TBR Football

Tottenham Hotspur have missed out on some big-name transfers over the years.

Eden Hazard almost joined Tottenham at one point, while Bruno Fernandes almost signed for Spurs before moving to Manchester United.

However, one of the best players Spurs have missed out on in recent years is Paulo Dybala.

Tottenham wanted Dybala a few years ago, but a deal collapsed late in the day due to image rights.

Dybala is a Serie A great, and speaking to Sports Illustrated, Dybala has now made an interesting claim about a manager he nearly worked under at Spurs.

Indeed, while it was Mauricio Pochettino who nearly signed Dybala, the Argentine would’ve ended up working under Jose Mourinho a few months later had he joined Tottenham.

Now, Dybala has labelled Mourinho as a ‘special’ and ‘unique’ manager after working with him at Roma.

Paulo Dybala calls Jose Mourinho special

Dybala spoke about Mourinho after working with him at Roma.

The attacker called his former manager a special coach and a unique manager.

Unfortunately, we never got to see these two combine at Tottenham, but they very nearly did work together in north London.

“Tiago Pinto told me that Mourinho wants to talk to me (to sign for Roma). Mourinho is special. He’s a coach who has won almost everything. He’s been at the most important clubs in the world. He’s unique,” Dybala said.

“I knew he would convince me and that’s why I wanted to wait.”

Paulo Dybala record under Jose Mourinho

Dybala clearly loved his time under Mourinho at Roma, and the stats reflect that.

Indeed, despite playing in a deeper role under Mourinho, Dybala produced some incredible performances for Roma during that time.

Dybala’s stats under Mourinho tell the entire story, the Argentine played some of the best football of his career under the former Spurs boss.

It’s impossible not to ponder what could have been at Tottenham had Dybala and Mourinho worked together, a front three of Heung-Min Son, Harry Kane and Dybala playing just behind is a mouth-watering idea, but, sadly, it never came to fruition.

Ultimately, Mourinho was sacked by Spurs in 2021 before moving to Roma, and it’s no coincidence that one of his first actions as Roma boss was to go and sign Dybala.

Tottenham and Manchester United have set up a date with destiny as they prepare to face off in the Europa League final in Bilbao.

Despite both having terrible domestic campaigns, Manchester United and Spurs are now just one game away from qualifying for next season’s Champions League and winning some silverware in the process.

Tottenham could save their season with a win here, while United are in the same boat too.

In turn, United and Spurs could both be about to make a little bit of history.

Indeed, there’s a record here to be broken as United and Tottenham are both on course to break a record that was set by Inter Milan back in 1994.

Manchester United and Tottenham could set European record

Manchester United and Tottenham are one game away from winning the Europa League, and regardless of which team prevails, a record could be broken here.

Indeed, United or Spurs could become the lowest-ranked team domestically to ever win a European trophy.

Back in 1994, Inter Milan won the UEFA Cup, finishing 13th in Serie A in the same season.

That is the lowest-place any team to win a European trophy has ever finished.

However, with Spurs and United currently sitting 15th and 16th in the Premier League respectively, Inter’s long-standing record may well be broken.

Tottenham and United’s fixtures analysed

Of course, the Premier League season isn’t over yet and Spurs or United could still climb above Inter’s infamous 13th-placed finish in 1994.

However, given the current state of the league table, that does look unlikely.

Wolves are in fine form at the moment, so they could pull even further clear of United or Spurs, while Crystal Palace have been solid recently too and will likely become unreachable for either United or Spurs.

As for Tottenham and United’s league fixtures, they’re not easy.

Spurs still have to play Aston Villa and Brighton who are very much in the hunt for Europe right now, meanwhile United have an even tougher run-in as they face Aston Villa and Chelsea.

TBR Football can exclusively reveal that Fabio Paratici has recommended Roberto De Zerbi to Tottenham Hotspur as they look for a new manager.

Spurs have made it into the final of the Europa League after beating Bodo/Glimt over two legs. They will face Manchester United there in Bilbao.

However, as TBR previously revealed, Ange Postecoglou is expected to be sacked by Tottenham even if he wins the Europa League.

