Football FanCast

Tottenham Hotspur have now intensified their move to sign a Premier League rival, who could leave his current club for as much as £61m this summer.

Tudor challenges Tottenham to "grow" amid relegation fear

Igor Tudor hasn't held back since arriving at Tottenham. He has held a serious expression at all times and told reporters that he's not here to enjoy the job, he's simply here to complete it.

Speaking ahead of his second game as interim boss, which comes against Fulham on Sunday afternoon, the Croatian challenged the younger players in his squad to step up in the face of relegation concerns.

He told reporters: "It is both things, physical and mental. There is some pressure here in this club of course.

"Some players are still young. They were brought here to help and now maybe they are in a moment where they need to resolve the problems.

"So, if you have too many of these (young) players, because of the amount of injuries, who are playing together in the squad, it does create some problems, but it is also an opportunity and a challenge to grow fast to become a man.

"To grow fast and say, ‘come on, I’m the guy, give me the ball, I will score’ instead of just, ‘what can I do, I’m just here you know?’

"This is the challenge for each of them. Why not? To say, ‘come on, I will be the (hero), give me the ball, I will not cry, I will take the ball, I will defend my box’."

Tudor believes that Spurs haven't got time to be emotional with their Premier League status at stake. Whether that pays off in the next 11 games remains to be seen, however.

Of course, if the Lilywhites do survive then their focus must shift towards summer reinforcements as they look to climb back into the top six next season.

Tottenham intensify Murillo move

Amid concerns that Micky van de Ven could leave the club in the summer, those in North London have already got a replacement in mind. According to reports in Brazil, relayed by Sport Witness, Tottenham have intensified their move to sign Murillo from Nottingham Forest.

Forest, however, are not making things easy. The Tricky Trees are also fighting to avoid relegation and know just how important their defender is for their short-term and long-term Premier League status.

As such, they're now demanding clubs to pay around €70m (£61m) if they want to sign Murillo this summer. Whether that would change if they're relegated will be interesting to watch, though.

It's easy to see why Spurs are chasing Murillo, especially around doubts over Van de Ven's future. The Brazilian is on the same level as the Tottenham defender and has a far better one-on-one record in the Premier League.

Tottenham Hotspur may find themselves in a relegation battle, but that's not stopping them from pursuing a shock move to sign a Premier League rival.

Tottenham plot shock move to sign England international

The Lilywhites travel to Fulham this weekend knowing that securing three points is a must. Without them, Igor Tudor's side could sit just one point above the dropzone with 10 games to go by the end of the weekend.

It would simply represent a catastrophic start to the Croatian's interim reign after a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Arsenal last time out. The manager, himself, knows exactly what's at stake and made it clear to reporters earlier this week that this is the biggest rescue job of his career.

He said, when asked whether it is his toughest job: "Probably, if I see, if I recognise the difficulties there are, probably, yes. It’s even a bigger challenge, even a bigger motivation to do this and we do it."

No one at the North London club was expecting a relegation battle at this stage of the season. The target, like always, was top four and Champions League qualification. The reality, however, is that Tottenham are quickly becoming a bottom half side.

That must change in the summer. If they avoid the drop, then the focus should be on reinforcements and welcoming a long-term manager.

To that end, several candidates have already threatened to steal the headlines. Reports have name-dropped the likes of Mauricio Pochettino, who would certainly receive a hero's welcome, and former Arsenal star Cesc Fabregas, who wouldn't exactly receive the same ovation.

Meanwhile, when it comes to reinforcements on the pitch, the Lilywhites are looking to land a shock blow. According to TeamTalk, Tottenham are now plotting a move to sign Jarrod Bowen, whose future is now open amid West Ham United's relegation concerns.

Experienced Bowen would be Tottenham's best attacker

Having already enquired about Bowen's availability in previous windows, it's clear that there's a lot of admiration in the England international from Tottenham.

At 28 years old, the West Ham captain is at the peak of his powers and represents the type of player that the Lilywhites so desperately need. Whether he would betray the Hammers by making such a move to a direct rival this summer remains to be seen, however.

Once dubbed "unbelievable" by former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, it's easy to see why Spurs are interested in a player of Bowen's calibre and clear leadership.

