TBR Football

Tottenham Hotspur may soon be in the market for a new manager.

Indeed, Ange Postecoglou could be sacked in the near future after a run of terrible results this season.

Spurs have a few options in mind to replace Postecoglou should the Australian lose his job.

Thomas Frank has been linked to Spurs, while Marco Silva has been linked to Tottenham too.

Andoni Iraola is Tottenham’s top target though, but, according to David Ornstein, this move may not happen.

Bournemouth believe Andoni Iraola is set to stay

Speaking to NBC, David Ornstein shared an update on Andoni Iraola’s situation at Bournemouth.

Iraola has been strongly linked to Tottenham in recent times, and Marco Senesei has even admitted Iraola could leave, labelling him as ‘brilliant’ in the process.

However, according to Ornstein, the feeling within Bournemouth is that the manager will stay another year and potentially sign a new contract.

“Their manager Andoni Iraola is attracting significant admirers of his own, but the feeling at Bournemouth is that he’s going to stay and go into the final year of his contract, maybe sign a new one, see how it goes, a move for him can wait.”

Andoni Iraola compared to Marco Silva and Thomas Frank

Spurs may not be able to get Iraola, and that may force them to look at plan B or plan C, also known as Marco Silva and Thomas Frank.

All three managers are now experienced at Premier League level, and when you look at the stats, it’s clear to see why Iraola is Spurs’ preferred choice.

Iraola has the highest win percentage of any of these managers, while his team also scores more goals per game.

Of course, there isn’t much in it, and Silva or Frank would be fantastic alternatives, but, at the same time, you can see that Iraola may just be that slight level above the Fulham and Brentford bosses – as the Premier League table also shows.

It remains to be seen who Spurs end up with if they decide to replace Postecoglou, but it sounds as though they may not be able to get Iraola.

A former Tottenham Hotspur striker who Mauricio Pochettino handed his Champions League back in 2017 has seen his football career take a rather dramatic twist.

The ex-Tottenham Hotspur academy graduate was in action as part of the newly-formed Baller League on Monday evening, playing and scoring for the team SDS FC.

Baller League is a new concept in which former Premier League stars, fustal players and semi-professional footballers compete for teams managed by celebrities in six-a-side matches with a twist.

Tottenham fans who tuned in for the action may have recognised one of the names who featured for them during their 2017/18 Champions League campaign as he got his name on the scoresheet during the latest round of matches.

Former Tottenham player Kazaiah Sterling scores at Baller League

Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Kazaiah Sterling netted on his first appearance in Baller League as he opened the scoring in SDS’ 4-2 defeat to VZN FC.

Just over seven years ago, the now 26-year-old was making his debut in the Champions League, coming on as a substitute to replace Dele Alli in a 3-0 win over APOEL Nicosia at Wembley Stadium.

Aged just 19 years and 27 days, Sterling became the youngest player to appear for the North London club in the competition.

The striker eventually left Spurs on a free transfer after five different loan spells, and following his departure, he went on to play for three different clubs, including in the United States.

What Mauricio Pochettino said about Kazaiah Sterling at the time

Mauricio Pochettino spoke pretty highly of the teenager ahead of their Champions League clash with APOEL, revealing he thought the striker had the ‘quality’ the team needed.

Spurs were already through to the Champions League knockout stages and with a busy schedule, Pochettino wanted to rest a few of his key players.

He, therefore, turned to the academy in search of players who could fill in for the likes of Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen.

Speaking back in 2017, Pochettino told the media: “Kazaiah and Luke Amos, they are working very well and they behave so good. That is why they deserve it, they have the quality as well in the position that we are looking to try to help the team tomorrow. We needed a midfielder, like Luke Amos, and another striker, like Kazaiah Sterling.”

Daniel Levy is an all-seeing eye at Tottenham and, when it comes to matters on or off the field, the buck stops with him.

Sunday’s defeat against Wolves leaves Ange Postecoglou’s side 15th in the Premier League table. In seasons gone by, their points total of 37 might have seen them in danger of relegation.

Tottenham’s only salvation could come via the Europa League. Winning that competition would yield Champions League qualification next season and the revenues that come with that.

But even in a campaign without top-level European football, Spurs continue to rake in huge money, having largely decoupled commercial performance from results on the pitch.

That is why Daniel Levy, in the world of football finance, is the gold standard.

