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Tottenham Hotspur are more focused on finishing the last two games of the 2025/26 Premier League season strong than who they are going to sign in the summer transfer window, but any good club needs to plan early for the transfer market lest they end up falling dangerously behind the curve - and that is doubly so for a club that is coming off an embarrassing season.

According to Give Me Sport transfer insider Ben Jacobs, there are four big areas where Tottenham could be making signings this summer. Jacobs says that while Micky van de Ven looks poised to stay, fellow center back Cristian Romero is more out than in, and it is likely Spurs will be signing a new starting central defender to take over for the Argentinian and captain.

Meanwhile, a new center midfielder to replace Joao Palhinha, who could end up going back to Bayern Munich despite Roberto De Zerbi taking a liking to the Portuguese international, is one possibility. Another is a new winger to compete with the young stable of Mohammed Kudus, Mathys Tel, Wilson Odobert, and returning loan standout Mikey Moore of Rangers fame.

Tottenham need a new striker

The final signing and perhaps the most important for Tottenham Hotspur to upgrade their most pressing need as an organization, goals, is a new No. 9. Jacobs says that Richarlison is still generating interest from Saudi Pro League clubs in 2026, and the other main striker on the books permanently (Randal Kolo Muani is on loan from PSG, and nobody expects that to be continued), Dominic Solanke, is also generating interest from Saudi Arabia.

So if Tottenham were to sell one or both strikers, they would definitely need an upgrade up top. Therefore, center back and striker to replace departures look like two moves that are strongly expected to happen, while midfield and winger are other areas Spurs could use to upgrade, especially depending on how things shake out in the summer transfer window.

Winger should not be overlooked despite the promise of Odobert, Moore, and Tel. Tottenham were after Savinho in the last summer transfer window but could not get Manchester City to agree to his sale with Rodrygo Goes not leaving Real Madrid, and then in both the summer and winter windows, Spurs badly whiffed and missed out on Ademola Lookman, who has since gone on to be a real difference maker for Atletico Madrid in La Liga.

Tottenham Hotspur have two more games left in the 2025/26 Premier League season against Chelsea and Everton, and these are two tough matchups to ensure their survival over West Ham United, whom they hold a measly two point advantage over after drawing Leeds United on Monday Night Football - the same Leeds who could decide both West Ham's and Tottenham's fate on the last day of the season when they face the Hammers.

As Tottenham fight tooth and nail to stay up, they have already been hard at work on the transfer market, and one of the signings they have in the bag, if they are to stay up in the Premier League, is reportedly center back Marcos Senesi.

Now, according to Fabrizio Romano, it is official that Senesi will leave AFC Bournemouth this summer transfer window and hit the free agent waters, where Tottenham Hotspur or another interested party can sign the player for free. Spurs are not the only big Premier League club interested in one of the top center backs of the 2025/26 season, but they have reportedly agreed to terms to sign him if they remain in the Premier League.

Marcos Senesi is a step closer to Spurs

Although, as Fab says, Senesi hitting free agency was never really in doubt, this is official confirmation that the Argentinian international is available and potentially one step away from joining Spurs.

But for Spurs fans, Marcos Senesi being available isn't something they are celebrating. At 29, Senesi has no resale value or future value, and while he is good at winning possession, that's the only thing he could do to potentially replace Cristian Romero if the captain and World Cup winner (and Europa League winner) were to leave this summer.

For Tottenham fans, the priority should be keeping Romero over letting him go. Even though Luka Vuskovic could step in and do an even better job than Romero, the veteran's ability on the ball and Premier League experience would be missed, and he is going to be so much better in a new direction under manager Roberto De Zerbi than he looked under the woeful Thomas Frank.

At the wages Senesi would get as a free agent, he could be a bad signing in the making. There are other options out there at center back, and Tottenham fans don't want to see the cash grabbing front office use Senesi being a free agent as an excuse not to actually be ambitious in the window.

Tottenham Hotspur suddenly have a goalkeeper dilemma thanks to the return of Guglielmo Vicario from hernia surgery, but Roberto De Zerbi must stick with Antonín Kinsky between the posts.