Bowen would arguably be Tottenham's best attacker and could even get Xavi Simons firing on all cylinders. Chance creation has not been a problem for the Dutchman, but those chances have not been converted. Bowen, who knows the likes of Conor Gallagher well from his 20 England caps, would change that.

Tottenham Hotspur have now held talks over a deal to sign an attacking star in what would see them get one over on Premier League rivals Aston Villa.

Tudor: Tottenham survival a matter of "life and death"

If Igor Tudor wasn't aware of the job on his hands ahead of arriving in North London, then last weekend's 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Arsenal would have slammed it home.

Tottenham are in deep trouble in the Premier League. With trips to face Liverpool, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Sunderland awaiting in the final 11 games of their league campaign, the Lilywhites sit just four points clear of the dropzone.

Tudor has quick to realise the extent of the situation, however, and even went as far as to say that the season is now a matter of "life and death".

The interim boss told reporters earlier this week: "You know in a physical condition because it’s fantastic to go to press up and that’s when I speak about style. That’s also one part of the style, how you want to be without the ball, but then, if you have too much problems (at the) back, you need to think about the style?

"Is it the right style? Is it the right way? You can call it how you want, so I need to be smart to understand deeper the moment and the way how to take the points.

"Even not looking to the style now at this moment. The style needs to be in the second moment, because now it’s a question of life and death if I can say that in that way sportingly."

It's also worth pointing out that Tottenham are still planning for life as a Premier League club, especially on the transfer front. Targets like Dean Henderson and now Moussa Diaby are still on their radar, for example.

Tottenham hold talks over signing Moussa Diaby

Should they stay in the Premier League, the Lilywhites look set to focus on attacking improvement. According to TeamTalk, Tottenham have been contacted over a deal to sign Diaby from Al-Ittihad this summer, with intermediaries holding talks with a number of clubs.

Aston Villa are among those other clubs being offered a deal. The Villans initially sold the winger to the Saudi Arabian club in 2024 for a hefty £50m, but have now been offered the chance to bring him back to the Midlands.

Club chiefs at Villa Park will be sweating by Tottenham's presence, however. As much as they are levels above Spurs on the pitch, those in North London are still likely to have more financial freedom than Aston Villa this summer.

If Diaby is looking to keep hold of his Saudi salary then a deal won't come cheap, either. The Frenchman earns an eye-watering £254,000-a-week at Al-Ittihad, which would make him the highest earner at both Tottenham and Aston Villa.

It would be the most unexpected twist if Archie Gray dropped down to the Championship with Tottenham Hotspur just two years on from his decision to depart Leeds United.

In his mind, the versatile midfielder was leaving to progress his career. He was heading to a top-six Premier League club to play in a free-flowing Ange Postecoglou side at the time.

Two years later, however, Leeds sit above Tottenham in the top flight and Gray may be regretting his decision.

At 19 years old, however, the future is still bright for the former Leeds graduate even if those in North London continue to struggle in the Premier League.

Will Gray regret Leeds departure?

Whilst Gray does have a Europa League medal to his name, he would have been expecting to put relegation scraps behind him after leaving Leeds in 2024.

As it turns out, though, there wasn't a worse time to join up with the Lilywhites, who paid £30m to secure his signature from Elland Road. In the space of two years, the teenager has already played under three different managers, with Igor Tudor the latest coach tasked with navigating the club out of danger.

For Leeds, Gray's exit followed the heartbreak of missing out on promotion in the 2023/24 campaign. It spelt the end for one of their best academy graduates and the end for a third-generation Elland Road star.

There's no doubt that he would have a place in Daniel Farke's current side. After all, Gray is capable of playing right-back, defensive midfield and central midfield - featuring in all three roles at Spurs despite his tender age.

There will still be some regrets over his departure, but it could be argued that it was another young player who slipped through Leeds' grasp.

Whilst the focus is often on Gray, Charlie Cresswell's recent rise suggests that the Whites made a mistake without even realising it at the time.

Charlie Cresswell should be Leeds' biggest regret

When Cresswell swapped Leeds for Toulouse in 2024, he left Elland Road without ever really receiving a consistent opportunity.

He was not like Gray, who was a mainstay in Farke's matchday squad. Instead, he was on the periphery and featured just 14 times for the first team.

