The New York Times

Tottenham Hotspur are stuck in a predicament.

Luka Vuskovic is one of the most exciting talents in world football. The centre-back scored six goals in 28 Bundesliga appearances on loan at Hamburg last season, including towering headers and clever backheel flicks. The 19-year-old’s stock will keep rising as he is set to star for Croatia at this summer’s World Cup, starting with their first group-stage game against England on Wednesday evening. Vuskovic will have no fear man-marking England’s captain Harry Kane because they have faced each other multiple times over the past year.

Vuskovic is yet to make his first official appearance for Spurs, three years after he agreed to join them from Hajduk Split. Transfer regulations meant he had to wait until after he turned 18 in February 2025 before he could complete the move. He scored in a pre-season friendly against Reading under then head coach Thomas Frank last summer, and travelled on tour to Hong Kong and South Korea but joined Hamburg in August.

Now his future with Spurs could be in doubt after The Athletic reported last week that Brighton & Hove Albion submitted a £30million bid for him. Vuskovic believes Brighton have shown themselves to be a good developing ground for young talent. In an ideal world, Spurs would dismiss this offer and do everything in their power to keep Vuskovic. However, the situation is not that simple.

Spurs’ squad is in dire need of investment after successive 17th-place finishes in the Premier League. They have already confirmed the signings of free agents Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson, and have submitted two offers for Brighton centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke. Spurs are also in positive talks with the camp of Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali and want to sign Manchester City winger Savinho.

Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert are expected to miss the start of next season after they both suffered anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries earlier this year. Mohammed Kudus sustained a hamstring injury in January, which ruled him out for the rest of the campaign and the World Cup with Ghana. Dominic Solanke has struggled with ankle, knee and muscle injuries over the last 18 months. Richarlison was Tottenham’s top scorer in the league last season with 11 goals but only has a year left on his contract and there are question marks over whether he suits Roberto De Zerbi’s style of play. To put it bluntly, Spurs are low on numbers and quality in attack.

There is a misconception that Spurs do not spend heavily on transfer fees. Over the last seven seasons, they have spent £880.3m net on players, which is more than Liverpool (£649.7m) and Manchester City (£625.2m). Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal are the only English clubs who have spent more money in that period.

Spurs’ record transfer fee, £65m for Solanke, is significantly lower than their rivals and they traditionally held back on huge wages, but the brutal reality is that they have spent money badly and have to rectify their mistakes.

Earlier this week, they released Yves Bissouma four years after signing him from Brighton for £25m. The 29-year-old midfielder helped Spurs to win the Europa League in 2025 but did not come close to fulfilling his potential. Brennan Johnson was sold to Crystal Palace two and a half years after a £47.5m move from Nottingham Forest. Odobert has had a limited impact since he arrived from Burnley for £25m, while Mathys Tel has shown flashes of his promise since his loan from Bayern Munich was converted into a permanent €35m deal.

Those figures are relatively modest in isolation but grouped together underline Spurs’ inefficiency in the transfer market. All of this directly impacts Vuskovic because Spurs hold some of the highest transfer debt in football.

De Zerbi made it clear after the final day victory over Everton that this was going to be a summer of upheaval. “We have now to change too many players,” the Italian said. “We have 10, 11, 12 players good enough to stay… And then we have to complete the squad with the first level of players.”

Selling players and reinvesting the money will help Spurs give De Zerbi the squad he craves. There is a strong chance captain Cristian Romero will leave but the market for him will probably be smaller than Vuskovic due to his age and wage demands. Shipping out Romero could earn Spurs a lot of money, they just might have to wait until after his World Cup commitments with Argentina and that could impact their own plans.

Radu Dragusin missed the first half of last season with an ACL injury and when he returned only played 10 league games for a grand total of 515 minutes. It is unlikely the Romanian will command a higher fee than Vuskovic.

Spurs will be without European football next season and if Vuskovic is not going to be the first-choice right-sided centre-back, there is certainly an argument it would be more beneficial to temporarily send him away. Vuskovic has spent the last three seasons on loan, though, and might feel the time is right to settle.

The parallels with Arsenal’s William Saliba are obvious. Saliba went on loan to Saint-Etienne, Nice and Marseille before breaking into Arsenal’s starting XI under Mikel Arteta. The difference here is that Spurs’ financial situation might force them to let Vuskovic go.

The other awkward part of this dilemma is that Spurs have supported Vuskovic’s development, even if he has not played for them. They were consulted about his loan to Polish top-flight side Radomiak Radom in 2024 and encouraged him to join Westerlo the following season. Westerlo was seen as an ideal move because they play in the Belgian top flight but do not attract a lot of attention. Vuskovic could make mistakes and grow without intense pressure.

There was a huge emotional draw for Vuskovic to join Hamburg. His older brother Mario is contracted to them but is serving a doping ban until November, and it was also seen as a natural next step in a more competitive environment. Tottenham’s head of pathways and loans Andy Scoulding has remained in regular contact with Vuskovic throughout to keep a close eye on his progress. It would be a shame if he never plays for them — even if that blow would be softened by a healthy profit on the £12m they paid Hajduk Split.

It is understandable if Vuskovic has reservations about staying with Spurs. They have had four different head coaches since he initially agreed to join them. Brighton finished eighth and will be competing in the Europa Conference League next season while Spurs narrowly avoided relegation. Tel, Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall’s stop-start development could be another concern.

If Vuskovic decides it is better for his career to leave Spurs, then they only have themselves to blame.

Cameron Lancaster played up front with Harry Kane for Tottenham’s academy from the age of 11 and made his Premier League debut before him. But his career in England was derailed by serious injuries. He retired earlier this year after spending a decade scoring goals in the U.S.

It was my first day at Tottenham Hotspur and this annoying kid was taking the p*** out of me.