Spurs have just two games to preserve their Premier League status. We are in control of our own fate, but few feel comfortable heading into Tuesday night's clash with Chelsea, and not merely because of our woeful Premier League record at Stamford Bridge.

Much rests on Sunday's encounter between Newcastle United and West Ham United. Reassuringly, Eddie Howe has asserted the significance of this fixture for the hosts, who can improbably qualify for Europe but will want to finish above rivals Sunderland, and the Magpies have previously done us a massive favour at a similar juncture before.

A win for West Ham would see them usurp the Lilywhites in the table, placing immense pressure on our trip to west London a little over 48 hours later. Anything but three points for the Irons on Tyneside should allow us to breathe easier, with a rare victory at the Bridge securing our safety.

A fraught, nerve-shredding week is upon us, folks, and we can only hope the significance of the situation doesn't distort De Zerbi's thinking. There's no need to make a change at the goalkeeper position.

Kinsky should not lose his spot despite Vicario's injury return

Vicario has a tendency to berate to compensate for his own misgivings, but I appreciate his character and believe his woeful statistical campaign is largely a result of the hernia he carried for much of it.

The Italian is a chaotic shot-stopper who's capable of the spectacular, but he's been one-upped by his back-up in recent weeks.

Kinsky has recovered from his Madrid nightmare remarkably well. His string of impressive performances, culminating in an outstanding save from Sean Longstaff on Monday night against Leeds United, is a testament to his character, and although Spurs will be in the market for a goalkeeper this summer, Kinsky may well start 2026/27 as our No. 1.

Vicario is moving on, with Scudetto holders Inter Milan interested. The time is right for a return home, with the former Empoli man capable of re-emerging as an exciting, somewhat reliable goalkeeper should he fully recover from his most recent fitness setback.

It seemed as if Vicario was done for the season, given Kinsky's level of performances and his consistent place in 'normal' clothing on the substitutes bench. However, pictures have emerged of Vicario back in training ahead of Tuesday's game, raising fears that De Zerbi could make a goalkeeper switch he simply doesn't need to make.

Kinsky is far better suited to what the Italian wants from his man between the posts than the often unsteady Vicario, who's more easily flummoxed when dealing with the high ball and cannot be trusted to adhere to De Zerbi's demands in possession. He also hasn't played in almost two months.

It's a massive call that could decide Tottenham's fate. I trust De Zerbi to make the right one.

It is all on the line on Tuesday night for Tottenham Hotspur when they take on Chelsea in the Premier League, and regardless of what happens between Newcastle United and West Ham United on Sunday, Spurs need a positive response against a Blues side that embarrassed them earlier in the 2025/26 Premier League campaign under Thomas Frank.

Here are five players Roberto De Zerbi absolutely has to start on Tuesday at Stamford Bridge if he wants to get all the points against one of Spurs biggest rivals.

GK Antonin Kinsky

It looks like Guglielmo Vicario is about to come back from his hernia repair, but that should not matter one bit. Antonin Kinsky has been the better keeper these past few weeks and put on his best performance to date against Leeds United. De Zerbi cannot bench this guy.

CB Micky van de Ven

Micky van de Ven has really risen to the occasion under De Zerbi, shedding a few months of terrible football to return to form as the center back Tottenham needed. To complete saving his reputation, Van de Ven needs to keep playing well, but he is the best they have right now, no doubt.

RB Pedro Porro

Pedro Porro is another top player who is back to living up to his billing with Roberto De Zerbi in charge. He has quietly been one of the team's best players since the Italian manager took over, and with no other alternative at right back, he may be the most obvious starter of them all.

CM Rodrigo Bentancur

Conor Gallagher and Joao Palhinha have been impressing lately, but Rodrigo Bentancur has been the real glue guy in midfield, to the point where Tottenham Hotspur fans aren't even pining about the promising Archie Gray sitting on the bench. Bentancur has been Spurs best player over the past few weeks since De Zerbi taking charge, totally undoing the narrative he was writing about himself in the first half of the season under Thomas Frank.

