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Tottenham Hotspur fell to a 1-0 defeat to Sunderland in Roberto De Zerbi‘s first game in charge on Sunday.

The new manager made five changes from the side that were defeated 3-0 by Nottingham Forest in Igor Tudor’s final game as boss.

The likes of Antonin Kinsky, Destiny Udogie, Lucas Bergvall, Conor Gallagher and Randal Kolo Muani came into the side for the Stadium of Light contest on 12 April.

However, Nordi Mukiele’s deflected effort in the 61st minute was the only goal of the clash, as Spurs could not find an equaliser.

Tottenham need to turn things around quickly, otherwise they will be relegated to the Championship at the end of the season.

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Cristian Romero answers question marks despite Tottenham defeat

Cristian Romero’s Tottenham future under De Zerbi has been subject of much debate, with some thinking that the new boss may decide that he is too rash.

However, he was brilliant in the North East, on both sides of the ball.

He had 47 touches in the contest, completed 91 per cent of his pass attempts and created one chance, per Fotmob.

Defensively, he made three tackles, four clearances, two interceptions and three recoveries before he was forced off after 70 minutes with a head injury.

He won five of his eight duels on the ground and all three in the air, for a 62 per cent and 100 per cent success rate in those metrics.

If he faces any kind of time on the sidelines, then De Zerbi will surely be gutted after his display against Regis Le Bris’ side.

Richarlison fails to impress De Zerbi as Tottenham lose

Richarlison has been touted as a potential saviour for Tottenham, but he struggled in the clash on Wearside.

The Brazilian forward had three shots but failed to get one in the net, and they were worth an expected goals margin of just 0.12.

He completed just five passes for a 38 per cent success rate, and failed with the only cross that he attempted in the contest.

The veteran striker recorded just one successful dribble from the four that he tried, for a success rate of just 25 per cent.

While, he did make four clearances and four recoveries defensively, he won just two of seven duels on the ground, for a 29 per cent success rate.

It is safe to say that he did not impress De Zerbi in his first game in charge, in fact, he let him down.

How Tottenham players rated vs Sunderland

Antonin Kinsky – 5

Pedro Porro – 6

Cristian Romero – 7 (off for Danso, 70)

Micky van de Ven – 5

Destiny Udogie – 5

Archie Gray – 5 (off for Palhinha, 62)

Lucas Bergvall – 5 (off for Sarr, 62)

Conor Gallagher – 5 (off for Simons, 85)

Randal Kolo Muani – 5

Dominic Solanke – 5

Richarlison – 4 (off for Tel, 62)

Substitutes:

Joao Palhinha – 5

Pape Sarr – 5

Mathys Tel – 5

Kevin Danso – 6

Xavi Simons -N/A

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Sunderland and Tottenham Hotspur‘s clash on Sunday involved a controversial penalty call with Randal Kolo Muani.

The Spurs forward went down under contract from Omar Alderete and Luke O’Nien, and referee Rob Jones initially gave the penalty.

However, a VAR check ruled out the potential chance for the Lilywhites to open the scoring, and the Premier League took to X to explain the reasoning.

They clarified the incident in a statement released on the Match Centre account on X on 12 April, saying: “After VAR review, the referee overturned the original decision of penalty to Tottenham Hotspur.

“Referee announcement: “After review, home 15 clearly plays the ball first, before any subsequent contact. Final decision is a drop ball to the goalkeeper. No penalty.”

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Tottenham may feel aggrieved, but Keith Hackett believes that the justification is spot on.

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What did Hackett say about Kolo Muani incident?

Kolo Muani has struggled for Tottenham so far this season, and he may have thought his luck was changing when he won the penalty.

The Ex-PGMOL chief agreed with the reasoning from the Premier League for why the penalty was overturned.

Speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, he said: “VAR process through James Bell was correct to intervene after Referee Rob Jones pointed to the penalty mark to award Spurs a spot kick.

“The intervention was correct, and the referee rightly overturned his decision.”

What needs to change for Tottenham in the second half?

Roberto De Zerbi needs his side to perform much better in the second half, if they are to take all three points and escape the drop zone, where they find themselves after West Ham beat Wolves on Friday evening.

