Football365

The overwhelming expectation is Andy Robertson signs for Tottenham on a free transfer at season’s end, though there is one condition that must be met before the Liverpool man arrives in north London.

Liverpool announced on Thursday evening that Robertson, 32, will bring his sensational nine-year stint at Anfield to a close in the summer.

That is when the Scot’s current contract expires, and per Ben Jacobs, Liverpool made no attempts to iron out a renewal.

Explaining why, Jacobs revealed Robertson still believes he should be starting games. But with Milos Kerkez in the building and Arne Slot immediately prioritising the Hungarian, Robertson must now depart.

Tottenham came close to signing Robertson in the winter window, only to see Liverpool block the move after failing to recall Kostas Tsimikas from his loan spell at Roma.

Both Liverpool and Tsimikas were open to his early return, though the terms of his loan agreement don’t contain a recall clause. When Roma ran out of time to sign an adequate replacement, Tsimikas remained in Rome and Robertson remained in Liverpool.

But according to the latest from The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Spurs are now heavy favourites to sign Robertson at the second time of asking.

He wrote: ‘Tottenham Hotspur are in pole position to sign Andy Robertson as a free agent this summer, subject to retaining their Premier League status.’

The second part of that sentence is key – Robertson will only sign for Spurs if they’ve retained their Premier League status.

Ahead of this weekend’s games, Tottenham sit 17th in the table, just a single point above West Ham in 18th.

Liverpool and Robertson’s relationship remains strong and his professionalism has remained exemplary in the second half of the season despite his January move to Tottenham falling through.

READ NEXT: The final Premier League table to push every manager to the exit

Robertson cost Liverpool just £8m prior to add-ons when signed from Hull City back in 2017. He will go down as one of the biggest bargains in Premier League history, not to mention one of Liverpool’s greatest ever full-backs.

The Scot won it all at Anfield including two Premier League titles, a Champions League, an FA Cup and two League Cups. He was named in two PFA teams of the season during the peak of Jurgen Klopp’s reign between 2018-20.

Offering insight as to why Tottenham will move for Robertson despite his advancing age, The Athletic’s Elias Burke pointed to the veteran’s leadership.

He wrote: ‘Tottenham are short on leadership, left-back depth and winners at the elite level — Robertson helps to solve all three areas.’

DON’T MISS: Liverpool can save their season – but only if they sack Slot now

Burke continued: ‘While, at 32, he may not be the player he was in his prime, his experience in helping to drive a winning culture in the Liverpool dressing room under Jurgen Klopp and Arne Slot could prove invaluable as Spurs aim to restore their position as a club competing for European places.

‘He could also help with the development of 23-year-old Udogie, who has been in and out of the Tottenham side this season with injury, and 19-year-old Souza, who was signed from Santos in Brazil in January and has made four league appearances.

‘Experienced players were important for new head coach Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton & Hove Albion, and Robertson could assume a similar role.

‘And, given he is seemingly keen to play more football after having a reduced role at Liverpool this term, Spurs, providing they beat the drop, should offer Robertson the chance to share minutes with Udogie and Souza in the coming years.’

It’s big at the top and bottom of the Premier League and huge at the foot of the Football League too…

After a break of what feels like forever – Manchester United have never had a longer scheduled lay-off – the Premier League returns with a full weekend from Friday to Monday.

With Easter in the rear view mirror, it’s just massive everywhere…

Game to watch – Chelsea v Manchester City

This is massive for City, obviously, in the context of the title race, but it’s also impossible to take eyes off Chelsea at the moment too.

The Blues are a confused, confusing mess, with too many leaders, all seemingly assuming the others know what they are doing. In the thick of it is a manager already out of his depth, leading a group of nonplussed players, many of whom are fluttering their eyelashes at other clubs.

Chief among them: vice-captain Enzo Fernandez, who misses the City visit through a suspension imposed by Liam Rosenior in a desperate attempt to claim some authority.