He kept asking my name. I said, “Cameron Lancaster”. He said, “What?” I said, “Cameron Lancaster”. He said, “What?” I said, “Cameron Lancaster”. He said, “Are you a parrot?”

Another boy came over and said, “Shut up, George”.

Aged 11, I was a shy lad who had just come on trial at Spurs from my local Sunday league team and I didn’t want to be in the spotlight, so for someone to stick up for me at that moment meant a lot and I had instant respect for them.

That someone was Harry Kane.

I was in the same age group at Spurs as Harry and also played in the same position. Well, I say that but Harry played in midfield at times and there was even talk about him playing as a centre-back. Typically, though, it would be 4-4-2 with the two of us up top. We scored goals for fun.

Profile-wise, I was quicker, stronger and more powerful than Harry, who had issues with his size and weight when he was younger. He was underdeveloped physically and not the shining light that he was at an older age. Where I struggled, though, was with the mentality side, and that’s where Harry excelled.

I had other things outside of football that distracted me. I didn’t want to be in my digs in Chigwell the whole time. I wanted to go out with my friends, and I wanted to enjoy life. I didn’t necessarily get my enjoyment from the game and from training. That wasn’t it for me.

Alex Inglethorpe, who was my under-18 coach at Spurs, took me to the side one day and said, “Look, if you want to be a professional footballer, you have to eat, breathe, sleep, football. You have to be absolutely addicted to it.” I walked away thinking, “S***, I’m not going to be a professional footballer because I’m not like that.”

But Harry was like that. Harry would eat, breathe, sleep football, and he didn’t worry what anyone else thought.

I say that because with kids at that age, especially athletes, it can get a little bit toxic at times. For example, with Harry there was always the chatter of, “This busy guy, why’s he doing extra?”

I never felt any ill-will towards Harry for putting in that additional work, and that’s partly because of my first interaction when I arrived on trial. But it’s also because I always thought Harry was just being Harry — trying to be the best that he could be.

I remember when we had our body fat measured, and Harry, myself and another lad were on the higher side. I looked at Harry’s plate the following day and it was boiled chicken, tomatoes and cucumbers. The next thing you know he’s boxing in the gym to burn extra calories off.

Harry was obsessive — obsessed with his body composition, obsessed with his fitness, obsessed with his finishing, and that’s why he was so far ahead of everyone in our age group.

One day we had a shooting session with John McDermott, who is now technical director with the English FA, and everyone was leathering the hell out of the ball. John stopped the exercise and said, “Just whip it, like a firm pass, with precision.”

Harry would always be focusing on that kind of finish after training — striking it between the side of your foot and your laces. It’s an art, that.

I also remember Les Ferdinand, who was a coach at Spurs, saying, “Keep everything low and the keeper’s not gonna get there.” And if you look at how Harry finishes, rarely is anything above waist height.

Tim Sherwood and Chris Ramsey, two of the coaching staff, called me into their office during that time and said, “Here’s you, and here’s Harry”, and went through a list of categories.

“Finishing, who’s better?”

“About the same.”

“Speed, who’s faster?”

“Me.”

“Who’s stronger?”

“Me.”

“Who’s better at heading?”

“About the same.”

And then they talked about mentality and said, “Why is he up here and why are you down there?”

In truth, I had no idea what the word mentality meant back then. But I had talent, and I was still doing well enough to be in and around the first team at Spurs, and that led to me playing in the Premier League at the age of 19.

Tim Sherwood came up to me after one of the first-team strikers picked up an injury and said, “Someone might have just handed you your debut.” I said, “What are you talking about?” He said, “You’re gonna be on the bench later.”

I looked down at my boots and they were these crusty black Adidas F50s that I’d been wearing for the past year. I thought, “I can’t make my debut in these.” So I went to Sports Direct to buy a new pair.

The game was against Wigan Athletic at White Hart Lane. We were leading 3-1 with 15 minutes remaining when the manager Harry Redknapp gave me the signal to get ready. Emmanuel Adebayor came off, gave me a high five, and there was a massive cheer from the crowd when I ran on. For a split second — probably three seconds, actually — I thought, “Where the hell am I?!”

Looking back, it’s a great achievement to go from playing for the under-12s to representing the first team. Not many players get the chance to appear on that stage.

Harry congratulated me on making my debut when he returned from being on loan at Millwall. It didn’t cross my mind that I played for Spurs in the Premier League before him. I didn’t really have that competitive mindset, and there was never any animosity between the two of us, even though we were both strikers.

I remember playing reserve games together and in the warm-up it was a competition to see who could do the best knuckleball free-kick. But it was never a competition to be “better than you”.

In fact, the season before I made my debut for Spurs, Harry was on loan at Leyton Orient and I was at Dagenham & Redbridge, and we came up against each other in a League One game. Harry was starting and I was on the bench. As strange as this sounds, I wanted Harry to do well.

In the summer of 2012, after making my debut and signing a two-year contract, I felt a million dollars. But in a training game in pre-season I took a shot at Hugo Lloris and felt a pop in my groin. I had to walk off. Tim Sherwood was on the sidelines and said: “What are you doing? Get back on, this is your chance.” But that groin injury was a nightmare — it kept me out for a year.

At one stage Harry did a bit of rehabilitation with me, after breaking a metatarsal while on loan at Norwich City. He then spent the second half of the season on loan at Leicester City.

Not long after that I remember the two of us being on the exercise bikes one day and chatting about the future. Harry was asking about me, and I asked what he saw himself doing in the season ahead. He said he had been looking at the first team and thought he could get Clint Dempsey’s place. Dempsey was a United States international.

I was looking at Harry and thinking: “You’re deluded. You just had a failed loan spell in the Championship with Leicester and now you’re talking about taking Clint Dempsey’s place in the first-team squad?” But that was Harry’s mentality and the confidence that he had.

