TEAMtalk

The call Tottenham are expected to make on the future of Mathys Tel has been revealed, with the forward arriving on loan at a time the board have acknowledged as ‘difficult’.

Tel joined Spurs on a loan deal in January, with the north Londoners holding an option to buy him from Bayern Munich for around £45million. The 19-year-old scored on his second game, in the FA Cup, but has not scored since.

In the last game, against Chelsea, manager Ange Postecoglou gave Tel just two minutes of action.

Now, Tottenham have made a decision on the signing of the Bayern Munich forward.

According to GIVEMESPORT, Tottenham are ‘likely to seal the deal’ to keep Tel permanently from the summer.

It’s said there’s a ‘strong belief’ among decision-makers that he’ll prove to be money well spent, as they have acknowledged that the forward joined ‘in a difficult period’.

With Spurs 14th in the Premier League after coming fifth last term, that’s an understatement, and it seems they believe Tel can come good when things turn around, understanding that he’s not likely to be firing in the underperforming team at present.

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Bayern could rip up agreement

But Tottenham might not actually get a say in whether Tel stays or not.

His parent club, Bayern, could reportedly be able to bring him back to the club without Spurs having a say.

The Bundesliga giants are in Club World Cup action over the summer, and a report has stated they are considering bringing back every one of their players who is out on loan prior to the tournament, in mid-June.

FIFA has opened up a new transfer window for the first few days of June, so while Tel would technically still be under contract on his Tottenham loan by then, Bayern would be able to recall him with the north Londoners unable to stop it.

Tottenham round-up: Paratici path clear

TEAMtalk recently reported that Fabio Paratici was likely to return to Spurs as sporting director after his football ban is up, and the path has cleared for that return, after AC Milan decided legal matters were obstacles too big to overcome.

Another big change off the field could be in the manager position, with TEAMtalk sources stating Tottenham are ready to move for Bournemouth move Andoni Iraola as soon as Ange Postecoglou’s time comes to and end.

The suggestion is that the Europa League campaign is the only thing keeping the Spurs boss’ career in north London alive.

It comes after Jamie O’Hara suggested he could “do a better job” in the dugout than Postecoglou is doing.

Ange Postecoglou’s time as Tottenham boss is seemingly drawing to an unfortunate end and TT has taken a look at how Spurs could line up if the club’s number one choice to replace the Australian, Andoni Iraola, takes charge this summer.

The north London outfit suffered their 16th Premier League defeat of the season at Chelsea on Thursday night, with a section of the away support once again turning on Postecoglou in what was another woeful display from the strongest XI the Tottenham chief has been able to select in months.

At this stage, Postecoglou is only clinging on to his job due to the upcoming Europa League quarter-final against Eintracht Frankfurt, but the way this Spurs side is playing right now they have zero hope of winning that competition and keeping the former Celtic boss in a job.

To that end, TT understands that Iraola remains the top name on the radar of Tottenham chiefs and will be the first man they approach if the axe falls on current incumbent Postecoglou.

With that in mind, we’ve taken a look at how a Spurs XI could line up with Iraola at the helm in a team that includes four new signings (plus three more on the bench) and is based on affordable options and players that the current Bournemouth boss could be capable of luring to north London – given it’s unlikely there will be European football. The formation would be a 4-2-3-1.

GK: Gugliemo Vicario

The Italian is one of the true vocal leaders in a group that does not currently have many and, despite some ups and downs, has performed pretty well this season.

Yes, his distribution needs to improve dramatically, but Vicario is right up there as one of the best shot-stoppers in the Premier League and deserves to be Iraola’s No.1 – until he proves otherwise.

RB: Pedro Porro

This might not please some Tottenham fans, given how poorly Porro has performed in the second half of the season, but we are backing Iraola to get the best out of his fellow countryman.

Like Postecoglou, Iraola does invert his full-backs to play in midfield, and it’s hoped that the Spanish chief can get Porro back to his best next season.

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RCB: Dean Huijsen

The newly-capped Spain international nominally plays on the left side of Bournemouth’s centre-back pairing but is naturally right-footed so could easily swap across to partner Micky van de Ven as Cristian Romero’s replacement.

