TBR Football

TBR Football can exclusively reveal that Tottenham Hotspur are ready to make Cristian Romero their highest-paid player in a bid to keep hold of him.

The Argentine international is currently under contract until 2027, but they are ready and willing to hand him a new deal which will see him commit long-term and become their highest earner.

However, Romero is attracting interest from Real Madrid and this could complicate the North London club’s efforts to prevent him from leaving.

Tottenham ready to make Cristain Romero their highest-earner

Tottenham remain hopeful that they can persuade Cristian Romero to sign a new long-term contract, sources have told TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey.

TBR Football revealed last year that Spurs were looking to open talks with Romero and it’s understood that there is communication between the player’s camp and the club.

The Lilywhites are aware of the interest in Romero, who Ange Postecoglou has described as “outstanding”, with Real Madrid targeting him as they assess their central defensive options.

Romero, along with Arsenal’s William Saliba, are amongst Madrid’s top defensive targets heading ahead of this summer’s transfer window.

Cristian Romero frustrated at Tottenham’s current situation

But TBR Football can also reveal that one issue Tottenham will face in talks over a new contract with Romero is that the player is frustrated by Spurs’ lack of progress since his arrival.

Romero spoke out against Tottenham’s hierarchy suggesting that they were the ones responsible for the team’s struggles this season.

The central defender has experienced just one season of Champions League football during his three years and a half years in the English capital and this is a major concern to him.

Some within the hierarchy at Spurs believe that the only way they could possibly keep Romero would be to win the Europa League, which would gain them entry to next season’s Champions League.

Tottenham looking for Cristian Romero replacements

Therefore, sources have told TBR Football that the North London club have started working on potential replacements in case Romero rejects their offer.

Marc Guehi, Dean Huijsen, Edmond Tapsoba, Jonathan Tah, Antonio Silva and Tomas Araujo are among those who they are watching closely.

Of late, it’s arguably been more enjoyable for Tottenham Hotspur fans to keep track of those who are out on loan, rather than focusing on results and performances in N17.

And in January, Tottenham sanctioned two more departures on loan with both Yang Min-hyeok and Will Lankshear heading for the Championship.

Of course, there’s also then the likes of Manor Solomon, Alejo Veliz and Alfie Devine out on loan, just to name a few.

Spurs have certainly been making the most of the loan market and there should be serious hope for more than one of those out on loan to make a first impact once they return.

Luka Vuskovic should be right at the top of that list, a 17-year-old who’s currently learning whilst on loan at Westerlo in Belgium.

Tottenham fans might already be dreaming of Vuskovic pairing with Micky van de Ven one day – a far cry from their centre-back situation right now.

Jamie Donley will get his chance at Tottenham

That being said, Give Me Sport have just shared a report focusing on what the future holds for three of Tottenham’s forwards who are currently away from the club: Jamie Donley, Min-hyeok and Veliz.

Donley was called ‘incredible’ by Pep Guardiola after his recent exploits for Leyton Orient in the FA Cup, prompting the question of what the future might hold for him in north London.

And according to this report, Donley will be welcomed back into Postecoglou’s squad in pre-season to be assessed, a chance to prove that he’s worth keeping around.

Donley is said to be held in ‘high regard’ at Tottenham, and will get his chance to prove his progress.

In addition to Donley, both Min-hyeok and Veliz will be checked on in pre-season to see how much progress they’ve made, and to assess the best next step for them.

But in terms of Manor Solomon, who’s currently performing well on loan at Leeds United, the forward is most likely to be moved on.

Yang Min-hyeok and Alejo Veliz will also be assessed in pre-season

Of course, Donley recently stated his desire to play for Tottenham, a 20-year-old who has started to find form in League One.

Earlier in the season for Leyton Orient, Donely experienced a bit of a tough spell under Richie Wellens, falling out of the starting eleven.

But he’s now back firing and playing with the confidence that enables him to shoot from the half-way line against Manchester City.

