at the national team training centre in Argentina, but has decided to stay in London due to the survival battle.

Kinesiologist Luis García will instead travel from Argentina to England to help with the recovery, and there are 'positive developments physically' with the 28 year-old now out of his knee brace.

The estimated recovery time is between six and seven weeks, which would give him a good chance of making the World Cup, with four weeks passed since the injury and four weeks to go before the tournament.

Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi and his coaching staff are preparing to call upon a highly-rated teenager for next season, according to reports.

Spurs battle West Ham to avoid shock Premier League relegation

Two games, two points of breathing room, but there is still a very real possibility that Spurs could be playing Championship football next season.

De Zerbi's side sit 17th in the Premier League on 38 points with two fixtures remaining, holding a slender lead over West Ham in 18th.

The maths is simple but unforgiving: Chelsea away on Tuesday night, then Everton at home on the final day.

West Ham face Newcastle on Sunday before hosting Leeds on the last afternoon. If Spurs slip up and the Hammers find a result, the final day could come down to a straight shootout between two clubs desperate to avoid the unthinkable.

De Zerbi has done great work since arriving at the club, with back-to-back wins at Wolves and Aston Villa dragging Spurs out of the bottom three, and an unbeaten run of four games — two wins and two draws — has given the squad some semblance of belief.

But Monday's 1-1 draw with Leeds was another reminder of how fine the margins are.

Mathys Tel produced a brilliant curling finish to put Spurs ahead, only to give away a penalty minutes later with a reckless attempted overhead clearance that caught Ethan Ampadu in the face.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin converted, and two points were dropped that could prove decisive.

The consequences of going down would be severe. Lost broadcast revenue, an exodus of first-team talent, contractual complications and a rebuilding job that could take years.

It is a scenario nobody at the club wants to contemplate, but one they cannot yet rule out.

Amid all that tension, however, there is one story offering genuine optimism for the future.

Tottenham ready to throw Luka Vuskovic 'in at the deep end' next season

It centres on a 19-year-old centre-back who has been turning heads in Germany all season.

According to Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke, De Zerbi and his coaching staff are ready to throw Luka Vuskovic 'in at the deep end' next season, with the Croatian defender lined up to step directly into the first-team squad regardless of what happens in the transfer window.

Spurs are desperate to avoid selling him under any circumstances this summer, despite growing interest from Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

The only scenario in which a sale would be considered, the report says, is if the club are relegated — and even then, it would be against their wishes.

It is not hard to see why they are so protective.

Vuskovic has been sensational on loan at Hamburg this season, scoring six goals in 27 Bundesliga appearances — a remarkable return for a centre-back still in his teens.

He was named in the Bundesliga Team of the Season, won the league's Rookie of the Month award four times, and recorded the best duel success rate in the entire division at 70 per cent.

Standing at 1.93m, he is a commanding aerial presence, but his composure on the ball and ability to carry it forward have drawn comparisons with some of Europe's finest modern defenders.

Spurs are preparing a lucrative new long-term deal for Vuskovic, designed to fend off the European giants circling for his signature. His current contract runs until 2030, but the club want to make a statement about how central he is to the project going forward.

Both Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven have been subject to significant interest from elsewhere this season, and if either departs this summer, Vuskovic is already earmarked as the replacement.

De Zerbi now reportedly sees the talent as ready — not as a development project, but as a genuine first-team option from 26/27.

Tottenham Hotspur travel to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening. Then, next weekend, Roberto De Zerbi's side will host a Premier League opponent for the final time this term, looking to win down N17 for the first time since the start of December.

An inability - incapability - to win at home has formed a central part of Tottenham's turmoil. Couple that with shockingly bad home form, and you've got a recipe for diaster.

Spurs are also struggling to get the fundamentals right, but when you've got so-called superstars such as Randal Kolo Muani so heavily underperforming, you begin to understand why the Londoners have slumped down into this hole.

Randal Kolo Muani's Spurs struggles

At the end of the 2023 summer transfer window, Paris Saint-Germain signed Kolo Muani from Eintracht Frankfurt in a deal rising to £76m. He was one of the most sought-after forwards in the world, but his career has since taken a left turn.

The France international struggled to make it work at PSG, and he has now slumped on loan at Spurs, scoring only once in the Premier League all season.