For fans whose litmus test for success is silverware, however, the Spurs chairman and co-owner is an anchor weighing down the North London club.

Protests against ENIC’s ownership of the club have intensified this season, for obvious reasons. But one subplot has been Levy’s continued search for new investment in Tottenham.

The club confirmed well over a year ago that they were seeking either minority investment or a full takeover, although it looks like the former is the more likely.

In truth, the hunt for new money in N17 has been going on for far longer.

Several groups and individuals have been linked with buying into the club, from the worlds of sovereign wealth, private equity and beyond.

For some time, Qatari investment has been mooted – and it would be a natural fit.

The state of Qatar already owns half of London and a club which is underperforming – with scope for a feel-good narrative – but has a global pulse would align with the Gulf nation’s investment ambitions.

Daniel Levy’s £3.75bn valuation could be a sticking point, as the Qataris proved with their failed bid for Man United that they won’t be held to ransom.

However, if the Qataris are willing to engage at Levy’s price point, the addition of a new executive in North London could prove valuable.

New Spurs chief Vinai Venkatesham close with Nasser Al-Khelaifi

When news emerged that Vinai Venkatesham had been named Spurs’ new CEO, the headlines naturally gravitated towards his former allegiances to Arsenal.

But one other line on his CV is equally interesting. For several years up until his departure from the Emirates in the summer, he was the Gunners’ representative in the European Club Association (ECA).

Venkatesham was one of a select few who sat on the lobby group’s executive committee, which saw him form close links not only with Levy but also Nasser Al-Khelaifi, head of Qatar Sports Investments (QSI).

As well as owning Paris Saint-Germain and Braga and being in negotiations for Braga, QSI have been heavily linked with Spurs over the years.

Levy has reportedly met with Al-Khelaifi to discuss a possible investment in Spurs. Like Venkatesham, he is known to enjoy good relations with the QSI chief.

If those talks are still a going concern, the presence of Venkatesham on the Tottenham board can only be positive.

Vinai Venkatesham likes Levy’s self-sufficient model

Levy has reiterated in recent weeks that Spurs can only spend what they earn.

That is in contrast to other clubs, who have speculated to accumulate. At the likes of Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest, that strategy has borne fruit.

But in Venkatesham, Spurs have an operative who is an advocate for the self-sufficient model.

“We have a self-sustaining business model at this club. That means all the investments we make on the pitch are funded by the revenues we generate off the pitch,” Venkatesham said about Arsenal in 2018.

“And we’re really confident we can be successful with this model. The ambition we have for this club is completely possible to be achieved in the business model that we’ve got. “

Could new Tottenham CEO accelerate naming rights deal?

Nearly six years into their residency at their world-class stadium, Tottenham have not struck a naming rights deal for the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The likes of Amazon, Google, Meta, DHL and others have been linked with what the club hopes is a £25m-a-year deal, but to no avail.

The search for a partner who will pay top dollar and fit with the club’s values was rocked by the departure of chief commercial officer Todd Kline last year.

However, with a new CEO in the building soon, the process could be kickstarted again.

One positive will be that another London venue, England Rugby’s Twickenham, has struck a deal on very favourable terms in recent months.

Allianz are paying £10m per year over 13 years for the stadium’s naming rights. As a newer stadium with greater exposure to offer a partner, Spurs should – in theory – be able to fetch more than that.

Tottenham are looking to replace Ange Postecoglou this summer – but a new hire might not be cheap.

The Australian still has two years remaining on his contract – which is believed to be worth £5m annually – so Daniel Levy will need to pay off the man born in Greece if a parting of ways is to happen.

That is, of course, unless the 59-year-old chooses to resign.

TBR Football understand Tottenham have approached Oliver Glasner of Crystal Palace as the hunt to replace Ange Postecoglou begins – although a story from BILD in Germany might now put Spurs off.

Crystal Palace want £17m for Oliver Glasner

The German news outlet now state that Crystal Palace are demanding €20m (£17m) in compensation to let the Austrian leave, with RB Leipzig also keen to hire him.

Glasner still has just over 12 months remaining on his contract, and BILD state that there is no release clause in his deal at Selhurst Park, so a departure would have to be negotiated with Steve Parish, Chairman of Crystal Palace.

