The Herald

Tudor is currently dealing with the death of his father Mario but Dyche has been named by bookmakers as one of the leading contenders to take over if Tottenham were to make a change and the appearance of the ex-Burnley boss in a London pub on Friday sparked interest on social media.

However, Dyche during an appearance on talkSPORT, laughed: “Ah, it’s brilliant, honestly.

“I was in the pub just up the way near my place, I’ve got down here and this guy goes, ‘ah, you’re meant to be in talks with Spurs tonight?’ And I say, ‘I’m sat next to you having a pint of Guinness, so it’s unlikely – unless you work for Spurs!’

“I’m there in The Seven Stars pub having a pint of Guinness, so I said, ‘it’s highly unlikely’, no, I’m not (in talks), I’m with you and I’m on talkSPORT, that’s what we’re doing.”

During a guest hosting appearance alongside Dyche’s friend Jonny Owen, the 54-year-old did discuss the pitfalls of being asked about potential jobs but was complimentary about Spurs.

“To give you an inside view, when you’re the manager, you know you’re going to get asked these at some point and whatever part of your career if you’re doing all right,” Dyche said.

“You get asked and you try to be respectful because let’s use Tottenham as an example. A brilliant club, massive club and all the rest of it and one of my first ever memories is Ricky Villa’s goal and so you say yeah, flattered.

“And (social media) say, ‘he hasn’t said no,’ and then you go, ‘no,’ and they say, ‘he wants it really’, so you say, ‘yes,’ and they say, ‘I knew he wanted it,’ so what can you say?”

Del Boy falling through the bar doesn't really work, unless there's a long lost alternate version where he falls over and over and over, to the point where it actually stops being funny at all.

Maybe the unfiltered nonsense that they are serving up speaks for itself, like, say, throwing your inexperienced sub goalkeeper who hasn't played for months into a Champions League knockout tie at Atletico Madrid.

Maybe it's watching that keeper instantly crumble under the pressure with two humiliating errors. Maybe it's humiliating the 22-year-old further by dragging him off after 16 minutes. Maybe it's being 4-0 down after 25 minutes. Maybe the only question actually worth asking is: where does this spiral end for Spurs?

The grisly evidence from the Wanda Metropolitano on Tuesday night suggests this decline has not yet bottomed out, that there are darker depths to plumb. There's such a sense of disarray that further pain feels almost inevitable.

Tottenham were never going to win the Champions League, so bowing out of that arena unceremoniously isn't a disaster in the current context. The real horror for Tottenham supporters is the Premier League table, and their team's direction of travel within it.

They sit 16th, without a league win since December 28, and now just a point above the final relegation place. They have lost five top-flight games in a row, six in all competitions.

Their status as genuine candidates for the drop is now inarguable. The bottom pair, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley, are likely too far adrift to save themselves now, but West Ham United and Nottingham Forest will fancy that they can stay up at the expense of Spurs.

If nothing else, West Ham and Forest can, at least, claim to have picked up points within the last month.

Tottenham, meanwhile, are reportedly considering sacking Igor Tudor, an interim manager who has been in charge for four games.

They are a club who have been consumed by toxicity, and their squad look alarmingly unprepared for a relegation scrap. The ease with which they were swept aside by Crystal Palace last weekend suggests this is a not a group that is up for a fight.

And with only a caretaker manager in position, one who has had no positive impact on results and performances so far, it feels like a perfect storm is brewing. Tottenham would certainly have been placed in the 'too big to go down' bracket before this, but even if it ultimately does not happen, would anybody feel secure enough to bet against it at the moment?

This week's debacle in Madrid won't directly influence their league campaign, but it certainly won't do much for the mood in the camp.

Tudor's decision to start Antonin Kinsky ahead of Guillermo Vicario, as well as dropping the likes of Xavi Simons and Dominic Solanke, was that of a manager who felt he must start taking drastic measures.

Kinsky's inclusion, ironically, was farely well received by Tottenham fans online, but what happened next was an unmitigated disaster. On a human level, it was impossible not to feel for the young Czech, who hadn't played since October, as his nightmare evening unfolded.

It was agonising to watch, and yet also one of those moments you realise elite sport isn't always compatible with empathetic instincts. Tudor's decision to substitute Kinsky has inevitably split opinion, but the manager was faced with an impossible call.