The central defender proved that he could cut it in the Championship, too. Cresswell impressed on loan at Millwall. Yet, still, his chance didn't arrive at his boyhood club.

Now, fast-forward two years, and the 23-year-old is worth more than every player at Elland Road right now. He has gone from Leeds struggles to one of the most promising young defenders in France, who's on the radar of Liverpool and others in the Premier League.

After impressing for England U21s on their way to victory at the Euros last summer, Cresswell has only kicked on even further. Reportedly valued at around £26m at Toulouse, there's every chance that Leeds could be bumping into a familiar face in the Premier League this summer.

To put that price tag into context, no player in the Leeds squad, according to Transfermarkt even comes close. Indeed, Anton Stach and Ethan Ampadu come out on top at Elland Road, worth around £17.5m each.

A bully of a defender, no player has made more clearances than Cresswell in Ligue 1. The Englishman has taken France by storm ever since arriving and, with every impressive performance, Leeds' feeling of regret continues to grow.

Although it was Gray who stole the headlines with his departure in 2024, Cresswell is arguably proving to be an even greater loss at Elland Road.

Tottenham are thinking about the prospect of appointing an Arsenal legend as their next permanent manager instead of Mauricio Pochettino, according to a new report.

Tottenham plan for life after Igor Tudor

Spurs' season has been a slow-motion disaster.

Sixteenth in the Premier League, just four points above the drop zone, with one of the most embarrassing recent records in the club's history.

Matters weren't helped at all by a 4-1 thrashing in Igor Tudor's first game as interim manager, with the North London Derby against Arsenal announcing his arrival with all the grace of a car crash.

The reality facing everyone connected with this football club is stark. Spurs are in a relegation battle, and right now staying up is all that matters.

Tudor's task is enormous. He inherited a squad stripped of confidence and short of leadership, a group that had buckled under Thomas Frank before the board ran out of patience entirely.

There is quality in this team, and they are capable of competing on their day, but consistency has been non-existent, the goals have dried up and the performances have too often lacked intensity.

Behind the scenes, the planning for next season is already well underway, and the list of candidates to take over permanently in the summer is growing by the week.

Mauricio Pochettino remains a name that resonates deeply with Spurs supporters.

The Argentine built the modern identity of the club during his time in north London, guiding them to a Champions League final in 2019 and establishing them as genuine top-four regulars.

A return has been widely discussed, and respected journalist Henry Winter recently confirmed that Pochettino represents the club's clearest first choice — though complications exist around both his availability and the approval required to get a deal done.

Roberto De Zerbi is another name in the frame, with the former Brighton manager bringing a progressive, high-energy style that would represent a clear statement of intent.

However, a genuinely surprising name has entered the conversation.

Tottenham considering Arsenal legend Cesc Fàbregas as manager

According to TEAMtalk and journalist Graeme Bailey, Cesc Fàbregas has emerged as a candidate being discussed at the very highest levels at Spurs.

The former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder — yes, that Fabregas — has been doing remarkable work as manager of Como in Serie A, guiding the once-second tier minnows to sixth place and a credible push for European football.

Real Madrid prospects Nico Paz and Jacobo Ramon have both flourished under his guidance, drawing widespread praise for his ability to develop young talent.

Bailey reports that Fabregas would be open to taking the Tottenham job and the Lilywhites are likewise considering him, with his obvious Arsenal connections representing no barrier whatsoever.

He spent the majority of his playing career in England, has strong London ties and understands the Premier League environment.

Chelsea considered him as a candidate before appointing Liam Rosenior, and Man City are also monitoring him as a potential successor to Pep Guardiola, so the competition for his services is real.

Fabregas made 303 appearances for the Gunners as a player, winning the FA Cup across north London, and his possible appointment would undoubtedly raise a few eyebrows.

TEAMtalk also reports that Eddie Howe at Newcastle and Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth have both been discussed internally, though Iraola is now expected to sign a new contract at the Vitality Stadium, effectively ruling himself out.

The long list is impressive, but the problem for Spurs is that none of it matters if Tudor cannot keep them in the Premier League first.

