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Fans have been waiting eagerly to see if Mauricio Pochettino could return to Tottenham.

After the sacking of Thomas Frank, Igor Tudor was the man picked to try to keep Spurs in the Premier League with 12 games left of the season.

Pochettino was linked with the job, but given his role with the USMNT, that was never going to happen, while other names, such as Ryan Mason, were also linked.

However, Pochettino remains in the running to take over at the end of the season, but there’s one clear reason that a return is unlikely.

Why won’t Mauricio Pochettino return to Tottenham?

Regardless of what happens between now and the end of the season, Tottenham are in an absolute mess, and it’s not one that can be sorted overnight.

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The squad requires a remarkable amount of work, while there are still plenty of changes to be made behind the scenes.

And when taking all of that into account, as well as the way his time ended here, why would Pochettino open himself up to that?

The Argentine will not be short of offers if he were to make a return to club management, and it would make very little sense for him to expose himself to the toxicity that is in the air at North London.

Pochettino is at his best when building on strong foundations, and there simply aren’t any at Tottenham, and it’s hard to see that changing between now and the new campaign.

Who could take over at Tottenham?

Of course, if Tudor can showcase his worth here, there is nothing to say that he won’t get the job on a permanent basis.

However, several other candidates are in the running for the job should that not be the case.

Roberto De Zerbi, just weeks after he left Marseille, is second-favourite, while other names include the likes of Robbie Keane and Marco Rose.

Tottenham need to bring a manager in who has experience working at a club with high expectations, or the same cycle will continue in North London.

And that will become increasingly damaging to not only their reputation, but also their chances of any future success.

Igor Tudor must properly utilise Xavi Simons if he is to have any chance of success at Tottenham.

Tudor is taking charge of a Spurs side that are void of any confidence and belief, having won just two of their last 17 Premier League games.

The Lilywhites dropped down to 16th in the table before Thomas Frank was sacked, and are only five points clear of the relegation zone.

It is a huge task for anyone to turn the situation in North London around, so Tudor has to get his best players back to form, and Simons is surely the first name on that list.

Xavi Simons can be creative spark for Tottenham

Simons has been underwhelming since his summer move from RB Leipzig, but he has still been one of Tottenham’s most creative players this season.

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It probably speaks more to the struggles Spurs have had going forward that the Dutchman is at the top of a number of their attacking statistics, but he does have the potential to flourish with the right guidance.

Tudor is known as an expert man-manager, and that was one of his strengths at Juventus, so the Croatian may be the one who can get the best out of Simons.

So far this season, via Sofascore, Simons has four Premier League assists, and only Mohammed Kudus has picked up more for Tottenham (5).

The Netherlands international has created the most big chances out of any Spurs player though (6), and is only behind Pedro Porro (1.5) in terms of key passes per game, making 1.4 on average.

Simons is once again second across the Tottenham squad for successful dribbles per game (1.1), with Kudus the only player ahead of him (2.7).

Where should Igor Tudor play Xavi Simons?

While Simons is already one of the most important players in the Tottenham attack, there is no doubt that he can improve further.

The 22-year-old has shown flashes of brilliance during his time in North London, not least during the 2-0 win over Brentford in early December.

Simons scored and grabbed an assist that day, running the show as Spurs managed a rare win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

It’s no coincidence that the Dutchman was playing in the number 10 position against the Bees, as he thrived in the free role behind the striker.

Too often this season, Simons has been forced out wide, and Tudor should look to deploy him more centrally to get the best out of the former Leipzig man.

Reiss-Alexander Russell-Denny could be the next big thing for Tottenham.

Igor Tudor is the man tasked with keeping Tottenham in the Premier League, which is a crazy sentence in itself and just showcases the issues facing them this season.

With that objective in mind, it seems highly unlikely that he will make any drastic changes, especially given how little time is left in the season to see their true impact.

It means that Spurs may largely utilise the same players with slightly different roles under Tudor in order to consolidate their spot in the league.

However, despite the situation, there is still some room for tinkering from Tudor, and Russell-Denny is someone he needs to keep a close eye on.

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Who is Russell-Denny and how would he help Tottenham?

Tottenham have shown very little faith in their youngsters over the last few years, with Mikey Moore the only one who got regular gametime before being shipped out on loan.

Jamie Donley and Will Lankshear are two of their other promising prospects, who are also away from Tottenham until the end of the campaign.

However, Russell-Denny is a name that isn’t spoken about much, and it’s about time that it is.