LW Mathys Tel

Although Luka Vuskovic has been the main breakout star and the best center back in European football this season at Hamburg, the other Tottenham Hotspur loanees have also been highly impressive in the 2025/26 season. Vuskovic has now overshadowed him, but before the new campaign started, winger and attacking midfielder Mikey Moore was the biggest gem in the Spurs ranks whom the fans were most keen to see getting regular playing time.

It took Moore some time to get started, and there were even a few Rangers fans who thought his loan was a dud early in the season. But a change to a more competent manager unlocked Moore, who has truly shown his level under the biggest spotlight and in the biggest games, scoring in multiple Old Firm Derbies for Rangers vs. Celtic as THE standout player on the pitch.

His quality, work rate, clutch factor, one on one ability, and bravery on the ball have earned him huge admirers among Rangers fans, and Tottenham Hotspur supporters are definitely excited to see him back in a Lilywhite kit after he already flashed his potential in North London during his debut season in the 2024/25 campaign under Ange Postecoglou.

Mikey Moore is ready to return to Spurs

But because Rangers fans have been pining for him and Tottenham were struggling badly over the last couple of months, there were rumblings that maybe Mikey Moore may not be back at N17 for the 2026/27 season.

Clearly, that's not the case. Speaking at the most recent Rangers press conference, Moore wowed everyone with a very mature showing that made him sound like a 30 year old captain and leader, and he made it 100 percent certain that he sees his future at Tottenham.

Moore said, via Daily Hotspur, "There is a new manager at Spurs at the moment. Obviously, I am a Spurs player, so I will go back and continue to work hard."

It sounds like in the same way Conor Gallagher, Micky van de Ven, and the current senior players at Tottenham have been galvanized by Roberto De Zerbi taking charge of the club, Moore has been bit by the bug and is excitd about being a Spur next season, invoking the new manager specifically, too.

Now, even before De Zebri, Moore was showing that he was still a Spur, but this confirms it. And although Spurs are getting closer to Premier League safety, nothing is guaranteed, so the best part of this quote is that Moore did not cage it with any mention of staying up in the Premier League or a "What if?" scenario. He is Tottenham through and through.

Tottenham Hotspur forward Randal Kolo Muani joined the squad on transfer deadline day as a loan signing from PSG, and Fabio Paratici and the rest of the club's brass thought he would be a sound addition to bring experience and goals to a front line that had trouble finding the back of the net last season.

Instead, Kolo Muani has been an unmitigated disaster, making Timo Werner look like a top player at Spurs in comparison. He has been one of the worst loan signings and one of the worst strikers in the recent history of the Spurs, scoring just one goal with one assist in 20 Premier League starts and 28 total appearances this season.

Many thought that Didier Deschamps would still call the forwrd up to the French national team for the 2026 World Cup in North America this summer, seeing as how he snuck into the team at the last World Cup and even drew important starts despite being terrible for Les Bleus.

Randal Kolo Muani got what was coming to him

Well, despite what many reporters around France were saying, Deschamps has sought reason, and he has chosen against Randal Kolo Muani for the French national team, instead selecting the much more well rounded, consistent, and accurate Jean-Philippe Mateta from Crystal Palace.

So despite Juventus still showing incessant interest in scooping up Kolo Muani after his loan deal from Paris to North London expires at the end of the 2025/26 season, Kolo Muani's shockingly dreadful campaign with Tottenham Hotspur is not being rewarded - and his stock has indeed suffered as a consequence.

While Spurs supporters will not be celebrating Kolo Muani missing the World Cup since this notoriously moody striker will probably use this as another reason to mentally check out of a team he clearly hasn't cared about this season, it is a reminder to underperforming players that there is a sense of justice and even the worst national team coaches aren't going to let you coast by if you play like utter garbage.