Do you leave the player on the park to potentially suffer more embarrassment? Or do you remove him from the immediate situation, but risk trashing his reputation in the longer term? Arguably, leaving Kinsky on so as not to subject him to one of football's ultimate shames is not an option for a manager who desperately needs results.

Where Tudor let himself down was in not even briefly acknowledging Kinsky as he trudged off, instead leaving that to the Tottenham substitutes, who pursued him down the tunnel.

Perhaps it would've made little difference to the player's emotional state, but the optics were undeniably cold. Indeed, Tudor has drawn more criticism for his rubber ear than going through with the substitution itself.

The bigger picture, however, is more alarming.

Tudor needs unity if he is to drag Tottenham out of this mess, and while the circumstances were absurdly difficult, this incident will not foster harmony. The alternative, then, is that Spurs dispense with him as they did Thomas Frank only a month or so ago, as they did with Ange Postecoglou after he won the Europa League.

But if Spurs felt there was a better candidate to see them through this unfolding disaster, they would have hired him before Tudor. It is an astonishing situation for a club of this size to find themselves in.

Commercially, Tottenham are one of the profitable clubs in the world, but the chasm between off-pitch and on-pitch strategy is hard to fathom, and the latter renders the former utterly meaningless - even more so if they succumb to the unthinkable and spend next season in the Championship.

Yes, they have had a long spate of injury problems to deal with, stretching back to Postecoglou's tenure, but their refusal to address those via action in the transfer market has compounded this situation more than a floundering caretaker manager, or a rookie keeper having a nightmare in Europe.

With nine games left in the Premier League, their fate, and the future of the club, hangs in the balance. Next up is a trip to Liverpool on Sunday, followed by what is already a monumental meeting with Nottingham Forest.

Losing six times is in a row is an ignominious first in Tottenham's history, and now they can scarcely afford to suffer any more.

Dominic Solanke’s 34th-minute opener looked to have turned the tide for Tottenham, but stand-in captain Micky van de Ven was inexplicably sent off four minutes later and they conceded three times during the remainder of the first half.

Plenty of Spurs fans headed for the exit doors at half-time and while Tudor’s depleted group showed some spirit in the second half, this latest defeat extended the club’s winless run to 11 matches, which is a new club record in the Premier League.

Tudor was hired last month to provide an upturn in results, but instead has become the first Tottenham manager in the Premier League era to lose his first three matches and had to face questions over his future after full-time.

Asked if he expected the Spurs hierarchy to let him carry on, Tudor responded: “I don’t think in that direction. I have my job to do and that’s all.

“Of course I understand the fans. It’s a normal thing that happens in football. They are disappointed. They wanted more. We are aware of that.

“We also wanted to give more. Unfortunately this is the moment that we pay everything. One red card change everything.

“I will tell you now maybe it will sound strange, but I believe more after this game than I believed before. I saw something.

“I need to choose the right guys because the boat is going in the direction that I want to go and needs to go and who is in the boat can stay. Otherwise they can bow down, or how do you say that, leave the boat.

“So, when the other players will come back and choosing the right (players), I’m sure we will have a good team and the victories will come back. It’s not easy to accept the moment where we are now but it is how it is.”

It was a different story for Crystal Palace and they are now 10 points above the bottom three after an Ismaila Sarr brace was sandwiched between a fine strike by Jorgen Strand Larsen.

Sarr could have walked away with a hat-trick had his 29th-minute effort not been ruled out for offside, which VAR images showed was due to his nose.

Oliver Glasner said: “We played a very good first half in total. Started very well, did well, scored a goal and we all felt we were 1-0 up. Then it is disallowed and I said to Ismaila your nose is too long!

“Then all of a sudden two minutes later one poor defending after a set-play and we are 1-0 down, but I really loved the reaction of the group.

“All of a sudden the crowd and stadium was loud, it looked like it gave them a little bit of belief and then immediately we are on the front foot again.

“We get the penalty, the red card and then score another two fantastic goals before half-time so really great.”

Manchester United continue to have the winning formula under interim head coach Michael Carrick.

Heart-stopping finale but Gunners go on

Arsenal re-established a five-point lead at the Premier League summit with a 2-1 win over Chelsea, but only after a conclusion that put manager Mikel Arteta through the wringer.

William Saliba and Jurrien Timber scored from Arsenal’s deadly corner routines, either side of a Piero Hincapie own goal, with Pedro Neto’s red card seemingly making the result safe.