In terms of Veliz, the Argentinian has netted four goals in 21 appearances for Espanyol in La Liga this season.

Whilst it might currently be slightly unclear if Ange Postecoglou will be in charge at Tottenham Hotspur beyond the season, the club will still be planning their future squad building regardless.

Postecoglou might need to win the Europa League to give the necessary confidence that he is still the right man to lead Tottenham forward.

Fortunately, along Spurs’ run beyond the last-16 stage in the competition, Postecoglou should start to recover some of his key personnel.

Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven remain the most crucial absences, and both are thought to be building up their fitness behind the scenes right now.

That being said, the arrivals of Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel in January have already helped the situation.

And perhaps Tel’s arrival in particular could point to a big change on the horizon in N17.

Tottenham will consider selling Son Heung-min in the summer

According to Give Me Sport, Tottenham are now considering the departure of their captain Son Heung-min in the summer.

The report says that there’s an ‘openness to Son leaving’, even if the 32-year-old has been such a loyal servant in north London.

Of course, it’s never going to be as simple as that – Son is on high wages and Spurs would probably still want to recoup at least the £22m they paid for the forward all the way back in 2015.

Therefore, it is reported that Son’s departure will depend on the level of interest in the South Korean.

There is said to be ‘genuine interest’ from Saudi Arabia in Son, but it remains to be seen if that is a move that would interest the forward.

And in addition to Son, Spurs are also said to be considering exits for Richarlison and Timo Werner, which perhaps isn’t as much of a surprise.

Mathys Tel could be Son Heung-min’s long-term replacement

Of course, it’s now very poignant that Postecoglou called Son ‘outstanding’ only a week or so ago.

Son hasn’t been at his best this season, partly due to the amount of minutes he’s had to play at 32-years-old.

But he’s still a vital figure around the club, an experienced campaigner who deserves to win a trophy before he departs N17.

That being said, Jermain Defoe was shocked by Son recently, a forward who is struggling to show the same tenacity that he once did in a Tottenham shirt.

And perhaps if Tel does sign permanently from Bayern Munich, he might be intended as Son’s long-term replacement on the left.

Ange Postecoglou hopes to have three injured players back available when his team takes on Manchester United next weekend.

Tottenham’s injury list is starting to shrink with three players expected back for the next league match and four others close to returning to training.

Tottenham had 11 players missing for their trip to Villa Park on Sunday as they exited a second cup competition in the space of just four days.

Postecoglou is under pressure to turn things around, however, with several key players soon to return, this should provide a major boost for the Australian.

James Maddison, Guglielmo Vicario and Destiny Udogie back vs Man United

James Maddison, Guglielmo Vicario and Destiny Udogie are all expected back against Manchester United, according to the Times.

Maddison has been missing with a calf injury he suffered against Hoffenheim in the Europa League and his return will be a big help for Dejan Kulusevski who needs a rest.

Vicario hasn’t played since November 23 when Spurs won 4-0 against Manchester City with the Italian international having fractured his ankle.

The 28-year-old has since seen the North London club sign a number two in Antonin Kinsky offering him competition for his starting spot.

Udogie should also be back against United with the defender having missed 11 matches due to a hamstring injury which has allowed Djed Spence to come into the team.

Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert, Timo Werner and Dominic Solanke close to returning to training

Meanwhile, all of Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert, Timo Werner and Dominic Solanke are close to returning to training.

Johnson and Odobert are due back within the next week and Werner and Solanke are expected back shortly after.

Odobert has made just six appearances in a Spurs shirt having suffered a nasty hamstring injury on September 18.

Aston Villa maverick Morgan Rogers would have been surprised by the ease which he he was able to dismantle Tottenham Hotspur time and again in the hosts’ 2-1 victory in the FA Cup.

Rogers’ display against Tottenham garnered praise as he grabbed a goal and an assist in yet another effortlessly terrific performance from him.