Spurs have been working on a replacement for the Australian, and a number of names have been considered so far.

We can reveal that one of them is De Zerbi.

Fabio Paratici has recommended Roberto De Zerbi to Tottenham

Roberto De Zerbi joined Marseille after leaving his job at Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League.

The Italian had a lot of admirers in England during his time there. After Antonio Conte left Spurs, Fabrizio Romano claimed that Tottenham’s dream was to appoint De Zerbi.

But, De Zerbi, who was branded as ‘crazy’ by Alexis Mac Allister, decided to stay at Brighton at the time, and Daniel Levy chose Postecoglou to take charge of Spurs.

Now, with the Australian set to leave, TBR Football’s chief correspondent, Graeme Bailey, has revealed that Paratici is a big fan of De Zerbi and has recommended him to Tottenham.

Bailey said: “I understand Roberto De Zerbi is a name that Fabio Paratici – incoming Spurs technical director – is a fan of.

“He liked him during his time at Brighton and recommended him. Even during his talks with AC Milan recently, he was a name put forward.

“De Zerbi is understood to be on the radar of a number of Italian clubs – but Spurs do like him.

Tottenham are doing their homework on seven other managers

De Zerbi is an option for Tottenham, but he isn’t the only one.

Spurs are working behind the scenes to find the right manager, and a number of names have been considered and discussed by the decision-makers at the club.

Bailey can reveal seven names other than De Zerbi that Tottenham are doing their homework on.

“As we have said before, Tottenham have been doing their due diligence on replacements for Ange Postecoglou,” Bailey told TBR.

“Andoni Iraola, Marco Silva, Mauricio Pochettino, Oliver Glasner and Kieran McKenna are on their radar and they have done work on all of them.

Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United will face each other in the final of the Europa League.

The Red Devils made light work of Athletic Bilbao, smashing seven past them over two legs.

Spurs were comfortable in their two games against Bodo/Glimt too, winning 3-1 in the first leg and 2-0 in Norway on Thursday night.

The two Premier League sides, who have had awful seasons domestically, are now in with a chance of European glory, but who will win it?

Jamie O’Hara and Jermaine Pennant have had their say.

Jamie O’Hara and Jermaine Pennant predict the winner of Tottenham vs Manchester United

Both Tottenham and Manchester United will be desperate to win the Europa League.

The two clubs are 16th and 15th respectively in the Premier League, which is just unacceptable. They should be significantly higher when you consider how much money they have spent over the years.

This season, until this point, is a disaster for Spurs and United, but winning the Europa League will completely change people’s view of them.

After watching the two sides in action, O’Hara backed Tottenham to beat Manchester United in the final in Bilbao later this month.

Pennant, however, feels the Red Devils are a different side now and will get one over Spurs, even though they have lost three times to Ange Postecoglou’s men this season.

O’Hara said on talkSPORT while speaking to a Manchester United fan: “I think we’re going to give you a whupping. We’ve pumped you three times this season, let’s just put it out there. I know it’s a final, it’s different, it’s a final, but we’ve pumped you, three times, destroyed you!”

Pennant said: “In all fairness, I think Man United will topple Spurs. I think United now are a lot better than when Spurs played them.”

Later in the show, O’Hara said: “Yeah (we’ve got their number), but I do worry about Man United in the final. It’s just something about Man United in finals. You know what, though, Ruben Amorim, I thought Man United played brilliantly (vs Athletic Club).

Pennant replied: “That just goes to show you how strong the Premier League is – 15th and 16th beating the top five in their own leagues. But, I think Man United are going to do Spurs. I just can’t see anything else, unfortunately.

O’Hara wasn’t having that and said: “You’re an idiot.”

How Manchester United can stop Tottenham

Tottenham will go into the Europa League final as the favourites having beaten Manchester United three times already this season.

But, Ruben Amorim’s side can get one over Spurs.

Tottenham are at their best when they are given time and space to attack. They always commit numbers forward and are capable of scoring against any team.

If Manchester United want to beat Tottenham, they need to remain compact, defend together and then hit Spurs on the counter-attack.