Harry went on to make nearly 20 first-team appearances for Spurs that season. The following season he finished as the second-highest goalscorer in the Premier League and played and scored for England too. Despite all the doubters — and there were plenty of them, even within Spurs — Harry had made it at the highest level.

His success hasn’t surprised me one bit. You see it throughout sport — Tom Brady wasn’t the quickest, wasn’t the most athletic, but he’s got that elite mentality, and Harry is on that same kind of level. He set his mind to do something and accomplished it. You can’t be jealous of that. You can only respect it. I feel proud to be associated with him and the fact that someone from our age group at Spurs has gone on to achieve so much.

As for my time at the club, that came to an end in 2014. After returning from the groin problem, I remember screaming in agony after getting clattered playing in an under-23 game away at Fulham. It was my anterior cruciate ligament.

After trials in the United States with Orlando and Chicago, and a brief spell back home with Stevenage Borough in League Two, I had an opportunity to go to Louisville City. They were playing in the United States League, effectively the third tier of football in the country, and wanted me to go on trial. I remember thinking, “I was playing in the Premier League two and a half years ago. What’s going on in my life?”

It was a bitter pill to swallow at the time, but the reality is that it was my last shot at trying to rebuild my career after injury. Thankfully, it worked. I retired from professional football a couple of months ago, after making 253 appearances and scoring 107 goals.

I can’t lie, there was a time during my playing days when I used to look at Harry and think, “That could have been me.” But, if I’m honest with myself, I can see why Harry has had the career that he’s had and why I’ve been on a different journey.

That said, I wouldn’t change what I’ve got now for the world. I’ve spent the best part of 11-12 years in the United States, I have a beautiful daughter and I’m happy and content.

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen or even spoken to Harry — probably going back to when we were on the exercise bikes next to one another at Spurs.

As the World Cup is taking place here, I thought about going along to watch him play for England — the only problem is that tickets cost an arm and a leg.

Still, I’m sure England will have a training facility somewhere nearby. Maybe I’ll just roll up there one day and say, “Alright, H. How’s it going?”

Tottenham Hotspur have agreed a £52million deal with Brighton & Hove Albion to sign defender Jan Paul van Hecke.

Spurs defender Luka Vuskovic, for whom Brighton have had a £35m offer rejected, is not part of any move for the Netherlands international, which will include no add-ons or bonuses.

Personal terms are not expected to be an issue for the centre-back, who is close to Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi having worked together at the south-coast club between 2022 and 2024.

Spurs had previously submitted an offer for Van Hecke which fell short of Brighton’s valuation, but an agreement between the clubs is now agreed.

Van Hecke’s contract expires in June 2027, and Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler said in April he expected to talk with the defender about his future.

The Athletic reported earlier this month that he had shown no interest in extending his terms, and along with goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen and midfielder Carlos Baleba, was among the main candidates to be sold this summer.

The centre-back first joined Brighton in 2020 from Dutch side NAC Breda and had loan spells at Heerenveen and Blackburn Rovers before beginning to establish himself in the Brighton first team in the 2022-23 season.

Van Hecke started 36 of Brighton’s 38 Premier League matches in the 2025-26 season as they qualified for the Conference League by finishing eighth. He is also in the Netherlands’ squad for the World Cup.

He has made 131 appearances for Brighton, with 106 of those coming in the Premier League.

A move would continue a busy start to the transfer window for Spurs, who have already signed centre-back Marcos Senesi and left-back Andy Robertson, following the expiration of their contracts at Bournemouth and Liverpool respectively.

A progressive defender and possible Romero replacement

Analysis by Seb Stafford-Bloor

Van Hecke is one of the better all-round defenders in the Premier League.

A tough, combative, right-footer who can also carry and pass the ball out of his own defensive area as well as anyone; Tottenham’s interest would indicate that they are searching for Romero’s replacement.

Given the season that Spurs have just endured, Van Hecke might be the prospect available to them in that position. During our recent Transfer Tiers series, during which The Athletic asked industry experts to rank players based on their likely destination — Champions League contender, Champions League qualifier and the rest — Van Hecke was right in the middle of Tier Two.

Quite rightly so; he has earned his reputation. He is at the World Cup with the Netherlands and started alongside Virgil van Dijk and Micky van de Ven (who often plays as a full-back for his country) in their opening game against Japan.

Given Van Hecke’s contract situation (due to expire in 2027), this summer was always going to bring significant interest — and from clubs currently operating above Tottenham’s station.

But here perhaps lies the value of De Zerbi, with whom Van Hecke worked highly successfully at Brighton and whose tactical imperatives so obviously suit the Dutch centre-half and his progressive style of play.

“I fell in love watching him play the game.”

Eddie Howe is not prone to hyperbole. Sandro Tonali had just played his first game in English football in August 2023 — an impressive goalscoring debut against Aston Villa — and his Newcastle United head coach did not attempt to hide the strength of his admiration for the Italy international midfielder.

During Newcastle’s six-month pursuit of Tonali, then of Milan, in the first half of that year, Howe repeatedly expressed that same sentiment in private.

And he is far from alone in being taken with him. That is the effect the 26-year-old can have on those who watch him closely over a sustained period.

As reported by The Athletic, as well as interest from Arsenal and Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur are in positive talks with the player’s camp, with the transfer fee considered a bigger challenge for them than doing a deal with Tonali.

So why do Newcastle value him so highly? And what does he offer the Premier League clubs eyeing him?

At Brescia, where Tonali made his breakthrough and was part of a promotion-winning side, he was adored. At Milan, where his father, Giandomenico, is “one of the Curva”, he was cherished not only because he was one of their own, but due to the influential performances that helped deliver a Champions League semi-final appearance and a first Serie A title in 11 years.

On Tyneside, despite serving a 10-month suspension for betting offences and so missing most of his first season, Tonali swiftly struck up an enduring bond with supporters.