But Chelsea mounted a late surge, Alejandro Garnacho denied by David Raya’s diving save and Liam Delap scuppered by an offside flag, pushing Arteta’s nerves to the limit.

“The save that he (Raya) made in the last action, from what ended up being an unbelievable shot, I got the right angle and my heart almost stopped. But David’s hand was there to bring it back to life,” he said.

“I try to stay calm, but obviously we weren’t getting the dominance and the sequences of play that we wanted and would expect against 10 men. Everybody’s suffering because the margins are so small.”

Tudor fury as Spurs slide continues

Tottenham’s interim coach Igor Tudor lashed out at the referee after his side slipped to a fourth straight defeat at the hands of Fulham.

Spurs’ relegation worries deepened with a 2-1 loss at Craven Cottage, where goals from Harry Wilson and Alex Iwobi outmatched a second-half effort from Richarlison.

Tudor felt aggrieved about the opening goal after Raul Jimenez’s push on Radu Dragusin went unpunished in the build-up and he singled out match official Thomas Bramall for criticism which could land him in disciplinary trouble.

Tudor told BBC’s Match of the Day: “I didn’t like the referee today, too much of a home team referee.

“I didn’t feel well with him. All the decisions were on their side. He doesn’t understand football, the feeling of what is wrong and what is right.

“Nine out of 10 people will say it’s a foul, I believe, because it’s so obvious. He (Jimenez) was not thinking about the ball, he was thinking how to cheat, so he cheated the player with pushing and they scored the goal. So it’s cheating and there’s the foul.”

O’Neill: Celtic still fighting for title

Celtic boss Martin O’Neill admitted a thrilling Old Firm draw was a “great result” for Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts but is sure his side are still in the race.

Rangers were on track to beat their rivals after Youssef Chermiti’s first-half brace, but Kieran Tierney’s header and a injury-time equaliser from Reo Hatate, whose initial spot-kick had been saved, made it 2-2.

That was perfect news for Hearts, who sit six points in front of Danny Rohl’s Gers and two more ahead of Celtic, but O’Neill was defiant as he marked his 74th birthday.

“I think today’s result – if you belong to Hearts – then you’ll think it’s a great result for them,” he said.

“But even so, we’re not out of it. There is a bit of frustration, but I think we are still in the title race when it looked pretty daunting at half-time. There’s still plenty of heart and desire to try and retain the championship.”

Rohl added: “We have a six-point gap, still nine games to go. I will say this again and again, this year it’s about the final match day, not today. And we will fight for every point until the end.”

Carrick hails United spirit

Interim head coach Carrick praised his side’s character after a sixth win from seven games moved Manchester United up to third.

United were 1-0 down to Crystal Palace as Maxence Lacroix headed the visitors into an early lead at Old Trafford but turned things around through second-half goals from Bruno Fernandes and Benjamin Sesko.

Lacroix’s red card was the turning point, handing Fernandes the chance to level from the penalty spot and gifting the Red Devils a numerical advantage, but Carrick focused on the mental strength of his players.

“We spoke to them at half-time about being in that position, how we react, and showing that personality and the belief,” Carrick said.

“Football is tough at times and this league is tough so you’re not always going to have it your own way, but to come back like we did and turn the game in our favour is the biggest thing for me to take from it for sure.”

What’s on today?

Championship promotion hopefuls Middlesbrough travel to mid-table Birmingham. The second-placed Teessiders are looking to cut the gap to leaders Coventry to five points.

In LaLiga, Real Madrid host Getafe and have the chance to narrow Barcelona’s lead to a single point.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has admitted how challenging his side’s title defence has become, while Bayern Munich are talking to Harry Kane over his future.

Defiant Frank

Under-fire Thomas Frank is convinced he will still be Tottenham manager for the North London derby despite the club’s relegation fears increasing after a 2-1 home defeat by Newcastle.

Spurs looked likely to be only three points above the bottom three until Manchester United’s last-gasp equaliser at 18th-placed West Ham, and the Dane was once again subjected to chants suggesting he would be “sacked in the morning”.

However asked after the final whistle if he expected to be in charge for leaders Arsenal’s visit to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 22, he said: “Yeah, I’m convinced I will be.”

Frank added: “Everyone knows, directors, ownership, myself, what position we are in, what we need to improve and what we need to do better. That is what we are working very hard on.”

Ben’s beauty

Manchester United boss Michael Carrick hailed super-sub Benjamin Sesko’s “unbelievable finish” after the striker’s stunning late volley snatched a draw at West Ham.

