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Tottenham want to sign Edmond Tapsoba in the summer.

A report from Africafoot states that Tottenham are keeping a close eye on Tapsoba, who is currently at Bayer Leverkusen.

The 27-year-old was a crucial figure of their unbeaten campaign under Xabi Alonso, and his importance to the Bundesliga outfit has remained strong since then.

Tapsoba has featured 17 times for them in the Bundesliga this season, and despite playing as a centre-back, he has managed four goals and two assists.

It’s his best goal return in a season since he managed eight back in the 2018-19 season when playing for Vitoria de Guimaraes in Portugal.

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Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have all shown an interest in the defender, who has two years left on his contract at the end of the current campaign.

How would this affect Cristian Romero’s future?

Romero has become nothing more than a liability at Tottenham this season, and his red card in the 2-0 defeat to Man United at the start of February showcased that.

With the current situation in North London and the likelihood that it won’t change anytime soon, there is every chance that Spurs look to move him on in the summer.

Atletico Madrid had shown a strong interest in the Argentine over the last 12 months, and with a deal for Tapsoba in the pipeline, it could allow them to sanction his exit.

That interest could be important in this scenario, given that Atletico are one of the sides interested in Tabsoba.

It’s unlikely they would require two centre-backs of a similar calibre, and if they remain interested in Romero, it could open the door for Tottenham to seal a move for Tapsoba.

Stats who why Edmond Tapsoba would be perfect for Tottenham

Not only is he a reliable defender, as showcased by his 61.7 per cent duel win rate, but he is also remarkably impressive on the ball.

Taposba has completed 91.8 per cent of his passes this season, as well as 75 per cent of his attempted dribbles.

Micky van de Ven has been a huge success at Spurs, and that is down to his ball-playing ability, which is crucial to their style of play.

Having another defender who specialises in that would be a welcome boost in North London.

Ray Parlour believes Tottenham ace Micky van de Ven would be good enough to start for Arsenal, but not in his usual position.

The Netherlands international has been superb for the Lilywhites and has been clear of criticism in a rough period at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Alongside Cristian Romero, the 24-year-old has excelled while representing a true vocal point for Spurs both on and off the pitch.

That has sparked questions of whether the defender could move on in the near future, especially with a relegation fight in the pipeline.

The North London derby is up next for Van de Ven, and now Arsenal legend Parlour has revealed where the Spurs man would fit in across the capital.

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Micky van de Ven starting role revealed at Arsenal

There will be no surprises in the summer window if a whole host of big clubs come sniffing around the Dutchman.

The ex-Wolfsburg man has been superb ever since his move from the Bundesliga and is up there with the best in position right now.

He has proven he can perform in the Premier League, so he could attract interest from Arsenal as they look to strengthen in the upcoming transfer window.

Mikel Arteta’s side could be champions by then, although the Lilywhites will hope to hurt those hopes in the North London derby.

Ahead of Sunday’s clash, talkSPORT presenter Shebahn Aherne asked Parlour whether he would take any Tottenham players at the Emirates Stadium.

She asked: “How many of the Spurs players would get into the Arsenal team? Would you put any of them in?“

The Gunners legend replied: “I think their best player is Van de Ven. Could you find him a spot? I wouldn’t split up [William] Saliba and Gabriel, so maybe left-back?

“You wouldn’t want to split them. He could go in at left-back, yes.“

Is Tottenham star Van de Ven better than William Saliba?

If you asked the wider football fan who they would take, van de Ven or Saliba, the results are bound to be hugely mixed.

Both provide different qualities which make them stand out, with the Frenchman’s defensive exploits being just that bit better than the Spurs ace.

The Arsenal defender has conceded just 10 goals this season while keeping 11 clean sheets, ranking him in the top one per cent for players in his position.

Van de Ven can’t be blamed for those stats in a terrible Tottenham side, and has maintained superb stats in areas he can control.

His 1,142 accurate passes, 54 per cent dribble success rate and goal output rank him within the best in his position, while also making an average of 4.10 clearances and 0.67 blocks per 90.

It would be interesting to know who the wider footballing world would choose, but there is no doubt the Lilywhites faithful would select the Dutchman every time.

Parlour, not for the first time, is wide of the mark with his latest Tottenham comments.

Igor Tudor could place his faith in Randal Kolo Muani as he looks to lay down a marker with his Tottenham starting line-up against Arsenal.

