Sports Mole

Leeds United have been dealt a major injury blow ahead of their Premier League trip to Tottenham Hotspur on Monday night.

The Whites will secure survival if they can match or better West Ham United's result against Arsenal, but they will have to do so without Noah Okafor, who will miss his team's next two games with a calf strain.

The Switzerland international's blow comes during a rich vein of form for the attacker, who netted his sixth goal in seven Premier League games during Leeds' 3-1 win over Burnley two Fridays ago.

However, Daniel Farke has a few options competing to replace him, as Daniel James, Wilfried Gnonto, Lukas Nmecha and Brenden Aaronson are all vying for selection alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

As Nmecha came on for Okafor during the victory against the Clarets, he is seemingly first in line to deputise for his stricken teammate in Farke's 3-5-2 system.

Further back, James Justin will also be required to fill in for Gabriel Gudmundsson - nursing a hamstring injury - at left wing-back, but Ethan Ampadu, Ao Tanaka and Anton Stach are all raring to go in the middle.

Farke is also optimistic that Pascal Struijk will recover from a hip concern in time for Monday night, but if not, Sebastiaan Bornauw should slot into the backline alongside Joe Rodon and Jaka Bijol.

Leeds United possible starting lineup:

Darlow; Bijol, Struijk, Rodon; Bogle, Stach, Tanaka, Ampadu, Justin; Nmecha, Calvert-Lewin

> Click here to see how Tottenham could line up against Leeds

Check out Sports Mole's video preview for Tottenham vs. Leeds:

Tottenham Hotspur playmaker James Maddison could be in line for his first minutes of the season when the Lilywhites welcome Leeds United for Monday's crucial Premier League fixture.

The 29-year-old has been an unused substitute in each of Spurs' last two Premier League games after recovering from an ACL injury, and head coach Roberto De Zerbi talked him up in Thursday's pre-game press conference.

However, while De Zerbi claimed that he was "thinking" about using Maddison, he urged caution given the Englishman's lengthy layoff, so any minutes on Monday would certainly come in a late cameo.

Instead, Conor Gallagher should continue in the number 10 role after opening the scoring in last weekend's 2-1 win over Aston Villa, before Richarlison headed home his 10th league goal of the season.

The Brazilian was forced off injured late on at Villa Park, but he was not name-checked in De Zerbi's press conference, so he should be fine to spearhead an unchanged front four.

Randal Kolo Muani and Mathys Tel are shoo-ins out wide given Spurs' injury woes, but ex-Leeds youngster Archie Gray will likely be denied a start against his old club as Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha continue in the middle.

First-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is still not ready to return from hernia surgery, so Antonin Kinsky will continue in between the sticks behind an identical back four.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Kinsky; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bentancur, Palhinha; Kolo Muani, Gallagher, Tel; Richarlison

> Click here to see how Leeds could line up against Tottenham

Check out Sports Mole's video preview for Tottenham vs. Leeds:

A blockbuster bottom-half battle closes Premier League gameweek 36, as Tottenham Hotspur and Leeds United collide at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday night.

The Lilywhites could win three straight top-flight matches for the first time this season, while their Yorkshire counterparts will be mathematically safe with an 11th triumph of the term.

Match preview

Survival specialists Sean Dyche and Sam Allardyce may have answered the phone had Tottenham come calling, but the hosts decided to gamble with the long-term vision of Roberto De Zerbi, and that gamble is - whisper it quietly - paying off.

Across gameweeks 33, 34 and 35, only two teams picked up more Premier League points than the Europa League holders, who recovered from the heartbreak of their Brighton & Hove Albion draw with gritty back-to-back wins in the West Midlands.

After earning Premier League win number one of 2026 at Wolverhampton Wanderers, Tottenham capitalised on Aston Villa's Europa League distraction with a merited 2-1 success at Villa Park, where Conor Gallagher and Richarlison produced the goods in the opening 25 minutes.

Also indebted to Brentford for doing them a favour against West Ham United, Spurs start the weekend with their fate in their own hands, lying 17th in the Premier League table with a one-point buffer over the Irons.