Sesko got his toe to Bryan Mbeumo’s cross six minutes into stoppage time and rifled it into the top corner to deny Carrick’s old club a vital victory in the relegation battle.

It was second time the £66.3million Slovenian, yet to start a match under Carrick, has climbed off the bench to score at the death after his 94th-minute winner against Fulham.

Carrick said: “It’s an unbelievable finish from the angle to generate that, to get it on target, to finish it – it’s some goal.”

Slot in a spot?

Arne Slot admits he is enduring by far the most challenging season of his managerial career as he attempts to secure Champions League football with Liverpool.

Sunday’s eventful 2-1 home defeat by Manchester City left the reigning Premier League champions in sixth place and prompted mounting speculation over Slot’s position less than two years after he moved from Feyenoord to succeed Jurgen Klopp.

“By a mile,” said the Dutchman when asked if it was his most difficult campaign. “Because all the other seasons I’ve managed there was only positives, I don’t think I’ve ever lost two games in a row (before).

“It is different with the season we’re having now than all the other seasons I’ve managed where we always did something special – and there’s still the possibility that we can do something special this season as well.”

Bayern in ‘intensive’ Kane talks

Bayern Munich are in “intensive talks” with England captain Harry Kane over his future amid speculation that he could make a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia.

The 32-year-old, who has scored 123 goals in 129 appearances for the Bundesliga champions since his £100million switch from Tottenham during the summer of 2023, is under contract until 2027 but has been linked with a move to the Middle East should he not extend his stay at the Allianz Arena.

However, Bayern’s sporting director Max Eberl told a press conference: “We are talking. That doesn’t mean negotiations have started. We are in intensive talks with Harry, then the next steps will follow.

“I can’t comment on the rumours circulating that someone is preparing anything (on a transfer bid for Kane). All I can say is that we are in close contact with Harry regarding him and our success.”

What’s on today?

Manchester City have the chance to close the gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal to just three points when they welcome Fulham to the Etihad Stadium.

Liverpool will attempt to bounce back from their home defeat by City at Sunderland, who remain unbeaten in the league at the Stadium of Light this season, while third-placed Aston Villa entertain Brighton.

Elsewhere, struggling Burnley travel to Crystal Palace and bottom-of-the-table Wolves head for Nottingham Forest.

Wilson, who also attracted interest from Arsenal, has scored eight goals in 45 appearances since making his breakthrough last season, but he has struggled for game time this term as the Jambos have surged to the top of the William Hill Premiership.

“James wanted to go, so you don’t want to keep a player who then becomes unhappy,” said manager McInnes, addressing the striker’s move for the first time. “I couldn’t guarantee him minutes, such is the way it’s been.

“I told him and his agent that they knew that our preference was to stay, fight for your place, be part of something, we’ll get you a loan in Scotland if need be, if you need to top up your minutes, and we can maybe recall you, so you still get the best of both worlds.

“But his head was turned with the Tottenham thing. First of all, it was Arsenal, then Arsenal went quiet, and then all of a sudden, Tottenham came to the table on Monday afternoon.

“I don’t think it’s the right move for him. Ultimately, it’s academy football, and I think he’s better than that. But it was something James wanted to do.

“So, as I say, we made it clear that our preference was for him to stay and be part of something here. But he made the decision, and I hope it goes well for him because he’s a great kid, and we’ll see how it plays out.

“But for us, I just need to concentrate on the players who are here and who want to be here and who want to play their part.”

Hearts will be missing Craig Halkett for next Tuesday’s Edinburgh derby at home to Hibernian after the influential centre-back was red-carded in Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat at St Mirren.

It was the third time in five league games that the Jambos have had a man sent off in the first half. While McInnes was heartened by the spirit his league leaders showed with 10 men for over an hour, he was frustrated by their reluctance to play the ball forward when they had a full quota in the early stages.

“There’s no criticising my players once we’ve got 10 men, we were terrific in terms of what I expect from them,” said the manager.

“But we got top of the league by being something, and teams need to know that if they want to come after us, we’re going to put it in behind you, we’re going to run, we’re going to test you and try to put stress on your back line.

“St Mirren’s back line needed to know that if you want to play a high line, then you’ve got to be prepared to run towards your own goal a few times. We didn’t do it enough.”

Frank on brink after Hammer blow

Frank said he had no problem with Tottenham fans chanting he will be sacked following the damaging 2-1 home loss to West Ham.