He is known as Newcastle’s “midfield maestro from Milano” and, following a positional change, was arguably the critical factor in the club qualifying for the Champions League in 2024-25 and in ending their 70-year domestic trophy drought by lifting the Carabao Cup — something Tonali had vowed to do as an attempt to make amends for the support he received during that lengthy ban.

Why he evokes such a strong emotional response is difficult to explain with words or visuals. What Tonali is, what he does and what he brings can only truly be appreciated by observing him in action over a prolonged period.

The Italian is a midfielder, but he is not an out-and-out defensive screener, nor is he a box-to-box type or a metronomic passer. Tonali is somewhere in between; he can do a bit of everything and, physically and aerobically, is ideally suited to the Premier League.

Newcastle insiders describe Tonali as boasting a distinctive profile as a midfielder and that uniqueness — alongside his quality — makes him almost impossible to replace like-for-like, especially in the markets the club can afford to go shopping in this summer.

While Howe would love to continue to build his team around the Tonali-Bruno Guimaraes axis, Newcastle have anticipated interest and the expectation is that the Italian would be open to exploring a move away (even if he has not personally communicated that to the St James’ hierarchy).

But with Tonali effectively contracted until 2030 — his deal runs to the end of the 2028-29 season, but the club can unilaterally extend it by another year — Newcastle will demand a sizeable fee, especially should Elliot Anderson, their former academy graduate, leave Nottingham Forest in this window for in excess of £120million, which would not be a shock.

Throw Tonali’s salary on top of whatever the transfer fee is likely to be and Newcastle believe there are only a handful of clubs in the world who can afford him, a situation which has all but ended any hopes he may have of returning to play in Serie A.

At his best, which he displayed throughout the second half of 2024-25, Tonali warrants such a lofty price tag due to his consistency and relentlessness — he puts the engine into engine room.

His athleticism and endurance — which Howe and his staff worked tirelessly to improve further during Tonali’s time out during his ban, increasing his speed, tweaking his running action and bolstering his tactical awareness — allied with his ability to sense (and snuff out) danger set him apart.

Tonali’s capacity for making great and often match-defining recovery runs, even in the final throes of games, is extraordinary. Some insiders at Newcastle refer to him as their “ultimate insurance policy” against counter-attacks, so proficient is he at thwarting them.

Remove those 10 months when Tonali was not allowed to play and his availability record is also exceptional. Only defender Malick Thiaw (4,643) played more minutes than his 4,009 across all competitions last season for Newcastle, and only the same player started a greater number of matches for the club (51 to 47).

In possession, Tonali is technically proficient, comfortable using both feet, strong at dead-ball delivery — even if he has not necessarily shown that yet at Newcastle — and tactically intelligent.

Tonali joined in 2023, the summer after Newcastle had qualified for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years. The Italian was a statement signing, prised away from one of European football’s giants for £55million by a nouveau-riche Premier League club with grand ambitions.

Andy Howe, a senior recruitment executive at Newcastle and Eddie’s nephew, had led a half-year courtship — one that had appeared forlorn, only for Milan’s economic requirements and the sales-pitch Newcastle presented to conspire to facilitate a deal. Eddie Howe praised Tonali but also shocked the midfielder by telling him where he could improve, with the head coach promising to turn him into one of Europe’s best midfielders.

Arguably, given any anticipated transfer fee and the calibre of club now chasing Tonali, he has helped to do just that.

Yet his three years on Tyneside have certainly not been straightforward.

Newcastle’s recruitment team believed Tonali could be a rare, dual-role midfielder; able to thrive in either a No 8 or a No 6 position. He was viewed as more of the former at first, and that is where he initially played for Newcastle — and, following that electrifying bow against Villa, he was fairly underwhelming during his first two months in England.

Then, in the October, Tonali was informed he was being investigated by prosecutors in Italy, accused of gambling on matches from the 2021-22 season through to 2023-24.

He admitted to betting and cooperated fully — his agent, Giuseppe Riso, claims his client suffered a “gambling illness” — and was handed an 18-month suspension by the Italian Football Federation, eight months of which were commuted. The following April, Tonali was given a two-month suspended ban by the English FA along with a warning about his future conduct, having gambled on football between August and October 2023.

As one senior Newcastle figure told The Athletic in 2024, “Sandro’s ban absolutely f**ked us.”

The Italian, though, is said to now be fully rehabilitated.

Newcastle stuck by Tonali during that suspension, offering him all the support he needed, something for which the player remains grateful. “They never judged me or made me feel burdened,” he said of Newcastle and their fans once he returned in August 2024.

Tonali did not initially thrive when he was back in the side. Deployed as a No 8, he struggled to influence matches and a midfield trio of him, Joelinton and Guimaraes did not blend smoothly.

It was only when Howe redeployed Tonali in the No 6 position, swapping roles with Guimaraes, that the head coach unearthed the Italian’s potential. Newcastle were transformed as a side, and Tonali was the main reason for that. Having won back possession, he would then send his colleagues forwards in attack; rarely was he the creator, but Tonali was almost always involved early on in moves.

Having inspired Newcastle to Carabao Cup final glory and Champions League qualification — he was adamant that, after lifting silverware in the March, the club had to kick on and return to Europe’s elite competition, rather than settle for having won a first major domestic trophy in 70 years — Tonali thrived throughout most of 2025.

Yet once he was asked about his future last November, stories began to emerge about prospective moves and his form suffered. Tonali was almost always available for the remainder of the season just gone, but he rarely defined matches in an off-the-ball capacity in the way he had done throughout the previous one.

There are still clear signs for improvement for a player who has yet to represent his country at a major tournament (due to Italy messing up qualification for the 2022 and 2026 World Cups and his suspension, which took in the European Championship in between).