With Dominic Solanke injured in the thick of this Premier League relegation fight, Kolo Muani has remained horrendous, playing another anonymous game as a starter in the Spurs attack during their 1-1 draw with Leeds United. Spurs can only fear what drivel Kolo Muani will serve up on the pitch going forward, but at least any French fans of Tottenham won't have to see RKM stink up the joint for their contending national team this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur attacking midfielder James Maddison came onto the pitch off the bench for the first time this season after an ACL tear late in the 2024/25 campaign, and he immediately gave Spurs real hope. In fact, had Jarred Gillet and the VAR team made the right call after clear contact in the box with Lukas Nmecha, Maddison may have even been the catalyst to a massive, potentially season saving three points for the Lilywhites.

Instead, Maddison is at the heart of a controversy, and though the Tottenham faithful have been quite boisterous about a series of horrendous calls that have gone against them all season long, Vinai Venkatesham, who certainly isn't beating the allegations that he is an Arsenal fan at heart, and the club have been surprisingly mum.

Maddison was not, and he made a post on social media respectfully pointing out the contact. Well, the fragile babies of the PGMOL are apparently insulted by even respectful disagreement, because they may think Maddison should be charged and punished for calling into question the integrity of the officials.

James Maddison could be punished

Former referee and PGMOL chief Keith Hackett told Football Insider, “This post will be reviewed by the FA Disciplinary Department, which will determine if it brings into question the integrity of the referee. If they decide that it does, he will be written to and asked for his observations, which then may result in a charge, and if found guilty, may result in a fine or suspension. In my opinion, it does question the match official’s integrity, and he should be charged, but watch this space.”

It would be an outrage for James Maddison to be punished for pointing out the obvious, and Tottenham Hotspur have a lot ot be aggrieved about this season. These calls have cost Spurs a lot of points in the relegation fight this season, and fans can't help but wonder if Spurs would be safe if a lot of these calls were made.

But the big problem is the fact that the refs in the Premier League can make major calls without accountability, explainig their thought process, or a legitimate review, and if you criticize them at all, you are at risk of being punished. It is like facing the wrath of a cartel, and it isn't just the Tottenham fan base that feels that way - pretty much everyone, except maybe set piece ping pong enthusiasts Arsenal, feel the same way.

There have been a few Tottenham Hotspur players who haven't worked out quite as well as Johan Lange and Vinai Venkatesham had envisioned, and one of the biggest contributors to the nightmare season has been experienced striker Randal Kolo Muani, whom Fabio Paratici helped bring in from PSG on transfer deadline day as an apparent favor to the club.

Well, Kolo Muani, aside from a hat trick against his parent club in the Champions League that proved to be meaningless as they lost anyway, has been anything but a favor to the Lilywhites. He has been a huge part of the club facing relegation, performing horribly in the Premier League with just one goal and one assist in 28 appearances, 20 of them starts. It is one of the worst returns in the entire league.

And yet, the team Kolo Muani played for in the 2024/25 season and whom Spurs pulled Randal Kolo Muani from under their noses, Juventus, continues to remain high on the French striker. Juve were thinking about taking Kolo Muani off Tottenham's hands in the winter with an early termination of the loan, and a clearly uninterested RKM was pining for an end to his time in North London. But with so little attacking depth, especially after the sale of Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace, Spurs balked at the idea.

Randal Kolo Muani still has a very interested suitor

Now, La Gazzetta dello Sport's Fabio Russo reports that Juventus are still vying for Kolo Muani's signature in the summer 2026 transfer market with mutual interest from the Tottenham forward. PSG and Juve are planning further talks soon and a meeting to help settle his future.

It is obviously taken for granted that Kolo Muani will not continue with Tottenham. This season has been a total failure on his part, and no matter the role or position he plays, he has given precisely zero to this club at their worst moment of need.

So you then wonder why a Juve that has ran through many strikers who have a better pedigree and more quality than Kolo Muani would be interested in someone who offered so little this season with so little fight. Kolo Muani did well for Juve in 2024/25, but that's only in comparison to the utter dross the club had in the attack. And even this season under his old coach Igor Tudor, Kolo Muani was still terrible. RKM's high status from entities like Juve and the French national team will baffle Spurs fans, because he is one of the worst forwards to ever play for this club.