The 19-year-old has been in fine form for Tottenham’s Under-21 side, having scored twice and registered six assists in 16 appearances.

He has two attributes that make him a perfect candidate to make the step up.

Firstly, his versatility. Russell-Denny can play anywhere in midfield, as well as being able to be utilised on the right flank.

More recently, he has played in a 10 role, which suits him down to a tee.

However, the best part of his game is his chance creation. The 19-year-old has created 26 chances in 13 Premier League 2 games, with an average of 2.22 per 90.

And that ties into one of the biggest issues that Tudor will face at Tottenham.

Russell-Denny can help address major Tottenham issue

His chance creation is a key talking point in this instance, because that is where Spurs have struggled this season.

Only Wolves, Sunderland and Burnley have created less xG than Tottenham this season, with 27.4 from their 26 league games.

What is even more concerning is the fact that 9.37 of that xG has come from set pieces, showcasing how theyve struggle in open play.

Russell-Denny would help improve that part of their game, and having not experienced any of their misery this season, it could be a good thing.

Simon Jordan has taken aim at Ange Postecoglou following his explosive outburst about Tottenham.

Postecoglou was sacked last summer after two seasons in charge at Tottenham, despite guiding them to Europa League glory last May.

Former Brentford boss Thomas Frank succeeded the Australian, but he was given his marching orders after just eight months in charge last Thursday.

Hot on the heels of Frank’s dismissal, Postecoglou criticised Spurs’ transfer strategy, while claiming the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium outfit are “not a big club”.

Now, ex-Crystal Palace owner Jordan has outlined his own critiques of Postecoglou, who was most recently sacked by Nottingham Forest in October after just eight games in charge.

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Simon Jordan calls out Ange Postecoglou’s inability to handle criticism

When Postecoglou left Celtic for Tottenham in the summer of 2023, many football fans were struck by his articulate, honest, and personable approach in interviews.

That came out when Tottenham made a superb start to the 2023-24 season. However, when results began to dip, Postecoglou became increasingly hostile in interviews, often snapping back at interviewees.

While he did win them the Europa League, their first trophy in 17 years, Postecoglou’s team finished 17th in the Premier League last season. That, ultimately, cost him his job.

Now, Jordan has called out his “faux-friendly” interviewing style and for not being able to take criticism on the chin.

He said on talkSPORT on Monday: “He doesn’t like any kind of criticism. He doesn’t like any kind of observation. You saw it in the kind of faux-friendly, ‘All right, mate’, kind of attitude in press conferences, which wasn’t that at all.

“He was getting more and more irritated, more and more aggravated with journalists. So any form of criticism, and the criticism, the ultimate criticism is, we don’t want you anymore. You’re out.”

Jordan also quipped that Postecoglou wouldn’t know what a big club is, as he has never managed one, despite the size and history of Celtic.

How will Igor Tudor fare at Tottenham?

On Saturday, former Juventus boss Igor Tudor was sworn in as Tottenham’s manager for the rest of the season.

The 47-year-old Croatian last managed Juventus in 2025 but was sacked by the Serie A side after just seven months in the role.

In fact, Tudor has had a whopping 12 managerial jobs in just 11 years, highlighting how he has not been in those positions for long.

He has a reputation of being something of a firefighter, which is just what Tottenham need as they are 16th in the Premier League and sit just five points above the bottom three.

However, as Sofascore shows, he did not do a great job at Juventus. Tudor has also been sacked at Marseille and Udinese, and he has resigned at a host of teams, too.

This is a gamble from Tottenham, but they will hope Tudor can do enough to maintain their Premier League status.

Igor Tudor is already making an impression at Tottenham.

Tudor was hired as interim boss at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 14 February, with the brief of keeping the club in the Premier League.

He faces a tough task to get supporters on board, given his underwhelming resume so far in his career, but he has already shown his ruthless side at Tottenham.

The ex-Juventus boss has already started to ring the changes in North London, getting rid of some remnants of the Thomas Frank reign.

What has Tudor done at Tottenham?

Tudor has got rid of four prominent coaches who came to the club in Frank’s miserable reign in charge of the Lilywhites.

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Alaistair Gold claimed on 16 February that Justin Cochrane, John Heitinga, Chris Haslam and analyst Joe Newton have followed the Dane out of the door.

The most surprising exit is probably Heitinga, as the former Liverpool coach was only with Spurs for 33 days.