Spurs have had seven shots to the hosts’ six, but the Stadium of Light side have had two big chances to one for the visitors, per Sofascore.

Regis Le Bris’s side have made 152 accurate passes compared to Spurs’ 133, and they have been more successful with their passes into the final third, 74 per cent to 53 per cent.

De Zerbi needs to have a passionate team talk and remind his new players what they are fighting for, and what is at stake if they do not take the victory on a vital afternoon on Wearside.

If they fail to win, it will leave them in a very difficult position with just six matches left to play until everything is decided.

Right now, they have not threatened enough, considering all three of Dominic Solanke, Richarlison and Kolo Muani are on the pitch.

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Cristian Romero has waxed lyrical already about new Tottenham Hotspur head coach Roberto De Zerbi, but now is the time for the defender to do his talking on the pitch.

Earlier this month, Romero admitted that he is “not having the best time” at Tottenham amid their relegation struggles.

Indeed, West Ham’s win over Wolves on Friday sent Tottenham into the bottom three for the first time since August 2015.

Romero is singing De Zerbi’s praises, but for too long this season, the Argentina international has shirked his responsibility of leading this woebegone Tottenham team.

Ahead of Tottenham’s trip to Sunderland on Sunday afternoon, Romero needs to start leading by example, rather than drawing negative headlines.

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Cristian Romero’s confusing Tottenham season

In an attacking sense, Romero has had a good season. A return of six goals and four assists in 31 games in all competitions is a respectable return for a central defender.

However, eight yellow cards in the Premier League and two sendings off, the second of which led to a four-match ban, do not make for pleasant reading.

His Sofascore rating for the season in the league is 7.11, and in each game, he averages 1.3 interceptions, 2.5 tackles, and 3.9 ball recoveries, but he has made one error that has led to a goal.

If Tottenham want to stay up, they simply have to keep Romero on the pitch. That requires the 27-year-old to stand up and be counted.

For now, though, the Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid-linked defender has given De Zerbi his backing.

In part of his latest Sky Sports interview, he says, “In these few days that I’ve had with him, you can already see the difference on the pitch. You can see the smiles again.”

Romero does add that their result against Sunderland will determine whether or not that positivity remains, but stresses Tottenham are “going to be good” with De Zerbi in charge.

Romero is not the only Tottenham player to come up short this season.

But when you are the captain, the expectations are higher. So far, he has fallen well short of his expected standards. It remains to be seen if that will change.

Tottenham inch closer to unwanted record

Although Tottenham are unbeaten in their last 15 Premier League games against Sunderland (10 wins and five draws), they haven’t won in the top-flight since 28 December.

Spurs are currently on a 13-game winless run in the league. Only once have they gone on a worse stretch, with the north London team previously going without a victory for 16 matches from December 1934 to April 1935.

Tottenham don’t want any more unwanted records when the full-time whistle blows at the Stadium of Light, as De Zerbi prepares to take charge for the first time.

All eyes will be on which team the Italian picks to face the Mackems, with the likes of Guglielmo Vicario and Mohammed Kudus the latest injury setbacks.

De Zerbi likes to play open, attacking football, but their defence is the biggest issue right now. Whether the 46-year-old can fix that in their final seven matches is up in the air.

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Xavi Simons may have tuned in to West Ham’s 4-0 victory against Wolves on Friday night.

If he did, he would have seen confirmation that Tottenham Hotspur are now inside the Premier League relegation zone. His worst fears are coming true, with Spurs two points adrift of safety and in the midst of a 13-game winless run before their trip to Sunderland.

They will also know that if they win at the Stadium of Light in Roberto De Zerbi‘s first game in charge on Sunday afternoon, they will climb out of the drop zone. For now, their fate remains very much in their hands, and Simons promises to be at the heart of whatever lies ahead.

The playmaker completed his eye-catching £51.8million move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last summer and started slowly. But while his performances have too often left a lot to be desired, his output in and around the penalty area has been surprisingly impressive.

That means De Zerbi will be working from a solid foundation as he looks to elevate the 22-year-old to new heights. It is no exaggeration to suggest that helping Simons fully find his feet over the coming weeks could be the difference between relegation and survival.