Much will obviously depend on Iraola being able to convince Huijsen to ignore interest from the likes of Real, Barcelona and Liverpool – but the hope is that the 19-year-old will be willing to follow his current boss to north London.

Romero moving to The Bernabeu would certainly help matters in that regard, although the Argentine now looks more likely to team up with Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid instead.

Huijsen showed in both games against Tottenham this season that he is a class act and one of the top young central defenders in European football. Plus he fits in perfectly with Daniel Levy’s preference to load up on younger talent in north London.

LCB: Micky van de Ven

The Netherlands defender just needs to get himself fully fit and keep working on solutions to fend off the hamstring issues that have plagued him since moving to Spurs.

On his day, there are not many better centre-backs in the Premier League and the hope is that Van de Ven will be the mainstay for the Tottenham defence for the next five years and hopefully beyond.

LB: Djed Spence

This one is based purely on performance levels this season and the fact that Spence is finally starting to realise the talent he has in abundance.

Despite naturally being a right-back, Spence has performed better on the left side this season and gets the nod ahead of the increasingly inconsistent Destiny Udogie, who has struggled to replicate the form he was showing at the start of last season.

CDM: Archie Gray

Iraola does something that Postecoglou has failed to even try since his centre-backs became available again and trusts Gray to be one of his two defensive midfield pivots.

The former Leeds man has been one of the club’s best performers in a hugely difficult campaign, despite the fact that the majority of his appearances have come at the heart of the defence.

Gray was outstanding in the middle of the park at Elland Road but only three of his 38 games this term have come in that position. Iraola’s decision here gives Tottenham a stronger midfield base to work from and also protection in the front of a back four that has hardly had any all season.

It’s tough on Lucas Bergvall, but the Swede’s time will come again and he will still be heavily involved, while the likes of Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur are moved on.

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CDM: Johnny Cardoso

The Real Betis midfielder has a deal in place to join for £21m this summer after an agreement was made when Giovani Lo Celso quit north London for a return to LaLiga in 2024.

USMNT star Cardoso has been a real standout for Betis this season, playing mainly as a defensive midfielder although he can also operate further forward.

The 23-year-old is known for his tactical awareness, calm ball distribution and ability to break up opposition play and would be a great addition to a Tottenham squad that does not have many of that type of midfielder on board.

How Tottenham could look under Iraola

RW: Bryan Mbeumo

This is where the Spurs attack starts its freshen-up, with the current Brentford man providing goals, assists and a consistent level of performance playing from the right wing.

Brennan Johnson has done pretty well statistically but his impact on games as a whole has been average at best and Iraola will want more from his wide players – as he currently gets at Bournemouth.

Mbeumo is ready to take his game up a level and would be a great fit in north London. As for Johnson, he heads back to Nottingham Forest, as has been mooted recently.

CAM: Dejan Kulusevski

This is where the Swede needs to be playing for Tottenham from now on, given it’s where he can affect the game the most.

Kulusevski is a quality right winger but he could be an elite No.10, given room to roam and find pockets of space to do serious damage to opposition defences.

The only problem Spurs might have is not having any European football and trying to keep him on board.

LW: Antoine Semenyo

Another Bournemouth star joins Iraola at his new club, with Semenyo the perfect replacement for Tottenham legend Son Heung-min, who reverts to a squad role in his final season at the club.

Semenyo, who has nine goals and six assists this season, has been linked with Spurs numerous times and opts to follow Iraola to give the Spaniard two new wide men to provide better ammunition for Dominic Solanke through the middle.

ST: Dominic Solanke

An elite new striker could well have been on the cards here, but Tottenham’s failure to secure any European football means they miss out on the likes of Marcus Thuram, Dusan Vlahovic and Jonathan David – to name but a few.

Solanke has had a mixed bad of a first season in north London, but has been blighted with several minor fitness issues. However, reuniting with Iraola, under whom he scored 21 goals in the Spaniard’s first season on the south coast, could make a real difference to his fortunes at Spurs going forward.

Subs: Kinksy, Udogie, Walker-Peters (re-signed from Southampton), Danso (signed on permanent deal), Bergvall, Sarr, Son, Odobert, Evan Guessand (striker signed from Nice).

