The Mirror

Tottenham are heading towards the summer transfer window on the back of their worst Premier League season in recent memory and Dejan Kulusevski has gone public with his frustration

Tottenham star Dejan Kulusevski has furiously criticised the club's transfer policy and believes that he and his team-mates have been hung out to dry. Spurs slipped to their 18th defeat of the Premier League season on Monday, losing 2-1 at home to high-flying Nottingham Forest.

The result means that Tottenham are rooted to 16th place with just five games to go and only have the Europa League to salvage their season. Spurs beat Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0 last Thursday to book a semi-final tie with Norwegian minnows Bodo/Glimt, the competition's surprise package.

Injuries have plagued Ange Postecoglou's side, particularly during the winter. Kulusevski, 24, feels that Tottenham have been left ill-equipped to compete both domestically and in Europe, pointing the finger and the club's hierarchy.

The Swedish winger fumed after Monday's loss: "[The top clubs have] been doing it many years. They know exactly what they're doing. They're bringing in a lot of players that are ready to play both competitions. And they are prepared for it.

"This year we cannot say that we're prepared for it because we had so many injuries and we did a lot of things wrong from the beginning of the season and we're paying for it right now. After big nights like Thursday, you always go down. That's why teams who are in more competitions are paying [a price].

"We're not handling it right, we're not handling it well. Because after 16 minutes we'd conceded three goals, with the offside goal. Then it's hard to win football games. It's not good enough. Then we played some good football but if you're not doing everything right, you will not win games."

Kulusevski hadn't started a match since February and his return has been a welcome boost for Postecoglou, who faces an uncertain future - even if Spurs triumph in a potential Europa League final against either Manchester United or Athletic Bilbao. As a result, Tottenham have been forced to put their transfer plans on hold, a situation which will anger Kulusevski further.

Who should Tottenham sign this summer? Have your say in the comments section.

Defender Cristian Romero already has his eyes on the exit door after being linked with Atletico Madrid. Romero told TyC Sports: "LaLiga is the one [league] left to play in. I would love to, to tell you the truth. I would love to play there because it's the league I'm missing."

Spurs are back in action on Sunday when they travel to face champions elect Liverpool. Then comes the first leg of their Europa League semi-final, with the second leg in Norway coming after a trip to West Ham.

Tottenham's worst-ever points tally from a 38-game Premier League season is 44 and they're currently seven points away. Their worst finish is 14th place (1998 and 2004).

Tottenham are considering their next managerial move with Ange Postecoglou's future uncertain beyond this season as three Premier League bosses are shortlisted

Tottenham have added Mauricio Pochettino to their list of potential Ange Postecoglou replacement's with the Australian's future looking increasingly uncertain. He has presided over a poor Premier League campaign and European success may not be enough to salvage his future.

The north Londoners sit 15th in the table after losing to Nottingham Forest on Monday night - their 18th defeat of the season thus far. Their struggles domestically have coincided with a Europa League campaign that now has them in the last four - two games from a final.

A win in Frankfurt last week came as a shock but Postecoglou's European exploits have not prevented the Tottenham hierarchy from considering replacements. Pochettino was sacked by the club in 2019, just months after he'd taken them to the Champions League final, and he's now in charge of the USA.

They have a home World Cup on the horizon but Tottenham may still consider making a move for the Argentine, who himself has been open about a desire to one day return to the London outfit. Pochettino helped create an impressive young team, featuring the likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Kyle Walker that finished second in the Premier League in 2017.

Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola is another man being considered with his reputation continuing to blossom at the Vitality Stadium. The Spaniard has led the Cherries to the top half and they were in the hunt for the European spots for months.

The Bournemouth bosses are growing confident they can retain Iraola despite the mounting interest in him, reports the Telegraph. They face a battle to keep some of their top players but having their manager remain could also prove crucial to their hopes.

Fulham 's Marco Silva is another manager who has outperformed his resources. He's been in charge at Craven Cottage for four years, leading them to promotion before consolidating them in the top flight, and at the weekend he told A Bola: “My head is at Fulham. We don’t control everything that happens around us. It’s not part of me."

Tottenham's technical director Johan Lange is a fan of Brentford’s Thomas Frank with the Dane taking the Bees from the Championship to the top half of the Premier League. He's continually had to adapt to losing his biggest names but that hasn't halted their progress.