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How can Roberto De Zerbi help Xavi Simons improve?

Simons has flitted in and out of the starting XI while registering nine goal contributions in 38 appearances across all competitions. That is a reasonable output indeed.

But supporters will hope that there is still more to come. He has been known to drift in and out of matches, failing to truly stamp his authority. In this bold new era, that must change. Simons will likely play as De Zerbi’s No 10, from whom everything good must flow.

Promisingly, De Zerbi has already impressed his Tottenham squad after taking a hands-on approach in training, focusing on how he can help his players improve individually and collectively. Simons does not need a complete overhaul, but rather minor tweaks.

Speaking ahead of his side’s trip to Wearside, the Italian was asked directly about how he can get the best of Simons, and responded by describing him as a “big talent”.

“Two parts,” he said. “One part, the focus on the ball, on the pitch, to put them in the best position, the favourite position they feel, for sure, and the mental part.”

De Zerbi then admitted Tottenham must give Simons “solutions” in possession. This has been an underlying issue that led to countless poor performances under Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor, and the No 10 has found himself stretched because of it.

While the new head coach knows he does not have the time for a radical overhaul, this simple change will certainly unlock Simons and allow him to focus on what he does best – punchy line-breaking passes and slaloming runs that will open up space for his team-mates.

There have been enough glimpses to hint at a very bright future in N17 for the ace.

It is telling that no Tottenham players have created more big chances (six) or generated a higher expected assists total (3.55) than the Dutch international, while only Mohammed Kudus (five) has registered more assists than his four in the Premier League this campaign.

How De Zerbi will use Simons

Simons will likely have relished the news of De Zerbi’s appointment. The 46-year-old typically uses a No 10, effectively guaranteeing that he will start during Spurs’ run-in.

Indeed, De Zerbi took charge of 68 top-flight matches during his stint at Brighton and used a 4-2-3-1 formation in 53 of them – a total of 78 per cent. The likelihood is that he will stick with this tried and tested shape at Spurs because of its simplicity and versatility.

His tactics revolve heavily around the use of the ball from the back and regular patterns that end with the playmaker being fed in promising positions. While this will force Simons to shoulder much of the responsibility, he has demonstrated already that he is ready.

The dire football under Frank and Tudor was the very antithesis of why Spurs splashed out on him in the first place. They were expecting flair and moments of magic. Instead, they handed one of the most talented playmakers on the continent a watching brief.

Luckily, those days are over. De Zerbi’s football is geared towards attacking and going for the win, but his tactical blueprint, once fully instilled in training, can be complex. It relies heavily on players like Simons, creative savants, to find options and create chances.

When Simons has played this season, he has more often than not impressed.

Staggeringly, he did not play a full 90 minutes in the Premier League until a 2-0 win against Brentford in December, when he also scored his first goal. It is damning that the result was also Spurs’ last home victory. Since then, both Simons and the wider club have suffered.

According to Sofascore, Simons’ dribble success rate is just 43 per cent, while he has also lost the ball 11.5 times on average per game. Clearly, there is work to do.

Despite arriving in England with his own strength and conditioning coach, who moved in with him, as well as a personal trainer, a mindset coach and a video analyst, Simons is far from the finished product. However, he holds the ability to have a decisive say in saving Spurs.

It now falls on De Zerbi to help him achieve his full potential.

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Tottenham Hotspur are back in the relegation zone for the first time in more than a decade as Roberto De Zerbi prepares for his first game in charge.

For much of the past decade, Tottenham have been part of the so-called big six, due to their relative success on the field and the financial muscle at their disposal.

However, their loose membership with this lofty club may be set to expire as they are in very real danger of getting relegated to the Championship this season.

Their efforts to break away from the English top-flight and join the European Super League back in 2021 has done them no favours, and despite winning the Europa League last season, Tottenham have been declining.

Ahead of Tottenham’s trip to Sunderland on Sunday, the north London team have dropped into the bottom three for the first time this season.

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Tottenham’s unwanted statistics

Tottenham haven’t won in the Premier League since beating Crystal Palace on 28 December, two managers (Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor) and more than three months ago.

Their 13-game winless run is their second-longest stretch without a victory since Spurs went 16 games without a win from December 1934 to April 1935.