Notable player exits: Cristian Romero, Ben Davies, Yves Bissouma, Rodrigo Bentancur, Brennan Johnson, Richarlison, Mathys Tel (option to buy not taken up).

AC Milan have reportedly been forced to exit the race for sporting director Fabio Paratici, as legal issues are seen as obstacles ‘too high’ for the hire of the banned transfer guru.

Paratici was formally banned from working directly in football in 2023, when former club Juventus were found guilty of false accounting. It is believed he has still been consulting on transfers for Spurs.

As such, TEAMtalk is aware that he is on track to return to north London – where he spent a short time as sporting director prior to his ban – when he’s able to, in July. Sources have also stated that AC Milan were vying for the hire of Paratici.

Reports elsewhere have stated that there was an agreement in place for the director to join the Serie A club. Italian journalist Luca Bianchin has since stated things have broken down.

Indeed, it’s stated that legal issues ‘both at the sporting and criminal levels, are now obstacles too high’.

As such, despite an agreement having been struck in recent days, Bianchin states Milan will look elsewhere for a new director.

That seemingly opens the door for Tottenham to land Paratici again, with TEAMtalk recently being told it’s only a matter of time until that happens.

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Paratici has signings lined up

The Italian is already pushing for a couple of signings for the north London side. TEAMtalk sources have stated he has helped with a few Tottenham transfers during his ban, with James Maddison and Micky van de Ven examples.

Now, sources explain that midfielders Samuele Ricci and Ederson, from Torino and Atalanta respectively, have been recommended by Paratici.

The signing of Ricci could sting Milan once more, as they are also interested in the midfielder.

It will certainly be interesting to see who wins the race for the 23-year-old Italy international.

Tottenham news: Postecoglou replacement lined up

TEAMtalk understands that Tottenham are ready to make a move for Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, with pressure mounting on current boss Ange Postecoglou, particularly if he does not win the Europa League.

Pressure has ramped up after a 1-0 loss to Chelsea, which former Spurs man Jamie Redknapp described as “awful” from Spurs.

More former Tottenham boys have taken aim at the current regime, with Jamie O’Hara stating “any other manager” in Postecoglou’s position would have been sacked by now.

He also stated that club captain Son Heung-min is now not “good enough”.

Tottenham are preparing to make a move for Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola as pressure continues to mount on Ange Postecoglou, who is in danger of losing his job.

Spurs suffered a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea on Thursday and the result leaves them 14th in the Premier League table, out of every tournament except the Europa League.

Postecoglou was jeered by Tottenham supporters with chants of ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’ before he goaded them back by cupping his ears in their direction after Pape Matar Sarr’s goal was disallowed.

In his post-match interview, Postecoglou said that he wasn’t taking a swipe at the Tottenham fans, but ‘wanted to hear them cheer’.

“Jesus mate, it’s incredible how things get interpreted,” Postecoglou insisted. “We’d just scored, I just wanted to hear them cheer. Because we’d been through a tough time, and I thought it was a cracking goal. I wanted them to get really excited.

“I felt at that point we could potentially go on and win the game. I just felt momentum was on our [side]. It doesn’t bother me, it’s not the first time they’ve booed my substitutions or my decisions, that’s fine, they’re allowed to do that. But we’d just scored a goal, just scored an equaliser, I was just hoping we could get some excitement.

“If people want to read into that, that somehow I’m trying to make a point about something, like I said, we’d been through a tough time, but I just felt there was a bit of a momentum shift there. If they get really behind the lads, I thought we had the momentum to finish on top of them.”

Andoni Iraola tops Tottenham’s manager shortlist – sources

TEAMtalk understands that Tottenham have identified Bournemouth boss Iraola as their top target to replace Postecoglou.

The signs are not good for Postecoglou but the likelihood of him being sacked while they are still in the Europa League is low, as he tries to make good on his promise that he ‘always’ wins trophies in his second season with his clubs.

Tottenham still have a chance of lifting the Europa League, which would grant them entry into next season’s Champions League, but they will have to play much better than they have been when they face Eintracht Frankfurt in the semi-finals.

Iraola, meanwhile, has done a fantastic job with Bournemouth so far. He was appointed Cherries boss in the summer of 2023 and guided them to a 12th-place finish in the Premier League last season.