Out of possession, Tonali has often excelled for Newcastle but, on the ball, he has yet to really fulfil his potential. He should score and assist far more than he does, with only 10 goals and another nine laid on across 110 appearances for the club. No Premier League player shot on more occasions (37) without scoring last season.

At Milan, Tonali often played in a double pivot in midfield, something he has rarely done at Newcastle, and perhaps he may prove even better suited to that type of formation, given he is neither an out-and-out No 6 nor an out-and-out No 8.

Howe may “love” Tonali, but whether Newcastle can prolong that love affair with clubs circling this summer remains to be seen.

Tottenham Hotspur are in positive talks with the camp of Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali over a potential summer move.

There has been no contact so far with Newcastle but, if an agreement looks possible with the player, club-to-club contact can be expected to follow. The transfer fee is considered a bigger challenge for Spurs than a deal with Tonali.

Tottenham are prepared to push hard for a statement signing, which is being driven by head coach Roberto De Zerbi and is backed by the ownership.

Tonali, 26, has also attracted interest from Arsenal and Manchester City but at this stage Spurs are the most advanced over a proposed deal.

The Athletic reported in June that the Italy international may depart Newcastle this summer if their financial demands are met.

Tonali’s Newcastle contract runs to 2029 and the club have a unilateral ability to extend his contract by a further year.

Tottenham have already been active in the transfer window, completing a move for Andy Robertson from Liverpool and Marcos Senesi from Bournemouth. They have also shown an interest in Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney but The Athletic reported that the midfielder’s preference is to join Everton.

The Athletic reported in February that Tonali had been offered to Arsenal by the midfielder’s agent, though no official talks took place, and he stayed at St James’ Park.

Tonali has long been admired by Arsenal sporting director Berta, who was contacted by the 26-year-old’s representative in the winter window. However, Newcastle were unwilling to do business late in the window and their asking price went beyond Arsenal’s financial capabilities at the time.

Newcastle have already sold Anthony Gordon to Barcelona for €80million (£69m, $92.3m) this summer, while goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen has arrived from Reims.

Tonali joined Newcastle from Milan in 2023 for a fee in the region of €70million. In October of that year, he was banned from all football activity for 10 months after being found guilty of breaching rules on gambling by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).

He returned from his suspension in August 2024 and has been an important figure since. Tonali has made 110 appearances for the club, scoring 10 goals and providing 10 assists. He made 53 appearances in all competitions last season as Newcastle reached the last-16 of the Champions League, but failed to qualify for next season’s competition after finishing 12th in the Premier League.

Tonali signing would be statement of intent from Spurs

Analysis from Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Jay Harris

Spurs should be admired for the ambition they have shown in this transfer window. They have already completed the signings of Robertson and Senesi and have submitted two offers for Brighton & Hove Albion defender Jan Paul van Hecke.

They have acted shrewdly but pulling off a deal for Tonali would be a real statement of intent under De Zerbi. Fans could start truly getting excited again about the future after narrowly avoiding relegation on the final day of last season.

Spurs’ midfield has needed upgrading for the last two years. Yves Bissouma is leaving when his contract expires at the end of the month and there is uncertainty over whether Joao Palhinha’s loan from Bayern Munich will be made permanent. Rodrigo Bentancur impressed after returning from a hamstring injury for the final six games of the season and Conor Gallagher showed flashes of his quality following De Zerbi’s appointment. Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray are talented prospects but Tonali would instantly raise the team’s level.

The Italy international is a powerful box-to-box midfielder and pairing him alongside James Maddison and Bentancur is a tantalising prospect. It will be a difficult deal to pull off though. Tottenham’s club-record signing is the £65million they paid Bournemouth to sign Dominic Solanke in August 2024. Newcastle signed Tonali from Milan in July 2023 for a fee in the region of €70m and could expect to make a significant profit.

Spurs are committed to overhauling their squad this summer but the awkward question remains of how they will fund all these moves. Along with their interest in Tonali and Van Hecke, The Athletic has reported they want to sign a new left winger this summer with Manchester City’s Savinho a target. They need to sell players to raise funds and Brighton have given them a tricky dilemma by making a £30m bid for Luka Vuskovic. There is a strong chance captain Cristian Romero will leave, but they might have to wait until after his commitments with Argentina at the World Cup, and there is also uncertainty over the futures of Richarlison, Guglielmo Vicario and Radu Dragusin.

Spurs have traditionally held back on huge wages but senior figures have spoken in public about the need to address this. Convincing Pedro Porro to sign a new deal and following it up with the signing of Tonali would go some way to convince Spurs fans that this truly is a new era — even if the same majority shareholders, the Lewis family, remain in charge.

Pedro Porro is close to agreeing a long-term contract with Tottenham Hotspur.

The Spanish full-back is approaching the final two years of his current deal, which is due to run until 2028, but is nearing an agreement that will run until 2030.

The new contract, if signed, will make the full back among the highest paid players at Spurs.

Porro, 26, joined Tottenham from Sporting CP in 2023, initially on loan and has made over 150 appearances for the club in the years since — under Ange Postecoglou, Thomas Frank, Igor Tudor and most recently Roberto De Zerbi.

The defender was part of the team that won the Europa League in 2025, the club’s first European trophy since 1984, and started in the final against Manchester United.

Porro is currently a member of the Luis de la Fuente’s Spain World Cup squad that will play Cape Verde in their first game of the tournament on June 15, and featured in their last three warm-up friendlies.

How important is Porro to Spurs?

Analysis by Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Jay Harris

There is one simple statistic which underlines Pedro Porro’s importance to Spurs — he created more chances (53) than any of his team-mates in the Premier League last season. Impressive figures for a right-back especially as they were significantly higher than Xavi Simons (34) and Mathys Tel (30) who were next on the list.