On the face of things, City should have few concerns about going to Stamford Bridge, where they haven’t lost in their last five. But the fear with Chelsea, and the frustration among their supporters, is they can still turn it on if they are feeling that way inclined.

And for City, it’s must-win. Come Sunday, albeit with two games in hand, it is entirely possible that they will be staring up at a 12-point gap between themselves and…

Team to watch – Arsenal

A lot has happened in the near-month since Arsenal last played in the Premier League. That was the 2-0 win over Everton when Max Dowman sparked pandemonium at the Emirates, the boy’s late show serving as a potentially defining moment in the title race.

The four games since have humbled Gooners somewhat. From a Quadruple they now claim never to have considered, Arsenal’s potential trophy haul has been halved after defeats more damaging than simply the scoreline and consequence.

In truth, despite the Champions League being the only positive of their last four weeks, it could half again and Arsenal fans won’t care much as long as the Premier League is their last trophy standing. And they don’t bottle it.

We’ve all had great fun at the Gunners’ expense in the Barclays vacuum but now it’s finally back, against Bournemouth on Saturday lunchtime, it is on Arsenal to reassert the authority lost having being out-coached by Pep Guardiola, and out-fought and out-thought by second-tier Southampton.

Manager to watch – Roberto De Zerbi

The man tasked with saving Spurs has been in post for a week and a half and, obviously, the messages being transmitted by the club are very positive. The players have taken to De Zerbi very positively, they are ‘really enjoying’ training, yada yada…

Let’s see how buoyant they are in Sunderland on Sunday. By the time they arrive on Wearside on Saturday, Tottenham will finally have slipped into the bottom three if West Ham have beaten rock-bottom Wolves on Friday night.

That is unlikely to affect De Zerbi’s approach but it will be fascinating to see what wisdom the Italian has been able to impart on his beleaguered bunch in the 11 days since he took over from Igor Tudor.

De Zerbi is a front-footed coach, often to an extreme, who demands a very particular way of playing. His sides patiently tease and tempt opponents into positions they would prefer not to be before attacking at break-neck speed. They press in a similarly frantic fashion too, all of which would make Spurs great to watch if, as De Zerbi would have preferred, the manager had a full pre-season to preach his philosophy.

He’s had a full week. How much will he have to compromise in the short-term to serve Spurs’ immediate needs?

MORE: Top 10 issues De Zerbi and Tottenham must instantly address to try and avoid calamity

Player to watch – Alexander Isak

Look, we can’t ignore Liverpool this weekend. Arguably, there will be more eyes on Mo Salah as he plays at Anfield for the first time since it was announced his farewell procession had officially begun.

There will definitely be more eyes on Arne Slot, very few of them sympathetic to the Liverpool manager’s plight. Slot did not help himself with an ill-advised switch to a back three at PSG – it did not work – but he had reached the sh*t-chucking stage in the hope that something, anything might stick a good while before flying to Paris.

We will all be stunned if it turns out that Slot does have the answers to Liverpool’s many woes after all. Without one of those Anfield nights, which has rarely seemed more unlikely, next week prompting a swift and stunning uptick in performances and results, the Dutchman is on borrowed time.

Before PSG, though, come Fulham at Anfield. Which gives Slot an opportunity to see what shape the Premier League’s most expensive player is in.

Isak was back on the bench in Paris, coming off it for the final 12 minutes to make one pass, one tackle and one turnover as the Reds sought little more than survival.

If Slot has any intention of trusting his £140million striker to help save him, a far longer cameo will be necessary against the Cottagers.

European game to watch – Inter Milan v Como

In truth, there aren’t many games on the continent this weekend to grab you by the balls and squeeze. The leaders in Italy, Spain and Germany all have seven-point leads, as will PSG in France if they win their game in hand over Lens.

Of the big European league pacesetters, Inter have perhaps the toughest test this weekend when, on Sunday night, they host local-ish rivals Como.