Crystal Palace have already shown they will not be bullied over the 50-year-old, with BILD adding that the south Londoners even rejected €18m (£15m) from Bayern Munich before the Bavarians opted to hire Vincent Kompany instead last year.

However, if Tottenham do opt to stump up the £17m asking price, Glasner’s salary is not expected to be an issue.

BILD claim that the man from Salzburg earns €5m (£4.3m) annually, which is less than Postecoglou.

Glasner – who Parish called an “exciting” coach – has impressively won 25 and drawn 13 of his 51 games in charge of Crystal Palace since replacing Roy Hodgson in February 2024.

Daniel Levy has a cheaper option

Thiago Motta has also been linked to Tottenham – and the Italian could be viewed as a more attractive option than Glasner by Levy, mainly due to finances.

The 42-year-old was recently sacked by Juventus, so Spurs won’t need to spend millions in compensation to bring him to N17.

Several Tottenham players have been in the news months ahead of the summer transfer window.

One of them is Cristian Romero, who is ready to sign for Atletico Madrid at the end of the season after attracting interest from Real Madrid as well.

Destiny Udogie is a Manchester City target as the Sky Blues’ incoming sporting director Hugo Viana wishes to bring him to the Etihad Stadium.

Jose Fortes, Micky van de Ven’s agent has now made a fresh claim about his future and Real Madrid as well.

Micky van de Ven’s agent says he’s good enough for Real Madrid

Ryan Gravenberch’s agent would like him to join Real Madrid and he also claimed that Van de Ven has the quality to play for Carlo Ancelotti’s side.

Jose Fortes also believes that Tottenham centre-back Micky van de Ven has the required level of work ethic to be a Real Madrid player in the future.

Fortes told MARCA: “Micky also has the level to one day play for a big club like Real Madrid.”

Van de Ven’s agent added: “For my players, effort is non-negotiable. I wasn’t a good footballer, but that’s why I know how to help them . Micky fits this quality; he’s a born worker. After his injury, he’ll return to a high level, on par with any big club.”

The worry for Tottenham about Micky van de Ven’s future

The Dutchman is one of the best defenders in the Premier League and at 23, his ceiling is sky-high.

The £34 million (Sky Sports) man’s blend of searing pace, smart reading of the game and incredible physicality makes him a complete centre-back.

The fear for Tottenham would be that as Van de Ven continues to progress, perhaps Real Madrid would come calling and back themselves to snap him up as his agent’s target seems to be to ensure his client moves to the Spanish capital.

The Lilywhites colossus’ contract expires in 2029 but perhaps sometime next year, they should do begin negotations about a fresh deal.

Tottenham Hotspur have had a poor season, that much is absolutely clear.

Indeed, Spurs sit in the bottom-half of the Premier League table, and Ange Postecoglou is under serious pressure.

A number of Tottenham players have underperformed this season and there have been a number of fingers pointed.

Yves Bissouma has been criticised heavily this term, while there have been some calls for Heung-Min Son to be sold too.

However, it hasn’t all been doom and gloom for Tottenham this season, there have been some players who are bright sparks.

Archie Gray has been praised for his performances this season, while, speaking on his podcast, Kyle Walker has now praised Djed Spence for his performances this season.

Kyle Walker praises Djed Spence

Walker spoke about Spence after the Spurs star named Walker as one of his idols on Rio Ferdinand’s podcast recently.

Walker says that the £20m man has done fantastically well this season, claiming that he’s been unlucky to not get an England call up recently.

“From hearing it from, you know, your fellow footballing, you know, players that you’ve, you know, that they look up to you, obviously, I think personally from me coming back to him on his career, again, you know, he’s had a few setbacks from coming back from obviously flying at Nottingham Forest, signing for Tottenham, then going out on loan. Some people are forward, but I think this season especially, he’s played out of position at times with Tottenham’s, you know, injury crisis. Yeah,” Walker said.

“And he’s kind of, yeah, he’s just took it in his stride. And I seen him actually play at Nottingham Forest. And I thought this, you know, this one’s going to be a good one.

“And you can see a Premier League team snapping him up. Did I know it would be my old team? No.

“But I think that he’s doing fantastically well this season, probably unlucky not to get a senior call up to the England team. But if he was there, probably have took my space. So just hold off for, you know, five more games.”

Djed Spence’s England hopes analysed

Walker says that Spence was unlucky to not get an England call up, and it is interesting to consider the full-back’s path into Thomas Tuchel’s side.