Porro struggled at times last season, like everyone in the squad, but is crucial to building Spurs’ attacks. It is not a coincidence his form dropped off after Mohammed Kudus suffered a hamstring injury in January. At the start of Thomas Frank’s brief reign, Kudus and Porro often felt like the only players capable of producing a moment of creativity which could lead to a goal. It is a partnership Roberto De Zerbi will help continue to blossom.

Hopefully, he will improve defensively under De Zerbi too. The Spain international produced a series of impressive performances following De Zerbi’s appointment in March.

The 26-year-old’s relationship with the fanbase was strained at times last season but the way he celebrated a last-ditch tackle on the final day against Everton and then cried at full-time reminded people that he genuinely cares about the club.

Spurs have tied down several players to new contracts over the last 12 months including Djed Spence, Rodrigo Bentancur, Ben Davies and captain Cristian Romero. However, Romero, who signed a deal last August which runs until 2029, could leave this summer. Along with new arrivals Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson and potentially Jan Paul van Hecke, these renewals suggest Spurs are intent on building a competitive squad for next season. It is also a sign that after years of keeping a tight watch on their wage bill, Spurs are now prepared to match the salaries their rivals pay.

Brighton & Hove Albion have made a £30million offer to sign defender Luka Vuskovic from Tottenham Hotspur.

There is also strong interest from leading clubs elsewhere in Europe — but Vuskovic’s idea is to join a side like Brighton as the next step in his career and then potentially progress from there.

The 19-year-old knows of Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler from Germany — having spent the season on loan at Hamburg, where his brother Mario also plays — and vice versa, so there is a mutual trust and Vuskovic believes Brighton have shown themselves to be a good developing ground for young talent.

The Croatia international is regarded as one of the best emerging defenders in world football.

Brighton’s bid for Vuskovic comes amid Tottenham’s pursuit of defender Jan Paul van Hecke.

Tottenham agreed to sign Vuskovic from Hajduk Split in a deal worth around £12million ($16m) in September 2023 but he did not officially join them until last year after he had turned 18. His Spurs contract runs until 2030.

Vuskovic spent the 2025-26 season on loan Hamburg, where he scored six goals in 28 Bundesliga appearances. He is yet to make an official first-team appearance for Spurs, but featured for the club during last summer’s pre-season.

He has been capped five times at senior international level by Croatia and is part of their 26-man squad at this summer’s World Cup. The Athletic reported in June that despite catching attention from clubs around Europe, Vuskovic would be waiting until after the World Cup to decide his next steps.

Would a move make sense for Spurs?

Analysis by Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Jay Harris

Tottenham supporters will have a negative reaction to this news. Vuskovic received a lot of praise for his impressive performances on loan with Hamburg in the Bundesliga last season. The 19-year-old has never made a competitive appearance for Spurs and the hope was that would change next season. It is concerning if the defender feels the best move for his career is to join Brighton permanently.

Vuskovic’s situation is slightly complicated by the abundance of centre-backs at Roberto De Zerbi’s disposal. Spurs deserve praise for acting swiftly this summer to address the defensive issues which have plagued them over the last two seasons. They have secured the signings of Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi and have submitted two offers for Van Hecke.

The Athletic reported last week that captain Cristian Romero is expected to leave and there is uncertainty over the future of Radu Dragusin. If Romero and Dragusin are sold, Spurs would still have three right-sided centre-backs if they complete a deal for Van Hecke. It is not an ideal scenario to have Vuskovic challenging Van Hecke and Kevin Danso for game time, especially as Spurs will not be in a European competition next season. Danso has established himself as a reliable back-up option but Vuskovic needs to play regularly to keep developing.

There are similarities with Vuskovic’s situation to how Arsenal handled William Saliba. The defender went on loan to three different French clubs before establishing himself under Mikel Arteta at Arsenal. The fear for Spurs fans is that Vuskovic’s stock keeps rising and they need to integrate him into the squad immediately or risk losing him forever.

Some supporters will be questioning the wisdom of pursuing Van Hecke with Vuskovic waiting in the wings for an opportunity.

The Athletic has live coverage of South Korea vs Czech Republic in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Marcos Senesi has been called up to Argentina’s World Cup squad.

Senesi has replaced Marseille’s Leonardo Balerdi in a like-for-like centre-back swap in Lionel Scaloni’s squad.

Tottenham only announced the 29-year-old’s arrival on Wednesday, with the defender signing a four-year contract. He will officially join Spurs on July 1, when his Bournemouth contract expires.

Senesi has only been capped three times for Argentina since making his debut in 2022, shortly before he joined Bournemouth from Dutch side Feyenoord. His last national team appearance came in the home friendly against Mauritania in March.

Senesi was included in Scaloni’s 55-man preliminary squad which was announced on May 11, but was cut from the finalised 26-player selection made at the end of the month.

However, he has been called-up after Marseille’s Balerdi, 27, suffered a muscle injury in the soleus of his right leg.

Balerdi had been included as one the centre-backs ahead of Senesi, as well as Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez, Benfica’s Nicolas Otamendi, his Marseille team-mate Facundo Medina and Cristian Romero of Spurs.

Argentina begin their World Cup when they face Algeria on June 16. They then play Austria on June 22 and Jordan on June 27. Scaloni’s side beat Honduras 2-0 and Iceland 3-0 in their pre-tournament friendlies.

In a not-too-distant alternate reality, Tottenham Hotspur renewing Yves Bissouma’s contract would surely feel like a no-brainer.

At 29, there is, in theory, still plenty to come from the Mali captain. At his best, he is undoubtedly a European- and international-level talent, capable of running games from the base of midfield in a manner no Spurs player can, other than perhaps a fit and firing Rodrigo Bentancur. He was instrumental in the Europa League final against Manchester United just over a year ago, winning seven duels and four tackles as he dominated the midfield battle for 90 minutes.