We say ‘rivals’ – Como won’t have registered on Inter’s radar until very recently. But in their second season in the top flight following three promotions in six seasons from Serie D, Cesc Fabregas has Como on course to keep going all the way to the Champions League.

They are currently fourth, one point ahead of Juventus. An incredible achievement, though their underdog story requires a little more context…

MORE: Como’s Champions League push under Cesc Fabregas is not the fairytale it seems

EFL game to watch – Newport County v Harrogate Town

There is a very tasty East Anglian derby between promotion-chasing Ipswich and in-form Norwich on Saturday lunchtime, and we could have pointed you towards the all-Hatters affair in the Vertu Trophy final between Luton and Stockport on Sunday.

But you will have to pardon the self-indulgence for a few paragraphs while some of us sh*t ourselves ahead of the crunch League Two clash at Rodney Parade on Saturday afternoon.

Bottom-placed Harrogate Town go to third-from-bottom Newport for a six-pointer to be endured, not enjoyed. It is tighter than two coats of paint at the foot of the Football League, where Town and Tranmere are separated by four places and three points, with Barrow and Newport sandwiched in between, all desperate to avoid dropping out of the 92.

In seasons past, you could generally rely on at least one basket case of a club to take up one of the two relegation spots, but this year no one is going to the National League willingly, even if Tranmere are spiralling having won just once since New Year’s Day.

Harrogate have recovered from a 20-match winless run through the winter to give themselves a fighting chance in spring, while Premier League title winner Christian Fuchs has revived Newport after they spent 22 matchdays so far in the drop zone.

A win on Saturday won’t keep either up but a defeat would make a potentially catastrophic relegation far likelier with three games to go.

Former Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche has revealed why he was never going to join Tottenham Hotspur this season.

Dyche has been out of work since leaving Nottm Forest in February, but he was heavily linked with a move to Spurs as they searched for a replacement for Igor Tudor.

Several outlets named Dyche as a contender to replace Tudor, with Spurs looking to appoint the best-available candidate to guide them to Premier League safety.

Tim Sherwood, Harry Redknapp and Ryan Mason were also linked with Spurs, but they ultimately landed Robert De Zerbi after offering him a remarkable package.

During the international break, Dyche laughed off reports linking him with Spurs, and he has now insisted that he never had talks with the club.

“I didn’t laugh it off by the way, I told a true story,” Dyche said on talkSPORT about his previous comments.

READ: Ten times managers should have resigned this season: Slot, Amorim, Howe

“I spend a lot of time in London, not working but socially and I just happened to be here at the same time the Tottenham job opened.

“Once you’re in the city, people put two and two together and it was never about getting drawn into the rumours.

“I’m telling the truth, there was a lot of speculation and talk and I was playing it down correctly so.

“It’s no disrespect to anyone, it’s a brilliant club and I’ve said that but it’s nonsense to pre-suppose an outcome just because you’re in the same city.”

Presenter Jim White then asked: “Did you have a conversation with them?”

To which Dyche responded: “No, I did not.”

Former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan then asked whether a huge offer could have tempted Dyche to join Spurs, but he insisted that “no amount of money would have convinced him to take the job” and the move would not have been “good” for him “as a human”.

“Obviously in the career I have, it does pay well but I wouldn’t go in there looking for money,” Dyche added.

“They could offer me a massive amount of money, I’m sure they’re capable of it and allegedly they’ve offered [Roberto] De Zerbi a massive amount of money.

“It would have been about what are you [Spurs] going to help me gain as a human being. What would I gain?

“Let’s say you go in there and get the job done [not get relegated], then next season if you’re not in the top four and the football’s not what they want, then you’re rubbish and they want you out.

“So you’re not going to gain a lot there, are you? And that’s if you get the job done, because it’s not easy.

“If you don’t get the job done, then somehow it’s on my neck that I took Tottenham down.

“That ain’t good for me as a human, this is not even about football at this point. Then you get some money and I go, I’m not thirsty for that. I’ve got some money.”