Tottenham’s defence is fairly easy to breach, especially in transition. That is the way to beat them, but if United try to go toe-to-toe in attack, we think they will get battered.

Tottenham have made the Europa League final and are on the verge of potentially saving their season.

Indeed, Spurs sit 16th in the Premier League at the moment, but they could secure Champions League qualification and silverware with just one more win.

If Tottenham win the Europa League, there’s an argument to make that Spurs have had a better season than Arsenal even.

However, if Tottenham lose the Europa League final, this will undoubtedly go down as the worst season in a generation for the north London club.

Speaking on the BBC Radio Five Live Football Daily Podcast, Paul Robinson has been discussing the prospect of Spurs losing this game, and he’s made a worrying prediction for Spurs if they lose this match.

Paul Robinson makes worrying Tottenham prediction

Robinson shared what he thinks will happen at Tottenham if they lose this final.

The pundit says that Tottenham will lose their manager and a number of key players if they lose this game.

“No, listen, I disagree. I think I’ve said to you before, it’s (more important) for Tottenham for the restructure of the whole club. Because if Tottenham don’t win this competition, they lose the manager,” Robinson said.

“You then lose players at the club, good quality players will want to leave. How do you attract players to a team that’s potentially going to finish 16th or 17th in the Premier League? I’ve said before, I think the Champions League is too early for both of these two teams.

“But actually, for the damage that it does to Tottenham both off the field with the manager…

“Do you think his future rests on one 90-minute game?” Robinson was asked.

“I think the decision is still to be made on his future. There’s a lot of talk that he may still vacate his post if they win that competition, because of how poor that they’ve been domestically. With a trophy in Champions League, it gives a new manager some foundations to build on,” Robinson said.

Which players could leave Tottenham?

Robinson says that Ange Postecoglou will leave Tottenham if they don’t win the Europa League final, but Ange Postecoglou is likely to be sacked anyway.

More concerning is Robinson’s prediction of top players deciding to leave Spurs if Tottenham finish this season outside of Europe with no silverware to show either.

As poor as Tottenham have been this season, Spurs do have some talented players who deserve to be playing at a higher level.

Dejan Kulusevski has been Tottenham’s best player this season, and Kulusevski has his admirers in Europe.

Meanwhile Cristian Romero isn’t short of suitors either.

On top of that, Aston Villa are keen on Yves Bissouma, while Pedro Porro has been linked with big moves recently too.

If Tottenham lose the Europa League final, there could well be a mass exodus at Spurs this summer.

Tottenham picked up their biggest win of the season on Thursday evening as they beat Bodo/Glimt to reach the Europa League final.

Spurs are now one game away from Champions League qualification and their first trophy in 17 years.

Ange Postecoglou has made it clear how important the Europa League is this season, and Spurs have delivered in that competition.

Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, Yves Bissouma has been discussing how Spurs will celebrate this win, and he says that the feeling is so jubilant right now that even Daniel Levy might get involved in the celebrations.

Yves Bissouma says Daniel Levy will get involved in Tottenham celebrations

Bissouma spoke about how Spurs will celebrate this game.

The midfielder says Tottenham will be singing all the way back to London after this win, claiming that even Daniel Levy is going to get involved with the singing.

“Oh, I don’t know, I can imagine us on the flight, we will be singing, singing until we arrive back in London, it’s an important moment for us, a big, big, big performance for tonight. We’ll just celebrate with everyone, even the president will sing I think,” Bissouma said.

This is a big moment for Bissouma as he’s made the first final of his entire career.

The midfielder has worked his way back into Ange Postecoglou’s side after a difficult season.

Indeed, Bissouma has been heavily criticised at times this season, and Bissouma has even been linked with a move away from Spurs.

Now, Bissouma has fulfilled a childhood dream, and speaking to SpursPlay, he noted how he can’t believe he’s in this situation.

“When I was a kid I would never believe I would come and play for Spurs one day. Now I’m here and I’m in a final, I can’t explain it, I feel like I’m dreaming, if I’m in a dream I don’t want to wake up,” Bissouma said.