Igor Tudor has called the Tottenham job the biggest challenge of his career, and an update has now been shared on his future at the club amid links to USA manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Tudor calls Tottenham his biggest rescue job

Tudor has been parachuted into his first managerial role in England with Spurs’ Premier League future at stake after a horror run of form over the winter months.

A painful 4-1 debut defeat at home to rivals Arsenal extended Tottenham’s winless league run to nine matches and made it only two wins from their last 18 in the division.

Asked if this was his biggest challenge, Tudor said: “Probably, if I see, if I recognise the difficulties there are, probably, yes. It’s even a bigger challenge, even a bigger motivation to do this and we do it.”

The former Juventus boss also admitted the role was harder than expected, but believes work on the training ground can turn around the club’s fortunes before Sunday’s trip across London to Fulham.

“Probably yes,” Tudor reflected. “Yes, very tough, but it’s what I said before, I don’t change my opinion, it is how it is, so, daily work, focus, raising in all things we need to do, physical condition, mental confidence, performance and waiting for the players to come back.

“We need to be focused on us, what we can do, less thinking about others, that’s always good and it will be good.”

Spurs will discover their Champions League opponents for the last 16 on Friday, but Tudor promised to waste no “energy” on fixtures with either Atletico Madrid or Galatasaray due to the current situation.

Tudor added: “I don’t think too much about the draw. If you ask me whether I expect the draw tomorrow, it won’t change for me nothing.”

The Croatian coach will be boosted by the return of defender Kevin Danso and full-back Pedro Porro for Sunday’s fixture at Craven Cottage.

The duo could line-up alongside Micky van de Ven, who has faced criticism this week after a clip on social-media implied the Dutch centre-back had ignored the instructions of Tudor to push up during the loss to Arsenal.

Tudor said: “It was not an instruction to Micky, it was an instruction to the team to go up. It was about the team coming up and what we were speaking before.

“We want to go up because we want to have this style where we press high, but in this moment it’s too much for them, so that’s why I was a little frustrated on that, but this is part of it.

“If you watch carefully now, you see that I don’t speak with (Van de Ven) because after that one (team) advice, I said to him, come closer and he came closer. In that moment, I stood there like this, it was all for the defence to go up.

“We didn’t even speak about this me and Micky because there was nothing to speak about. He’s a fantastic guy, a very good professional and he would never do these things.”

Sharing an update on Tudor's possible replacement this summer, Alan Brazil told talkSPORT that contrary to several reports linking USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino with the role, Tottenham chiefs haven't even contacted their former boss.

"I had a chat with someone yesterday and the latest is Poch... they've not even spoken to Poch," Brazil told co-host Ally McCoist.

In response to McCoist exclaiming Pochettino should have been the "automatic" choice, Brazil continued: "No, not even spoken to him. So I don't know what they're doing and I don't think they know what they're doing."

The 53 year-old's last spell in the Premier League with Chelsea did not go to plan, winning just 50 per cent of his games in charge, but Newcastle manager Eddie Howe was full of praise at the time: "Chelsea have definitely improved throughout the season, they have got better and better, they have top quality players and an outstanding manager."

It certainly is surprising to hear the Lilywhites haven't even sounded out the USA boss, and it's hard to think they could find a more popular appointment elsewhere.

Where would Liverpool be without Dominik Szoboszlai this season?

Earlier this month, after Liverpool beat Brighton 3-0 to advance in the FA Cup, Mohamed Salah remarked that the Hungarian is now "one of the best players in the world".

So many have struggled this year, but Szoboszlai has stepped up and proved his tenacity matches the talent, not only enjoying new prolific numbers but doing a job at right-back when called upon and working his red socks off.

With another summer of change on the horizon, Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes need to secure similar profiles, and not just in the centre of the park.

Liverpool in record-breaking move for defender

In January, Liverpool secured an agreement with Rennes for the transfer of Jeremy Jacquet, who will cross the travel and head to Liverpool this summer.

However, with Ibrahima Konate headed for the door when his contract expires, Slot must press for further reinforcements, even with Giovanni Leoni making good progress in his recovery from an ACL injury.

According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are interested in signing Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven, who is unhappy in north London. The Anfield side are joined in their interest by Manchester United and Real Madrid.