Ray Parlour has detailed how he feels Chelsea legend Frank Lampard “couldn’t turn down” the opportunity to manage Tottenham if offered the job at his former rivals.

Spurs are in a tough spot at the moment, having burned through two managers this season to be one point above the Premier League relegation places. They’ve chosen Roberto De Zerbi as the man to extract them from that plight, showing clear faith in him with a five-year contract.

Reports have suggested that De Zerbi has already had an impact on his Tottenham squad before having even taken charge of a game.

If things aren’t to go well and Spurs begin the hunt for another new manager, Parlour feels Chelsea legend Lampard would take it.

“It’s a job he couldn’t turn down. If someone went up to him and asked him to be the Tottenham manager, he’d have to take it. Even if they’re in a bit of dire straits at the moment.”

READ: Cristian Romero’s dad drops Tottenham release clause revelation to open door for summer exit

Lampard being offered the Spurs job would raise multiple questions, the big one being whether a Chelsea legend, who always had success against the north London club, would break his allegiance with his former side, and be accepted by Tottenham if doing so.

It feels unlikely that a successful former Chelsea man could come on board and be accepted by the Spurs fans, especially having been sacked by Everton when they were in similar struggles to the ones the north London club are in now.

With that said, Lampard feels to be a better manager now than he was when he was last in charge in the Premier League.

READ: Tottenham transfer ‘approved’ as £52m price tag set for Spurs to sign Arsenal target

Lampard’s Coventry City side top the Championship table by 12 points, and they need only another four to officially seal promotion back to the top flight.

There seems little chance that the Spurs job would come available in the summer, with De Zerbi’s long contract surely a sign that he’ll be backed either in the top flight or the second tier, so it feels likely that Lampard will have had more Premier League experience if and when the job is open, and he could have impressed even more by then.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in a summer deal to sign Manchester United midfield misfit Manuel Ugarte this summer, although it’s more likely that he will complete a switch to Turkey instead.

Ugarte’s future at Old Trafford is growing increasingly uncertain following a lack of opportunities under new boss Michael Carrick, with the Uruguayan international yet to start a game since the interim Red Devils boss arrived.

Kobbie Mainoo’s return has also limited his chances of regular football, leading to Ugarte now seriously considering his options amid concerns over his role in the squad, as per our friends over at TEAMtalk.

Indeed, the 24-year-old could be one of eight Man Utd stars to move on this summer in a huge squad overall, ahead of the announcement of a new permanent boss – whether that is Carrick or not.

The TT report states that there is a willingness from Man Utd‘s side to sanction an exit for a player who cost them £50million when he signed from PSG, along with committing to a substantial contract.

And it’s claimed that Tottenham are among three Premier League teams who have all ‘previously tracked his situation’ and ‘remain informed on developments‘.

Aston Villa and Newcastle are the other two sides mentioned, while Juventus are also long-term admirers of the Uruguay international.

As for Spurs’ interest, the TT report adds that the north London outfit are looking to ‘revamp Robert De Zerbi’s engine room’, although much will depend on whether they maintain their Premier League status.

Tottenham are expected to move from Yves Bissouma this summer, while there are also serious doubts over whether Joao Palhinha’s loan will be turned into a permanent deal.

It must be noted, though, that signing a United flop will hardly send the right message to Spurs supporters over a new dawn this summer, assuming they stay up, with more proven players needed to improve a young squad.

However, of all the clubs showing interest in Ugarte, it’s Turkish giants Galatasaray who are ‘pushing the hardest to secure his signature’.

Galatasaray came close to signing Ugarte during the January window after the player held talks over a switch to Istanbul. And the report adds that their interest ‘has not waned’, and they are now ‘preparing to revive their pursuit ahead of the summer window’.

READ NEXT: Cristian Romero’s dad drops Tottenham exit clause revelation and hints at shock next move

And, while Ugarte’s representatives have ‘begun exploring alternative options to a move to Galatasaray’, a ‘move to Turkey is currently viewed as the most likely outcome’.