Daniel Levy has been unable to find the winning formula at Tottenham with fan anger against him continuing to mount. Protests have been held throughout the season with the club's wait for a trophy nearing twenty years.

Tottenham Hotspur suffered a home defeat against Nottingham Forest on Monday night and could also be in line to lose one of their senior stars in the summer transfer window

Tottenham Hotspur star Cristian Romero has opened the door to a summer exit. The Argentina international has been heavily linked with a summer switch to Atletico Madrid.

Romero joined Spurs from Atalanta in 2021, first on loan and then permanently. He has played more than 100 times for the club, though injuries have restricted his involvement - especially this season, when he has been one of a number of regulars spending time on the sidelines during a challenging campaign under Ange Postecoglou.

Monday night's defeat at home to Nottingham Forest was the South American's 18th league outing of the season. His biggest absence came when he suffered a hamstring injury in December, keeping him out of action for more than two months.

Since returning in early March, Romero has captained the team for four of their six league matches. The most recent of those, against Forest on Monday, saw the Londoners unable to fully recover after early goals from Elliot Anderson and Chris Wood set the visitors on their way to a 2-1 win.

With skipper Son Heung-min absent, Romero also wore the armband for the Europa League quarter-final triumph away at Eintracht Frankfurt. European glory remains a target, but a recent interview suggested the defender wasn't ready to make predictions over what might come after that.

"We're in the Europa League semi-finals, and I want to finish the season on a high note," Romero is quoted as saying by Los Edul. "After that, we'll see. My focus is always on growing and looking for new places to continue developing."

As previously reported by Mirror Football, Atletico Madrid are among the clubs keen on the defender. They could even push to land the player ahead of the Club World Cup in June, where they have been drawn in a group with Paris Saint-Germain, Botafogo and Seattle Sounders.

Romero played 45 minutes against Forest before he and fellow centre-back Micky van de Ven made way. However, manager Postecoglou said it was always part of the plan to manage the minutes of players with recent injury problems as his team gets in shape for the first leg of their European semi-final against Bodo/Glimt on May 1.

"It was pre-planned for van de Ven and Romero to play 45 minutes and the same with Kulusevski and Odobert who have not played in quite a while," Postecoglou told Sky Sports. "Everyone got through it ok I guess. That is one thing but we want to maintain momentum but we missed that opportunity.

"It is a bit of a balancing act. We have got to be ready for Thursday week, that is the big game for us. We have to have all of our players healthy and in good condition."

Arsenal host PSG in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final clash next week, but Luis Enrique has warned the Gunners they will not be given an easy ride

The Premier League title race could finally be over come Wednesday night if Arsenal lose to Crystal Palace. But the Gunners are already turning their attention to next week's first leg of their Champions League semi-final against PSG.

Mikel Arteta's men will host the runaway Ligue 1 champions at the Emirates Stadium next Tuesday. The two sides met in the league phase of the competition, with Arsenal claiming a comfortable win.

But PSG boss Luis Enrique has now warned Arteta and his side they can expect a tougher proposition next Tuesday. Elsewhere, Ange Postecoglou has been forced to defend his reign once again.

The Tottenham boss saw his side crash to a 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Easter Monday. It puts them on track to finish in their lowest league position for 48 years.

But Postecoglou has dismissed the concerns over his reign, even as his future was plunged into fresh doubt. Here, Mirror Football rounds up all the latest football news.

Enrique's Arsenal warning

PSG boss Luis Enrique has insisted he is not worried about Arsenal's threat from set-pieces. Enrique will take his side to the Emirates for the first leg of the Champions League semi-final next week, but has warned the Gunners he has no specific concerns about their threat.

"We will prepare in the same way as we did against Liverpool. They are a team that has at least as much potential as Arsenal, if not more. Aston Villa also had great potential in this area, as did the majority of Ligue 1 teams," he said.

"We will not prepare our team based on this aspect of the game in particular, but it is obvious that we must be competitive everywhere. I think we scored goals and I consider our level to be very good."

Promotion party marred

Burnley's promotion party on Easter Monday was marred by unsavoury scenes following a pitch invasion. The Clarets beat Sheffield United to confirm a top two finish in the Championship.

But Blades midfielder Hamza Choudhury became involved in an altercation with a celebrating Burnley supporter. Choudhury took exception to the words or actions of one of them and had to be dragged away from the incident, with boss Chris Wilder hitting out.