He also seems a strong stylistic fit under Roberto De Zerbi. It was telling that the Italian started him ahead of Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall against Brighton & Hove Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers, after he had recovered from a muscle injury that had kept him out for two weeks.

When match-fit and in rhythm, Bissouma can take over matches with and without the ball, displaying the physical and athletic qualities to complement natural gifts in possession. Players with those capabilities, at his age, are not typically discarded for nothing.

But as De Zerbi addressed the media for the final time after keeping Spurs in the Premier League with a final-day 1-0 win over Everton, he parted with an instructive message.

“We have 10, 11, 12 good enough players, especially people,” he said, in response to a question on whether he’d like on-loan midfielder Joao Palhinha to sign for the club permanently. “Then we have to complete the squad with first-level players, because we struggle too much. I suffer a lot, but I think the fans, the board, the players, they suffer too much.”

After two of the worst league seasons in their history, Tottenham can no longer put up with unreliability, and Bissouma, having had many chances to do so, could not get out of his own way in north London. So, for the same reasons why Spurs want Palhinha to stay, Bissouma had to go. Signed for £25million from Brighton in 2022, Bissouma is walking away from the club for nothing when his contract expires on June 30.

Few supporters will have any qualms. Tottenham had the option to trigger a one-year contract extension to keep him at the club or attempt to attract a fee for his services, but were surely put off by their efforts to push a sale through last season. Bissouma was strongly linked with a move to Turkish club Fenerbahce after the English summer transfer window closed in 2025, but an untimely injury put paid to Tottenham’s desire to offload him.

Now, having made just 23 league starts across the past two seasons for a struggling side, Bissouma represents a distressed asset who would demand a small fee, hardly worth the hassle of keeping him around.

Bissouma did not find himself in this situation due to a major or alarming drop-off in form — though he struggled to replicate his performance level from Brighton at Spurs, save for an impressive start to life under Ange Postecoglou in 2023-24 — but due to a reputation that now precedes him off the pitch. Questions about how Bissouma conducts himself away from football have long hung over the midfielder.

At Tottenham, frustrations around his conduct characterised the back end of his four-year stay. In 2024, videos circulated on social media of Bissouma inhaling nitrous oxide, a class-C controlled drug under UK law, for which he was handed a one-match ban by the club at the start of the 2024-25 season.

After Spurs attempted to offload him in the following summer, they were forced into another internal investigation after an image leaked of Bissouma inhaling nitrous oxide from a balloon again. In an interview with The Sun, Bissouma said his actions were a response to a break-in at his family home, which triggered feelings of “fear, panic, depression and paranoia”.

Bissouma did not play again under Thomas Frank, who had removed him from the matchday squad for the Super Cup tie against Paris Saint-Germain due to lateness earlier in pre-season.

And his persistent tardiness was not just a bugbear for staff, but, according to dressing room sources who prefer to remain anonymous to protect relationships, fellow team-mates. Dressing room leaders had frequent chats with Bissouma at several junctures during his time at Spurs, stressing the importance of punctuality and professionalism, but efforts were often futile.

Ultimately, he leaves Tottenham as a “what-could-have-been”, with all the talent to consistently achieve at the top level, but without the steely determination to match.

As for what’s next for Bissouma, it’s hard to say. Perhaps a club from another top-five league will stumble across a highlight reel on YouTube or Wyscout, become enamoured of his obvious physical and technical gifts, and take another chance, dreaming of him realising his potential. Or maybe his difficulty in staying away from the headlines and back pages will put them off. Whatever follows Spurs, it’s up to him whether he’ll make it a success.

As for Tottenham, it’s a player and person out the door that De Zerbi did not trust, and an important step to rebuilding the squad with the aim of re-establishing the club as a European contender.

Tottenham Hotspur will have 10 players competing at this summer’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. That figure could increase if Marcos Senesi, who will join Spurs on a four-year deal when his contract with Bournemouth expires at the end of June, is a late addition to Argentina’s squad following an injury to Leonardo Balerdi. Spurs have also made two offers for Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke but are yet to agree a fee for the defender, who is part of the Netherlands squad for the tournament.

Some of Tottenham’s players are due to face each other during the competition. Pedro Porro and Rodrigo Bentancur could feature for Spain and Uruguay respectively in an exciting climax to Group H on June 27.

There are lots of other Spurs storylines to keep an eye on. The Athletic has picked out the best ones.

A taste of Robertson’s leadership

Spurs confirmed the signing of Andy Robertson last week but he will not officially join them until his contract with Liverpool expires at the end of this month. For the next few weeks, the defender will be focused on captaining Scotland at their first World Cup since 1998.

Robertson only started 11 games in the Premier League last season but he is crucial to Scotland. The 32-year-old started all of their qualifying games and assisted Scott McTominay’s late winner against Belarus.

One of the reasons Spurs signed Robertson, and initially tried to make the deal happen in January, is his leadership skills. The left-back has already given a good example of that before a ball has even been kicked in this tournament. He wrote a letter and gave a gift to every single member of Scotland’s squad before their opening game against Haiti.

Robertson also has the perfect opportunity to show Spurs fans that he is still a quality player in group stage games against Morocco and Brazil, in which he will relish the challenge of battling with Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz and Barcelona winger Raphinha respectively.

A proper look at Vuskovic

The secret is out when it comes to Luka Vuskovic. The centre-back scored six goals in 28 appearances for Hamburg last season, including towering headers and clever backheel flicks. He has also shown an aptitude for crunching tackles and elegantly dribbling his way out of trouble.

The teenager held his own against Harry Kane in a 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich earlier this year and will be reunited with the former Spurs striker in Croatia’s opening game against England. Vuskovic will be teaming up with ex-Spurs midfielder Luka Modric to bring England down in a repeat of the 2018 World Cup semi-final.