This season looks set to be even better, with Bournemouth currently sitting just six points away from a European qualification spot, in 10th.

We reported on January 19th that Iraola is one of the managers Tottenham have taken a shine to, and that remains the case, as the London club’s performances haven’t got any better since.

Sources have revealed to TEAMtalk that Tottenham view Iraola as an ‘elite’ young coach with whom they could build a Premier League-winning side.

They would have to sell the project to the Spaniard but if he gives the green light to Tottenham, Bournemouth will find it very difficult to keep him.

Sources also state that Brentford manager Thomas Frank is one to watch for Spurs, while Fulham boss Marco Silva and ex-Borussia Dortmund man Edin Terzic have also been looked at.

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Micky van de Ven and Son Heung-min have been questioned after Tottenham Hotspur were beaten by rivals Chelsea on Thursday night, with one pundit staggered that the club still has not pulled the trigger on Ange Postecoglou.

Tottenham were outplayed and outfought at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea ran out 1-0 winners to pile more misery on Postecoglou. Chelsea hit the post inside the first minute and controlled the game from then on.

Guglielmo Vicario did brilliantly to deny Jadon Sancho shortly before half time, but he could not keep Enzo Fernandez out after the interval. Van De Ven and Destiny Udogie left Fernandez unmarked in the box as he headed home from a Cole Palmer cross.

Moises Caicedo had a stunning volley ruled out for offside, while Spurs were also on the receiving end of a disallowed goal. Pape Sarr won the ball from Caicedo before seeing his effort cannon in off the crossbar, via Robert Sanchez, but he was adjudged to have committed a foul in the build up and was subsequently given a yellow card.

After the match, former Chelsea and England star Gary Cahill said Spurs were ‘dreadful’ and had ‘no game plan’.

Now, Spurs hero Glenn Hoddle has discussed Van De Ven’s positioning for Fernandez’s winning goal.

“His problem is like any defender, he’s attracted to the ball,” the pundit said (via TBR). “I used to say to any defender when it’s acute to you and the ball is in front of you, once the cross is coming in, if you look at the ball for more than two seconds without looking over your shoulder and having a little glance…

“He’s looked at the ball, looked at the ball and looked at the ball, he doesn’t have a clue where the attacker is.”

Son offers ‘nothing’; Postecoglou lucky to be in a job

Ex-Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara has ripped into Son following his latest subdued performance.

“He has done nothing. I’ve been saying it for a while. What I’ve said about him is he’s a squad player,” O’Hara said on talkSPORT.

“For one, he isn’t a captain. He has never been a captain, ever. He’s just not. He’s a player who leads by example and he has done that in the past. But, he isn’t good enough no more.

“He can’t beat a player, he has got no sharpness, he doesn’t go past people, he doesn’t make a difference.

“You see Cole Palmer tonight, he wants to get on it, he wants to make things happen, he’ll take risks with the ball. Son – I’ve been saying it, and I got a load of stick from South Korean fans. That’s the problem, we’ll keep him onside because he brings people through the door.

“But, let me tell you, he isn’t the player for us. He isn’t the player he was.”

O’Hara went on to blast Postecoglou, too.

“Any other manager at Tottenham Hotspur would’ve been sacked, he would’ve been gone,” the outspoken pundit added.

“We’ve lost 16 games. Every team around us has sacked their manager. Every single team has sacked their manager around us. Every one of them. We’re still there with Ange.

“Mate, honestly, I could take over and do a better job. Genuinely. Seriously!”

Postecoglou sack: Possible replacements

TEAMtalk confirmed on March 19 that Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola is a top candidate for the Spurs job, should Postecoglou be axed.

Although, it will be tough to convince Iraola to join given the fact Bournemouth are poised to finish well above Spurs this campaign.

Spurs have also been tipped to hold talks with Xavi following his departure from Barcelona last summer.

Chelsea were a level above as they won 1-0 against a ‘dreadful’ Tottenham Hotspur side at Stamford Bridge on Thursday night.

Chelsea almost went ahead in just the first minute when a long ball caused Tottenham centre-backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven problems. Nicolas Jackson bundled his way towards goal but could only hit the post.