That's not surprising. Spurs have fallen by the wayside and are caught within the barbs of an unexpected relegation battle, and Van de Ven appears at his wits' end after dragging his team through so many struggles since joining from Wolfsburg in 2023.

Tottenham recognise Van de Ven's potential to become one of the world's foremost centre-halves and have placed a £100m price tag on him. However, should Spurs fall from the top flight, FSG would be sure to engineer a far more cost-effective deal.

Why Liverpool should sign Van de Ven

Van de Ven has been a pillar of strength in recent years for Tottenham. He was instrumental in winning the Europa League last season and he's been instrumental in fighting against an endless tide of setbacks down N17.

There's good reason for the Dutchman who boast such a towering price tag against the backdrop of Tottenham's interminable problems. He is a ferocious and unique centre-back, startlingly quick, remarkably powerful.

Hailed as a physical "monster" by journalist Elliot Jackson, Van de Ven may have what it takes to become Liverpool's new version of Szoboszlai, should he make the move to Merseyside this summer.

That might seem strange, with the two stars positionally opposed, but Szoboszlai has emerged as Liverpool's talisman in tough times, growing into a superstar having already joined Anfield with a weight of expectation.

Van de Ven is the complete defender, and while Spurs are in a rut, he's completing 89% of his passes and won 63% of his ground duels in the Premier League this season, enduring a lowly 48% success rate for the latter last term.

Given that he would fix a glaring problem in Slot's squad, not just filling a hole in the defensive wall but reshaping that rearguard into something new and more impressive, Van de Ven might just have what it takes to become a standout for a title-chasing side like Liverpool, the symbolic replacement for captain Virgil van Dijk.

Van de Ven has weathered quite the storm at Tottenham, but there's no question that he's shone much brighter than many of his peers in that timeframe, perhaps all of them.

At Liverpool, he would only get better, and the talismanic role he could play from central defence would offer shades of Szoboszlai, stepping into an ageing system and going from strength to strength and reaching superstardom.

Tottenham have already decided to move on from a mainstay player and sell him when the summer transfer window opens, according to a new report.

Igor Tudor given mountainous task at Tottenham

Spurs interim boss Igor Tudor is tasked with steadying the ship in north London until the club turn attentions towards the likes of Roberto De Zerbi and Mauricio Pochettino, but the job on his hands is extraordinary.

When Tudor was parachuted into N17 to replace the sacked Thomas Frank, nobody was pretending it was going to be straightforward.

However, even by Tottenham's remarkable standards of chaos this season, the scale of what Tudor has inherited is staggering.

Spurs sit 16th in the Premier League, just four points above the relegation zone, with their season long since reduced to a desperate scramble for survival.

Tudor's opening chapter could hardly have gone worse — a 4-1 thrashing in the North London Derby in his very first game in charge, handed to him by Arsenal with barely a hint of mercy.

Before that, Frank had endured a 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford and a 2-1 home loss to Newcastle. The football has been wretched, the results ugly, and the atmosphere around the club toxic.

The Croatian has had little time to drill his ideas into the squad, and the squad itself offer limited comfort.

Micky van de Ven, arguably the one player Spurs could genuinely build around, has had his contract talks placed on hold and is now attracting serious interest from some of the biggest clubs in Europe.

Youngster Mikey Moore, currently thriving on loan at Rangers, is also reportedly keen on a permanent Ibrox switch.

Every week brings another story, another complication, another reason to worry.

And now, fresh information has emerged that reveals just how dramatically ENIC are prepared to reshape this squad in the summer — regardless of what division they are playing in next season.

Tottenham decide to 'brutally' sell Guglielmo Vicario this summer

According to TEAMtalk and journalist Graeme Bailey, Tottenham have already made the decision to 'brutally' sell Guglielmo Vicario when the season ends - 'regardless' of who their next head coach is.

The Italian, who has been first choice since arriving from Empoli in the summer of 2023, will apparently be moved on.The club's hierarchy have resolved to find a younger, more dynamic replacement — and they believe they have found exactly the right man.

His name is Robin Risser.

Just 21 years old, Risser has been one of the most impressive goalkeepers in Ligue 1 this season, playing a central role in Lens' remarkable title challenge.