Galatasaray are well-positioned to ‘finally secure a deal for Ugarte in the coming months’, and United will not stand in their way.

The father of Tottenham Hotspur captain Cristian Romero has given suitors a heads-up when it comes securing his son’s services this summer by revealing the release clause in his contract.

Romero is one of a number of top Spurs stars who will almost certainly move on, if the club suffers relegation of the second tier of English football for the first time in almost 50 years.

Tottenham will, of course, be hoping that the arrival of Roberto De Zerbi last week as Igor Tudor’s replacement will help avoid that scenario, although there’s still a chance that the likes of Romero and centre-back partner Micky van de Ven look to leave regardless.

And now the World Cup winner’s father, Victor Romero, has relayed to Argentinian outlet Cadena 3, the amount of the release clause in the player’s contract in north London, amid continued interest from Atletico Madrid in particular.

“He has two more years on his contract with Tottenham and a very high release clause,” Victor Romero said, clearly not realising that his son’s deal actually has three years left on it.

“The English club isn’t going to let him go for free; it’s between $50-70m [£37.8m-£53m].

“For me, they’ll want to recover what they invested.”

Spurs actually forked out £43m when they signed Romero from Italian outfit Atalanta in the summer of 2021, making him the club’s second-most expensive player in history at the time.

The 27-year-old has since gone on to make over 150 appearances for Tottenham across all competitions and was outstanding in the Europa League triumph last season that ended the club’s 17-year trophy drought.

However, his career in north London has also been blighted by disciplinary issues. Indeed, Romero has been sent off twice this season and has missed six games in total through suspension.

Meanwhile, Romero’s father also reacted to the shock talk of the centre-back snubbing Atletico Madrid and returning boyhood side, Club Atletico Belgrano.

Romero began his career with Belgrano and made 19 appearances for their first team before earning a move to Italian outfit Genoa in July 2018.

Any move, however unlikely it might seem given the salary implications, would complete a full circle moment for Romero, who is entering his prime years.

However, his father has added fuel to the flames by admitting that ‘anything can happen’ in football.

When quizzed about the speculation, Victor Romero added: “It’s a bombshell that keeps getting bigger.

“I hope it’s true. As a Belgrano fan and father, what more could I want? But I don’t know anything.

“Cuti isn’t one to make statements, that’s why it surprises me.

READ NEXT: Spurs rejected the only remaining firefighters with zero relegations for De Zerbi gamble

“I don’t know anything, but in football, anything can happen. Today, you might be thinking about being close to your family, and tomorrow, they put together a team to win the championship, and everything changes.

“I don’t want to lie.”

Manchester United appear to have learned from their Mason Greenwood blunder as a Roberto De Zerbi approach before the Italian took up the reins at Tottenham has been revealed.

De Zerbi has signed a five-year deal at Spurs which has been met with indignation from some quarters after the comments he made in defence of Greenwood after the Red Devils academy graduate signed for Marseille in the summer of 2024.

Greenwood was charged with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning bodily harm towards the same woman in 2022. He denied all wrongdoing and the charges were dropped in February 2023.

After moving to Marseille and shining on the pitch, De Zerbi described Greenwood as a “good guy” who had “paid a heavy price”, also suggesting that he was the victim of the allegations.

Women of the Lane said De Zerbi’s comments raised “serious questions about judgement and leadership”.

The group, whose aim is to eradicate sexism and misogyny in football, said: “This is not an appointment Tottenham Hotspur should make.”

After launching the ‘no to De Zerbi’ campaign, Proud Lilywhites, Spurs’ official LGBTQ+ fans’ group, said: “When someone in that position publicly defends a player like Mason Greenwood, and frames it in a way that downplays the seriousness of what happened, it matters, not just in isolation but in what it signals.”

In his first interview after being appointed the new Spurs boss, speaking in Italian, rather than English, De Zerbi issued a half-apology.