Funnily, Kolo Muani has previously looked uninterested, not up for the fight, but against Leeds United last weekend, he simply didn't have the presence of connections in attack to make a real difference for this struggling Spurs side (one excellent pass for goalbound Richarlison notwithstanding).

It should go without saying that the 27-year-old will not see his loan move made permanent at the end of the season, one of many who are sure to leave north London after such a terrible campaign.

It's not just the forwards, though. While the expected departure of captain Cristian Romero at the end of the season is unfortunate, not all of the outgoing defenders will leave shining reputations, with one player looking like the worst signing since Tanguy Ndombele.

Spurs must sell their new Ndombele

Trawl through different 'biggest flop' lists across Tottenham's corner of the internet, and Ndombele will rank highly among all of them, if not topping them.

The former club-record signing didn't work out in the Premier League, occasionally showing flashes of promise but never really living up to the billing. Now, it looks as if Radu Dragusin might be the next version, sure to leave with few positive points to present as a Spurs star.

Dragusin, 24, has only played a bit-part role this season after recovering from a long-term injury in January, but standout moments have been few and far between since Ange Postecoglou oversaw the £25m signing of the young Genoa defender, with intense interest from Bayern Munich swatted away.

When Ndombele signed for Spurs, late interest from Manchester United was fended off. Thus, this is yet another time that the Lilywhites fought tooth and nail to secure his signature.

Despite his obvious talent and the shared intrigue from high-profile rivals, it just hasn't worked out, with the fact that Dragusin has made three errors and won only 35% of his ground duels across nine Premier League appearances this season (five starts) hammering that bitter point home.

Following a series of blunderous performances since his recovery, analyst Raj Chohan has joined the pile-on and said that the Romania international is "not Premier League level".

Tottenham need to make sweeping changes in the summer transfer market. Should relegation be avoided, this remains the case. An overhaul is needed, and Dragusin needs to be part of the exodus. He simply hasn't worked out for the club - like many before him in recent memory.

Tottenham Hotspur have restored something priceless since Roberto De Zerbi replaced Igor Tudor during the March international break: their confidence.

Not all of it, though. Spurs still struggle to beat their own worst enemy: themselves. They still struggle at their bogey ground: their own.

But Monday's draw against Leeds United down N17 game after back-to-back Premier League wins in the Midlands, against Wolves and Aston Villa respectively, and now they are out of the relegation zone, two points clear of West Ham United.

Hopes of playing Premier League football next season balance on a knife-edge, and while injuries have laid waste to Spurs' season, an ineptitude in the transfer market over the past several years has added fuel to this wicked fire.

Selling and then failing to replace Heung-min Son, for example, looks to have been a mistake.

Why Spurs failed to replace Son

Son is a modern Tottenham great, and while Harry Kane left north London as the club's all-time record scorer, he did not leave with silverware. Son did. He captained the Lilywhites to the Europa League title, ending so many years of desperate searching for something tangible to call success.

Son joined Tottenham from Bayer Leverkusen for only £22m, scoring 173 goals and providing 101 assists across 454 matches in white.

Now one of the most recognisable and admired forwards of the modern Premier League era, the 33-year-old needed replacing, but that hasn't happened, with Mohammed Kudus out injured for much of the season and Brennan Johnson departed to Crystal Palace, abject under Thomas Frank.

It says something that the Londoners have lost these kind of players and failed to replace them. Part of this injury-ruined season has been an absence of leadership and inspiration, the kind that Son and Kane would deliver for you.

Tottenham have certainly been missing a few superstars this season, but it's not just the forwards who can emerge as focal points. After all, Spurs have actually repeated their Son signing already, even if they still need to find a new world-class attacker to play in the South Korean's place.

Spurs have already signed the new Son

Tottenham might not have very good (fit) forwards, but they have rekindled their fighting spirit under De Zerbi. The Italian coach has reinforced the midfield and strengthened the defence, even with Cristian Romero out injured and unlikely to play again for Tottenham.

In his stead, Micky van de Ven has impressed, winning six of eight duels against Wolves, and all five of his ground battles during the recent 1-1 draw with Leeds United.