The Lens stopper has kept nine clean sheets in 23 league appearances, conceding just 20 goals, as his club trail leaders PSG by only two points.

His performances have not gone unnoticed on the international stage either, with sources indicating he is firmly in the frame for France's pre-World Cup friendlies against Brazil and Colombia this summer.

Tottenham's scouting department has been watching Risser closely, and he has risen to the top of their wishlist. Competition, though, will be fierce.

Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest are both understood to be monitoring him, and clubs from across Europe have had him flagged. Spurs will need to move decisively if they are to win the race

After Tottenham Hotspur's north London derby defeat, new manager Igor Tudor was asked if he knew what the term 'Spursy' meant.

He didn't but he certainly does now. If they are to swat aside that mantra then the Croat will need to keep Spurs in the Premier League.

He's confident of doing so too. Understandably so. Surely the Lilywhites aren't actually going to be relegated? It would be an almighty blip on Tudor's resume if he were unable to keep them up.

That said, it does feel as though the new boss is fighting something of a losing battle. Spurs' injury list is one of the most disastrous we've seen in modern history but truth be told, they've paid the price for a number of shocking years in the transfer market.

Why Spurs' transfer policy has left them in danger of being relegated

Let's get things straight: Spurs have signed some good players. It wasn't all bad under Daniel Levy.

Just think of the likes of Gareth Bale, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld. You can count the likes of Hugo Lloris and Heung-min Son in that category too.

However, what do you notice? Yes, none of them are still at the club. It's felt like for a while Spurs have been living in the past and for over a decade now, they have been getting things badly wrong in the transfer market.

Cast your mind back to what they did with the £85m fee received for Bale. Described as the 'magnificent seven', one of the players they brought in was Eriksen, but alongside him Etienne Capoue, Nader Chadli, Erik Lamela, Vlad Chiriches, Paulinho and Roberto Soldado all arrived.

Soldado was arguably the most disastrous of the lot. Signed for £26m, he ended up leaving English football behind with a return of just seven goals in 52 Premier League outings. Not good at all.

Just three years later they were wasting yet more money on a new centre-forward, this time in the shape of Vincent Janssen. The less said about his time in England the better. Acquired for £17m, the Dutchman netted only six goals in 42 matches across all competitions.

In truth, things haven't been much better since. Richarlison cost £60m and has flattered to deceive while former boss Ange Postecoglou hit out at the club's recruitment policy on the Overlap just two weeks ago.

"Finishing fifth didn’t get us Champions League, we didn't have the money," the Aussie began. "So we ended up signing Dom Solanke - I was absolutely keen on him, I really liked him - then three teenagers.

"I was looking at Pedro Neto, Mbeumo and Semenyo at the time, Marc Guehi, because I said if we’re going to go from fifth to there, that’s what the other big clubs would do in that moment."

That inability to compete has ultimately left Spurs in a tough spot. Of course, they won the Europa League last season but beyond that, there hasn't been much to shout about since they reached the Champions League final under Mauricio Pochettino.

£26m Spurs signing is the worst of the lot

Make no mistake about it, this is one of the worst Spurs squads assembled in recent memory. While some will blame injuries and a degree of sympathy must be applied as a result, one look at the team that took to the field against Arsenal on Sunday showcased how big the gap is between the two sides.

Their rivals have been widely applauded for their squad depth this season but the polar opposite can be said of Tottenham who are relying on players who simply are not up to scratch.

Conor Gallagher, signed in January from Atletico Madrid, already looks like a questionable capture, lacking the ability to progress and advance the play from midfield areas.

He was playing in a midfield alongside Pape Matar Sarr - who has looked off the boil for a while now - and Yves Bissouma who under Thomas Frank was in danger of leaving. He was notably left out of the squad for the Super Cup final for persistent lateness and it appeared as though his career at Spurs was done. Now he's being relied upon to start every game.

Then you have Radu Dragusin. This is arguably where the biggest difference between Arsenal and Spurs comes to the forefront of our conversation.

In all honesty, Tudor has a mighty fine first-choice pairing at his disposal in Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero. Sure, they don't rival William Saliba and Gabriel, but the dip in quality if one of Spurs' main central defenders is out injured is rather disastrous.