West Ham can leapfrog the Lilywhites with a shock victory over Arsenal on Sunday, when Tottenham fans should put their North London rivalry to one side for a couple of hours, and their team could be four points clear of the drop zone with two games remaining in this gameweek's dream scenario.

The hosts' appalling home record of 11 points from 17 games may not carry much weight on Monday too, as the De Zerbi impact is backed up by the stats; his Tottenham side have won possession in the final third 5.3 times per match on average, the highest figure for any manager who has taken charge of 4+ games in the 2025-26 Premier League.

Leeds' improvements have been noticeable over the past few months rather than the past few matches, and Daniel Farke's men could even have their Premier League safety assured before kicking a ball on Monday night.

Seven points clear of West Ham with three games remaining, the Whites can no longer be relegated if the Irons lose to Arsenal on Sunday; otherwise, they simply need to match or better the Hammers' result to stay up.

Monday's visitors are already in an incredibly advantageous position, though, as no team has ever been relegated from the Premier League with their current total of 43 points, 10 of which have been won across their last four matches.

Shaking off the Chelsea-inflicted FA Cup semi-final heartbreak at Wembley, Leeds strode to a 3-1 victory over doomed Burnley two Fridays ago, as Anton Stach, Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewin helped extend their side's unbeaten Premier League run to six matches.

Farke's charges have also avoided defeat in each of their last six league games on the road, although they would already be safe had they been able to convert draws into wins away from home, where they have played out a staggering eight stalemates from their last 10 in the top flight.

The Whites were also edged out 2-1 by Spurs at Elland Road in October, which marked Tottenham's fifth consecutive Premier League win over Monday's visitors, a streak that includes an enthralling 4-3 home victory in late 2022.

Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Leeds United Premier League form:

Leeds United form (all competitions):

Team News

Tottenham were handed a couple of customary injury scares at Villa Park, where Rodrigo Bentancur and Richarlison were forced off the field, but the pair are expected to be fine for Monday's game.

However, the clash should come too soon for Dominic Solanke (hamstring), while Guglielmo Vicario (hernia), Dejan Kulusevski (knee), Wilson Odobert (knee), Ben Davies (ankle), Mohammed Kudus (thigh), Xavi Simons (knee) and Cristian Romero (knee) are still sidelined.

An unused substitute two weeks running, James Maddison may be in line for his first minutes of the season against Leeds, although they would undoubtedly come off the bench.

As for Leeds, Farke delivered a crushing blow in his pre-game press conference, revealing that in-form attacker Okafor had picked up a calf injury and would not be available for his side's next two games.

The Switzerland international was aiming to build on a stellar return of seven goal involvements from his last seven Premier League games, including six strikes of his own - one every 68 minutes.

Lukas Nmecha and Brenden Aaronson will compete to deputise for Okafor, who is joined in the treatment room by Gabriel Gudmundsson (thigh) and Ilia Gruev (knee), but Pascal Struijk (hip) might be in contention to play.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Kinsky; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bentancur, Palhinha; Kolo Muani, Gallagher, Tel; Richarlison

Leeds United possible starting lineup:

Darlow; Bijol, Struijk, Rodon; Bogle, Stach, Tanaka, Ampadu, Justin; Nmecha, Calvert-Lewin

We say: Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Leeds United

Prior to the start of gameweek 36, Leeds' Okafor boasted the best minutes-per-goal ratio of any Premier League player to play at least 200 minutes since February 1, so his absence on Monday could prove devastating for the Whites.

However, the omissions of Simons, Romero, Kulusevski and co have not majorly hampered a Tottenham side playing with greater intensity and belief, and we can picture the De Zerbi-inspired Lilywhites edging closer to survival with another huge three points.

Ahead of Monday night’s Premier League battle between relegation-threatened Tottenham Hotspur and Leeds United, hear what the Sports Mole team have to say about the upcoming contest.

Ben Knapton, Site Coordinator: ‘Really difficult to see Spurs going down’

Feels like there's been a massive shift in this relegation battle now… I do think now Spurs will stay up because that Aston Villa win, following up the Wolves win, if they had not won, that would've been disastrous, against obviously the 20th-placed side.

But against an Aston Villa team, who admittedly made a lot of changes, they weren't in the best form before the game, losing to Fulham and Forest without scoring.