Jadon Sancho had a great chance in the 45th minute when Pedro Neto picked him out at the back post with a deep cross. Sancho got power on his shot but Tottenham keeper Guglielmo Vicario did brilliantly to tip the ball over the crossbar.

Chelsea took the lead early in the second half when Enzo Fernandez was left unmarked in the box and headed home from a Cole Palmer cross.

Moises Caicedo thought he had doubled Chelsea’s advantage with a great volley, only for his goal to be ruled out for offside in the build up.

Spurs were then on the receiving end of a disallowed goal themselves. Robert Sanchez failed to keep out a low drive from Pape Sarr, but the midfielder was adjudged to have fouled Caicedo when winning the ball beforehand.

Sanchez denied Son Heung-min late on as Chelsea continued their dominant run against Spurs at Stamford Bridge.

On Sky Sports, Jamie Redknapp was asked if 1-0 was a fair reflection of the game, which Chelsea largely controlled. He replied: “No it could have been a lot more, Chelsea were by far and away the better team. They won every single duel, they were better in every department, a totally different class.

“Tottenham were awful tonight. First half, didn’t have a shot on target. Second half, showed a little bit, obviously the goal that was disallowed.

“Not good enough today in any department, the only good news is he [Postecoglou] has got 80 minutes from Van De Ven and some other players.”

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‘No game plan’ from Tottenham as Postecoglou hits back

At full time there seemed to be an issue between Postecoglou and the Spurs fans. On this, former Chelsea star Gary Cahill said: “There certainly looks like frustration with the manager and the fans. Surely the manager will be disappointed with his team’s performance today.

“I have to be honest, I thought they were dreadful. I didn’t see a clear game plan throughout, they caused a lot of their own trouble trying to play out from the back.

“Numerous times I saw Dominic Solanke 10-15 yards outside his own 18-yard box. No shots on target at half time.

“There’s clear friction there, you can see.”

In his post-match interview, Postecoglou was quizzed on the Spurs fans booing his substitutions and him signalling at them when Sarr’s disallowed goal went in.

He said: “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I did [look at them], I wanted them to be happy. We’d just scored a cracking goal, I wanted them to cheer because they haven’t had a lot to cheer about.

“It’s not the first time my substitutions have been booed in my career.

“You’re trying really hard, that’s fine. You’ve already decided what the outcome is [a sacking]. My outcome tonight is it was a really tight game decided by a really poor decision.”

Atletico Madrid’s swoop for Tottenham centre-back, Cristian Romero, is advancing, while reports also claim Spurs aren’t likely to collect as big of a fee as you might expect.

Romero, 26, is a guaranteed starter at Spurs, though injuries and poor form have put a pin in his balloon this season. The Argentine is not alone in struggling in a Tottenham shirt, though unlike most, his future could lay away from north London sooner rather than later.

Romero is a target for LaLiga giants Real Madrid who will explore the signing of a new centre-back at season’s end.

However, Real Madrid also have their eye on Spain international Dean Huijsen of Bournemouth. Huijsen is seven years Romero’s junior and unlike the Tottenham man, hasn’t put a foot wrong this season.

As such, the door has been opened forReal’s great rivals Atletico Madrid and few players in world football look better suited to Diego Simeone than Romero.

Aside from both being Argentinian, the pair are feisty characters to say the least and Romero’s aggressive style of play would mesh well with what Simeone has built at Atleti.

And according to the latest from AS reporter, Edu Burgos, Romero to Atletico Madrid is rapidly advancing.

Taking to X, Burgos claimed forging an agreement on personal terms will not be an issue between Atleti and Romero.

Striking a club-to-club deal with Tottenham is where the difficulty will lay, though Burgos is adamant a move is advancing.

“Atletico Madrid is speeding up the move for ‘Cuti’ Romero,” wrote Burgos. “Simeone’s top priority ahead of the Club World Cup.

“A personal agreement isn’t a problem. Negotiating with Tottenham is. The player likes the idea of ​​living in Madrid.”

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How much will Tottenham demand for Romero?

According to Football Insider, Tottenham and Daniel Levy may be willing to part ways with Romero if £50m is bid.

While that may sound a significant fee to some, it is around half of what Levy previously valued the centre-back at.