He fumed: “We were told by the ref before that we’d get stewards surrounding us, but I think they went on the missing list. Completely on the missing list. It was quite scary out there in the end, when people are coming and doing bits and pieces at you."

Postecoglou issues blunt Spurs message

Ange Postecoglou has bluntly insisted he owes no message to unhappy Tottenham fans. Postecoglou saw his side slip to a 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Monday night, dropping them to 16th, which would be their worst finish for 48 years.

"I don’t need to say anything to the fans. The fans are disappointed and angry as we are as well. It’s too many losses I know that. I don’t need to tell the fans anything. The fans clearly wouldn’t be happy with our results but neither am I or the players," Postecoglou said.

"From our perspective, it’s something we need to accept responsibility that we have fallen short of the standards we need to have. The flip side of that is that the frustrating bit is it’s not because of the way we are playing because our football today was very similar to the Frankfurt game at home which was another game we should have won."

The Premier League have confirmed that semi-automated offside technology determined a goal from Chris Wood should not stand in Monday night's meeting between Tottenham and Nottingham Forest.

Forest were already a goal to the good when Wood thought he had added a second. But while the goal was originally given in-play, VAR overruled the decision after watching the incident back.

The Premier League confirmed the reasons for the overruled, saying: "VAR checked the referee’s call of goal – and established that Wood was in an offside position and recommended that the goal was disallowed."

Former Arsenal striker Alan Smith commentating for Sky Sports said: "Chris Wood is just on the last line of the defence and he is off. It was a beautiful pass into him by Elliot Anderson, played with real whip. Any centre forward would love that type of pass."

Fortunately for Wood - and Forest - the New Zealand star had the ball in the back of the net again just minutes later, this time with no question of offside.

It was another wretched start to proceedings for Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou who has seen the scrutiny on him grow in recent weeks. Spurs have endured a horrific season in the Premier League, though they could salvage their campaign by going on to triumph in the Europa League.

PLUS: The future of Chelsea loanee Kepa Arrizabalaga, enjoying an impressive loan spell at Bournemouth, is also in question with the Spaniard's future set to be decided

Atletico Madrid are keen to push through a deal for Cristian Romero before the Club World Cup. Diego Simeone's side have made the Tottenham centre-back their top defensive target and they hope to lure the 26-year-old to the Spanish capital for under £45million.

In Madrid, there is growing confidence that the World Cup winner would be keen to move to the Wanda Metropolitano after spending almost four seasons in N17. Atletico are planning to sign two central defenders this summer and have also shortlisted Valencia's Cristhian Mosquera alongside Romero.

Cesar Azpilicueta, Axel Witsel and Reinildo Mandava are all out of contract at the end of June while loanee Clement Lenglet is due to return to Barcelona.

At this moment in time, all are doubts to feature at the Club World Cup and could leave Atletico prematurely during the "exceptional registration window" introduced by FIFA between June 1 and June 10.

Spurs midfielder Rodrigo Bentacur is another player on Simeone's radar but Tottenham's transfer plans are expected to hinge on who is in the dugout next season.

Cherries eye Kepa alternative

Bournemouth chief Tiago Pinto is tracking Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye in case the Cherries fail to land loanee Kepa Arrizabalaga on a permanent basis.

Andoni Iraola's side are set to discuss a deal for the Spaniard with Chelsea at the end of the season. Arrizabalaga recently revealed discussions with his parent club over his future are set to take place "in the coming weeks".

But Bournemouth already have contingency plans in place and they have heavily scouted Udinese's Nigerian international shot-stopper Maduka Okoye as one potential alternative option. Okoye was previously on the books of Watford but made just two cup appearances for the Hornets before departing Vicarage Road in 2023.

Kepa, who is also attracting interest from Europe and the Middle East, penned a one-year contract extension with Chelsea last summer before moving to the Vitality Stadium, however, he is still expected to be available for a cut-price.

Meanwhile, Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto is set to return to the South Coast this summer following his season-long loan spell at Arsenal.

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Guglielmo Vicario serenaded Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou after their heroic Europa League victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday night

Guglielmo Vicario insists Tottenham are a team reborn after eliminating Eintracht Frankfurt on their own patch. The Italian goalkeeper made five stops to keep the Bundesliga outfit - previously undefeated in 11 European home matches - at bay in Germany as Dominic Solanke's decisive penalty fired Spurs into the Europa League semi-finals.