Villa looked like they didn't want to be there really and Spurs, to be fair to them, they had to take advantage and they did.

A brilliant finish from [Conor] Gallagher. It would've been so Spurs if they had blown it at the end when [Emiliano] Buendia flicked in that header, but I think there was never any danger of Spurs losing that.

You saw the celebrations at the end. It is a huge result for Spurs because their fate is now in their own hands, and you've seen a shift in the way that they've been playing under [Roberto] De Zerbi straight away.

When he was appointed, I was worried that it was a big gamble because it was such a shift from Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor. Would the Spurs players have enough time to get his methods into their heads before the end of the season?

But to be fair, they have. They're pressing high. They're winning possession in the final third 5.3 times per game under De Zerbi, which is the most for any team under any manager in the Premier League this season.

He's implemented that style straight away. The players have taken to him, they've taken to his methods, and it is now really difficult to see Spurs going down.

Matt Law, Football Editor: ‘Spurs will fancy their chances against Leeds’

I always thought [Spurs] needed a player to step forward in that run. Who is it going to be? You're looking through, and for me in the last two games, that's been Conor Gallagher.

He's a really good player Conor Gallagher. He went away to Atletico, came back to Tottenham for big money and big wages and he did not start great. I think he was struggling

But against Wolves, I thought he was really good, really disciplined performance, and he got on the scoresheet last time out in the win at Villa.

I fancied Tottenham to maybe nick a point against Villa. Didn't really expect them to go and win, but Villa were poor again.

I always felt just a weird feeling of Tottenham staying up. I just couldn't imagine Tottenham in the Championship next season.

Football throws up surprises all the time, we know that, but I just couldn't see it. I'm not saying that's definitely going to be the case, because if West Ham go and beat Arsenal in their game, it's game on in terms of the relegation battle.

In fairness to Tottenham, they've taken a lot of stick, but to put back-to-back wins on the board at this stage of the season and going to this game… it was a few weeks ago when a lot of Chelsea fans were saying, 'We could relegate Tottenham when we play them.'

But they're going to be going into that game in better form than Chelsea are even if Chelsea win this weekend and Tottenham lose, just because of the recent results.

Tottenham will fancy their chances I think of getting a good result here, especially as Leeds are probably safe. A really big game for Tottenham and they've got to go and win it.

Oliver Thomas, Senior Reporter: "A lot of credit needs to go to Farke"

Three wins and three draws [for Leeds] in the last six games. They've been in really good form. They beat Burnley 3-1 at Elland Road last week. That was their 10th league win of the season.

I think a lot of credit needs to go to head coach Daniel Farke. A lot of people before the season questioned whether he could keep Leeds up, having previously struggled as a Premier League manager with Norwich.

But he's found a way to make his team a competitive outfit in the Premier League, and I think ever since he changed his formation midway through that game against Man City at the end of November, changing to a back five with wing backs, they've just looked a completely different team now.

They've only lost four of the last 22 Premier League games. Just four. That run of form is what's likely to keep them up now.

If they win against Spurs, they will be safe with two games to go, so credit deserves to go to Farke and some of the key players.

The likes of [Dominic] Calvert-Lewin who, after struggling a bit at Everton last season, is their top scorer with 12 Premier League goals, so he's done well for them.

Noah Okafor has enjoyed a great run of form in recent months, six goals and three assists in his last 10 games in all competitions.

They looked solid in midfield with [Ethan] Ampadu, [Ao] Tanaka and [Anton] Stach. All of those are likely to play on Monday. They’ve looked decent at the back as well, so they can head to North London with confidence despite Spurs' recent revival.

I think Leeds will still back themselves to maybe get something from this game. It won't be easy of course, but I think Leeds can go there with a lot of confidence now, and they've got that motivation to rubber-stamp safety with a win on Monday.

Liverpool are reportedly among several clubs showing strong interest in signing Luka Vuskovic from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer transfer window.

Vuskovic joined Spurs in the summer of 2025 for a fee of around £12m, but was immediately loaned to Hamburger SV in search of regular first-team football.

The 19-year-old has enjoyed an outstanding campaign in Germany, scoring five goals in 26 appearances, including a standout display in the 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich.