Explaining why Spurs could accept a discounted bid, FI highlighted two factors – Romero’s patchy injury record of late and his less than stellar form at club level.

Providing his own take on the situation for GiveMeSport, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano recently confirmed it’s a distinct possibility Romero leave Spurs in the summer.

However, Romano was keen to stress Spurs will only accept an exit on their terms and won’t be bullied into accepting an unsatisfactory bid.

“It’s a possibility but not something guaranteed as it depends on Daniel Levy, and we know how strong Spurs are in negotiations,” said Romano.

“So it’s something possible, definitely; but it has to be an important financial package or Levy won’t accept anything.”

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Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Cristian Romero could reportedly be prised away from the club for a cut-price fee in the summer transfer window, as both Atletico and Real Madrid continue to circle for the Argentine.

Speculation over the 26-year-old’s future is growing like wildfire after he aimed a veiled dig at the club’s medical team for failing to get him back on the pitch quickly enough during a defensive injury crisis.

It’s also common knowledge that Romero has become increasingly frustrated by the lack of investment in the playing squad in his role as one of Ange Postecoglou’s vice-captains.

All that is looking increasingly certain to add up to a summer exit for a player who has been at Tottenham since arriving initially on loan from Atalanta in 2021, making 115 appearances so far in the process.

LaLiga heavyweights Atletico Madrid recently stormed into the race to snap up the World Cup winner, as they look to beat out their city rivals in the process – given Real’s longstanding interest in Romero.

Diego Simeone is said to be keen for Romero to link up with international teammates like Rodrigo De Paul, Julian Alvarez, Angel Correa and Nahuel Molina at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium.

And now a fresh report from Football Insider has revealed that Tottenham could be willing to accept an offer of around £50million (€60m / $64m) for Romero, despite Daniel Levy previously valuing the central defender at double that figure.

The reasoning behind that drop in valuation is the recent injury issues that have bugged the Argentina international, while his form at club level has been inconsistent at best over the past year.

If Spurs were to fetch close to that proposed figure, it would still represent a profit on a player who remains under contract until June 2027 and who cost £42m four years ago.

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Tottenham told long-term defensive target is ‘better than Romero’

As Spurs made their moves in January to try and bring in extra defensive help, a former player and manager of the club cited Marc Guehi as a perfect fit to play alongside Micky van den Ven at the heart of Ange Postecoglou’s defence.

Tottenham saw an offer rebuffed for the Crystal Palace and England star on deadline day in the winter window but maintain a strong interest in recruiting Guehi this summer.

A fee in the region of £65-70m is likely to be needed to get their man, but if Spurs can offload Romero then the addition of Guehi really is a no-brainer – if they convince the player into a move across the capital.

And Tim Sherwood was pushing hard for that move late in the January window, telling Sky Sports before it shut: “If you’re going to try and get Marc Guehi now, you are going to pay over the odds. I think he is worth paying over the odds.

“The two best centre-backs Tottenham have at the club are Cristian Romero and Micky Van de Ven. And unless you can go and get somebody better than them two there’s no point of bringing a body in for the sake of it.

“With Marc Guehi he is better than Romero in my opinion but he’s not better than Van de Ven, they are completely different but he will be one of the best centre-backs they can get.”

Better than Romero is a bold call from Sherwood, although on the evidence of their respective performances this season there is a strong argument to suggest he could be right.

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Manchester United are considering a move for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze, TEAMtalk understands, but it will take a big fee to land him and they face competition.

The Red Devils have an extensive list of targets for the summer window, with Director of Recruitment Christopher Vivell and Technical Director Jason Wilcox taking a data-led approach in identifying suitable players.

Man Utd are in a tight PSR (Profitability and Sustainability Rules) position, so may need to sell players before any big-money signings are made.

TEAMtalk understands that Crystal Palace playmaker Eze has been highlighted by recruiters at Man Utd and they are considering him as a potential option for the summer.

Sources state that Amorim is an admirer of Eze and believes he would fit into the team well, playing as one of the no. 10s in his side.

As previously reported, it will take a starting bid of £60m for Palace to consider selling Eze this summer, but there is a belief that the England international is ready to take the next step in his career.