Unai Emery has encouraged Rogers to take risks and the 22-year-old did just that against Ange Postecoglou’s side, dancing past their midfield with his quick feet, expertly combining with the likes of Jacob Ramsey and Marco Asensio and astutely ghosting into acres of space in the middle of the park.

With his latest exploits, Morgan Rogers has managed to showcase once again that he is a big-game player.

As for Tottenham, the Englishman’s showing was a reminder of why they must make more of an effort to tame the gifted midfielder the next time they face him.

Morgan Rogers calls Tottenham a “top team” despite Aston Villa’s victory

Rogers, labelled an “exceptional player” by Pep Guardiola, however did not imply for even a second that he found it easy to play against Spurs.

On the contrary, the former Manchester City attacker believes Tottenham fought back well in the second half and stated that they are a team who are dangerous on the break.

Rogers discussed Tottenham as a side while reviewing Aston Villa’s triumph via Optus Sport, saying: “I thought we were outstanding first half, offered them very little in their attack and we know how dangerous they can be on transition and so on and so forth so yeah, I thought we did really well first half.”

“Second half, then they came back into it, as you expect, they’re a top team with quality players but I thought we managed it pretty well, good to get the second, probably could have got the third and killed off the game, probably a bit nervous at the end. But that’s us, that’s what we’ve done all season, kind of nervous at the end but good to get the win.”

After the contest, Rogers praised Asensio and Marcus Rashford as well in what was a hugely positive game for Aston Villa. On the other hand, while Ange Postecoglou will not be sacked by Tottenham, the 59-year-old would have been mortified to witness Rogers causing mayhem without even breaking a sweat against his side.

Unai Emery predicts when Tottenham will get back to form

Much like the youngster, even Unai Emery was also respectful of Spurs after the game.

Emery predicted Tottenham to get back to form once their injured players return to full fitness; in turn, lending a show of support towards Ange Postecoglou.

“Of course, when they are going to recover players, they will perform again like they were doing.”

Unai Emery praised Tottenham even before Aston Villa beat them on Sunday, which goes to show how the Lilywhites are viewed within the game.

But for Tottenham to well and truly silence their critics, they will have to do their talking on the pitch in their subsequent run of fixtures.

After beating Brentford 2-0 away from home in the Premier League, which provided reason for optimism at Tottenham Hotspur, Ange Postecoglou’s side have now bowed out of two cup competitions with a whimper.

Tottenham were first beaten 4-0 at Anfield in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final, a trip that was simply beyond the players available to Postecoglou.

Then, Spurs had an equally tough visit to Villa Park, a match which they lost 2-1 on Sunday evening, a scoreline that could have been a lot worse.

It’s all pretty doom and gloom in N17 for a side who are currently 14th in the Premier League and now relying on continental success to save their season.

Of course, the context to all this misery is the injury crisis that currently exists in north London, one that should improve very soon.

Tottenham continuing to back Ange Postecoglou but Europa League is crucial

That being said, The Telegraph have now provided an update on how Postecoglou’s future is being seen at the club.

The report states that there ‘remains a belief’ that the club can come out of this period stronger if they stick together – continuing to back Posecoglou and his plans.

However, support for Postecoglou is now being tested by recent results, which has put a real emphasis on winning the Europa League.

Spurs have now qualified for the last-16 stage of the competition, which is crucial to the club for two reasons.

Not only does it represent a possible trophy win for a club who are seriously craving silverware, but it’s also a direct route to qualify for the Champions League next season for the competition’s winner.

The Telegraph report that this season’s Europa League campaign will be crucial to Postecoglou’s long-term prospects in N17, a manager who is being supported but also closely watched.

Postecoglou has questions to answer

Following defeat to Villa, former Tottenham player Jamie O’Hara called for Postecoglou to be sacked, a quite reactionary conclusion.

But given all the questions that understandably exist from outside of the club, it is fair to call for Postecoglou to go, in addition to Daniel Levy.

Spurs haven’t been good enough, injury crisis or not, and much more pragmatism could have been shown considering the circumstances.