And even though Ange Postecoglou's side have lost a whopping 21 games in all competitions this season, Vicario claims the game-changing victory has given the group confidence they can go the distance and end the club's 17-year wait for silverware.

He said ahead of Monday's visit of Nottingham Forest: “Everyone has suffered a lot this season. It’s been a very tough one but now we are still alive and we want to fight for something special. It’s an important achievement.

"The job is not done but it’s a big win for Tottenham Hotspur, for everyone, for the boss, for us players, for the staff, for the fans. So we are very proud of what we showed tonight."

Passionate shot-stopper Vicario immediately sprinted to the touchline to jump on Postecoglou and his coaching staff after Spurs survived the final waves of Eintracht attacks

It's no secret Big Ange would have been on the brink if Tottenham had failed to reign supreme but with Bodo/Glimt - the first ever Norwegian side to reach the semi-finals of a European competition - now on the horizon, Spurs have every chance of reaching the final in Bilbao.

Vicario, however, insists Postecoglou's joyous stars won't get ahead of themselves because they have faced persistent setbacks all season.

When asked if their gutsy triumph at Deutsche Bank Park has raised confidence levels, the vocal 28-year-old leader replied: “Yeah, of course, we know we are going to face another tough opponent in the semi-final.

"We know when you arrive at this stage of the competition that every game will be tough. But we will fight for sure because tonight we showed that we have the capacity to do that. For us it’s very important to be through. It’s a big night.

"Now we want to live this moment altogether because it’s been a very suffering season.”

Given error-strewn, sloppy Spurs stuttered at Galatasaray and Rangers amid deafening noise earlier in the competition, sceptics had predicted them to freeze in Frankfurt. Vicario is adamant Tottenham have now proven they can handle the heat of a volatile atmosphere after Frankfurt's ferocious ultras appeared to spur them on at Waldstadion.

He continued: “Yeah. It’s just a perception. But we know what we are capable of when we are really tuned in, when we work hard as a team like we showed tonight. The achievement in both legs has been very, very deserved from what we showed at our home ground and tonight with the resilience, the desire to fight.

"We got the job done and it’s a fully deserved semi-final of a big European competition."

EINTRACHT FRANKFURT 0-1 TOTTENHAM (1-2 AGG): Tottenham came up trumps in Germany as Dominic Solanke struck the winner from the penalty spot to book Spurs' place in the semi-finals of the Europa League

Ange Postecoglou revelled in Tottenham's heroic Europa League quarter-final victory at Eintracht Frankfurt by claiming: "You're going to have to put up with me for a little longer." The under-fire Aussie masterminded the gutsiest performance of Spurs' season to book their place in the last four where they will meet Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt for a place in the final.

Postecoglou said of his critics after Dominic Solanke struck the winner in Germany: "I'm the same manager today that I was yesterday [Wednesday]. Whoever didn't think I was doing a good job yesterday [Wednesday] should be feeling the same way today.

"I don't care, it doesn't bother me or affect what I do, for me it's about the dressing room. Do the players believe, do the staff believe? That's much more important than what others think. Unfortunately for a lot of you, you're going to have to put up with me for a little bit longer so we'll just see how that goes."

Postecoglou is refusing to get carried away, however, and does not necessarily think Spurs' name is etched on the trophy due to the nature of their bizarre season. He added: "No, I don't think that way but from our perspective we've had a difficult season. There's some reasoning behind that which was pretty evident tonight when we had our strongest team out there.

"I'm super proud of the lads, we were playing away from home in the quarter-final against a very good side and we needed to score and show our quality. To a man, I just thought they were outstanding, I am so proud of them and over the two games we deserved to go through. After a season like ours, it would be very easy for the players and staff, they could have left me in a pretty vulnerable place in terms of them splintering, but I’ve never felt that."

In a major boost for Tottenham, Postecoglou issued a positive update on James Maddison after he took a nasty whack from Frankfurt goalkeeper Kaua Santos to win Spurs' penalty.

Postecoglou said of the creative midfielder: "He is fine. Unbelievable courage in that moment to put his body on the line knowing full well that he was going to get a pretty severe knock and I was surprised it wasn’t a red card. Super courageous from him. He is sore but I’m sure that has all been numbed knowing that he has helped us progress to the semi."

Tottenham have endured an awful season under Ange Postecoglou with injuries having blighted both their and Micky van de Ven seasons albeit the Dutchman has now returned to action

Micky van de Ven has revealed Ange Postecoglou is to blame for his limited appearances, but has rallied behind the under-pressure Tottenham boss. The North London side have endured a woeful campaign under the Australian this term.

