TBR Football

Tottenham are active in the transfer market despite plenty of uncertainty in N17.

Spurs still have no idea whether they will be playing UEFA Champions League football next season or no European football at all, with the UEFA Europa League final in Bilbao against Manchester United taking place on Wednesday.

Ange Postecoglou could also be sacked regardless of the result, making it quite hard for Tottenham to offer any guarantees to potential signings.

However, one target in Rayan Cherki has now posted an interesting message after Tottenham made an approach to sign him.

Rayan Cherki bids farewell to Lyon

A story from Le Parisien recently claimed that Tottenham have opened talks to sign Cherki from Lyon as the Frenchman approaches the final 12 months of his contract.

The Lyon No.18 is available for a sum of €22.5m (£19m) due to his contract situation, and the fact the Ligue 1 side need to improve their finances, with Liverpool also enquiring.

Now, Cherki has posted “merci (thank you)” on X (previously known as Twitter) as the attacking midfielder seemingly bids farewell to Lyon, where he has played since 2010.

The 21-year-old would be some capture for Tottenham, having scored 12 goals while impressively providing 20 assists in 44 appearances this season.

Tottenham in pole position

Given the aforementioned circumstances at Tottenham right now, some fans may doubt whether a move for the France U21 international is actually possible, given the fact Liverpool – the Premier League champions – are keen.

TBR Football understand Arsenal have also been scouting Cherki this season.

Tottenham Hotspur have already beaten Manchester United three times this season ahead of their Europa League final this week.

One of Tottenham’s wins came whilst Erik ten Hag was still in charge, a 3-0 win for Spurs at Old Trafford.

And since that win last September, Tottenham have also beaten Man United twice whilst Ruben Amorim has been in charge.

Ange Postecoglou has a torrid record at Spurs domestically this season, but he has still been able to get the better of United, regardless of who’s been in charge.

Although, Wednesday evening’s game in Bilbao promises to be a truly unique occasion — a match that will reward Champions League football to one of the Premier League’s struggling sides.

Ruben Amorim shares his honest Tottenham verdict

That being said Amorim has now shared his honest thoughts on Tottenham ahead of Wednesday’s final when speaking in an in-house interview at Old Trafford.

Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker have predicted the Europa League winner recently, a match that really could go either way.

Both managers will be calling on their squads to deliver a 90 minute performance which could decide the direction of their respective clubs over the next two or three years.

And whilst neither Amorim or Postecoglou will want to put too much pressure on their players, they will be aware of the huge consequences attached to Bilbao’s final.

That being said, Amorim is expecting to face an intense Spurs side, even if they do often ship a lot of goals.

Asked about Spurs, Amorim replied: “I think they are a team that have a lot of intensity, they have a really strong identity, they will play in the same way and you can see it.

“They score a lot of goals, they suffer also because they want to score every time. We know Spurs, they know our team, we also have a strong identity so it’s going to be a good game.”

Ange Postecoglou’s future is in the balance

Whilst both Amorim and Postecoglou are under pressure, it’s only thought that the latter’s job could be at risk upon defeat in Spain.

Daniel Levy is considering Postecoglou’s future at Tottenham and defeat on Wednesday seems likely to lead to change.

Fabio Paratici will return to Tottenham this summer and the club are already thought to be looking at several candidates to replace Postecoglou.

Of course, should Spurs lift the Europa League trophy on Wednesday then sacking Postecoglou might appear slightly absurd.

Tottenham have been desperate to win a trophy for so many years now and it would be a bold move for Levy to sack a manager who had just done exactly that.

Tottenham Hotspur are looking for Ange Postecoglou replacements and one of their top targets has just shockingly left his club.

Ange Postecoglou is set to leave Tottenham regardless of what happens in the Europa League final against Manchester United.

The North London club are currently 17th in the Premier League and suffered a record number of defeats in a single league campaign.

Fabio Paratici has drawn up a shortlist of targets and one of the reported names on that list has just left his position as head coach at one of Europe’s most prestigious clubs.

Ajax announce the shock departure of Francesco Farioli

Ajax have just announced the shock departure of Francesco Farioli as head coach of the football club following their dramatic end to the season.

The Italian manager enjoyed a successful first season in the Dutch capital, however, it ended in disappointment as they lost out on the Eredivisie title in the penultimate game of the campaign.

Farioli has been linked with Tottenham with Paratici recommending him to the North London club as a contender to replace Postecoglou.

Now, the Lilywhites face a clear pathway to land the head coach as he is a free agent, whereas at Ajax, he had a £4.2 million release clause.