Spurs have every right to celebrate this win, but they can’t get too carried away as the job isn’t finished yet.

Indeed, Spurs still have a sizeable roadblock ahead of them in the shape of Manchester United, and with less than two weeks to go until the final, Tottenham’s celebrations can’t last long as they need to regroup and refocus ahead of this game.

Tottenham Hotspur have made it into the final of the Europa League.

Ange Postecoglou claimed all campaign that he always wins trophies in his second season, and the Australian is now one game away from fulfilling that promise.

Spurs picked up a 2-0 win over Bodo/Glimt in Norway on Thursday night, taking the aggregate score to 5-1. That is an emphatic win and exactly what the club needed after what has been an awful campaign.

James Maddison missed the game due to an injury that is set to end his season, but he loved what one of his teammates did at the Aspmyra Stadion.

James Maddison sends message to Pedro Porro after Tottenham beat Bodo/Glimt

Maddison wasn’t involved in the second leg against Bodo/Glimt, but he played a big part in this tie.

The Englishman scored for Spurs in their 3-1 first leg win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and that took the game beyond the Norwegian side’s reach.

On Thursday night, Maddison was watching the game from home, and we’re sure he would’ve thoroughly enjoyed how his teammates fared.

Dominic Solanke opened the scoring for the North Londoners, but it was Pedro Porro’s strike that brought everyone to their feet.

The Spaniard appeared to attempt a cross from the right side of the field, but that somehow made it into the top corner.

Only Porro can confirm whether he actually shot at goal, but that doesn’t matter – the only thing that does is it went in and Spurs are through to the final.

After the game, Porro took to Instagram to celebrate the win.

Maddison replied, “Love you brother”, while fellow goalscorer Solanke said: “What a finish!”

Tottenham’s board should change their mind on Pedro Porro

There is no doubt that this has been Porro’s best season in a Tottenham shirt.

The Spaniard has produced several brilliant moments for Spurs over the last few months, and his goal against Bodo/Glimt will be remembered for a long time, especially if they go on to win the Europa League.

TBR revealed recently that Tottenham’s board are ready to sell Porro this summer following Djed Spence’s emergence at right-back.

For the right price, many feel that it would be a good idea, but Spence cannot do what Porro does in the final third for Spurs.

That’s why we think Tottenham should change their mind and keep Porro this summer.

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur will contest an all-English final in the Europa League after both sides won their respective semi-finals on Thursday night.

The Red Devils once again made light work of Athletic Bilbao to deprive the Liga side of a spot in a final at their own stadium.

Meanwhile, Tottenham successfully navigated a tricky tie on Bodo/Glimt’s plastic pitch to join Manchester United in the showpiece encounter.

Ruben Amorim and Rasmus Hojlund, speaking after the game, shared what they thought about being in the final alongside Tottenham.

Ruben Amorim says Tottenham are in a ‘similar situation’ to Manchester United

Amorim told reporters that he feels he and Ange Postecoglou are in a “similar” situation at present, namely a “tough” one.

Both Man United and Tottenham are in the lower reaches of the Premier League after underwhelming campaigns on the domestic front.

“It is quite similar, even for me and Ange,” Amorim told TNT Sports. “It is a tough moment.

“One of us is going to win. It is going to be a big final, we are going to try to win.”

Amorim was then pressed about having lost all three games to Spurs this season.

In response, he said: “First of all, you have to think about the odds, it is hard for a team to lose four times in a row.

“So we can think about it in that way. We need to have a full squad and to study the game quite well.

“We need to have a little bit of luck. Today we conceded a goal, but we had so many transitions to score and we didn’t. We have to be clinical in that game.”

At his press conference, Amorim said, as per Sky Sports: “Both teams are going to play all or nothing. The position of the coaches are quite similar. We are both struggling.

“I don’t know what is going to happen. That is a good thing and a bad thing with this team. I never know. I will try to prepare.”

Meanwhile, Hojlund told TNT Sports: “That is why we are in this competition – because we want to win it.

“We are playing against a good team (in the final).”