Heitinga exit leaves Tottenham supporters baffled

Heitinga was a highly rated coach in his time at Anfield, credited with a huge impact on Arne Slot’s side, winning the title last season.

He was brought in as an assistant for Frank in January, to try to turn things around in N17, but it clearly has not worked as he has departed his post.

Supporters have been left aghast by the developments, surprised that he has been let go after such a short period with their club.

One fan took to X, saying: “Shame about Heitinga, he’d have been useful.”

Another supporter said: “Heitinga gone already. Why was he hired in the first place?”

One fan pointed out the duration, saying: “Heitinga didn’t have time to take his coat off.”

The fact that Heitinga has left already is bizarre, and the fans are right to call out the board, because it suggests that they did not believe that Frank was the issue.

The fact that they then sacked the former Brentford man, despite bringing new staff in to try and help him, shows what a shambles there is behind the scenes at the moment.

Fans are highly concerned and Tudor needs to hit the ground running straight away to take away those worries, otherwise, he may struggle to get them on board.

It is not his fault, he has been put in a very difficult position by those above him.

Tottenham are interested in signing centre-back Lloyd Kelly from Juventus in the summer transfer window.

According to TEAMtalk on Monday, in light of potential defensive departures, Spurs are looking for replacements, with Kelly high up on their list.

The Englishman’s valuation is now at £43.5million which has multiplied since his move from Newcastle last year.

The defender has Premier League experience and could return to his homeland, with the Lilywhites in competition with Liverpool and Chelsea for his signature.

Kelly, who stands tall at 6,3″, could make his way to Tottenham in the summer, but Johan Lange and Co. first need to assess if the £43.5m price tag is worth its weight.

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What can Lloyd Kelly bring to Tottenham?

There is always a lot of concern about signings that come from the Serie A, mainly due to fears over the vast difference in tempo between the Premier League.

But it’s slightly different for defenders, as regardless of the division, they naturally see less of the ball, and like the Premier League, can be unexpectedly called into action out of nowhere.

Kelly in Serie A with Juventus this season:

Kelly clearly earned his move to the Italian giants last year and was somewhat unfortunate to have not been handed more starts for Newcastle.

But the truth is, the 27-year-old was always up against it, arriving at St. James’ Park as a free transfer compared to their multi-million-pound signings in the form of Sven Botman and Dan Burn.

Kelly has openly spoken about the differences between Italian and English league football, and his love for Juve may make it hard for Spurs to bring the centre-back to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham’s priority seems to be a centre-back here’s why

It seems like Tottenham have already known about the potential exit’s of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero for months.

The Lilywhites were linked with several centre-halves during the winter transfer window, and though no signings were made in the department, speculation may be due to the chiefs at Hotspur Way making a list of potential targets.

Tottenham have recently been credited with interest in Bayern Munich’s Jim Min-Jae, as well as Athletic Bilbao’s Aitor Paredes.

Both are top central defenders who would surely cost a fee in a region similar to what Kelly could cost the Lilywhites.

It looks like Lange and Co. are braced for losing van de Ven or Romero soon, possibly even both, with Kelly just one of many centre-back targets being looked at.

Arsenal fans taunted rivals Tottenham during their FA Cup win over Wigan Athletic on Sunday.

Tottenham were knocked out of the FA Cup at the third round stage by Aston Villa, but Arsenal can look forward to a fifth round tie after thumping League One strugglers Wigan 4-0.

Mikel Arteta’s team scored four goals in 16 first-half minutes through Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli, a Jack Hunt own goal, and Gabriel Jesus.

On 22 February, Arsenal travel to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to face Tottenham in the Premier League in interim boss Igor Tudor‘s first game in charge.

But before that North London Derby, Arsenal fans poked fun at Tottenham when their side put Wigan to the sword at Emirates Stadium.

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Arsenal fans mock Tottenham ahead of North London Derby

Tottenham face a daunting test on Sunday as they host top-of-the-table Arsenal, as they bid to win only their third league game in 18 matches.

The last time these two teams met, former head coach Thomas Frank oversaw a 4-1 defeat at Arsenal on 23 November as Spurs were thoroughly outclassed.

Frank fielded a very defensive side in that game, but they were still ripped apart by a ruthless Gunners outfit. And against Wigan, Arsenal fans sang: “Are you Tottenham in disguise?”

When Tottenham lost to Arsenal earlier this season, the Gunners went 3-0 up before Richarlison scored a stunning long-range effort to reduce their arrears.