“I have never wanted to downplay the issue of violence against women or violence against anyone more broadly,” De Zerbi said. “In my life I’ve always stood up for those who are more vulnerable, more fragile. I’ve consistently fought and taken a stand to be on the side of those who are most at risk.

“Those of you who know me well will know that I’m not the kind of person who makes compromises to win more games or to win an extra title.

“I have a daughter and I’m very sensitive to these things, and I always have been. I hope that over time people will get to know me better and will understand that at that moment I didn’t mean to take a stance.”

Manchester United narrowly avoided a PR disaster having tested the waters through revealing they were considering Greenwood’s return to the first team when charges against him were dropped by sending him out on loan to Getafe in in the summer of 2023 before accepting Marseille’s £26.6m bid for the academy graduate a year later.

And transfer expert Alex Crook has now revealed that the INEOS bosses have decided to steer well clear of further Greenwood controversy having given De Zerbi short shrift as the Italian “sounded out” a potential move to Old Trafford before accepting his position at Tottenham.

Crook said on talkSPORT: “Do you know what I find interesting about Michael Carrick? We’ve got to Easter Weekend and they’ve not spoken – as I understand – to any other candidates.

“That’s not to say Carrick has been interviewed for the job. I don’t think they’ll need to interview him. I think they either give it to him or they don’t.

“Speaking to people in Italy this morning, Jamie. They were telling me that Roberto De Zerbi – before taking the Tottenham job — sounded out Manchester United and was told he wasn’t in the reckoning there.”

According to reports, a Tottenham Hotspur transfer has been ‘approved’, while they have joined the race to land AS Roma star Wesley.

Spurs really should be focused on trying to secure their Premier League status at the moment, but they are still linked with potential transfers ahead of the summer.

The north London side are currently sitting one point above the relegation zone and if they do go down, there would inevitably be a player exodus as players look to avoid a season or more in the Championship.

But one such player who looks likely to leave regardless of whether they get relegated is Guglielmo Vicario, with the goalkeeper heavily linked with a possible move to Serie A giants Inter Milan.

Inter Milan are in the market for a new goalkeeper and Vicario appears to be their favourite option, with a new report from Italian outlet L’Interista claiming he has given his ‘approval’ for this transfer.

READ: Spurs rejected the only remaining firefighters with zero relegations for De Zerbi gamble

The report explains: ‘The Nerazzurri are already preparing an official offer to present to the Tottenham goalkeeper, having already secured the approval of the eager player to return to his homeland. Inter is ready to offer a four-year contract worth €3.2 million net per season.

‘Inter will simply need to reach an agreement with Tottenham, a price expected to range between €20 million and less, depending on whether they are relegated.’

Regarding Wesley, the 22-year-old has impressed for Roma this season and has been attracting interest from several clubs.

The versatile full-back has four goals in 35 for Roma since joining the Serie A giants for around £20m from Flamengo last summer.

As per a report from AS Roma Live, the Italian side are keen to keep Wesley, but they have opened the door to his exit as long as they receive an offer worth 60 million euros (£52m).

The report explains:

‘After beating off competition from Juventus last summer, Roma will now have to try to resist the sirens of foreign interest, especially from the Premier League. Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle, and Tottenham are all tracking the player, who is also being eyed by Real Madrid.

‘Roma, for their part, don’t seem inclined to consider selling Wesley unless it’s for a truly unstoppable fee, starting from € 60 million. This very high price tag has prompted clubs like the Gunners and Citizens to revisit other deals.’

Roberto De Zerbi has issued a half-apology to Tottenham fans for his defence of Mason Greenwood in his first interview as the new Spurs manager.

De Zerbi has signed a five-year contract at Spurs, replacing interim boss Igor Tudor at the helm with the club just one point above the relegation zone in the Premier League with seven games to go.

His appointment has disgusted a section of Spurs fans after De Zerbi staunchly defended Greenwood upon the forward signing for Marseille.