Van de Ven, an athletic phenomenon, has been immense for much of his Spurs career, joining the club from Wolfsburg for £43m in 2023. Liverpool were among the interested parties back then, but he came to north London.

Standing at 6 foot 5, the Netherlands international is one of the best in the business, let down so often by the wider fragilities at Tottenham. Their defence may be porous, but it says something that Van de Ven and Romero are perhaps the two top performers in the squad.

His transfer value reflects that. Despite Spurs' collapse, the 25-year-old has attracted significant interest from the likes of Liverpool, who have taken his dossier from the shelf and noted that he has indeed developed into one of the Premier League's finest.

Valued at £90m, though, following renewed interest, it's not going to be easy for suitors to prise this one away (unless Tottenham fail to win their two-man battle against relegation, currently leading West Ham by two points).

This is a stunning £47m increase in value, and while Van de Ven is not a forward, he is something of a Premier League sensation, echoing Son in growing into one of the Lilywhites' definitive superstars.

Arriving from the Bundesliga as an up-and-coming talent, Van de Ven has emulated Son in growing into a superstar. Now that it's looking pretty certain that Romero will leave as soon as the transfer window swings open, Van de Ven will surely stay put.

Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi has privately expressed his wish for the club to strike one summer deal in particular, according to reports.

Spurs braced for club-defining last two Premier League games

Two games, six points available, and for Tottenham, quite possibly the most consequential fortnight in the club's modern history.

De Zerbi's side sit 17th in the Premier League on 38 points, just two above West Ham in 18th with two fixtures remaining.

Chelsea away next Tuesday and Everton at home on the final day represent Spurs' last chance to guarantee their top-flight status, and neither game can be taken lightly.

A defeat at Stamford Bridge combined with a West Ham victory over Newcastle on Sunday would drag things right down to the wire on the last afternoon.

The consequences of relegation would be catastrophic.

The financial impact alone — lost broadcast revenue, reduced commercial appeal, the probable exodus of the club's best players — would set Tottenham back years.

It is a scenario that was unthinkable at the start of the season and remains deeply uncomfortable even now.

De Zerbi has done a credible job since arriving on March 31.

Back-to-back wins at Wolves and Aston Villa pulled Spurs out of the bottom three and gave supporters genuine cause for belief.

However, the 1-1 draw with Leeds on Monday — a game Spurs led through a brilliant Mathys Tel goal before conceding a penalty through Tel's own recklessness — was a reminder of how thin the margins are at this end of the table.

Frantic minutes of stoppage time followed, with goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky producing a stunning save to deny Sean Longstaff, but the damage was done.

Two points dropped that could prove decisive.

Amid all the tension of the relegation fight, one intriguing subplot is developing behind the scenes.

De Zerbi makes private Joao Palhinha transfer demand to Tottenham

According to TEAMtalk's Graeme Bailey, De Zerbi has made it clear internally that he wants Tottenham to sign Joao Palhinha on a permanent basis this summer.

The 30-year-old Portugal international arrived on loan from Bayern Munich at the start of the season with a pre-agreed £27m option to buy, and despite a campaign that has mirrored the club's broader inconsistency, the midfielder has re-established himself as an important figure under De Zerbi.

The Italian is said to be a huge admirer of Palhinha's tactical discipline, experience and leadership — qualities that have been in short supply in a Spurs dressing room that has lurched from crisis to crisis this season.

Tottenham's boss has publicly expressed his wish for the tough-tackling star to remain at N17 as well.

Palhinha himself is understood to be enjoying his return to London, having previously impressed in the Premier League during two seasons at Fulham before his move to Bayern in 2024.

However, TEAMtalk report that the deal is far from straightforward.

All three of Portugal's major clubs — Sporting CP, Benfica and Porto — are monitoring the situation closely and would welcome the chance to bring Palhinha home.

Sporting in particular view the 'sensational' ace as an ideal figure to add leadership and experience to their midfield, as well as reconnecting the club with one of their most respected academy graduates.

Bayern, meanwhile, have closed the door on any return to Munich, leaving Palhinha with a clear choice between staying in north London or heading back to his homeland.

If Spurs go down, that decision makes itself.

In the Championship, Palhinha would almost certainly walk — and the £27m option would become meaningless. Which is why the next two games matter more than any transfer negotiation ever could.