But Eberechi Eze then completed his hat-trick to restore their three-goal cushion. Ahead of this next match, Tottenham will be without captain Cristian Romero due to suspension.

This is a big test for Tottenham and new boss Tudor.

Igor Tudor faces uphill struggle at Tottenham

Tudor was sworn in as Tottenham’s new interim boss until the end of the season on Saturday, with the former Juventus boss tasked with keeping Spurs in the Premier League.

They currently sit 16th in the table, just five points above the relegation zone, and they have a raft of injuries to deal with.

Tudor cannot call upon the likes of James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, and Mohammed Kudus – all of whom would greatly enhance Tottenham’s attack.

Plus, midfielder Lucas Bergvall and Rodrigo Bentancur are also out injured, as are defenders Ben Davies and Pedro Porro.

Incidentally, some Tottenham fans are not too enamoured with Tudor’s appointment, especially after he was sacked by Juventus after just seven months in 2025.

As this Sofascore graphic shows, his time at Juve was far from impressive, nor is his record of 12 jobs in 11 years.

If Tudor doesn’t pick up some results quickly, Tottenham really could go down, which would be catastrophic for the club.

Igor Tudor will be a contender to become Tottenham’s next permanent boss if he does well in his interim stint.

That is according to BBC Sport journalist Sami Mokbel, who made the remarks hours after Tudor was chosen to lead Tottenham for the rest of the season on Saturday.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium outfit have moved quickly to appoint a caretaker boss following Thomas Frank‘s sacking on Thursday.

The former Juventus manager has signed a deal until the end of the campaign, with Spurs languishing in 16th in the Premier League.

But, just as interim Manchester United boss Michael Carrick has a shot at getting the permanent gig after a great start to his spell at Old Trafford, Tudor could be in the running for the Tottenham post, too.

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Igor Tudor not one of Tottenham’s top managerial targets

Following Frank’s departure after less than eight months in the role, Tottenham have been linked with a host of managers, some predictable, some not so much.

Former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino is one of the favourites to take over; however, that may not happen until after this summer’s World Cup, as he is leading the United States at the tournament.

Roberto De Zerbi, who recently resigned from his head coach role at Marseille, is also in the running, as is Tottenham coach and surprise candidate John Heitinga, among others.

Now, Mokbel has outlined Tudor’s chances of becoming a permanent part of the furniture at Tottenham when this summer rolls around.

He said on BBC Match of the Day: “The official line is if he [Tudor] does well, he will become a contender for the permanent manager’s job, which they will look to do at the end of the season.

“But my sense is that Tottenham are very much looking at this as a short-term fix.”

He also thought that Pochettino and De Zerbi were more likely candidates.

Does Tudor’s managerial record hurt his chances at Tottenham?

Since going into management in 2013 with Hajduk Split, Tudor has had a whopping 11 managerial stints with nine different clubs.

He spent nearly two years at the Croatian side before moving to PAOK in Greece, where he lasted 45 matches.

Brief spells in Turkey with Karabukspor and Galatasaray followed in 2016 and 2017, respectively, before having short stays at Udinese in 2018 and 2019.

Tudor returned to Split in 2020 before having subsequent tenures at Hellas Verona, Marseille, Lazio, and, most recently, Juventus.

But the fact that his longest stay was in his first job, where he was in charge for just 78 games, may be a cause for concern for Tottenham. Tudor was also sacked at Juventus, PAOK, Galatasaray, and Udinese.

His sole piece of silverware as a manager came in the Croatian Cup in 2013, and since then, he has been known as a “firefighter”, someone who can get teams out of trouble when in a bind.

His win percentage as a manager is 45.75, and while he will have a chance at Tottenham, it may be a surprise to see him get the job permanently.

Tottenham face Lucas Bergvall transfer ‘battle’ after latest approaches

Tottenham could face a battle to keep hold of Lucas Bergvall this summer after rebuffing enquiries in the winter transfer window.

According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, Bergvall’s lack of football in the first half of the season led to interest from inside and outside the Premier League.

The Tottenham youngster was used sparingly by former head coach Thomas Frank, prompting Chelsea and Aston Villa to enquire about the 20-year-old.

Both sides made direct contact with Spurs over Bergvall, who is currently out with an ankle injury after sustaining the issue against Borussia Dortmund in January, but there was no interest in losing him.

However, Ornstein adds that the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium outfit could face more battles soon.