Man Utd will face competition for Eze, however, with Tottenham long-term admirers of the 26-year-old. Spurs are keeping a close eye on his situation, but want to sort out their managerial situation before making any final decision, with Ange Postecoglou under pressure.

Man Utd keen on TWO Crystal Palace stars

Palace’s £60m price tag for Eze is a potential roadblock for Man Utd. The Eagles are also not keen to lose too many players this season as they look to build on a successful campaign under Oliver Glasner.

As we exclusively revealed, four of Palace’s key players are being targeted by top sides – Eze, Adam Wharton, Marc Guehi and Jean-Philippe Mateta.

Interestingly, sources have confirmed that Man Utd have looked at Palace striker Mateta, although they state the interest is “light and not too serious.”

Amorim wants Man Utd to sign a new striker this summer, who can compete with Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, and Mateta is one of several players on the shortlist.

Mateta has had a fantastic season but Eze is undoubtedly a top player too. He can play as a winger or attacking midfielder, and has notched six goals and nine assists in 31 games across all competitions this season.

With this in mind, it’s no surprise to see Man Utd and Tottenham both very keen on Eze. Whether either club will match his £60m valuation still remains to be seen.

The Red Devils are also looking at full backs and are huge fans of Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong but face a huge battle to land him as there is major interest in his signature.

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Rumours of Fabio Paratici’s imminent return to Tottenham continue to ramp up, and now a club insider claims that the Italian could use his extensive list of contacts to set up a meeting with a top coach to replace Ange Postecoglou.

The Australian is on thin ice after a disastrous season domestically in north London, and it’s likely that leading the club to Europa League glory will be the only thing that keeps him in a job at Tottenham beyond the summer.

While Postecoglou continues to fight for his job, Paratici looks set to walk straight back into employment with Spurs after reportedly holding talks with Daniel Levy over a return when his ban relating to the Prisma/capital gains case ends in the summer.

The 52-year-old is also on the radar of AC Milan, but it’s understood that Paratici favours a return to the Premier League and also laid some groundwork for potential new midfield signings at Tottenham.

In terms of Postecoglou’s future, TT understands that the former Celtic chief looks increasingly likely to leave and that Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola has emerged as the top candidate for the role.

Brentford’s Thomas Frank, Fulham boss Marco Silva and former Dortmund coach Edin Terzic are also greatly admired, while links to Mauricio Pochettino refuse to go away despite the Argentine being focused on leading USA to a home World Cup in 2026.

But Tottenham insider John Wenham thinks Paratici could use his ‘deep contacts in the field’ to set up a meeting with former Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez, in what be a real coup for the north London club.

“Xavi would be someone I would look to contact,” Wenham told Tottenham News.

“If Spurs have any sort of ambition, that is the calibre of manager we should be going after. I understand you need the contacts to help make it happen.

“However, Paratici managed to attract Antonio Conte, which didn’t seem possible at the time. I’m sure he could help Tottenham get a meeting with Xavi.

“Look at what Xavi did with Barcelona, with so many restrictions against him. It was incredible. He brought through a lot of young players and gave the likes of Lamine Yamal a platform to perform. Therefore, he is someone I’d be asking the question of.”

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Paratici importance to Tottenham cannot be overlooked

The former Juventus sporting director has played a significant role in Tottenham’s business in recent times, bringing in the likes of Cristian Romero, Pedro Porro, Rodrigo Bentancur, Destiny Udogie and Dejan Kulusevski, as well as appointing Antonio Conte, with whom he had worked at Juventus before.

He is well known for having deep contacts in the game and is also free to arrange talks between Spurs and Xavi, even though he is currently no longer officially tied to the club.

As for Xavi, the Spain legend is currently out of work after walking away from the Camp Nou at the end of last season.

The 45-year-old guided Barca to the LaLiga title last season and promoted an eye-catching brand football that also included bringing through plenty of younger talent – making him an almost perfect fit at Tottenham.

He reportedly only parted ways with the club he made over 750 appearances for after becoming ‘fed up with toxicity of being in the Barca environment’, which had ‘consequences for his closest family’.

Barcelona’s financial constraints also made life tough, making the club’s title win under Xavi that bit even more remarkable.

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