The Spurs faithful turned on the Dane after Callum Wilson bundled home a stoppage-time winner to earn the Hammers a first Premier League victory in 11 matches.

Frank’s future had already been in the spotlight after an FA Cup exit to Aston Villa and even though Cristian Romero’s header cancelled out Crysencio Summerville’s early opener, Tottenham slipped to an eighth defeat in 14 matches and have won only two of their last 13 league fixtures.

The former Brentford boss said: “Of course, I’ve probably had better times. It’s probably not the best time of course, but I understand, I’m the man in charge, so the blame will go to me. That’s fair.

“No problem in that sense. As long as they are backing the players, doing everything they can to support them and drive them forward, that’s what we do and we will keep going forward.”

Carrick enjoys dream derby

Carrick hailed a superb start as United interim boss after a stunning derby victory over Manchester City.

Second-half goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu capped a brilliant performance as the rejuvenated Red Devils inflicted further damage on City’s title chances with a deserved 2-0 win at Old Trafford.

It was Carrick’s first game since he was appointed head coach for the remainder of the season following the sacking of Ruben Amorim last week.

The former United midfielder said: “It is a great start, there is no getting away from that.

“Before the game, we coaches spoke and said the boys were in a good place. We were quite happy with how we prepared for it and emotionally where the boys were at.

“But City are an unbelievable team with talent and they change it, so you have to go to plan B and C and work around it.

“You never really know how the game is going to go but for it to pan out like that, the boys were fantastic in so many ways. To manage it emotionally and pull it together, yes, it was pretty good.”

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Arteta unhappy with penalty call

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta felt his side were denied a “very clear” penalty as they missed the chance to strengthen their grip on the Premier League title race after a 0-0 draw at Nottingham Forest.

The Gunners enjoyed the perfect pre-match entertainment by watching rivals Manchester City lose their derby to United, which presented the chance to go nine points clear at the summit.

But, nine days after drawing 0-0 with Liverpool after City had again slipped up, Arteta’s men could not take advantage after failing to get past Forest.

They missed some big chances and were denied a penalty in the second half when the ball appeared hit the arm of Forest defender Ola Aina, with VAR ruling it first struck his shoulder and his arm was then in a natural position.

But Arteta did not accept the decision.

“It hits the shoulder and then he takes the ball with the hand,” he said. “The explanation is not right, but then the rest, it’s OK.

“The order is OK, but the timing and the intention is very clear. If not, I wouldn’t be sitting here saying, in my opinion, it’s a very clear penalty.”

Glasner goes on warpath

Oliver Glasner rounded off a nightmare week for Crystal Palace by hitting out at the club’s board, claiming his players are being “abandoned” with “no support”.

The last seven days have seen the Eagles crash out of the FA Cup to non-league Macclesfield, boss Glasner confirm he is leaving at the end of the season and captain Marc Guehi close in on a move to Manchester City.

Palace then slipped to a 2-1 defeat against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light – their 10th successive game in all competitions without a win.

Glasner, who made no substitutions during the game, said: “I couldn’t support them from the bench. That’s how it feels now, I think the players left their hearts on the pitch.

“It’s tough to say why, but that’s how it feels right now. We feel that we are being abandoned, no support, playing with 12-13 players for weeks now and (on) the bench just kids.”

What’s on today?

A Premier League double-header sees Newcastle travel to rock-bottom Wolves before Aston Villa host Everton.

It has raised eyebrows, given Johnson’s finishing ability and Tottenham’s lack of goals in recent months, which again hampered them on Sunday when they let a lead slip to drop more points at home in a 1-1 draw with Sunderland.

To compound matters for under-fire Spurs head coach Thomas Frank, his favoured right forward Mohammed Kudus was withdrawn due to injury after only 19 minutes, and, coupled with Johnson’s departure, it left the north London outfit short of firepower.

Amid a busy spell and a run of two wins in 11 Premier League matches before this Wednesday’s trip to Bournemouth, Davies called for the Tottenham squad to dig deep.

Davies said: “I think it’s sod’s law that when one guy leaves, Mo picks up something.

“Brennan is a great player. I’m lucky that I get to play with him on the national team as well as here.

“I think he’s going to be missed here, but this is the business of football. When players aren’t playing, other suitors will come along, and that’s what’s happened.

“That’s the positive to look at (unbeaten in three), but we’ve got a stretch now, I think it’s five games in 15 days where it’s intense.