The ‘excellent’ 36-year-old spent one season at Nice, guiding them to a fifth-place finish in Ligue 1, before taking the job at Ajax, where he came within a whisker of winning the Dutch title.

Ajax’s spectacular Eredivisie title collapse

Ajax managed to spectacularly miss out on winning the Eredivisie title as they allowed a 9-point lead with just 6 games to go to slip on the penultimate matchday of the season.

PSV Eindhoven were there to take full advantage of Ajax conceding two stoppage-time goals against Groningen to drop into second place.

Fabio Paratici is close to returning to Tottenham Hotspur and has already started looking at Ange Postecoglou replacements.

Daniel Levy has been keen to get Paratici back and the Spurs chairman looks set to be granted his wish with the Italian director’s return now reportedly imminent.

FIFA banned Paratici for 30 months, but as of July, the former Juventus managing director can return to working in football in an official capacity.

AC Milan attempted to appoint Paratici, however, their deal for the Italian fell through and now the North London club are close to bringing him back.

The 52-year-old’s first task back at Tottenham is set to be replacing Ange Postecoglou, whose future is in doubt given Spurs’ poor Premier League form.

Fabio Paratici draws up four-man shortlist for Tottenham

Fabio Paratici has drawn up a four-man shortlist of replacements for Ange Postecoglou, who is expected to leave after the Europa League final, according to The Sun.

Paratici’s return to Tottenham is set to be confirmed imminently, but the Italian has already identified four candidates to replace the Australian.

Francesco Farioli, Marco Silva, Andoni Iraola and Oliver Glasner are on his list of contenders to take the job in North London.

But much is resting on the Europa League final, with either Champions League football or no European football at all on the line.

Farioli is an exciting young coach, although his Ajax team managed to lose the Eredivisie title in the closing stages of their final match of the season.

Silva and Iraola have both impressed with their clubs in the Premier League this season, meanwhile, Glasner has just won the FA Cup with Crystal Palace.

Other contenders to replace Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham

Currently, former FC Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez remains out of work and the Spaniard could become a contender for the job.

Spurs would likely need to have Champions League football on offer to attract such a manager, but the La Liga title-winning coach could be a contender.

Inter Milan’s Simone Inzaghi is another potential candidate, however, the Italian is expected to remain at the San Siro, where he is enjoying much success.

Both Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are now in very similar situations in that their whole season will be decided by one game.

Tottenham and Man United currently occupy 17th and 16th spots in the Premier League respectively, a dismal performance for both sides.

In another season with a more competitive side in the bottom three, both Ange Postecoglou and Ruben Amorim might still be locked in a relegation fight with one game to go.

Of course, Spurs and United have both been playing weakened sides whilst prioritising their Europa League games of late, but they’ve often been losing regardless of personnel.

But following Wednesday evening’s tie in Bilbao, one of the two will qualify for next season’s Champions League — a huge opportunity to salvage their seasons.

Bruno Fernandes has given his thoughts on Tottenham ahead of the final, but it remains to be seen which Spurs side show up on the night.

Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker give Europa League final predictions

That being said, all of Alan Shearer, Gary Lineker and Micah Richards gave their predictions for the final on ‘The Rest Is Football’ podcast.

Shearer and Lineker boldly opted for Tottenham to end their trophy drought, however, Richards had other ideas — and the pundit actually tipped Casemiro to play the deciding role.

Starting their predictions, Shearer said: “My prediction is going to be 2-2 or 3-3 after extra time and Spurs to win on penalties.

Lineker then replied: “Oh, he’s gone full on there, sounds like a World Cup final. I’m going to have to go for Spurs, I couldn’t not.

Shearer: “After 90 minutes?”

Lineker: “Well, I’ve got this feeling that it’s the teams that have not won for ages this year.

“And I think they’re going to, I don’t know about 90 minutes or, I think it could easily go to extra time.”

Adding his own shout, Richards said: “I’m going to say, I think a lot of people have laughed off Casemiro or laughed at him for a while now.

“But I think in these competitions, sometimes it goes down to set pieces. So I’m going to say Bruno assist for a Casemiro goal, one nil.”

Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham future

Of course, if Tottenham lose on Wednesday then it could prove to be Postecoglou’s penultimate game in charge.

Tottenham are searching for new managers and Daniel Levy has seemingly lost patience with performances under Postecoglou.

Spurs’ chairman seemed sympathetic towards his manager during the club’s injury crisis — he acknowledged that Postecoglou was doing his best in difficult circumstances.

However, things haven’t improved in the league since players have returned and Levy could sack Postecoglou regardless of Wednesday’s outcome too.

And whilst clubs are looking at Ruben Amorim right now, it doesn’t seem as if United have any plans to part ways with their new manager, who they will hope is only just getting started.