Several pundits have urged Bayern to move for the Croatian defender, but the German club’s sporting director Claus Costa has confirmed that the youngster is expected to return to Spurs at the end of the season.

Liverpool plot move to sign Luka Vuskovic?

According to Football Insider, Liverpool are among the clubs monitoring the teenage centre-back as part of their defensive rebuild this summer.

Jeremy Jacquet is due to arrive from Rennes, while Giovanni Leoni will return for pre-season after missing almost the entire campaign with an ACL injury.

Liverpool would also receive a further boost if Ibrahima Konate commits his future to the club, with a new contract reportedly expected in the coming weeks.

However, with Joe Gomez likely to leave and Virgil van Dijk entering the latter stages of his career, another central defensive addition would still make sense.

The Reds have been strongly linked with Alessandro Bastoni, but Vuskovic now appears to be another name under consideration.

Difficult for Liverpool to sign Luka Vuskovic

The report adds that Liverpool would face competition from Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Chelsea in the race for the Croatian’s signature.

The greater obstacle, however, may be persuading Spurs to sell, given how highly they rate the youngster and how central they view him to their long-term plans, regardless of which division they are playing in next season.

Tottenham Hotspur's battle against relegation from the Premier League will continue on Monday evening when they welcome Leeds United to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Spurs are currently 17th in the Premier League table, one point above 18th-placed West Ham United, who are in action on Sunday afternoon against Arsenal.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up Tottenham’s latest injury and suspension news ahead of their clash with Leeds, who occupy 14th, seven points outside of the relegation zone.

Xavi Simons

Status: Out

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date: Unknown

Simons has undergone surgery on the ACL injury that he suffered in the recent Premier League clash vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers, and the Netherlands international is now facing a lengthy period on the sidelines.

Dominic Solanke

Status: Out

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: May 19 (vs. Chelsea)

There had been fears that a hamstring injury would keep Solanke out for the remainder of the season, but the striker could be back against Chelsea on May 19.

Ben Davies

Status: Out

Type of injury: Ankle

Possible return date: May 19 (vs. Chelsea)

Davies has not featured for Spurs since breaking his ankle in January, but the Wales international is on course to return before the end of the campaign.

Mohammed Kudus

Status: Out

Type of injury: Thigh

Possible return date: Unknown

Kudus has reportedly decided against surgery on a thigh injury in the hope that he might be available to represent Ghana at the 2026 World Cup, but the attacker will miss the remainder of Tottenham's 2025-26 campaign.

Wilson Odobert

Status: Out

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date: Unknown

Odobert ruptured his ACL against Newcastle in February, and the attacker will therefore not be back on the sidelines until either late this year or in early 2027.

Dejan Kulusevski

Status: Out

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date: Unknown

Kulusevski is continuing his recovery process from a serious knee injury, and there is still a slight chance that the attacker could play for Sweden at the 2026 World Cup, but he has not made a single appearance for Spurs this term.

Guglielmo Vicario

Status: Out

Type of injury: Groin

Possible return date: Unknown

Vicario has missed Tottenham's last four matches with a hernia, and it is still unclear whether the goalkeeper will feature before the end of the campaign.

Cristian Romero

Status: Out

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date: Unknown

Romero suffered a knee injury in the loss to Sunderland last month, and the Argentina international will be absent for the remainder of the season, but he could still feature at the 2026 World Cup.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR’S SUSPENSION LIST

Tottenham Hotspur have no players unavailable due to suspension.

You can watch our preview of the match below

Roberto De Zerbi has confirmed that Tottenham Hotspur striker Dominic Solanke could return from injury before the end of the season, potentially against Chelsea.

Spurs sit 17th in the Premier League table with 37 points from 35 matches, just one point and one place above West Ham United.

Although their survival hopes still hang in the balance, the North London club can at least draw encouragement from recent performances.

Tottenham have won back-to-back Premier League games for the first time this calendar year after away victories over Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa.

In a campaign ravaged by injuries, De Zerbi may finally have received some positive news from the medical department.

Dominic Solanke injury update - boost for Spurs

Solanke suffered his injury during the 1-0 victory against Wolves, and initial fears suggested he could miss the remainder of the season.

Reports claimed the England striker sustained a grade-two hamstring injury, an issue that typically requires several weeks of recovery.

De Zerbi has now revealed that Solanke is progressing ahead of schedule and could still play a role during the closing weeks of the campaign.

Tottenham face Leeds United on Monday night, and while that fixture may come too soon for the striker, he could potentially return for the clash at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea on 19 May.

“Dominic Solanke is improving very quickly,” De Zerbi said, as quoted by Sky Sports News.

“I don’t know if he can be available [against Leeds]. We hope for the next game in Stamford Bridge.”

Tottenham's injury crisis has hurt them badly

Spurs are already without a long list of important players, including Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert, Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski, Cristian Romero, Richarlison, Ben Davies and Rodrigo Bentancur alongside Solanke.

De Zerbi also confirmed that first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who underwent minor hernia surgery in March, is still unavailable.

Meanwhile, James Maddison has returned to training, but the midfielder is not yet ready to feature, leaving Spurs desperately short of options during a crucial stage of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly preparing for a significant defensive restructuring this summer as Roberto De Zerbi looks to put his own stamp on the first-team squad.

The relegation-threatened Lilywhites have endured a challenging campaign in the Premier League, but the arrival of the former Brighton & Hove Albion boss has signalled a new tactical direction in North London.

Central to this evolution is the recruitment of ball-playing defenders who are comfortable operating in a high-intensity, possession-based system.

While the club remain focused on securing their top-flight status for another year, the hierarchy are already believed to be identifying primary targets to bolster a backline that has lacked consistency throughout the term.

Spurs 'ramp up' pursuit of De Zerbi's former player

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Spurs are set to intensify their interest in Jan Paul van Hecke despite mounting competition from several Premier League heavyweights.

The 25-year-old has established himself as a cornerstone of the Brighton defence over the past two seasons, attracting enquiries from both Liverpool and Chelsea in recent weeks.

De Zerbi is widely regarded as a keen admirer of the Dutchman and believes a reunion at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium could be pivotal to his long-term project.

While the Seagulls are likely to demand a substantial fee for a player with growing international aspirations, the connection with his former manager may give Spurs a significant advantage.

The Lilywhites are said to be keen to finalise their primary targets early in the window to ensure a smooth transition into the next campaign.

Defensive overhaul looms as Romero and Van de Ven could depart

The rumoured pursuit of Van Hecke coincides with expected major departures from the North London club as Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven reportedly eye exits this summer.

Van Hecke provides the tactical versatility and progressive passing range that De Zerbi requires to build play from the back effectively.

Spurs have already secured an agreement in principle for Marcos Senesi from Bournemouth, suggesting a total refresh of the central defensive options is underway.

Tottenham Hotspur have offered their support to midfielder Xavi Simons following confirmation that he has undergone surgery on an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

The 23-year-old was forced off on a stretcher holding his right knee during the second half of Spurs’ crucial 1-0 Premier League victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux following a collision with Hugo Bueno.

After carrying out tests to assess the severity of the injury, it was confirmed 48 hours after the match that Simons has ruptured his ACL, ruling the Netherlands international out for the rest of the season and the 2026 World Cup.

Tottenham have since taken to social media and their official website to post an image of Simons shortly after undergoing surgery, confirming that “the procedure was completed on Tuesday (May 5) and our number seven will now commence his recovery and rehabilitation process.”

On X, Spurs posted: "Surgery complete. We'll be with you every step of the way during your recovery @xavisimons”

Simons has also taken to social media to provide an update to his followers, posting a collection of images along with the caption: "I went missin, on a mission just perfecting my craft. Intro done. Now we rise”

One of the images in Simons’s post read: “Best advice for being alone? Embrace it. The biggest lessons in life are learnt when you have to go through things alone”.

Simons has received an outpouring of support from several of his Tottenham teammates, including fellow Dutchman Micky van de Ven, Richarlison, Djed Spence, Mathys Tel, Kevin Danso and Pape Sarr.

Simons could miss up to 30 games for club and country after ACL surgery

Simons is now set for “a lengthy spell out”, and it is widely thought that the midfielder could remain sidelined until 2027.

Should that prove to be the case, Simons could miss up to 30 matches for club and country across all competitions for the rest of the calendar year.

Simons is guaranteed to miss the Netherlands’ three Group F matches at this summer’s World Cup against Japan, Sweden and Tunisia, as well as a warm-up fixture before the tournament begins against Algeria in early June.

The 34-cap international is also expected to miss all six of the Netherlands’ UEFA Nations League fixtures scheduled between September and November this year – home and away games against Germany, Greece and Serbia.

At club level, Simons could be sidelined for the first half of the 2026-27 season, and should Spurs avoid relegation from the Premier League this term, they could have as many as 18 top-flight fixtures pencilled into their diary up until the end of December this year.

This season, Spurs played 18 times in the Premier League between August and December 2025, as well as two EFL Cup ties, and a similar fixture plan is set to be applied for the next campaign, though Tottenham’s EFL Cup participation will depend on how far they progress in the tournament.

Xavi Simons’s numbers for Tottenham in all competitions

⚽️ Games: 41

⚽️ Goals: 5

⚽️ Assists: 6

⚽️ Minutes played: 2,569

⚽️ Starts: 28

⚽️ Substitute appearances: 13

⚽️ Wins: 12

⚽️ Draws: 10

⚽️ Losses: 19

Since joining Spurs from RB Leipzig for a reported £51.8m in August 2025, Simons has played 41 times for the North Londoners in all competitions, scoring five goals and registering six assists.

Simons scored three of those goals across 10 Champions League outings before Spurs were beaten 8-5 on aggregate by Atletico Madrid in the last 16 – he scored twice in a 3-2 second-leg win over the Spanish side.

The versatile playmaker has also contributed to seven goals (two goals, five assists) in 28 Premier League games this term, with Tottenham currently sitting 17th in the table and just one point clear of the relegation zone with three matches remaining.

Tottenham Hotspur are accelerating plans for a major defensive rebuild ahead of next season, despite not knowing which division they will be competing in just yet.

With uncertainty surrounding several key stars, manager Roberto De Zerbi is already targeting familiar faces to reshape Spurs at the back.

And one of his former centre-backs has now emerged as a priority target in the form of Jan Paul van Hecke.

Tottenham step up pursuit of Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke

Tottenham are 'stepping up their pursuit' of Van Hecke ahead of what is expected to be a transformative summer in north London, per TEAMtalk.

The 25-year-old has impressed consistently for Brighton & Hove Albion over the past two seasons and is now viewed internally by Spurs as one of the standout defensive options available.

De Zerbi is particularly keen on a reunion after previously managing the Netherlands international at Brighton, where the defender flourished under the Italian’s guidance.

With doubts lingering over the futures of both Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, Tottenham are preparing for significant defensive changes regardless of whether they avoid relegation.

Liverpool and Chelsea also want Jan Paul van Hecke

Tottenham are far from alone in the race, however.

Liverpool and Chelsea have both made enquiries for Van Hecke in recent weeks, with Brighton believed to value the Dutchman at around £50 million.

The Reds are searching for defensive reinforcements amid uncertainty around their current backline, while the Blues continue to assess centre-back targets as part of their ongoing rebuild.

Despite that competition, Spurs believe their existing relationship through De Zerbi could hand them an important advantage, particularly if the player is tempted by the idea of reuniting with the coach who helped elevate his game.

Roberto De Zerbi eyes familiarity at Spurs next season

De Zerbi has never hidden his admiration for Van Hecke.

Back in 2023, the Spurs boss described him as “incredible” and praised both his personality and rapid development, highlighting his courage, attitude and professionalism.

That familiarity could be the trump card in the race for his signature. If Tottenham are about to lose major defensive figures like Romero and Van de Ven, then bringing in a player who already understands De Zerbi’s methods could ease the transition considerably.

Van Hecke would offer composure on the ball, physical presence and Premier League experience, which is exactly the kind of profile Spurs need if they are to rebuild a defence that has looked increasingly fragile this season.

For Tottenham, this feels less like a gamble and more like a calculated attempt to build around players De Zerbi already trusts.