Since beating Palace, they have dropped from 11th in the table to 18th, thanks to West Ham beating Wolves 4-0 on Friday.

According to Opta Joe, that is the first time De Zerbi ended the night in the relegation zone as a Premier League manager, after being in charge at Brighton from October 2022 to June 2024.

And to make matters worse, they have fallen into the bottom three for the first time since 2015, back when Kyle Walker scored an own goal against Manchester United.

That, however, was back in early August, right at the start of a season. This current low for Tottenham is right near the end of the campaign.

De Zerbi has won his first league game at three of the last four clubs he’s been in charge of (Sassuolo, Shakhtar Donetsk and Marseille).

The exception, though, was at Brighton when he drew 3-3 with Liverpool. The Italian was also winless in his first five matches for the Seagulls.

Tottenham will hope that doesn’t happen this time round, as that is likely to lead to their relegation.

Tottenham hope to continue Sunderland trend

Although Tottenham haven’t won in the league in months, they have a good record against Sunderland.

Indeed, they are unbeaten against the Black Cats in their last 15 Premier League games (10 wins and five draws) since a 3-1 loss in April 2010.

And, 20 of Tottenham’s 30 points this season have come away from home, so it may be better that they are playing away from a packed Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

All eyes will be on what team De Zerbi picks for this match, with Tottenham News predicting an attacking line-up.

Tottenham are without the likes of Guglielmo Vicario and Mohammed Kudus, among others, for this crunch clash.

Whether De Zerbi can hit the ground running at Tottenham remains to be seen.

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Roberto De Zerbi‘s task of keeping Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League may involve more than just wins, as the North London side must improve their goal difference.

The margins are extremely narrow at the bottom of the Premier League, with just a few points separating those battling it out for survival.

De Zerbi has been appointed to steady the ship, and while getting wins on the board will help, the Italian must get Tottenham scoring.

Relegation rivals West Ham are beginning to show signs of goalscoring and defensive form. Even if Tottenham can keep up with results, that could haunt them.

Now, the level of improvement from Nuno Espirito Santo’s side ahead of Tottenham’s run-in should cause concern.

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West Ham currently trending to catch Tottenham’s goal difference

The job at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is not one that is easy. In this campaign, on many occasions, the players have failed to live up to expectations on both ends of the pitch.

Now, the margin of Tottenham’s goals scored versus goals conceded could come back to bite them.

While Tottenham have a lead of seven in the goal difference tally, as shown by the graph created by markstats, the pendulum has begun to swing in terms of expected goals and expected goals conceded.

In terms of the actual difference, the Hammers over a five-game period have remained even with zero. Meanwhile, Spurs have a total of negative nine.

It is a trend that must simply be nipped in the bud, as Tottenham’s ability to score and keep out goals may be just as important as their final points tally come the end of the season.

Tottenham striker Richarlison could be key to improving goal output ahead of the final few weeks.

Goal difference may be a rare decider in the relegation battle

Goal difference is there to be a deciding factor should points not be enough to separate the sides. It is not often the definitive variable, but it can happen.

In the history of the Premier League, this statistic has sent a team down in 15 per cent of the seasons over a 33-year period – a total of five times.

However, a team has not gone down to the Championship on goal difference since 2007-2008, when Fulham remained in the top flight above Reading.

While it may not be a frequent decider, De Zerbi cannot risk losing out on this statistic, especially after the Hammers gained a massive plus four against Wolves.

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Roberto De Zerbi will no doubt be delighted as Lucas Bergvall has confirmed he is ready to play a full part for Tottenham Hotspur against Sunderland.

Bergvall made his return to action in the 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest three weeks ago as a half-time substitute.

The Sweden international has since played twice for his country – a 3-1 win over Ukraine and 3-2 win over Poland – totalling 24 minutes on the field.

It was expected that Bergvall would continue to be eased back into action, having made an earlier-than-expected return to the field.

However, in a rare piece of positive injury news for Tottenham, Bergvall is seemingly fully fit ahead of the Premier League run-in.

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Lucas Bergvall shares positive update on Tottenham injury

News this week that Mohammed Kudus could miss the rest of the season was a massive blow for recently appointed De Zerbi.