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Lucas Bergvall’s Tottenham growth stunted by Thomas Frank

Bergvall agreed to join Tottenham from Swedish side Djurgarden in February 2024 for £8.5million, before linking up with them that summer.

The Swede snubbed interest from Barcelona as he felt a Spurs move would be the best thing for his development. And he was on the money as Bergvall featured heavily last season.

He made 45 appearances in all competitions, scoring once and adding four assists. Had it not been for an ankle injury, Bergvall would have likely started in Tottenham’s Europa League final win over Manchester United last May.

But with Ange Postecoglou’s exit, Bergvall has had to be more patient this term under Frank. Indeed, he has started just 16 games in all competitions.

Moreover, the former Brentford boss tended to deploy him out wide rather than in his favoured central midfield position.

With Igor Tudor‘s interim arrival, Bergvall, whose contract runs until 2031, will hope to get more minutes when he returns from his current injury issue.

He would have hoped to have kicked on this season, but his growth has been somewhat stunted.

Difficult task awaits new Tottenham boss Igor Tudor

On Saturday, Tottenham announced the interim appointment of Tudor until the end of the current season.

The news has been met with mixed reaction amongst Spurs fans, with some wary about his record at Juventus, which ended with him being sacked after seven months in charge in 2025.

Plus, he doesn’t have long to get things right as Tottenham are 16th in the Premier League and are just five points above the relegation zone.

Looking at his stats via Sofascore, his stats on paper are somewhat solid, but there is no doubt that this is a massive risk.

And he faces a daunting test first up on 22 February as he prepares for his first North London Derby with league leaders Arsenal.

On paper, easier games away to Fulham and Crystal Palace follow, as Spurs – who have won just two of their last 17 league matches – seek to ease their relegation fears.

Former Newcastle United director Amanda Staveley is reportedly interested in being part of a Tottenham takeover.

Tottenham are languishing just above the Premier League relegation zone in 16th, and discontent against the club’s owners is growing amongst fans.

Joe Lewis is the north London team’s majority owner but reports suggest Tottenham are open to a high-profile takeover.

Amid their current malaise, which involves the sacking of head coach Thomas Frank and the arrival of interim boss Igor Tudor, talk has shifted to the ownership once again.

Now, speculation is mounting at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium that Staveley is interested in buying Spurs and if a multi-billion-pound bid comes in, it may be too good to refuse.

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Daniel Levy may be key to Tottenham takeover

Tottenham made headlines when executive chairman Daniel Levy left the club after 24 years last September.

While Levy is no longer involved at Spurs, Levy and his family have a 29.88 per cent share at ENIC, the investment company holding a controlling 86.6 per cent stake in Tottenham.

American investor Brooklyn Earick is said to be interested in his stake, even though Levy’s position allegedly comes with no voting rights, no place on the board, and no “position of influence” at Tottenham.

Now, journalist Martin Lipton claims that Staveley, who helped lead the Saudi Arabian consortium takeover of Newcastle in 2021, is “very interested” in a Tottenham takeover.

He added on The Whistle Blows podcast that Tottenham would likely accept a takeover offer of around £4billion but whether or not that happens is up in the air.

Staveley’s PCP International Finance Limited reportedly submitted their interest in buying Tottenham last September after Levy’s exit.

Spurs said they were “not for sale” at the time and on 5 October, they set a deadline for interested groups to declare whether they intended to bid for the club.

Under takeover rules, PCP could not bid for six months from 5 October except in special circumstances, such as a competitor making a bid or the club inviting offers.

Moreover, Lipton stated that he would not be surprised if Staveley came back onto the scene when that six-month period expires, which is in early to mid-March.

Tottenham’s troubles show no sign of stopping

Tottenham are in a state of turmoil. They are just five points above the relegation zone and have won just two of their last 17 league games.

Summer appointee Frank has just been sacked, and it seems like Tudor will be tasked with keeping them up in the coming months.

That may not fill many Tottenham fans with much confidence, given that he was sacked after just six months in his most recent role at Juventus (2025).

If signed, Tudor will inherit a squad that has, once again, been decimated by a raft of injuries.

Playmakers Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison have long-term injuries, and wingers Mohammed Kudus and Wilson Odobert are out for a while yet.

Midfielders Lucas Bergvall and Rodrigo Bentancur are likely to be out until April at the earliest, and defenders Kevin Danso and Ben Davies face a spell on the sidelines, too.

These are tough times if you’re a Spurs fan.