A complicated situation, but one that will be easier to draw conclusions from once Postecoglou has his best players available again.

Spurs now have one game a week for the foreseeable future, a period in which results and players need to recover fast.

Tottenham did not manage to land all of their targets during the winter transfer window.

Spurs were able to sign Antonin Kinsky and Kevin Danso on permanent deals from Slavia Prague and RC Lens respectively – while Mathys Tel arrived on loan from Bayern Munich on deadline day.

However, Ange Postecoglou wanted another central defender in N17 along with Danso.

Tottenham bid £70m for Marc Guehi – an offer Crystal Palace rejected – before Spurs tried to sign Axel Disasi on loan from Chelsea.

Johan Lange also bid for Maxime Esteve of Burnley, but ultimately, a second centre-back did not arrive before the deadline.

There was another player Tottenham targeted during the winder window in Ansu Fati – who could now be much easier to sign in the summer after a development at Barcelona.

Hansi Flick drops Ansu Fati from the Barcelona squad

TBR Football understand Tottenham showed interest in Fati before eventually landing Tel.

An agreement never materialised, but Hansi Flick has now dropped the Spain international from his squad in Catalonia, which could suggest the German is trying to facilitate an exit for the 22-year-old this summer.

After Fati was axed from Sunday’s 4-1 win over Sevilla, the Barcelona boss said: “Ansu Fati is out due to technical decision tonight. I’ve talked to him honestly. He’s working and he’s getting closer to the team.

“I spoke to Ansu Fati quite frankly. It’s not that you speak to the coach and then everything changes the next day, but he’s on the right track. I’ve seen a lot of moments where he’s at his best and that’s a level we’re trying to reach again.”

The Barcelona No.10 has made just one start across La Liga, the UEFA Champions League and the Copa del Rey so far this season – so he does not appear to have much of a future under Flick whatsoever.

Ange Postecoglou could have two wonderkids at Tottenham who can play together in Ansu Fati and Mathys Tel

It was not long ago that Fati and Tel were widely regarded as two of the most precocious talents around.

Bayern Munich even spent £25m to sign the latter from Rennes at the age of 17 – whereas Barcelona saw enough star potential in Fati to present him with the iconic No.10 shirt vacated by Lionel Messi in 2021.

Barcelona also tied the Spaniard down to a €1bn (£832m) release clause.

Of course, Tottenham fans are running out of patience, and would prefer to sign ready-made stars instead of talented prospects with huge potential, although the chance to pair Tel and Fati together in attack is a gamble worth taking, as both still have plenty of time on their side.

The atmosphere at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is growing more poisonous by the day and, with ENIC and Daniel Levy under cranium-crushing pressure, naming rights are hardly top of the agenda.

This weekend, Tottenham the world’s eighth richest club by revenue, return to their glistening £1bn home in North London to face Man United, the fourth-richest. They are 14th and 13th in the Premier League.

In their last two matches, Ange Postecoglou’s side feebly surrendered to Liverpool in the League Cup semi-final and Aston Villa in the FA Cup fourth round.

Spurs’ last chance to end their 17-year trophy drought in 2024-25 is now the Europa Conference League, although the boss’s increasingly hangdog expression doesn’t exactly inspire optimism on that front.

And yet, the Australian appears to still have the backing of large swathes of the fanbase. Or, at least, he isn’t seen as the root cause of the malaise in N17.

That honour is split between a biblical injury list and Daniel Levy, who many supporters see as have a worrying fixation with sponsorship over silverware.

Less than 24 hours after the 2-1 defeat at Villa Park, Tottenham announced that they would host the London leg of Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s tour in the summer.

The two artists are fresh from the Super Bowl half-time show. Levy and ENIC are huge fans of the NFL’s commercial strategy and are attempting to port it into football, both directly and indirectly.

The Super Bowl LIX saw the Philadelphia Eagles triumph over Kansas City Chiefs at the Caesars Superdome, home of the NFL’s New Orleans Saints.