Injury layoffs have been a story of Tottenham’s dismal campaign, as it was last season under Ange Postecoglou.

Having Bergvall back is great news for De Zerbi, especially now that the midfielder is ready to start at the Stadium of Light if called upon.

Speaking to Spurs’ social media channels in a clip posted on Saturday, as can be seen below, Bergvall confirmed he is now ready to play 90 minutes following his return from an ankle injury.

Bergvall has not played a full 90 for club or country since Spurs’ 2-0 loss to Newcastle United back in October.

Since then, he has managed to play 75 minutes or more three times, but otherwise it has been bit-part roles.

Bergvall stats show what Tottenham have been missed

Bergvall has managed just 867 minutes for Spurs this season in the Premier League, scoring once and assisting twice across that period.

The 20-year-old’s 0.32 goal involvements per 90 may not sound that big on the face of it, but it’s the fifth-best return of all Spurs players to have played more than five times in the league this term.

In fact, Bergvall’s 0.21 assists per 90 is bettered only by Xavi Simons (0.23) and Kudus (0.29).

In terms of his defensive stats, Bergvall commits 2.02 fouls per 90 minutes – only Randal Kolo Muani commits more among Spurs regulars (2.41) – which shows he is not afraid to get stuck in.

Beyond that, though, Bergvall does so much that also goes unnoticed, making him a real favourite among the fanbase.

Having the Swede available to play a full part, if needed, will only aid De Zerbi in his first clash as Spurs boss against Sunderland this weekend.

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Tottenham Hotspur‘s leadership were proved right after Kanye West’s appearances at Wireless Festival were cancelled.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has hosted many music stars, which helps the club to garner additional income, away from football.

However, a request for the controversial American rapper to perform in the state-of-the-art North London arena was turned down.

The Sun reported on 5 April that the club’s historical connection to the Jewish community was the reason, as he has been involved in several high-profile antisemitic incidents.

West’s entourage had approached Tottenham over the use of the stadium for a run of concerts, but they shut down the idea.

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Why Tottenham decision makers were spot on with Kanye West refusal

John Wenham believes that Tottenham made the right call declining West’s potential gigs at their stadium.

He thinks that it was especially justified after the music star was refused entry to the United Kingdom, and the whole Wireless festival was cancelled as a result.

Speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, he said: “There was the story about Tottenham as a club, refusing to let Kanye West play at the stadium before he approached Wireless to play there, and obviously that’s subsequently been cancelled.

“Tottenham deciding from a PR and political point of view that they weren’t going to allow that.

“Obviously, in hindsight, they’ve proved right because he’s been denied entry, and now Wireless has had to refund everybody, and a huge amount of money would have gone into that whole process, and it’s now been wasted.

“Tottenham obviously did their due diligence well in that situation and maybe foresaw that he wasn’t going to be allowed to play in the UK.”

Why is West so controversial?

West is so controversial because he has released a song called ‘Heil Hitler’ and sold T-shirts with the Nazi swastika emblazoned on them.

He blamed that on a manic episode caused by bipolar disorder, but his behaviour has led to much criticism.

The Lilywhites dodged a minefield of issues by not allowing the 48-year-old to perform at their facilities and saved themselves a lot of hassle, that Wireless organisers have had to deal with.

They could have earned a lot of money as his dedicated fans would likely still have attended, but it would not have been worth it.

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Johan Lange must be immediately relieved of his duties for conducting such a poorly executed winter transfer window for Tottenham Hotspur.

West Ham beat Wolves 4-0 on Friday to move out of the Premier League’s relegation zone, which has seen Spurs drop down into 18th.

Roberto De Zerbi may have been given an extra taste of the reality he faces at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with the result, as the players he’s got to work with simply have to turn up with seven games left to go.

But what West Ham’s massive victory showed was how much of an impact their winter signings have had, with the feeling around the London Stadium completely different than it was before the new year.

Compare that with Tottenham’s disastrous window under Lange, and the findings are quite simply comical.

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West Ham’s winter window was miles better than Tottenham’s

Tottenham’s winter transfer window was underwhelming, as the only addition of note was Conor Gallagher, who has been unimpressive since arriving in N17.