“You can see at the end of that game that both sides were pretty flat out; it’s not really an excuse, and we’ve got to go again in the next three days. It’s part and parcel of what we do.”

Davies was handed a surprise first start of the season against Sunderland and marked it with an even more unexpected tap-in from a corner in the 30th minute.

It was only his 10th Spurs goal in 361 appearances, and while Tottenham failed to hold on for a much-craved home victory, the 32-year-old was encouraged by aspects of their display.

“It was good, we’ve been working on set-pieces a lot, and everyone has to kind of do their job, and I feel like I did mine today,” Davies reflected.

“First half, we were really good. Then in the second half, they came out a lot more aggressively, and they caused us a few more problems.

“We could have been a bit more clinical, I think, on the counter-attack when we had the opportunities.

“(Home form) hasn’t been the one and only thing that we’ve looked at, but we want to be better, and we want to be winning games.

“Ultimately, it will only get better if we play better.”

The 19-year-old has since retained his spot in Spurs’ midfield and rewarded that faith at Selhurst Park with a close-range header to score for the first time on his 112th professional appearance.

“It was a difficult game for me at Forest,” Gray reflected, after he helped Tottenham to only a second win in their last nine Premier League matches.

“The mistake was obviously my fault, but in that game, I just tried to get on the ball as much as I could, tried to be positive and forget about the mistake.

“Obviously, (this) still wasn’t the best game; it was a scrappy game, but to get a goal is something every child dreams of.

“We knew if we could keep a clean sheet, we would get the chances to try and get a goal. Our back four was amazing, and everyone, to be fair, with the mentality.

“I just found myself in the right place at the right time, and it was probably Richy’s (Richarlison’s) flick which did all the work. I was stood what two-yards out from goal?

“I didn’t really have much to do, but it’s an incredible feeling.”

Gray comes from a family with a rich football tradition and leaned on the advice of his father and ex-Forest forward Andy Gray in the aftermath of his error at the City Ground.

After Gray spent the majority of his debut campaign at Tottenham as a makeshift centre-back, the highly-rated youngster has relished his recent run in midfield and is eager to keep developing.

He told SpursPlay: “My Dad has always said to me, after you make a mistake, just go get on the ball and don’t be scared.

“That is something that stuck with me, and I will never go hiding for the ball or anything like that.

“It is not something I have ever done or will do. If I make a mistake, that is football sometimes, and I have just got to learn from that. I have, and I’ve been working on training every day to put it right.”

On Monday, it was confirmed via the London Stock Exchange that Earick had pulled out of the running, which was welcomed by the Lewis family Trust, who again reiterated a long-term commitment to Spurs. This news follows Asia-based consortium Firehawk Holdings Limited also ruling out a bid.

“The Board of Tottenham Hotspur Limited (the “club”) notes the recent announcements from the Firehawk and Mr Earick’s consortiums that they do not intend to make an offer for the club,” a statement on London Stock Exchange read.

“The Board thanks them for the constructive approach taken in the discussions with the club’s and the Lewis family’s representatives and respecting the clear position of the Lewis family that the club is not for sale.

“Following the announcements made by the consortiums, the club is no longer in an offer period under the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers.”

It was announced at the start of September that Spurs’ majority owners ENIC had “unequivocally rejected” two expressions of interest in acquiring the north London club, with one from a consortium of investors led by Dr Roger Kennedy and Wing-Fai Ng through Firehawk.

Amanda Staveley’s PCP International Finance immediately confirmed via the London Stock Exchange on September 8 that it did not intend to make an offer for Tottenham and Firehawk confirmed its intentions on October 3.

This left a consortium led by Earick as the only public interested party in Tottenham, but he has withdrawn his interest in the Premier League club.

ENIC, run by the Lewis family Trust, owns almost 87 per cent of Tottenham, but due to the remaining shares being publicly traded, the club is subject to the UK Takeover Code. This means any expression of interest or bid must be lodged with the Takeover Code panel and made public.

Since Daniel Levy was invited to step down after 24 years as chairman on September 4 by majority owners ENIC there have been three expressions of interest to buy Tottenham, but the Lewis family Trust insists the club are not for sale.

A source close to the Lewis family told the PA news agency on September 26: “This unsolicited and unnecessary interest does nothing to change the family’s resolve and commitment to do whatever it takes to drive success on the pitch. The club is not for sale.”