There isn't a whole lot Tottenham Hotspur have been able to pride themselves on in a season in which they are threatened with relegation from the Premier League while Arsenal are favorites to finally close the deal and win their first league title under Mikel Arteta's rule, but the young players of the future are giving Spurs quiet hope that there is a way out of this and back into the top four one day under new manager Roberto De Zerbi.

And their biggest standout isn't even a first team player for Tottenham right now. Luka Vuskovic's loan to Hamburg in the German Bundesliga has gone even better than expected, and the Spurs supporters calling him a Sergio Ramos regen in the preseason may not have been so far off after all.

Vuskovic has dazzled Bundesliga audiences, earning admirers from clubs as big as Bayern Muncih and Barcelona in the process, with his performances. Even though he is a teenager in his first season in the top flight, Vuskovic has shown a reading of the game, aerial prowess, maturity, quality on the ball, and even an eye for goal that is beyond his peers.

Luka Vuskovic is the best

With just a couple of games remaining in the 2025/26 seasons, WhoScored.com has Luka Vuskovic rated as the best center back in the world in his debut season at the age of 19. The current Hamburg standout is beating out Arsenal's Gabriel Magalhaes, the best center back in the Premier League this season, and Nico Schlotterbeck of Borussia Dortmund, widely seen by the mainstream as the best up and coming superstar center back in the world, as the best center back of the 2025/26 season.

Vuskovic has a WhoScored rating of 7.32 while both Magalhaes and Schlotterbeck have a rating of 7.26. Yes, the rating system is imperfect, but the eye test clearly shows a superiority from Vuskovic, who just scored a free kick goal and had a colossal performance against Schlotty's old club Freiburg in Hamburg's 3-2 upset win over the Europa League finalists.

Tottenham Hotspur supporters need to be waxing poetic about Vuskovic even more. He is the best prospect in world football after Lamine Yamal, and what he is doing as a young center back is arguably just as special. Adjusting to being a starting central defender at the highest level of world football is hard, but Vuskovic is already doing it so well that he is the best. And while Magalhaes toes the line of dubious fouls and the dark arts Mikel Arteta loves, Vuskovic is earning his rating on pure quality and not just headed goals on corners or getting leeway on rough tackles.

Jamie O'Hara has continued to fume after Tottenham were denied a last-gasp penalty against Leeds United on Monday night. Mathys Tel went from hero to zero when he scored a stunner only to give away a silly penalty after attempting to clear the ball from his own box with an overhead kick.

Spurs pushed for a winner that would have taken them four points above West Ham, but they failed to find one, and they are now just two points clear of the drop zone with two games remaining.

The Tottenham penalty that wasn't

Relegation is still a distinct possibility, though Spurs could have found themselves much closer to safety had they been given a penalty deep into stoppage time. James Maddison went to ground under a risky tackle from Lukas Nmecha, and on first glance, it looked like a stonewall spot kick.

But cameras on the VAR review showed a slight touch of the ball from Nmecha, and no penalty was awarded. The touch on the ball was crucial, especially given the contact with the ball was made on the initial challenge.

There was no second reach for the ball or delay in touching the ball, which makes it a legal tackle. Most agree that if the ball was touched, then it should not have been a penalty, but former Spurs man O'Hara has a very different view.

O’Hara said on Sky Sports: “It’s a penalty. I’m sorry, I don’t care what anyone says. You can show me a million angles of this, but where does the ball move? I don’t believe there is enough movement from the ball and the player. That ball does not move. That is a penalty."

“He bottled it, that ref. We saw a crazy decision the other day at West Ham, which was a foul. But they took an age over that decision. They looked at that for five minutes. They looked at the [Nmecha] challenge for 30 seconds and played on.”

Some Spurs fans may feel the same, but the review was quick because touching the ball on an initial lunge without coming through the player is legal, and once that had been established, there was no need to continue the review.

It was a tough break for Tottenham, and there is no doubting that Nmecha got a little lucky in reaching the ball, given the risky nature of the challenge, but he pulled it off, and he lived to tell the tale.