This tournament will be the biggest test yet of Vuskovic’s ability. He has started four of Croatia’s last five games in all competitions, including their warm-up friendly against Belgium at the beginning of June. Spurs want to sign Van Hecke but head coach Roberto De Zerbi would find it difficult to ignore and overlook Vuskovic if he excels for Croatia.

Danso vs Messi

Austria are making their first appearance at a World Cup in 28 years and they face the daunting prospect of taking on the holders Argentina in their second group game. Kevin Danso is not guaranteed to start at centre-back because head coach Ralf Rangnick alternates between him, captain David Alaba and Phillip Lienhart. If Danso is named on the bench, he can still expect to be involved at some point in Austria’s efforts to limit the influence of Lionel Messi.

Argentina powered through the South American qualifying group, finishing top after taking 38 points from 18 games. They scored 31 goals and only conceded 10 times. Avoiding defeat against the world champions could be key to Austria progressing to the next round.

Messi is not the only man Danso needs to stop. The majority of Danso’s game time for Spurs has come when first-choice centre-back Cristian Romero has been injured or suspended. This will be one of the rare occasions where they share the pitch together and it will be fascinating to see who emerges on top. There is a strong chance we will even see them marking each other at set pieces.

A chance for Sarr and Bergvall to prove themselves

Lucas Bergvall was the breakout star of Tottenham’s 2024-25 season while Pape Matar Sarr was Thomas Frank’s favourite pupil for a brief period. Yet both have barely played over the last six months. Bergvall underwent ankle surgery in January which forced him to miss 10 games and Sarr struggled with a shoulder problem. They both regained fitness towards the end of the season but fell behind Joao Palhinha, Conor Gallagher and Bentancur in the pecking order. The World Cup offers Sarr and Bergvall an opportunity to restore their confidence.

Sarr made one appearance at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Senegal’s final group game when qualification for the knockout stage had already been secured. He is probably the fifth-choice central midfielder behind Idrissa Gueye, Pape Gueye, Habib Diarra and Lamine Camara. He faces extra competition from Bayern Munich’s 18-year-old wildcard Bara Sapoko Ndiaye. Sarr turns 24 in September and a couple of positive cameos could be exactly what he needs to prove to De Zerbi he deserves more opportunities. It could also raise interest in him from other clubs.

Bergvall is part of a talented Sweden squad led by former Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea and West Ham United head coach Graham Potter. The 20-year-old will probably have to settle for a place on the bench but he has featured in six of their last eight games (he missed two fixtures through concussion). Bergvall has been used in a variety of midfield positions during his two-year spell in north London and it will be interesting to see where Potter plays him.

Bergvall could come up against at least one, if not two, of his Spurs team-mates in Sweden’s final group stage game against the Netherlands…

Van Hecke and Van de Ven in the same defence

Throughout the second half of the 2010s, Spurs had a rugged but composed defensive partnership of two Belgian internationals in Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld. If things go to plan, they could have a Dutch duo at the heart of their defence next season. Spurs have been interested in Van Hecke for a long time and are trying to secure his services before the Netherlands’ first World Cup game against Japan on Sunday.

Injuries to Jurrien Timber and Matthijs de Ligt mean Van Hecke will probably line up at centre-back with Virgil van Dijk and Spurs’ vice-captain Micky van de Ven will start at left-back. Van Hecke’s passing range is excellent, just like Romero’s, while Van de Ven’s ability to surge forward with the ball is unique amongst centre-backs. The problem with the Romero and Van de Ven partnership is that they have not played alongside each other consistently over the last two seasons due to injuries and suspension. Van Hecke would hopefully be a calmer presence and push Van de Ven to new heights.

Xavi Simons should be the third member of Spurs’ Dutch contingent, but in April he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his right knee, ruling him out of the World Cup.

Will Spence and Porro be first-choice?

Djed Spence is not Tottenham’s first-choice left-back but he has a good chance of playing regularly for England during this tournament. Head coach Thomas Tuchel has been full of praise for the 25-year-old’s ability in one-v-one situations. If England progress deep into the tournament, Spence might be preferred to Nico O’Reilly and Tino Livramento.

Spence demonstrated in August’s Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain that he relishes taking on the world’s best wingers as he superbly handled former Rennes team-mate Desire Doue, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Achraf Hakimi. There are question marks over Spence’s delivery in the final third but he assisted Kane’s winner in England’s friendly against New Zealand.

Porro has a great opportunity to establish himself as Spain’s right-back. Dani Carvajal has been in control of the position for nearly a decade but was left out of the squad. Atletico Madrid’s Marcos Llorente can play there but Spain’s head coach Luis de la Fuente might prefer his energy in central midfield to complement Rodri, Pedri or Fabian Ruiz.

A third successive World Cup winner…?

At the 2018 World Cup, Hugo Lloris lifted the trophy with France despite making an error which directly led to Mario Mandzukic scoring for Croatia in the final. Four years later, Lloris was back on the biggest stage. But France couldn’t retain the trophy and Lloris had to watch team-mate Romero celebrating after Argentina won a wild game via a penalty shootout.

Romero started six of Argentina’s games at that tournament. He forged a solid partnership with Nicolas Otamendi which will be revived for this edition unless head coach Lionel Scaloni opts for Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez instead.

Argentina will be one of the favourites to win this World Cup but other members of Spurs’ squad will believe they could be victorious at MetLife Stadium on July 19. Porro was not part of the squad when Spain won the European Championship two years ago but many of the same players have been called up again.

Spence is making his major tournament debut for an England side who reached the semi-finals and quarter-finals under former boss Gareth Southgate. Senegal have arguably been the strongest African side over the last five years and have a lot of quality options. The Netherlands’ attack is weaker than their biggest rivals but they boast one of the best defences.

It is time to find out who will follow in Lloris and Romero’s footsteps.