Spurs are in desperate need of a Premier League win as they aim to secure all three points against the Gunners for the first time since May 2022.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will play host to a ferocious North London derby that will have a big impact at both ends of the table on Sunday, and Tudor will be aware of the stakes going into the clash.

With Tottenham only five points clear of the relegation zone, Tudor may look to start Kolo Muani in order to give his side the best chance of distancing themselves from the bottom of the table.

Randal Kolo Muani to replace Wilson Odobert vs Arsenal

Kolo Muani has struggled to perform at Tottenham after joining on a season-long loan from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.

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Despite showing signs of promise in the Champions League, he is yet to score in the top flight, and the move certainly hasn’t panned out so far.

During the winter transfer window, Juventus and Torino both showed interest in the French striker, but given Spurs’ injury issues, they opted against cutting his loan spell short.

Tudor and Kolo Muani worked together at Juventus during the second half of last season, and it feels evident that the 27-year-old will play a big part in the Croatian’s plans.

With Wilson Odobert out injured, Kolo Muani is expected to take his place on the right wing against the Gunners.

As Tudor has very limited options, he probably can’t afford to make any other changes to the starting line-up that lost 2-1 to Newcastle on 10 February.

Cristian Romero is still serving his four-game ban after being sent off against Man United, which means Radu Dragusin has to step up alongside Micky van de Ven.

Radu Dragusin is in for a tough test vs Arsenal

Dragusin was linked with a move to Roma in the winter transfer window, although that move never materialised due to his lack of fitness.

Having joined Tottenham from Genoa at the start of 2024, the 23-year-old is fourth in the pecking order behind Romero, Van de Ven and Kevin Danso.

However, various injuries to his teammates have left Dragusin needing to step up for Spurs during an incredibly difficult period in their season.

He started his first game in over a year against Man City on 1 February, and it’s fair to say that he was completely out of his depth.

The Romania international can’t afford to start the game slowly against the likes of Bukayo Saka and Viktor Gyokeres.

Otherwise, he could find himself at fault for a potential defeat, which would be Tottenham’s fourth consecutive home loss to Arsenal in N17.

Oliver Glasner’s exit from Crystal Palace could happen sooner than anticipated.

Even before Thomas Frank was sacked at Tottenham, Glasner was one of the candidates said to have interested Spurs.

He remained at Crystal Palace, but those links surfaced again when Frank’s dismal home record spelt the end of his time in North London.

Igor Tudor is the man tasked with keeping the Lilywhites in the Premier League ahead of the final 12 games of the season, with it still unclear what the plan will be beyond that.

However, with Glasner now facing the sack at Selhurst Park, according to Fabrizio Romano, it opens the door for a third time in North London.

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Could Tottenham make move for Oliver Glasner?

Glasner was at one point the favourite to take over from Frank at Tottenham, but it seemed as though Spurs were not willing to pay the compensation fee to end his contract at Selhurst Park.

However, there will be no compensation if Glasner is sacked, nor will there be at the end of the season, which is when he announced he would be moving on anyway.

As of right now, the general feeling is that Tudor will be in charge until the end of the campaign, but his future beyond that will be determined by the success he can achieve in his short time in North London.

Should he fail to impress, then there is every chance that Tottenham make a move for Glasner, and there’s also a possibility that an agreement will be reached before the end of the season.

But whether that would be a good move or not remains up in the air, though for one reason in particular, many will be of the opinion it would be another mistake.

Why would Oliver Glasner be a mistake?

Looking at the Tottenham managers who have been successful, almost all of them had experience of managing a big club with big expectations.

But Frank hadn’t, and you could sense from his arrival that he was feeling the pressure from the get-go.

And it would be the same with Glasner, who, despite doing a solid job with Palace up until now, has never really had to work in the environment that he would face at Tottenham.

There’s an almost insurmountable amount of work to be done in North London to get Spurs back to where they should be, and putting that workload on someone who lacks the experience in such a situation would be a huge mistake.

Tottenham have struggled to create chances in the Premier League this season.

Spurs have recorded the fourth-worst xG (27.4) and have only averaged 3.8 shots on target per match in the top flight this season.

Igor Tudor arrived as Tottenham’s new head coach last week, and there are a lot of problems he must address in the squad.