Last weekend, Arteta was able to bring on Cristian Mosquera at right-back for the final half an hour and could have called upon Riccardo Calafiori and Myles Lewis-Skelly too.

Spurs, however, are relying on a centre-back in the shape of Dragusin who wouldn't get in a lot of defences across the Premier League.

Signed for £26m, he's been a colossal waste of money, perhaps even bigger than the aforementioned Janssen, Soldado, Lamela and Co, purely based on the number of costly mistakes he's made since joining.

While the Romanian did actually have a decent opening to the derby, it wasn't long before he looked miles out of his depth. Viktor Gyokeres purposely targeted Dragusin's channel and was the winner of that duel, scoring twice inside the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.

Despite starting just three league games this term, he's already made two mistakes leading to a goal and it's safe to say that's been rather commonplace in recent years.

Last season, he made three separate errors leading to a shot and one error leading to a goal in his 14 starts. On that evidence, he's arguably now getting even worse. Damning criticism has come the defender's way with Spurs writer Mitch Fretton even suggesting he'd "rather give a 16-year-old academy product minutes over Dragusin."

For £26m, he's simply not good enough. That's just £1m less than Arsenal paid for both Saliba and Gabriel. It's a remarkable waste of transfer funds.

Tottenham and a star player have put new contract talks on ice amid interest from Chelsea and Liverpool, with the player now weighing up his future, according to a report.

Igor Tudor humbled as Tottenham suffer North London Derby defeat

It was supposed to be a new beginning on Sunday, but for Spurs, it was more of the same.

Igor Tudor in the dugout, a packed Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and the buzz that always surrounds a North London Derby. For one afternoon, at least, the hope was that the arrival of a new manager might spark something.

Instead, Arsenal turned up and delivered a clinical 4-1 demolition job.

Tudor's reign could hardly have started worse. The scoreline was emphatic, the performance from Spurs was dismal, and the mood around the club has darkened even more.

The Lilywhites now find themselves just four points above the relegation zone after West Ham's 0-0 draw with Bournemouth, with a previously unthinkable drop to the Championship now a genuine possibility.

The fanbase is quickly running out of patience. And now, emerging from the wreckage of derby day, come reports that Spurs stars have had enough and could decide to leave N17.

Star defender Micky van de Ven may well be among them too, following reports late last year that both Liverpool and Real Madrid are pretty keen on the Dutchman.

Even London rivals Chelsea could look to poach van de Ven from Spurs, and this is backed up by a new report from TEAMtalk's Graeme Bailey.

Micky van de Ven debating Tottenham exit amid Chelsea and Liverpool interest

According to his information, contract talks with Micky van de Ven have been placed on hold, with no agreement close and little sign of progress on the horizon.

The defender has been outstanding throughout a campaign that has otherwise been defined by chaos and underperformance — captaining the side on multiple occasions, scoring four goals in 25 Premier League appearances, and providing a level of quality that his teammates have rarely matched.

Spurs had planned to reward that form with a bumper new deal that would have placed him among the club's highest earners, alongside Cristian Romero and Conor Gallagher.

Those negotiations have now been shelved until the summer, with survival the only priority consuming the club right now.

But the delay has come at a cost.

Van de Ven himself has growing doubts about his long-term future at Tottenham, with sources close to the 24-year-old indicating he is not convinced that Tottenham is the right place for the next chapter of his career.

His immediate focus remains on helping Spurs stay up, but beyond that, everything is up in the air.

And where there is uncertainty, Real Madrid will always come circling.

The Spanish giants are in the market for a left-sided centre-back this summer, with David Alaba's departure expected and Antonio Rudiger's future also unclear.

Van de Ven fits the profile perfectly, and it is believed that Madrid have been alerted to his contract situation and are keeping a very close eye on developments.

They are not alone. Chelsea and Liverpool are also monitoring the situation, with the latter viewing Van de Ven as a potential long-term replacement for Ibrahima Konate, who could leave Anfield as a free agent at the end of the season.

For Tottenham, the prospect of losing their standout performer — either this summer or beyond — would be a hammer blow on top of everything else they are dealing with.

Tudor has a squad he himself has described as full of problems. Losing Van de Ven would make an already daunting task feel completely insurmountable.