Manchester United’s head-to-head record vs Tottenham

Overall, Man United’s record with Tottenham is impressive – the Old Trafford side has registered 96 wins, 51 draws and 57 defeats against Spurs.

However, the more recent record against the Lilywhites is concerning for the Red Devils.

Man United have lost their last three in a row against Tottenham in all competitions – all this season – and they haven’t won against Spurs in six games.

Tottenham Hotspur are through to the Europa League final after making light work of Bodo/Glimt in their semi-final second leg on Thursday night.

Spurs ran out 3-1 winners in the first leg and, despite Bodo/Glimt’s players warning of a tougher match on their own patch, Tottenham won 2-0 for a 5-1 aggregate win.

Tottenham contained Bodo/Glimt well before Dominic Solanke settled the visitors’ nerves by poking home in the 63rd minute.

Pedro Porro then scored with a superb cross-shot effort six minutes later to make sure of Spurs’ victory in the tie and a spot in the final in Bilbao.

Tottenham legend Graham Roberts name-checked one Tottenham player as he delivered a message for the Spurs squad in wake of their victory.

Graham Roberts praises Cristian Romero as he calls for Tottenham to ‘make some history again’

Roberts took to X after the game to describe Tottenham’s performance as “absolutely incredible”.

He then praised the whole defence, name-checking Cristian Romero for his dominant performance but also praising the two full-backs.

Roberts, who won the UEFA Cup with Spurs in 1983-84, then called on Tottenham to “make some history again”.

How Cristian Romero fared for Tottenham against Bodo/Glimt

Romero provided one crucial contribution at the attacking end to help Spurs on their way to victory as he nodded the ball down for Solanke to score.

The Argentina international was also a colossus at the back, weighing in with five clearances, two tackles, one block and one interception.

He also won four duels and completed 26 of his 27 passes, on top of creating one big chance and seeing one effort of his own blocked.

Tottenham will take on Manchester United in the final, which takes place in Bilbao on Wednesday 21 May.

Tottenham have endured a dismal season, currently sitting 16th in the Premier League with just 36 points and 19 defeats.

They’re out of all domestic competitions, leaving the Europa League as their only hope for redemption.

Spurs hold a 3-1 aggregate lead heading into Thursday’s semi-final second leg, with a likely final clash against Manchester United—a side they’ve already beaten three times this season.

However, their European run doesn’t mask deeper issues, with major changes expected. Ange Postecoglou’s future at Tottenham uncertain, and a significant squad overhaul is on the cards this summer.

One exit already nailed on is Timo Werner.

Timo Werner linked with a move to Tottenham’s London rivals

While Werner may not be high on the wishlist for top-tier clubs, a few sides are monitoring his situation.

According to talkSPORT, West Ham and Fulham are closely monitoring the German’s situation, with both clubs said to be ‘alert’ as the forward prepares for a summer move.

Werner is also wanted by New York Red Bulls, though he is reportedly settled in London—suggesting a preference to remain in the capital.

Tottenham have the option to sign him permanently for £8.5 million, but the club is not expected to activate the clause.

Fabrizio Romano has already reported that Werner will not be at Spurs next season.

Meanwhile, parent club RB Leipzig are also not looking to keep him and are actively seeking potential suitors ahead of the summer window.

Timo Werner has not played for Tottenham since February

Werner’s time in England continues to disappoint, with the German forward now completely frozen out by Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham.

Once seen as a smart loan signing, Werner made a bright start after joining Spurs in January 2024, contributing goals and assists in his first few games.

His form earned him a one-year extension, but this season has been a different story.

The arrivals of Dominic Solanke and Wilson Odobert, coupled with poor form and injury setbacks, have seen Werner fall out of favour.

He hasn’t featured in a matchday squad since February, with his last appearance coming off the bench in a 1-0 defeat to Manchester City.

After an underwhelming spell at Chelsea as well—23 goals in 89 games—his struggles in English football seem set to continue.

Linked with a potential return to the Premier League via Fulham or West Ham after his loan at Spurs ends, it remains to be seen whether Werner can make a success of a third attempt in English football.