However, the biggest issue he faces is that Tottenham’s attackers are relying on Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero to score the majority of the goals.

Tottenham have relied on their defenders scoring goals

Tottenham have scored more Premier League goals via defenders both overall (10) and as a percentage of their total goals (28 per cent) than any other side this season.

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While that shows that their backline is contributing positively to matches, it doesn’t reflect well on their attackers.

According to Sofascore, Randal Kolo Muani has underperformed his xG by 1.33 as he still searches for his first goal in the top flight.

Dominic Solanke has hardly been fit for the majority of the season, while Richarlison is currently injured for the foreseeable future.

In fact, Romero and Van de Ven are Spurs’ joint-second top scorers in the Premier League after the Brazilian striker’s total of seven goals.

It’s deeply concerning that Tottenham have spent hundreds of millions of pounds on attackers, yet it’s their centre-backs that continue to bail them out.

As seen in the Sofascore graphic below, they are head and shoulders above every other Spurs player, which creates a big problem for Tudor.

He can’t afford to let this slide, and he needs to find a way of getting his attackers to start scoring, as this pattern is clearly not sustainable.

A look at Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven’s Tottenham numbers in more depth

It’s safe to say that without the two centre-backs, Spurs would be in the relegation zone.

Romero has won 71.1 per cent of his aerial duels and 65.4 per cent of his ground duels, and although he earns a lot of criticism for his hot-headed nature, it’s an undeniable fact that he is a top-class player.

Both centre-backs have scored the most Premier League goals for a defender this season, but Van de Ven has actually found the back of the net seven times in all competitions.

The Dutchman has also had seven headed shots at goal in the top flight, which shows how much of a threat he is from set-piece situations.

Spurs fans definitely can’t take these two stars for granted, and when they eventually leave, it’ll be a tough task to try to replace them effectively.

As for the forwards in the team, they can’t afford to underperform for much longer, and the likes of Solanke, Kolo Muani and Xavi Simons need to step up.

Igor Tudor will be desperate for a win during his first game in charge as Tottenham host Arsenal on Sunday, but Opta’s supercomputer cannot see past an away win.

The Croatian head coach joined Spurs until the end of the season after Thomas Frank was sacked on 11 February.

The Dane’s poor spell in N17 has left Tottenham just five points clear of the relegation zone and in danger of dropping down to the Championship.

Although that may seem improbable, a loss to Arsenal would not only deepen that fear, but it would result in the worst possible start for Tudor.

The Lilywhites don’t have the best record against Mikel Arteta’s side, but if there is ever a time to beat their rivals, it is definitely now.

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Arsenal predicted as heavy favourites to beat Tottenham

The Gunners are in a mini-crisis of their own after dropping two points to 20th-placed Wolves in dramatic circumstances on Wednesday.

Although they are five points clear at the top of the table, having played a game more than Manchester City, there is real concern among fans that they could come second in the league for the fourth successive season.

However, according to Opta, Arsenal are the overwhelming favourites.

Spurs have lost their last three Premier League home games against Arsenal, which is as many as they had in their previous 23.

The Lilywhites last lost four in a row against them between 1952 and 1955, and it would be a disaster if Tudor were to match this 71-year record.

Arsenal have also won six of the last seven North London derbies in the top flight, including each of the last four meetings.

The Gunners last won five league games in a row against their fierce rivals between January 1987 and January 1989.

The last time Tottenham beat the Gunners was back in May 2022 under Antonio Conte, with a 3-0 win securing Champions League football for the N17 outfit at the expense of their rivals.

However, this game looks like it could go very differently, and Spurs are in desperate need of a victory to put some distance between themselves and the relegation zone.

Tottenham still searching for first Premier League win of 2026

Tottenham are winless in their last eight Premier League games. They last had a longer run within the same campaign between August and November 2007 (nine).

Spurs are also the only side without a Premier League win so far in 2026, drawing four and losing four of those matches. It’s their longest run without a win from the start of a calendar year since 1994 (first 10).

Tudor has a huge job on his hands, and if he were able to secure Tottenham’s first league win in the calendar year, then he would be revered all across N17.

However, all the stats point to Sunday’s contest being another win for Arteta’s side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Dane Scarlett has always been tipped for Tottenham stardom, but he’s running out of opportunities to show that potential.