Spurs sit 15th in the Premier League table having lost an astounding 17 league games throughout the campaign. In their defence, injuries have certainly not helped their cause.

Micky van de Ven has made just 16 appearances this term having been suffering for a hamstring problem. The former Wolfsburg centre-back has returned to contention over recent weeks but has been in and out of the side - a decision he claims is solely Postecoglou’s.

Speaking in a press conference ahead of Spurs’ clash with Eintracht Frankfurt, he said: “Why I don't play every week is a question for the gaffer not for me. I want to play every game. Football is what you love the most.”

Van de Ven was signed from Wolfsburg in 2023 for £43m and he immediately established himself as a crucial player in North London. Despite claiming that Postecoglou has been at the heart of his staggered return to the side, the defender is still fully behind his under-pressure boss.

He added: "It hasn't been our best season. The fans want us to play better, and do better in the games we lost, but when the whole team is strong we can achieve some beautiful things -- hopefully we can show that to everyone who doubts us.

"We have trust in the gaffer and the way he wants us to play. We want to win for him, but also for us, the club and the fans. We want to achieve something this season and this is the best way to do it."

Spurs and Postecoglou are under huge pressure ahead of Thursday’s Europa League decider against Eintracht Frankfurt. The two sides are level after the first leg as Hugo Ekitike and Pedro Porro both netted in North London.

Spurs’ chances have been handed a huge blow however, with another injury biting them. Tottenham captain Son Heung-min has been ruled out of the trip to Germany, with Postecoglou bemoaning his absence.

Should Spurs sack Ange Postecoglou? Share your thoughts in the comments below

He said: “Yeah, look it’s a blow but it’s consistent with everything else that’s happened this year, so it’s just another challenge for us to overcome. Unfortunate for him and he tried really hard.

“The reason we left him out at weekend was to give him time to recover because he’s been struggling with this foot thing for a couple of weeks now, but he couldn’t make it. You know, we’ve had these challenges all year and it’s just another we need to overcome.”

Ange Postecoglou ignores blow to come out fighting over Spurs future - 'I couldn't care less'

EINTRACHT FRANKFURT vs TOTTENHAM: Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou could be faced with the sack if his side fail to qualify for the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday night

Ange Postecoglou claims he's "willing to fight tooth and nail" to keep his job and Tottenham's Europa League dream alive - even after losing captain Son Heung-min.

The defiant Aussie, who will be without his South Korean skipper against Eintracht Frankfurt due to a foot injury, declared he "couldn't care less" that critics are billing the crunch quarter-final in Germany as a match that could define his career.

Postecoglou said when asked whether speculation over his future has become a personal burden: "No, not at all, mate, because I don’t define my career and me as a person by what people think about me. I never have and never will. If you don’t think I’m a good coach today, you won’t think I’m a good coach tomorrow, even if we win, one game ain’t going to make a difference to that.

"You either think I’m capable of doing the job now or you don’t, that’s where I sit with these things. If people think that us winning tomorrow all of a sudden makes me a better manager than what I am today or us losing tomorrow somehow makes me a worse manager, I guess that’s their burden, not mine.

"What I’m sitting here doing is thinking we’ve got a great opportunity to get to the final four of a major tournament. I’m not going to let that slip by without fighting tooth and nail for it irrespective of what may come the day after." Passionate Postecoglou also conceded that Son's injury typifies the dismal luck Spurs have been forced to endure all season ahead of the most important match of his tenure. He continued: "Yeah, look it’s a blow but it’s consistent with everything else that’s happened this year, so it’s just another challenge for us to overcome.

"It's really unfortunate for him and he tried really hard. The reason we left him out at the weekend was to give him time to recover because he’s been struggling with this foot thing for a couple of weeks now, but he couldn’t make it."

Meanwhile, Spurs centre-back Micky van de Ven revealed his plan to "eliminate" 21-goal Frankfurt frontman Hugo Ekitike, who struck the opener in north London last week. He said of the highly-coveted £70million-rated Frenchman: "He's a really good player and scored a really good goal against us. "Tomorrow it's going to be our job, me and the players playing next to me, to eliminate him from the game. He's an unbelievable threat for them, so we want to eliminate him tomorrow and get the win." Swedish talisman Dejan Kulusevski is fit to start in a major boost for Tottenham.