Wednesday’s Europa League final could be a game-changing moment for Tottenham Hotspur.

There is so much riding on the European final between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, with both a trophy and Champions League qualification up for grabs.

The North London club will be desperate for the trophy, but in gearing up for next season, having Champions League football on offer could revolutionise their summer transfer plans.

Ahead of the mammoth Europa League final between the two Premier League giants, Ange Postecoglou’s team have been told their chances of landing a Premier League superstar could skyrocket if they were to win.

Darren Ambrose thinks Jack Grealish would fit in at Tottenham

Darren Ambrose has backed Jack Grealish to fit in at Tottenham Hotspur if the North London club can win the Europa League and have European football to offer him.

The former Crystal Palace midfielder believes that Aston Villa would also be in the race to bring him back to the Midlands, with Unai Emery’s side in contention to finish in the top five.

TBR Football has previously reported that Villa and Tottenham are keen on Grealish and the 29-year-old would be open to leaving Man City in the summer.

Ambrose told Stadium Astro: “Look, I think he definitely has some admirers, he’ll definitely fit in a lot of teams. Aston Villa, he would definitely fit in.

“At Spurs he would fit in, but that depends on what happens on Wednesday, he’s not going to go with no European football. He needs a manager who can release the shackles and let him do what he can do.”

How many games has Jack Grealish played this season for Man City?

Grealish has once again seen his game time significantly reduced having played a total of just 1,520 minutes across the season.

Just seven starts and 15 appearances in the Premier League means that City may have to take a big hit on the £100m they paid to sign Grealish back in 2022.

The winger has also managed just three goals and five assists in total this season meaning any move away from the Etihad would likely need to be on reduced terms.

Tottenham and Manchester United have both had horrid seasons in the league, with the clubs currently sitting 17th and 16th in the table respectively.

Ange Postecoglou has made a new Spurs record with 21 defeats, the most by any manager in a single Premier League season. Man United on the other hand have lost 18 games, the most they have in the league ever.

Despite the struggles domestically, both clubs have done surprisingly well in Europe, having reached the Europa League final.

The match holds a huge significance for both Spurs and United. It is their final chance to salvage their season, as a win would not only win them a trophy but also guarantee a place in next season’s Champions League.

Former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has now made his prediction about the final.

Harry Redknapp backs Tottenham to beat Manchester United

The two teams are set to go head-to-head in the final which will take place in Bilbao on the 21st of May.

Ruben Amorim is convinced Spurs will not change the way they play, which makes them predictable, giving United an edge going into the game.

However, Ange Postecoglou’s side have not had a problem beating Manchester United this season, having got the better of them thrice.

They beat them 3-0 at Old Trafford at the start of the season and then beat them again 1-0 at home back in February. They also knocked United out of the League Cup, beating them 4-3 in a seven-goal thriller.

And Redknapp has now backed them to beat them again. Writing in his column for The Sun, he stated: “I fancy Tottenham to beat Manchester United in the Europa League final — because they have got a much better squad.”

Harry Redknapp wants Ange Postecoglou to stay at Tottenham

Postecoglou’s future at the club remains uncertain following the poor season domestically.

And the club is almost certain to sack him if they fail to win the Europa League. However, there remains a chance that Daniel Levy decides to stick with him if he delivers the club’s first trophy in 17 years.

Redknapp certainly feels that the club will keep the Australian, however, he has urged Ange not to walk away from the club after winning the trophy. He added: “If Spurs do win, I think they might keep Ange Postecoglou . . . and he’d be silly to walk away.

“Even though some people think that he will because he has had enough. You can see a difference in him but that comes with losing. When you’re winning, you can have a laugh and a joke.

“Now you can see an edge to him because he’s being asked questions about his future and he’s getting beat week in, week out.

“It’s going to change his persona. That’s for sure. I didn’t really have a bad time like that at Spurs. So I understand how Ange feels…

“If they won this competition, and could add a couple of good players, they could have a really good season. Ange just needs to survive to have the chance to work with that team again. And I think he’d probably survive if he wins the final.”

Regardless of whether Ange Postecoglou is in charge next season, Tottenham Hotspur will have already begun planning for the summer ahead.

Tottenham have come up short domestically to say the least and have already lost 21 times in the Premier League with one game to go.

Spurs face Brighton & Hove Albion next Sunday, but that’s a game that’s barely been given any attention given the one that comes four days prior.

Tottenham will of course face Manchester United in the Europa League final in Spain, a match which will define both clubs’ seasons.