The Caesars Superdome got its title through a 20-year, £100m naming rights deal in 2021. That is the kind of deal that Levy wants to replicate at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, albeit at a much higher value.

Spurs have targeted a naming rights deal worth £200-250m since they moved into their new home in 2019 having spent two seasons at Wembley.

However, unlike in the NFL, a naming rights deal will always be secondary to a front-of-shirt sponsor. Some football finance analysts suggest may mean Levy’s valuation is too high as a result.

Tottenham’s shirt deal with AIA, for example, is worth an astonishing £320m across an eight-year contract, over 50 per cent more than the owners are targeting for 10-20-year naming rights partnership.

Their kit deal with Nike meanwhile is worth £450m over 15 years.

In a rare update, several members of the club’s commercial team endorsed a Sport Business article that suggested that there is no pressure on Spurs to secure a naming rights deal.

That, the piece argues, is thanks in large part to the brilliant performance of the commercial department, who have helped hike annual income from sponsorship, merchandise and events to a quarter of a billion.

That said, with potentially hundreds of millions of pounds in untapped revenue sitting on the table, fans are asking why there has been almost total radio silence on the naming rights front.

Given that Levy and ENIC show no signs of changing the club’s self-financing model, that missing income is money that could be funnelled into the recruitment and retention budget.

Daniel Levy has come close to signing Tottenham Hotspur Stadium naming rights deal

Tottenham have held talks with a number of blue-chip companies over naming rights. At this point, that is essentially a matter of public record.

However, whether because of finance, brand fit or other complex marketing reasons, a deal has yet to be struck as Spurs approach the six-year anniversary of the clunkily named Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Speaking exclusively to TBR Football, Liverpool University football finance lecture and industry insider Kieran Maguire provided some detail on the process.

“From my understanding they have been looking to get a long-term deal and they have got close on a number of occasions but no cigar in terms of sign-off on both sides,” said Maguire.

“The concern is that the longer you leave it, the more embedded the name of the stadium as it is becomes among fans.

“Officially, it’s the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but Spurs fans just call it White Hart Lane.

“The media still swallow the official name because it becomes much easier to transition to the Nike Arena or whatever it is going to be called.

“My concern is that the longer it takes, the pool of potential partners decreases.

“On the other hand, Man City’s stadium was the Commonwealth Stadium before it became the Etihad and we still all refer to it as the Etihad these days.

“So, that first deal is the big one. I can understand Spurs being cautious to a degree.

“But there must be a reason why the deal has not been signed off. I think the finger is very much pointed at one person here.”

One consideration with naming rights is Daniel Levy’s hunt for fresh investment in Spurs, which has been ongoing for several years but was only officially announced eight months ago.

Amanda Staveley and her PCP Capital Partners investment vehicle are among those to have been linked, although it doesn’t look like an announcement about a new minority partner is imminent.

Given the long-term implications for Spurs if they sign a 20-year stadium deal, it is feasible that Levy is keeping naming rights on ice to give a potential new investor some input.

However, the chairman and co-owner has also stressed the brand benefits of having the club name associated with the various non-football acts and events that they stage at the stadium.

Google were reportedly in talks with Spurs several years ago with regards to a deal, while TBR Football has previously been told that Amazon have expressed interest too, potentially through their Prime service.

That said, it has been a long time since there were any fresh details about either tech firm’s dalliance with naming rights in North London.

More recently, TBR was told that the German logistics company DHL is among those to have been mentioned in conversations about the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

A partner from the world of cryptocurrency meanwhile has been mooted elsewhere, although that would be a left-field move for the historically risk-averse Levy.

The same names often crop up in the naming rights sector, with Red Bull, JP Morgan Chase, Allianz and various Middle East airlines among those who have gone all in on the market.

But it is a saturated marker at present, with Everton, Manchester United and West Ham all providing competition for Tottenham in the field.