Becoming Tottenham‘s youngest ever appearance maker at one point in time aged 16 years and 247 days in a Europa League clash against Ludogorets in November 2020; Scarlett looked set for a big future in N17.

However, limited first-team opportunities at Spurs have came his way since then, and he’s spent the majority of his early senior years in the game out on loan.

Portsmouth, Ipswich Town and Oxford United have all sampled his services over the last few seasons, but his best single-season scoring return remains his six goals in 40 appearances with Portsmouth in 2022-23.

And so, despite still only being 21-years old, the England youth international needs to start showing why he’s been held in such his Spurs regard for so long, sooner rather than later.

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Dane Scarlett hasn’t taken to life with Hibernian

After making just five appearances for Tottenham in the first half of this season, Scarlett was sent out on loan to Scottish Premiership side Hibernian in the winter window.

Hibs are currently sitting fifth in the Scottish top flight table, and so it looked to be a good opportunity and environment for the Spurs striker to be joining.

So far, however, things aren’t going to plan for Scarlett, as he’s not hit the ground running for the Edinburgh-based outfit.

In his first four appearances for Hibs, Scarlett has failed to find the back of the net, and has provided just one assist as his only direct goal contribution so far.

Of course, it still is early days for him at Easter Road, and some players can take time to adapt to a new league, system and teammates.

However, if Scarlett doesn’t do that soon or fails to do that whatsoever before the end of his loan spell, then he’ll return to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with a very uncertain future in North London.

What is Scarlett’s Tottenham contract situation?

Luckily for Scarlett, he isn’t scheduled to become a free agent this summer, meaning there is slightly less pressure riding on his time in Edinburgh.

However, he can’t feel safe at Tottenham either, as he is only contracted with the Lilywhites until the summer of 2027, meaning next season will be his final 12 months under contract in N17.

Tottenham’s managerial situation only serves to further complicate matters too, with Igor Tudor only in place for the rest of the season.

But, a new manager with fresh ideas could also work in Scarlett’s favour, as that individual might just see something other coaches haven’t, and find the key to unlocking the huge potential that undoubtedly lies in his boots.

Simon Jordan believes recently sacked Thomas Frank’s reputation has been hit, but a Premier League return is likely.

Eight days ago, Tottenham announced that Frank had been dismissed after just eight months in charge of the Lilywhites.

Igor Tudor has since been confirmed as his successor in an interim role for the rest of the season, with the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium outfit currently 16th in the Premier League.

Frank joined Tottenham last summer with an excellent reputation after a hugely successful spell at Brentford, where he got them promoted from the Championship and turned them into a mid-table side.

And although ex-Crystal Palace chairman Jordan says Frank’s stock has been “diminished”, he would not be surprised to see him rocking up at another Premier League team ahead of next season.

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Simon Jordan highlights Thomas Frank ‘problem’ going forward

Jordan believes that Frank’s time at Tottenham may rule him out of taking another job at a so-called big six club, aka Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Manchester City.

However, the Dane is part of a pool of managers capable of succeeding at another Premier League side lower down the food chain.

Speaking on talkSPORT on Thursday, Jordan said: “Has he been diminished? Of course, he’s been diminished. He’s going to have to rebuild.

“And the interesting thing will be to ascertain from him, when he comes up for air, what lessons he thinks he learned from the experiences that he had at Tottenham and the mistakes that he evidently made.

“And that’s the problem for Thomas Frank now is that he’s back into the club of managers that can manage in the Premier League, but only a certain type of club.”

However, Jordan stressed that isn’t a bad thing, with many managers chomping at the bit to manage in the Premier League, while suggesting another destination soon.

He added, “Is it the worst thing in the world to be able to manage a decent-sized Premier League club, but not one of the big six? Is that an awful thing in the world?

“Because I mean, let’s be honest about it. There’s only a few people who can manage the big six clubs. So being a manager that’s capable of making a lesser-than side punch above its weight is not a terrible thing.

“Will Thomas Frank come again? Yes, he will. Yeah, possibly a Palace job might be a reasonable job.”

Can Igor Tudor do a better job than Frank at Tottenham?

Frank came to Tottenham with a good reputation as Spurs moved away from the gung-ho approach of Ange Postecoglou to the pragmatic Dane.

Despite a bright start, Tottenham have steadily declined for months now, ultimately costing Frank his job at the north London team.