Greenwood was charged with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning bodily harm towards the same woman in 2022.

He denied all wrongdoing and the charges were dropped in February 2023.

After moving to Marseille and shining on the pitch, De Zerbi described Greenwood as a “good guy” who had “paid a heavy price”, also suggesting that he was the victim of the allegations.

Addressing the comments on Thursday, De Zerbi delivered a classic half-apology, insisting he’s “sorry if this offended anyone’s feelings” rather than admitting he made a grave error in backing the 24-year-old.

De Zerbi said: “I have never wanted to downplay the issue of violence against women, or violence against anyone more broadly.

“In my life I have always stood up for those who are more vulnerable, more fragile.

“I’ve consistently fought and taken a stand to be on the side of those who are most at risk.

“Those of you who know me well, will know I’m not the type of person who makes compromises to win more games or to win an extra title.

“I’m sorry if this offended anyone’s feelings with this subject matter – I have a daughter and I’m very sensitive to these things, and I always have been.

“I hope that over time people will get to know me better and will understand that at that moment I didn’t mean to take a stance.”

Ahead of Tottenham’s clash with Sunderland next weekend and six further ‘cup finals’ to avoid the drop, De Zerbi urged his side to play with “courage”.

“I think we have to be focused just on the Sunderland game,” he added. “I don’t want to speak about the schedule or the Brighton game or the Wolverhampton game.

“Game by game, we have to prepare the players to win the game and to be focused just on the game.

“We have to play with courage. We have to play with the qualities of the players, because if I accept this challenge, it’s because I have a big confidence in the players and the style of the history of Tottenham football is a very clear style of play.”

The Italian also confirmed he would not walk away if his side were relegated, insisting: “I signed five years of contract because for me it is a big challenge and I will be the coach of Tottenham next season, no matter what.”

Tottenham have joined a growing list of Premier League rivals in the race for Fulham star Harry Wilson, though a move for West Ham United winger Crysencio Summerville is also under consideration.

De Zerbi has been tasked with guiding Spurs away from what would be a hugely damaging relegation, but that will be no easy task as they currently sit just a point above the bottom three.

His first game in charge will be an away clash against Sunderland on April 12.

Tottenham’s transfer plans will, of course, hinge on whether they survive the drop, but the club are still identifying transfer targets for the summer.

As revealed by our friends over at TEAMtalk, Spurs are ‘preparing’ to move for Fulham star Wilson, whose contract at Craven Cottage expires at the season’s end.

The 28-year-old has undoubtedly been one of Fulham’s standout performers this season, notching an impressive 11 goals and seven assists so far across the campaign.

Fulham are keen to retain Wilson and ‘have made their position clear’, but ‘the level of interest in Wilson makes a departure increasingly likely this summer,’ per the report.

Everton, Leeds United, Sunderland, and Aston Villa are also keen on Wilson – ready to jump at the opportunity to sign him on a free transfer.

But with Spurs plotting a move of their own, he is a player for fans to keep a close eye on.

Interestingly, though, Liverpool have ‘not completely ruled out’ a move for former player Wilson, while Manchester United are another side to watch in the race.

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However, TEAMtalk also reports that along with Wilson, West Ham winger Summerville is another player Tottenham have their eye on.

In fact, the report states that Spurs are considered ‘frontrunners’ to sign the 24-year-old, retaining interest following a failed January approach.

Summerville endured a slow start to life at the London Stadium but has found form this year, contributing crucial goals and assists that have helped keep the Hammers in the fight for top-flight survival.

De Zerbi’s side are said to view Summerville as a ‘dynamic option to bolster their attacking options for a good fee.’

Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Brentford, and Everton have all been monitoring the Dutchman, too.

Any move to Tottenham, again, depends on whether they stay up.

If West Ham themselves avoid the drop, as they sit just one point behind Spurs in the table, they will be in a relatively strong position to rebuff advances for Summerville, given he’s contracted until 2029.