Old quotes have just re-emerged from last season where Ange Postecoglou made clear what he wanted to happen this campaign and it’s not a good look for the Tottenham Hotspur boss.

Tottenham Hotspur have just crashed out of two cup competitions in the space of three days after losing to Liverpool and then Aston Villa.

Postecoglou is now under pressure in North London to change the team’s fortunes, however, there is an understanding from the club towards the number of injuries he’s had to contend with.

The Australian manager has bemoaned the number of injuries his team have suffered whilst he attempts to navigate them through an extremely busy period of football, but after all, this is what he asked for last term.

What Ange Postecoglou said about Tottenham needing more matches

Last season, Ange Postecoglou’s team played 41 matches in total, meanwhile, this term, they have already featured in just two fewer fixtures, despite only being in February.

Limited games meant that there were fewer opportunities for fringe players to get minutes and when injuries hit, Postecoglou complained that those coming in were rusty.

Speaking back in March 2024, he told the media: “For a club like us who want to compete at the highest level, you need a strong squad and to have a strong squad you need consistent games and opportunities.

“At the moment, if we get an injury then we’re liable to throw somebody in who hasn’t played for four or five weeks. It’s not easy on that player.

“Whereas if you’ve got games there’s a natural rotation you need to make all the time and also gives you a bit of rhythm.”

Ange Postecoglou’s issues with squad management at Tottenham

But now, with his team having played multiple times a week almost every week since the start of October, the Australian claims his squad have struggled to contend with so many fixtures.

There’s no doubt the former Celtic manager has been unfortunate with injuries, but there is also the case to be made that he could have used his squad much better at the beginning of the season.

His high-intensity football certainly hasn’t helped his cause either with the Lilywhites being asked to do more work on and off the ball than most teams in the Premier League.

Postecoglou had similar injury issues at Celtic which suggests there is more to it than just misfortune for him and Spurs.

The 59-year-old has done a lot of good in N17 by integrating youngsters, building a solid core of players and improving many individuals, however, his squad management has been a key setback.

Tottenham Hotspur have just received a major injury boost after learning one of their key starters is close to returning from a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Tottenham had 11 players missing for their trip to Villa Park on Sunday in which they were beaten 2-1 and eliminated from the FA Cup.

Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Radu Dragusin, Destiny Udogie, James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert, Timo Werner, Dominic Solanke and Richarlison were among the absentees.

However, the Lilywhites will be getting at least one of those players back for their next match and supporters think the news is ‘game-changing’.

Destiny Udogie expected back for Tottenham vs Manchester United

Destiny Udogie is expected back for Tottenham Hotspur’s clash with Manchester United next weekend, according to Spurs journalist Tom Barclay.

The Italian international has missed 11 matches with a hamstring injury which has left Spurs significantly short in defence.

Fortunately, the resurgence of Djed Spence has helped a lot, however, the 24-year-old also picked up a knock meaning Archie Gray had to fill in again at full-back.

But Ange Postecoglou will be delighted just to have another body back available given he had just 14 senior players for the defeat to Villa.

Tottenham fans call for Destiny Udogie to replace Pedro Porro

After learning the defender’s return date, Tottenham fans have called for Udogie to replace Pedro Porro in the lineup and Spence to retain his spot.

Spence has proved Postecoglou was wrong to overlook him for so long with his performances over recent months being really impressive.

Now, Spurs supporters have taken to X to share their thoughts on how the defence should look with Udogie back fit.

One fan stated: “Not that he’s been the best player, but this would add further reinforcement to a vulnerable position, as well as allowing Spence to play RB with Udogie at LB.”

“For United, I need to see Udogie and Spence. This guy (Porro) does not know how to defend,” claimed another.

There were yet more calls for Udogie and Spence to start: “Udogie and Spence full-backs will be game-changing. Finally some good news on the injury front.”

Finally, another supporter claimed: “This Spence-Udogie pairing will be better than Walker-Rose. Mark my words right now.”