Now, Tudor has taken up the reins until the end of the season. Spurs are just five points above the relegation zone and face league leaders Arsenal on Sunday next up.

Tudor’s record of 12 jobs in 11 years does not make for great reading, but he has kept up teams such as Udinese before when they were deep in relegation trouble.

So often when a new manager comes in, they enjoy an upturn in results before returning to the norm. But that upturn may be all Tottenham need to stay in the Premier League.

And, it won’t be long until they’re up against Frank again.

Ange Postecoglou thinks Tottenham defender Micky Van de Ven will be a star for the Netherlands at the 2026 World Cup.

Van de Ven made his debut for the Dutch national side back in 2023 and now has 17 caps for his country, with one goal to his name.

The defender has started five of the last seven games for the Netherlands and will expect to be in their starting line-up this summer.

However, despite being deployed as a centre-back for Spurs, Postecoglou thinks that Van de Ven will be used elsewhere by Ronald Koeman in North America.

Ange Postecoglou raves about ‘phenomenal’ Van de Ven

Tottenham bought Van de Ven back in 2023, during Postecoglou’s first summer at the club, and he has proved to be an outstanding signing.

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The centre-back has battled with injury issues at times, often suffering from his own explosive pace, but he has also regularly shown his quality.

This season, Van de Ven has scored seven goals across all competitions for Spurs, as well as being crucial to their defensive work.

Speaking on The Overlap’s Stick to Football, Postecoglou, who was eventually sacked by the Lilywhites at the end of last season, was full of praise for the Dutch international.

The former Spurs boss believes that Van de Ven will be unbelievable at the World Cup this summer, despite the fact that he will probably be playing left-back.

Postecoglou said: “He (Van de Ven) can be as good as he wants to be. You watch him at the World Cup. I reckon they’ll play him left-back and he’ll be unbelievable.

“Once he gets going, technically he’s good, and his ability to cover ground is phenomenal. You’d set him up against any striker in the world without any fear that he was going to get outmuscled, and definitely not outrun.”

Why would Van de Ven play left-back?

Ever since joining Tottenham, Van de Ven has played as a centre-back for the North London side, often alongside Cristian Romero in the heart of defence.

However, at international level under Koeman, the 24-year-old is often deployed at left-back, which is why it would be no surprise to see him there at the World Cup.

The reason Van de Ven is shifted out wide is partly down to his ability to play there, as his pace and power, combined with his on-the-ball talent, allow him to perform at full-back.

The Netherlands are also fairly stacked at centre-back, with the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Jurrien Timber, Matthijs de Ligt and Nathan Ake, so it allows Koeman to get as much quality in his side as possible.

Tottenham are continuing to face the repercussions of their shocking season.

Thomas Frank has recently been sacked and replaced by Igor Tudor, who has the remit to keep Spurs in the Premier League and drag them up the table.

The Lilywhites are currently in a relegation battle and have little to play for this season, despite a top-eight finish in the Champions League.

It is the shoddy results this campaign that have prompted a long-standing sponsor to end their arrangement at the end of the season, according to The Telegraph.

The partnership will finish in the summer, with the potential of Tottenham remaining in the Premier League not being enough to maintain the agreement.

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Tottenham to lose key sponsorship this summer

The idea of the North London club facing a relegation battle was unthinkable at the start of the season, even after finishing 17th last time around.

Ange Postecoglou at least won the Europa League to offset that, but the idea of a trophy is totally unthinkable right now.

That has ultimately put sponsors off maintaining their arrangements in N17, with a key sponsor ending their relationship at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which is said to be worth millions over several years.

The Telegraph report outlines four main reasons that this decision has been reached, even after so many years of partnership.

All this means that Spurs will be forced to search for new sponsors moving forward, something that won’t be easy with the current state of the N17 club.

Spurs set to lose millions in midst of relegation battle

The North London outfit are already in a dismal position and really need some positivity to cling onto with 12 games remaining.

That doesn’t look like coming anytime soon, with the financial landscape set to take a sizable blow, while Daniel Levy watches on after his summer exit.

The chairman was famed for his positive relationship with sponsors, something which clearly hasn’t been maintained since.

The Lilywhites hierarchy probably wishes they had done more work to keep them happy, with millions set to be missing from next year’s balance sheet.

Spurs now need to go on the hunt for new agreements, but their future right now hangs in the balance at the bottom end of the Premier League.