Bruno Fernandes has spoken about Tottenham and offered his honest thoughts on Postecoglou’s struggling side, and Wednesday’s fixture is already shaping up to be a classic.

James McAtee left out of FA Cup final

That being said, something that happened prior to a ball being kicked in Saturday’s FA Cup final in England might be of real interest to Spurs.

In lieu of trying to improve their squad for next season, Tottenham are interested in James McAtee at Manchester City.

McAtee will have just one year left on his City contract in the summer and there’s currently no indication that he will sign a new deal.

Spurs have made a habit of capitalising on these situations in the past — a similar predicament helped them sign Brennan Johnson from Nottingham Forest for example.

And despite playing an important role in City’s run to the FA Cup final, McAtee was left out of Pep Guardiola’s squad for the final.

The 22-year-old was fully fit and it was merely a technical decision — one that can’t have gone down well with the player’s camp.

It won’t have been lost on McAtee’s suitors that he was snubbed for the final, something which might even help negotiate down the midfielder’s £30m price tag.

Daniel Levy has contract issues to sort at Tottenham

Guardiola’s squad is in need of a slight revamp, as evidenced by their 1-0 defeat to Palace at Wembley.

And perhaps Tottenham could perfectly time a cut-price move for McAtee, who’s certainly proven his quality this season.

Of course, Spurs do have one or two situations of their own to sort — Daniel Levy also has important players on dwindling contracts.

TBR Football understands that there is a strong possibility that Son Heung-min will remain at Tottenham Hotspur next season, although his future will most likely depend on the next manager.

The South Korean is bidding to win his first trophy with Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday as they face Manchester United in the Europa League final.

The 32-year-old has now been at the North London club for ten years and his loyalty could be about to be rewarded with a European trophy. Son just watched Harry Kane end his trophy wait and now he will be hoping for a similar moment in Bilbao.

Son could exit on a remarkable high, however, there is a strong possibility that the club captain could give them one final season.

Son Heung-min could give Tottenham one final season

Despite not offering him a new contract and interest from the Saudi Pro League, Son Heung-min could yet stay for one more season at Tottenham, sources have told TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey.

The South Korean international signed a one-year extension at Tottenham back in January, but the forward’s future in North London has remained unclear since then.

But with Ange Postecoglou’s future at Tottenham in doubt, the next manager may decide to change the club’s plans and part ways with the captain.

Bailey said: “I’m told Son could remain at Spurs beyond this summer and as we know, it’s totally dependent on the manager.

“That’s why you’re not really seeing many links abroad, because I think it’s still possible that he has a future at Spurs. Obviously, but that is very dependent on who takes over, as they are expecting Postecoglou to go.”

Son has been linked with a move to Saudi and the Pro League remains in contact with the player’s representatives about a potential summer move.

“The one thing with Son is that the Saudi Pro League are in touch with him and his camp for a summer signing,” added Bailey.

“There is a possibility of him going, but equally there’s the prospect of him staying as well. I know some Tottenham fans probably think he’s going to go for definite, but it isn’t definite.

“Daniel Levy does love him as a person and as a player, despite the fact that he hasn’t offered him that new deal. That’s just football, so that is an interesting one to keep an eye on.”

Son Heung-min is one of Tottenham Hotspur’s most experienced players.

The South Korean is closing in on 10 years at the club, and he has worked with a number of exceptional players over the years.

From clinical finishers like Harry Kane to strong players like Mousa Dembele, Son has seen it all and is a great judge.

Now, the Tottenham captain has revealed a few details about some of his current teammates.

Son Heung-min says Djed Spence is Tottenham’s strongest player

Tottenham signed Djed Spence from Middlesbrough in a £20 million deal in the summer of 2022 (BBC).

The Englishman was viewed as a terrific talent at the time, and Spurs beat several other English clubs for his signature.

However, immediately after Spence signed, Antonio Conte publicly called him a club signing and refused to give him too many opportunities.

Ange Postecoglou didn’t really fancy Spence either and was ready to sell him last summer.

Spence couldn’t get a move then, so he stayed at Tottenham, and that proved to be the best decision of his career so far.

The defender got his opportunity at Spurs after injuries to key players this season, and he has more than made his mark under Postecoglou.

Spence has earned the respect of his teammates too – even his skipper, Son Heung-min.

In a video on the Europa League’s official TikTok account, Son was asked to name the ‘strongest’ Tottenham player.

He replied: “Spence!”

What Son said about some of his other Tottenham teammates

Spence being the strongest Tottenham player is a bit of a surprise. We would’ve guessed that Kevin Danso is way stronger, but Son definitely knows more than us.

The South Korean shared his thoughts about some of his other teammates as well: