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Thomas Frank’s days at Tottenham Hotspur seem numbered.

One of the game’s most trusted correspondents, David Ornstein, told NBC Sports that it’s a matter of “when and not if” he’s sacked by Spurs.

While it’s believed Frank will get the upcoming Champions League game against Borussia Dortmund, it seems he’ll need something monumental to keep his current role.

Tottenham Hotspur consider a huge potential Thomas Frank replacement

Recently-appointed assistant John Heitinga is naturally one of the favourites to take over in the interim, thanks to a lengthy CV of Premier League involvement and top-level management with Ajax.

But eyebrows would be raised if that’s where the Spurs hierarchy turned for their permanent replacement. They are, instead, said to be looking at an altogether bigger name.

According to Fichajes, Spurs are considering an approach for former Barcelona man Xavi.

The 45-year-old is currently out of work after departing Camp Nou in 2024, and it’s believed the north London outfit have followed Manchester United in making enquiries.

Tottenham may find they have an advantage in the race, though, as Fabrizio Romano has reported that the Red Devils are placing a heavy importance on Premier League experience for their hire, which may lead them elsewhere.

Also in Spurs’ favour is that Xavi is believed to strongly favour a shot at Premier League management, and has been learning English as a result.

Former Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso is another name to have been raised at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, according to the Independent, but he is said to believe greater opportunities will be open to him further down the line.

In FourFourTwo’s opinion, Xavi would be a huge hire for Spurs, and a strong show of intent.

Frank’s difficult half-season reign has shown that success is far from guaranteed, but anyone who can survive the pressure-cooker environment of the Barca dugout for three years, as Xavi did, is a worthy candidate.

Whether the former midfielder thinks Spurs is the right fit for him is another matter, as he would be taking over a team on course for their second consecutive bottom-half finish.

With a number of top jobs uncertain in England’s top tier, he may well wait until the summer to assess the full range of options available to him.

Tottenham Hotspur are widely reported to be considering replacing Thomas Frank.

The former Brentford man only moved to the north London outfit in the summer, but has so far failed to inspire any significant improvement from Ange Postecoglou’s reign.

Executives at Spurs are now reportedly raising the question of whether to dispense with the Dane.

Tottenham Hotspur line up Thomas Frank replacement

So far, Spurs have managed just seven Premier League wins in their first 22 games this season under Frank, accruing six draws and nine losses, which leaves them 14th in the table.

They’ve also bowed out of both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup, and are outside of the automatic qualification places in the Champions League league phase as things stand.

That has led some decision-makers at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to question Frank’s future at the club, and one potential successor has already emerged.

According to Dutch site AD, Spurs’ assistant manager, John Heitinga, is “at the top of the list of candidates” as a potential temporary successor.

The 42-year-old only joined Frank’s backroom team last week, but has senior experience with Ajax, the club that sacked him earlier this season after a run of poor results.

Heitinga has also spent time in the setups at West Ham United and Liverpool, the latter of which he actually took charge of a game, a 2-0 win over Newcastle United, with Arne Slot and assistant Sipke Hulshoff both suspended.

That experience, and his years with Everton during his playing career, give the former Dutch international a strong knowledge of the Premier League, which makes him such a strong candidate to take the reins from Frank should he be sacked.

In FourFourTwo’s opinion, Heitinga would undoubtedly be front of the queue to try and steady the ship after any Frank departure.

In fact, the move to bring Heitinga in itself may be cause for concern for Frank, as he has no past relationship with the Dutchman and his Premier League and first-team experience are ominous qualities in the circumstances.

It is, on the face of it, a coaching-team recruit, but it would have escaped the attention of Tottenham’s powerbrokers that he comes with strong senior experience.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham United today as the bitter London rivals scrap it out for a badly needed win, with FourFourTwo bringing you all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

There's no love lost between Spurs and the Hammers but the unfortunate truth is that most of the Premier League is looking down the table at both of them.

The home team aren't in any danger of relegation despite being winless in three and existing under an ever-growing cloud. Their visitors aren't in much danger of staying up.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information on how to watch Spurs vs West Ham online, on TV, and from anywhere.

Is Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham United on TV in the UK?

Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham United has fallen victim to the 3pm blackout in the UK, meaning no TV coverage or streaming at all.

For those not in the stadium, you'll have to tune into the radio, wait for highlights on Match of the Day or, if you're visiting the UK from abroad, use a VPN to access the coverage you usually enjoy back home.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham United in the US

Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham United will be available to stream live in the United States on Peacock.

How to watch Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham United in Australia

Football fans in Australia can watch Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham United through Stan Sport.

Is there a Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham United free live stream?

There is no dedicated free broadcaster covering Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham United but Amazon Prime Video is currently offering a seven-day free trial of Peacock Premium Plus for users in the US. You can sign up, watch the game, and cancel if you don't think you'll get much value from sticking around.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham United from anywhere

Away from home right now? You don't have to miss the game. The solution to your geo-restriction nightmares is a Virtual Private Network (VPN), a piece of software that can set your devices to appear to be in any country in the world.

You can use a VPN to unblock your usual streaming services while abroad, allowing you to connect and watch as if you were back home. You'll also get better playback quality and it will do wonders for your internet security – result!

FourFourTwo’s tech-obsessed office-mates over at Tom's Guide know everything there is to know about VPNs, and they rate NordVPN as the best VPN you can buy.

See also ► Premier League TV guide

Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham United: Premier League preview

There's been nothing for West Ham fans to shout about for some time but their last league outing was a salient low.

The Hammers scored first and lost at home to Nottingham Forest, not only Nuno Espirito Santo's old team and a relegation rival but one of only three opponents West Ham have beaten this term.

The outcome is that West Ham are now effectively eight points from safety with just 14 points after 21 games. Only Wolverhampton Wanderers have a worse goal difference.

Left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf is still at the Africa Cup of Nations with finalists Senegal and Nuno could also be without any or all of Lucas Paqueta, Konstantinos Mavropanos and Mateus Fernandes.

Tickets

Diouf's international teammate, Pape Matar Sarr, is also in Morocco and therefore absent for Thomas Frank's Spurs, who badly need a win of their own.

They've dropped as far as 14th in the table, winning just three of their 12 Premier League fixtures since the start of November.

One of their defeats in that time was against Aston Villa at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a result that was repeated in the FA Cup third round last weekend.

Spurs did manage to steal a march on Villa in the transfer market, though, securing the signing of Villa target Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid this week.

See also ► These are the cheapest ways to watch the Premier League this season

Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham United: Expected line-ups

FourFourTwo's prediction

Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 West Ham United

Spurs can't seem to get out of their own way at times but West Ham are the only team in the entire division to have lost their last two games.

Tottenham Hotspur have completed their second transfer of the January transfer window.

It's been a tough season so far for the Europa League champions, with new Tottenham boss Thomas Frank finding his side languishing in the bottom half of the table and out of the FA Cup after last week's third-round defeat to Aston Villa.

Despite bringing in new faces over the summer, however, Spurs are committed to continuing the club's rebuild this month, as they look to improve on a squad that finished 17th in the table last term.

Defender deal done for Tottenham Hotspur, on top of Conor Gallagher signing

Conor Gallagher has already been unveiled as a Lilywhites player, with the former Chelsea midfielder brought in for cover following a hamstring injury to Rodrigo Bentancur.

The England man has cost Spurs £35 million, according to the BBC, with another new face to come through the door in the coming days.

ESPN Brasil have reported that a move for Santos defender Souza has now been completed, for a fee believed to be around €15m.

Spurs originally offered €10m for the left-back but appear to have now reached an agreement, with this latest report claiming that, “This money is seen as essential to pay creditors and ward off the possibility of further sanctions from FIFA.”

After the Brazilian club sent Joao Basso on loan to Estoril Praia in Portugal in 2024, Estoril filed a lawsuit against them, with Santos apparently needing this latest transfer fee to settle the debt.

The Alvinegro have to pay just under €3m before a deadline to avoid a transfer ban.

FourFourTwo understands that Spurs are still in the market for further additions before the transfer window closes, as Frank targets European football next season.

Goalkeeper is one position that Spurs are being linked with in particular, with Antonin Kinsky likely to leave the club imminently and question marks over Guglielmo Vicario between the sticks.

Tottenham are said to be interested in the likes of Andriy Lunin, Bart Verbruggen and Mile Svilar as potential options to replace the Italian, who has been linked as a long-term replacement for Yann Sommer at Inter Milan.

Two under-pressure managers clash in a crucial London derby on Saturday, with both Thomas Frank and Nuno Espirito Santo in need of a win.

Spurs will be the favourites as they take on relegation-threatened West Ham, but there will be plenty of nerves on both sides.

Tottenham have won just two of their 10 home games in the Premier League, but could they be boosted by the return of Mohammed Kudus?

Mohammed Kudus injury latest ahead of Tottenham v West Ham

Kudus has been out of action since suffering a thigh injury in his side’s 1-1 draw with Sunderland on 4 January.

But a return against former club West Ham will not be happening, with the Ghana international set for a longer spell on the sidelines.

"Mohammed Kudus unfortunately is a bigger one to the tendon in the quad. That is one where we expect him back after the March international break,” Frank said earlier this month.

The forward has struggled for consistency since making the £55m switch across London, scoring two goals and providing six assists in 19 league appearances.

West Ham, meanwhile, have struggled to replace Kudus, after his five goals and three assists in 32 league appearances last term helped them steer clear of the bottom three.

His continued absence is a blow for Spurs, who have several other injury concerns as they look to arrest their worrying form.

Rodrigo Bentancur, Richarlison, Lucas Bergvall, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are all currently out, leaving Frank thin on options in attack.

Spurs have strengthened in midfield, though, with the signing of former Chelsea man Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid.

Frank’s side currently sit 14th in the Premier League and fans will demand immediate improvement.

West Ham are seven points adrift of safety after losing to Nottingham Forest last time out.

Dutch teenager Kees Smit is destined to leave the Eredivisie in the coming weeks and months with Premier League clubs among those keen to add the midfielder's progressive profile to their ranks.

Smit has come through at AZ and will almost certainly make the Dutch club a lot of money. For those who follow the UEFA Youth League, Smit and the unfancied AZ were crowned winners of the competition in 2022/23 despite the presence of many more prestigious and established academy sides.

En route to the final, where they defeated Hajduk Split 5-0, AZ had seen off Eintracht Frankfurt by the same scoreline, beaten Real Madrid 4-0 and Barcelona 3-0.

That same year, Smit represented AZ in the REWE Junior Cup - an indoor football tournament held in Germany, contested by professional sides. Unsurprisingly, Smit was named the competition's best player, shining as the tournament's most technically-gifted individual, amongst a crowded field, both figuratively and literally.

Arguably the highlight of Smit's tournament display was a goal versus Fulham in which he stole possession, rode challenges as he drove forward and despite being forced away from goal, had the foresight to kick the ball off the perimeter board and into the net, wrong-footing the goalkeeper and looking very smart in the process. We don't know if snooker is big in the Netherlands, but it was a perfect example of doubling in off the cushion.

Smit is all-action, and there's little hesitation to his game - he's got a certain tiki-taka about him.

Comparisons have been drawn to Spain's anchor Pedri, and while the Barcelona man is currently the more accomplished player, Smit probably has greater athleticism, which probably lends itself better, from an intensity and physicality standpoint, to adapting well to the Premier League.

As mentioned, Smit backs this up with great feet and all-round technical ability. He's flighty and robust, operates well in tight spaces and doesn't overcomplicate it.

Take his performance against Crystal Palace in the Europa Conference League, for example; the Eagles pretty quickly identified that stopping Smit at source - when he received the ball whilst facing his own goalkeeper - was the key to preventing AZ playing out from the back. The 19-year-old had other ideas, of course, with delicate dexterity and composure to break the first line of Palace's press, whenever appropriate. The youngster's decision-making shouldn't be overlooked, either.

It's emblematic of Smit's game as a whole - he finds gaps and bursts through them with a dribble or carry. Unlike other progressive players who are useful in transitional teams but less effective for possession-heavy sides, Smit does both.

Rarely is there a 'sure thing' in football as players can promise so much and see their progression derailed by injury or intra-club politics, but if we were to hedge our bets, we'd say Smit is a future Premier League star, not so far off the Kevin De Bruyne mould.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Alejo Veliz could become part of City Football Group by the end of the transfer window, according to a report.

Spurs signed 22-year-old Veliz from Rosario Central in August 2023. He went on to feature in eight Premier League matches, scoring once, before loan spells with Sevilla and Espanyol in Spain.

Last July, Spurs sent the Argentina Under-20 international back to Rosario on a season-long loan. Reporting in Brazil indicates that the plan for his season could be diverted away from his home-town club and into the Manchester City universe.

Tottenham forward Veliz is a target for a Manchester City sister club

UOL reports that Brazilian side Bahia is now in advanced negotiations to sign the young striker, truncating his loan back in Santa Fe.

“According to information obtained by UOL from sources close to the negotiation, an agreement in principle has already been reached with Tottenham,” writes Cesar Luis Merlo.

“In the coming days, Tottenham is expected to try to terminate the remaining six months of the striker's loan to Rosario Central in order to facilitate the transfer.

“The offer's value has not been officially disclosed, but the proposal is considered quite high.”

Veliz attracted the attention of the north London club with 17 goals in 53 top-flight appearances in Argentina but was unable to establish himself under former Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou.

He scored once in his two loans to La Liga, where he played for Sevilla and then Espanyol in a total of 20 league games.

Remaining in South America and playing under the auspices of City Football Group could open some doors for Veliz and help him to establish himself with regular first team football.

Bahia are majority-owned by City Football Group, which completed its takeover in the middle of 2023. They’re the current Baiano champions and began their defence with a 4-2 win over Jequie on Sunday.

Managed by legendary Sao Paulo goal-getting goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni, the Tricolor finished seventh in the national championship in 2025 to qualify for the Copa Libertadores.

Ceni is looking to strengthen his hand by adding a promising striker to a squad that already boasts three Argentinians as the new season gets underway.

Thomas Frank's future at Tottenham is continuing to look more and more bleak.

The Spurs boss has seen just one win in six in the Premier League, with the Lilywhites now 14th in the table as we pass the halfway point of the campaign.

Whilst it remains to be seen for now whether the Dane is replaced in North London, a former Arsenal hero has stuck the knife in, believing he knows exactly who should replace Frank should his time run out at Tottenham.

Despite sitting relatively safe in Europe, Spurs' debut campaign has been a poor one to say the least.

Just seven Premier League wins, their last coming away at Crystal Palace in late December, fans are once again looking to alternatives who could perhaps save their season.

Sol Campbell, who famously left Spurs for Arsenal back in 2001, has named a surprise candidate for the job, with the manager in question having only just been sacked by another Premier League club.

“Ruben Amorim [would be the ideal manager for Tottenham]," said Campbell, who spoke to Sky Bet.

"They’ll be looking at him. They’re probably talking to him now; it wouldn’t surprise me. I don’t think he’ll go back to Portugal. Tottenham will be talking to him to see if there’s any situation going on – there’ll be people talking behind the scenes.

“Thomas Frank is a top manager, but he’s not at Brentford anymore – it’s a different animal. Tottenham is a big club and people are demanding. They want success and they want to keep moving forward in a successful way. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re talking to other managers.

"Obviously, if he starts turning it around and winning games and having good performances, that helps.

Sometimes you don’t need to win, but if you can have good performances and show you’re moving in the right direction, that can help. But they will be talking to other managers. It’s part and parcel until you show who you are and start winning on a regular basis.”

What do you think? Should Tottenham look to move for Ruben Amorim should Frank leave? Let us know in the comments...

It's ironic so much has been made about set-plays, long throws and the ugly side of the game in the Premier League this season when the one player who epitomises it, is out on loan in Germany.

Luka Vuskovic started out at Hajduk Split in Croatia, debuting at 15 years of age and became the club's youngest-ever goalscorer in a league match five days after his 16th birthday. It was a sign of things to come.

The 6ft 4in central defender, who is currently on Tottenham's books, hails from a family of footballers which includes grandfather Mario, father Danijel and brother, also Mario.