Souza was the most expensive buy from the several new youthful additions to Spurs’ squad, and actually looks somewhat like a good player, but is not what is required in a relegation battle.

However, as seen in the table above, West Ham identified the key areas where they were struggling, and the signing of Axel Disasi is an example of how one addition can change a whole department.

The Hammers look solid at the back, and have extra options for Nuno Espirito Santo to play with, as their smart business has made Lange and his posse look like fools.

Tottenham were left with the names of the players in the graphic above, with only Gallagher as someone who could make an immediate impact – on paper.

Was it Thomas Frank’s fault?

Joe Lewis was said to have well over £100million in budget for Thomas Frank to spend in the January transfer window before his sacking.

This means that Lange and Co. should have done their homework on people who could come join the Lilywhites and make an impact straight away.

The excuse that they might come out with in the end is that the uncertainty over Frank’s future at the time caused them to have issues in the window.

However, they bang on about the long-term vision and what identity the club wants to have, which makes you think, surely the supposed transfer experts would have players up that can suit Spurs no matter who the manager is.

Instead, they failed Tottenham and their fans, and it looks like all hopes rest on the shoulders of De Zerbi now.

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Tottenham Hotspur will have to sell their “crown jewels” for more modest fees if they don’t stay in the Premier League amid concerns about their relegation release clauses.

That is according to sports finance expert Professor Rob Wilson, who predicts that suitors for the likes of Archie Gray, Cristian Romero, and Dominic Solanke will open with offers 30-50 per cent below Tottenham’s asking price if they go down.

Tottenham will want to make a profit on the £40million they forked out for Gray, Romero is said to be valued at between £40-50m, and the likes of Solanke and Micky van de Ven are likely to attract big fees, too.

If Spurs fail to stay up, there is no doubt a mass exodus will follow. Although Tottenham have had a wretched season, there is unlikely to be any shortage of interest in their prized assets.

Tottenham have been predicted to lose hundreds of millions if they drop into the Championship, and even with their players having relegation release clauses, the financial nosedive will be catastrophic.

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Tottenham will be forced into transfer corner

Professor Wilson told iNews that Tottenham will face a revenue loss of £200m if they get relegated. Former executive chairman Daniel Levy reportedly inserted relegation release clauses that will see their players take a 50 per cent pay cut if they fall into the Championship.

Wilson, however, warns that this is not enough. Indeed, 17th-placed Tottenham are said to have the seventh-highest wage bill in the division at £2.63m gross per week.

He said, “Some other clubs could even have 90 per cent relegation clauses or agreements for players to move. But because Spurs have been relatively stable in the Premier League, they don’t have the clause they would need in order to properly survive.

“It’s nowhere near enough. You need a minimum 75 per cent relegation clause in order to balance your books when you go down.”

Wilson also added that Tottenham face losing their “crown jewels” to balance the budget. Rival clubs know Spurs will not be in a strong position and they will try to take advantage of it.

He added, “Everyone knows you’ve got to sell, so they’ll squeeze down the value of the players. Football needs to grow up and look at itself in the mirror. Clubs are being held to ransom by players and agents.”

How much will Cristian Romero be sold for?

That question may depend on what division Tottenham are in next season, with the defender linked with Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid as a summer exit looms.

Last season, Tottenham’s results were those of a top 10 Premier League side when Romero and Van de Ven were in the team. This term, however, the Argentina international has let Spurs down.

While he averages 4.1 clearances per game, 3.9 ball recoveries, 1.3 interceptions, and 2.5 tackles, Romero has made one error that has led to a goal, and has been sent off twice.

His aerial duel success is at an impressive 72 per cent, and he has scored four goals, from an Expected Goals tally of 1.27, in 22 league games. But his indiscipline has seen him miss multiple matches.

Romero’s captain qualities have been questioned this season, at a time when Tottenham remain winless in 13 Premier League games (eight losses and five draws).

Only once in their league history have they had a longer run without victory, going 16 matches from December 1934 to April 1935. They are just one point and one place above the relegation zone, too.

Before they can truly contemplate getting relegated, Tottenham face Sunderland on Sunday in Roberto De Zerbi‘s first game in charge.

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