Unfortunately, for Spence, he’s playing in a role where there is a ton of competition at the moment as England continue to produce quality right-backs.

Of course, as Walker says, Spence has also done a job at left-back this season, but, even in that spot, the path isn’t very clear right now.

If Spence continues playing well, he may well work his way into consideration for the England squad, but given how much quality is ahead of him, the Spurs star does face an uphill battle here.

Tottenham Hotspur have just added a new name to their list of replacement for Ange Postecoglou and the new name is now the second favourite behind Andoni Iraola.

Iraola is open to taking the Tottenham job and is seen as the main candidate to take the position should Ange Posteoglou get sacked.

Postecoglou’s future at Tottenham is in doubt with their Europa League tie against Eintracht Frankfurt set to be crucial in deciding his future.

In the meantime, the North London club have started preparing for life without the Australian coach and have just added a new name to their shortlist.

Thiago Motta is now second favourite to land the Tottenham job

Thiago Motta has immediately jumped into second place behind Andoni Iraola to replace Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur, according to TuttoSport.

Motta was recently sacked by Juventus just nine months after taking the job following back-to-back Serie A defeats against Atalanta and Fiorentina.

The former Juve midfielder got the job in the summer after guiding Bologna to the Champions League for just the second time in the club’s history.

His stock remains high though as Tottenham and Atalanta are both keen on him and their interest could be a major boost for Juve.

That is because any club that wants to appoint the Italian will need to pay off his £12.8 million contract, which the Bianconeri are currently paying until June 2027.

Why was Thiago Motta sacked by Juventus?

Last summer, Motta was seen as one of Europe’s most exciting young managers following his brilliant season in Serie A with Bologna.

During the current campaign, the 42-year-old lost on just six occasions up until his final two matches in charge, however, after two further defeats, Juve opted to sack him.

The big issue for Motta and Juve was too many draws with the Italian giants having drawn on 16 occasions which saw them struggle in Serie A and the Champions League.

The Old Lady were knocked out of the European Cup by PSV Eindhoven in the playoff round and that, of course, was unacceptable for a club like Juventus.

Pape Matar Sarr joined Tottenham Hotspur when he was still a teenager.

The Senegal midfielder was signed from Metz in the summer of 2021, but he was sent back on loan to the French club for a year.

Sarr then moved to Spurs in 2022 and made his debut for the North Londoners on New Year’s Day against Aston Villa in the Premier League.

The 22-year-old has come a long way since his debut, and he has now revealed the one player who has helped him the most at Tottenham over the years.

Pape Matar Sarr explains why he keeps thanking Tottenham captain Son Heung-min

Son Heung-min is one of Tottenham’s longest-serving players.

The South Korean is into his 10th season at Spurs, and he has mostly been magnificent for them over the years.

Despite the criticism Son has received recently, the attacker will go down as one of Tottenham’s greatest players of all time.

While most of the plaudits he gets are for his goals and assists, Son deserves immense praise for how he takes care of his teammates behind the scenes too.

Sarr, who was only 19 when he came into the Spurs squad, has admitted that Son helped him a lot.

He told D Sports: “Sonny is a big brother to me. Since I arrived at Tottenham, he has supported me a lot. My integration was not easy, but he was there for me, put me at ease, and helped me adapt.

“And he’s not just like that with me, he’s like that with everyone. He’s a very generous guy, and I thank him all the time for everything he’s done for me.”

What type of a captain is Son at Tottenham?

In the Premier League, captains and leaders are often associated with screaming and shouting on the pitch – like Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira used to do back in the day.

However, that’s not the only way you can lead a side.

Djed Spence recently revealed that Son leads by example at Tottenham. He may not shout at everyone to get them going, but he does all the right things every single day, and that sets the tone for the rest of the side.

To add to that, Son constantly looks after his teammates – Sarr’s comments above prove that – and that is crucial for any team.

Manchester City have a knack of taking some of their Premier League rivals’ best players.

Indeed, City have pinched some of their rivals’ very best players over the years taking the likes of Samir Nasri and Emmanuel Adebayor from Arsenal, Carlos Tevez from Manchester United and, eventually, Kyle Walker from Tottenham.

City head into this summer needing another rebuild, and just like last time, Pep Guardiola’s side have set their sights on another full-back from Tottenham.