Spurs loanee Luka Vuskovic is a monster in the air

Luka, though, promises to hit the heights none of his predecessors could, and that was apparent from a very early age.

At 16, shortly after breaking into - and staying in - the Hajduk Split team, Vuskovic signed a pre-contract agreement at Spurs, with the two clubs agreeing a reported £11 million fee.

He was subsequently sent on loan to Poland's top flight, before a spell in Belgium during 2024/25, where he finished the campaign as KVC Westerlo's second-top scorer on seven goals, as a centre-half.

This year, Vuskovic is with newly-promoted Hamburger SV in the Bundesliga where he's playing regularly and impressing.

Of the 90 aerial duels he has contested so far this term, he has won a staggering 74, at the time of writing, according to data experts Opta. In the Premier League this season, the only player who comes close to matching Vuskovic's 82 per cent aerial success rate is Virgil van Dijk, winning 77 per cent of his.

Few players anywhere in the world come close to matching the big Croatian for the sheer volume of aerial duels contested, and even fewer boast a success rate as high as the 18-year-old's.

It's for that reason that the teenager is a huge threat when it comes to attacking set-pieces, scoring regularly wherever he's been. When set-piece coach Andreas Georgson joined Spurs' coaching team along with Thomas Frank at the beginning of the season, he must have been licking his lips at the prospect of working with Vuskovic in a year's time - if they're still in situ, of course.

However, describing Vuskovic exclusively as some gargantuan Balkan obelisk would do a disservice to his ability in other areas. While he is clunkier in possession than the Micky van de Vens of the world, he is, like most modern centre-halves, comfortable on the ball, passing and carrying out of danger. Even though his style and gait running with the ball aren't exactly silky smooth, good luck regaining possession off him.

Elite box defender, check; penalty area homing missile, check. Coming to a league near you? Also check.

Conor Gallagher appears destined for the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this month with a fee reportedly agreed between Spurs and Spanish giants Atletico.

Gallagher has spent the past 18 months in Spain's capital working under respected Atleti boss Diego Simeone but is now set for a return to London with Thomas Frank's Spurs.

Tottenham find themselves in the bottom half of the Premier League table and out of both domestic cups, although the team are expected to progress to the knockout rounds of this season's Champions League.

Conor Gallagher signing doesn't solve Spurs' biggest problem

Frank's tenure has not gone to plan thus far, with the team struggling to fashion chances, in particular. Spurs have also punched above their weight in terms of goals scored versus Expected Goals (xG), which is widely regarded as an unsustainable practice.

The North Londoners have recorded the fourth-lowest xG tally in the Premier League this season, but have managed to score 30 goals. Their overperformance is partly down to strong finishing but this cannot be relied upon to continue throughout the second half of 2025/26.

Therefore, the signing of Gallagher has drawn criticism from some corners of the club's support, that they are signing a player deemed too similar to current midfield starter Joao Palhinha.

That is not strictly the case and Rodrigo Bentancur's three-month injury lay-off has necessitated the anticipated Gallagher purchase. The ex-Chelsea midfielder is more box-to-box than his Portuguese counterpart and has scored seven goals in 77 appearances for Atletico, but there certainly are similarities to their respective styles.

Whilst Palhinha is regarded as more combative, Gallagher can be trusted to transport the ball upfield more frequently and with greater success. Neither player is particularly effective at progressing the ball with their passing ability, though, which could be cause for concern for Frank.

Similarly, Palhinha and Gallagher are not prolific chance creators, which is hardly likely to help address their xG overperformance.

Alternatives in the middle of the park Lucas Bergvall, Pape Matar Sarr and Archie Gray are all lacking somewhat in the progressive passing department, placing in the 20th, 14th and 2nd percentile, respectively.

Gallagher is an improvement, ranking in the 31st percentile, however, it is still evidently not a strength of his.

Granted, Spurs' ball progression tends to come from the flanks with Pedro Porro and Djed Spence scoring favourably compared to their midfield teammates, but nullify these avenues and opponents will know that Spurs' ball progression through the middle relies on ball-carrying as opposed to line-breaking passes. Once an opposition manager realises this, it is easier to formulate a plan to stop it.