Indeed, according to Fabrizio Romano, reporting on X, Manchester City have now added Destiny Udogie to their list of transfer options heading into the summer.

Manchester City want Destiny Udogie

According to Romano, City want to sign Destiny Udogie this summer from Tottenham.

Udogie has earned a lot of praise over the past two seasons at Tottenham, despite Spurs’ struggles.

At the age of just 22, Udogie has a long and successful career ahead of him, and City want to bring him in.

Udogie cost Spurs just £15m a few years ago when Fabio Paratici brought him in, and now, Tottenham could be set to make a huge profit on the full-back.

Udogie has struggled with injury this season, but he’s still a very talented player.

Of course, the Italian would be following the same path as Kyle Walker if he made this move, and Udogie has previously praised Walker.

Roberto Mancini never picked Destiny Udogie

Pep Guardiola is a fan of Udogie, hence why City want to sign him this summer.

However, one former Manchester City manager seemingly isn’t Udogie’s biggest fan – Roberto Mancini.

Mancini was the manager of Italy as Udogie was making his name in the game, and there were multiple calls for Mancini to hand Udogie his first caps.

However, the Italy boss never actually picked Udogie for the national team, something that shocked many in the country.

“I absolutely respect the choices of the coach Roberto Mancini, whom I respect a lot. But he surprised me,” said Andrea Sottil in September 2022, Udogie’s coach at the time.

“I think Udogie is one of the best full-backs in our league.”

Luciano Spalletti has since taken charge of Italy, and he’s handed Udogie a number of opportunities to star for his country.

Of course, City fans will take Mancini’s opinion seriously, but if Guardiola has his heart set on signing the full-back, this could well be the right move for City.

Tottenham Hotspur have endured a difficult season under Ange Postecoglou amid inconsistencies and injury issues.

When Spurs are at their best, they can be more than a match for anyone, but even now their injury crisis has subsided, they’ve continued to blow hot and cold.

As a result, Postecoglou is now under pressure, and Tottenham have already started speaking to potential alternatives.

For instance, TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey has been told that Tottenham have touched base with Oliver Glasner of Crystal Palace.

Now, Troy Deeney has urged Tottenham to consider moving for a manager he once deemed the scariest coach he has ever worked with.

Troy Deeney urges Tottenham to replace Ange Postecoglou with Marco Silva

The manager in question is Marco Silva, who has been going from strength to strength at Fulham over the past few years.

Tottenham have added Silva to their list of managerial targets in wake of his efforts in turning the West London club into a stable Premier League outfit.

Deeney, who Silva managed in his time at Watford, has claimed that his former manager is ‘more than ready’ to take the job on.

Indeed, Deeney believes that Silva would be able to turn Spurs’ fortunes around in a matter of months.

“Marco is more than ready,” Deeney said on talkSPORT.

“The biggest compliment you could take for Marco Silva is that, if you look at all the people that are around him – his staff – they’ve been poached, because they (other clubs) want Marco Silva, but they go and get the people off his branches.

“He’s ready for a big team. I think he’d be perfect for Spurs if they would allow him to just go and take over and not get involved too much from up above.

“I think he’d change the culture of that place within three months. Marco is definitely ready. Fulham are on a good trajectory but I think they’ll struggle to keep him long term.”

What Troy Deeney said about Marco Silva’s ruthlessness

Last year, Deeney named Silva as the scariest manager he has ever worked with – more so than Sean Dyche.

Deeney, speaking to the Football First podcast on BBC Sounds, revealed how up front Silva was about how “slow” he was as a player.

“Sean Dyche would have to be up there, but do you know who was, but it was more for his ruthlessness? Marco Silva,” said Deeney.

“Small in stature, a nice guy but he’ll cut you off. It’s his way or no way.

“When he came in at Watford, and bear in mind I was doing alright, he wanted more pace up front which is fine.

“He signed Andre Gray, and he said to me: ‘You’re a legend, I don’t want to be disrespectful, but you’re slow.’ And I was like: ‘OK, I can’t do anything about that.’

“He said: ‘You’re a nice guy but you’re just too slow’ and just walked off. It was just ‘this is why he’s in, deal with it’. He was just straight.

“I’ve got a great relationship with him now and I’ve been into Fulham to see him but we’ve never really spoken about it actually.”