CaughtOffside

A report from the Athletic has revealed that Spurs have provided clarification regarding the club’s name and they have requested that that they are not referred to as Tottenham.

Meanwhile, it has been a disappointing season for Tottenham so far and they are currently 12th in the league table, with just 10 wins from 26 league games. At the start of the season, they were expected to fight for Champions League qualification and do well in the domestic competitions. The plan has clearly not worked out for them, and they are currently struggling in the midtable positions.

It will be interesting to see if they can finish the season strongly and secure European football for the next season.

Can Spurs bounce back strongly?

There is no doubt that they have a talented squad and quality manager at their disposal. However, they have failed to grind out results on the pitch. While there is no doubt that they have been inconsistent, injuries have played a key part in their decline this season. Tottenham have had multiple injury problems and they need some luck with injuries in order to finish the season strongly.

Missing out on European Football would be a devastating blow for them, and it would make it difficult for them to attract quality players in the summer. It remains to be seen whether they can get their season back on track and finish on a high.

It’s not been the best of seasons for either Tottenham or Wolves, with the former set to embarrass the latter with their pursuit of Matheus Cunha.

The Lilywhites want to rival West Ham for Federico Gatti, and it’s possible that they’ll allow Son Heung-min to leave the club this summer too, indicating that it could be a busy time in North London this summer.

Matheus Cunha wanted by multiple Premier League clubs

Spurs won’t have things all their own way, however, as sources close to CaughtOffside have indicated that all of Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Aston Villa are said to be interested in Cunha for the summer transfer window.

“Doesn’t have a f**king CLUE about football!” – which of his former managers is Cristiano Ronaldo talking about?

The Gunners are continuing their search for a new striker as a priority, and it’s understood that they are not giving up on Cunha, even if players such as Benjamin Sesko would appear to be of more interest at this stage.

Aston Villa’s interest has also increased after the departure of Jhon Duran in the January transfer window.

Decision time this summer for Matheus Cunha

Although the Brazilian has only recently signed a contract extension with the Midlands-based outfit, it came with a £62m/€75m release clause, which is expected to be activated by any interested parties once the transfer window reopens for business.

Kylian Mbappé’s departure to Real Madrid was disappointing for Paris Saint-Germain, though the team have successfully overcome the loss.

This process took place under the excellent management of coach Luis Enrique, and the club management are now closely monitoring new opportunities to improve the team’s performance.

The French giants are known to have been impressed with Cunha’s performances, and they too will almost certainly want to be in the conversation for his signature.

Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United are both eyeing Juventus defender Federico Gatti, as the Italian club looks to raise funds for their own summer transfer plans.

According to TV Play, the Premier League sides are interested in securing Gatti’s services, with a potential price tag of around €20 million.

The report also highlights that Juventus’s recent Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven has intensified internal tensions, leading to the possibility of a squad overhaul in the upcoming summer window.

“Doesn’t have a f**king CLUE about football!” – which of his former managers is Cristiano Ronaldo talking about?

Although Gatti has been a regular starter for Juventus this season, he could be one of the players moved on as the club shifts focus to other key assets. Juventus is reportedly keen on pursuing Feyenoord’s David Hancko, and it’s thought that they could sell Gatti in order to fund the move.

While Tottenham and West Ham are both reportedly interested, it has been reported that Gatti would be open to a Premier League switch in the forthcoming summer transfer window.

Nottingham Forest saw move for Federico Gatti turned down in January transfer window

However, another report has suggested that the 26-year-old Gatti would rather gain a new contract with the Old Lady. Nottingham Forest reportedly presented the Juventus centre-back with a lucrative contract offer in January, only for the Italy international to turn down the opportunity of a move to the Premier League to focus on a contract renewal with the Bianconeri.

Where Tottenham are concerned, nothing is done without the express permission of Daniel Levy, and Stan Collymore has question the chairman’s priorities.

It has been suggested that Daniel Levy could step aside at Spurs, though most fans will almost certainly be of the opinion that they’ll believe it when they see it.

Daniel Levy’s way of working questioned

Rumours of Ange Postecoglou being on the brink of losing his job does nothing for Levy’s credibility either.

Though the north Londoners won an uninspiring contest against Man United, protests before, during and after the game let Levy know the strength of feeling towards him amongst the fan base.

“For Tottenham, is Ange Postecoglou a league title winning manager or a regular top four manager?” Stan Collymore said to CaughtOffside for his exclusive column.

“Will he get the same amount of years as Mikel Arteta has had at Arsenal? I doubt it, because Daniel Levy always looks to pull the rug and then get the new shiny manager to walk through the door.

“I’ve got NO respect for him, he’s even worse than Mario Balotelli!” – which ex-Liverpool teammate is Steven Gerrard talking about?

“[…] At Spurs, nothing’s going to change. Daniel Levy loves the shiny new stadium, having NFL games and concerts there etc.

“He’ll buy the odd marquee signing but otherwise, keep your mouth shut and don’t ask too many questions.”

No change at Spurs under Daniel Levy

Whilst it’s abundantly clear that Spurs’ injury problems have significantly impacted their ability to do well, that is a side issue to the problems that Levy appears to create.

For a club as big as the North Londoners are, it’s a damning indictment that their trophy cabinet has remained bare over the past decade and a half.

Unless the chairman is willing to change the habits of a lifetime, then as Collymore attests, it’s just going to be more of the same – and that’s an untenable situation for many.

It hasn’t been the best start at Man United for Ruben Amorim, and former professional, Stan Collymore, is concerned at what could happen next.

Reports have shown that the club has spent more than £21m to go from 14th to 15th place in the Premier League.

Man United’s financial problems have also been laid bare given the fact that they’ll be unlikely to be able to afford Victor Osimhen when he becomes available in the summer.

Collymore worries Ruben Amorim will walk

The issue for Collymore is that the Portuguese, whose Sporting side were imperious in the Portuguese league, just decides to jack it all in.

“For Man United, they’ve got the right man, but instead of sacking him, it might be a case of him having had enough and going back to Portugal,” he said to CaughtOffside for his exclusive column.

“Jose Mourinho was vocal about what’s wrong at Old Trafford. Erik ten Hag said it. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said it. Every single Man United manager over the last seven or eight years has said it and they were all right. And that’s the worry.

“I don’t worry about Man United moving on from Ruben Amorim but my worry is that Ruben Amorim will move on from Man United.”

“I’ve got NO respect for him, he’s even worse than Mario Balotelli!” – which ex-Liverpool teammate is Steven Gerrard talking about?

Collymore’s concerns are likely to be replicated by the Red Devils fan base.

It would seem that there’s an understanding of what the manager is trying to achieve, but he doesn’t yet have the personnel to get the results everyone desires.

Ruben Amorim needs time

As has been said on many previous occasions, it’s not a five minute job at Old Trafford. Clubs need to stop this ‘hire ’em and fire ’em’ way of working because of pressure from supporters and elsewhere.

Give the man the tools to do the job and the time to get things right, and then results should follow.

Otherwise all you have is a groundhog day of managers coming in every few months, and that’s not healthy for anyone.

Tottenham star Son Heung-min is attracting interest from the Saudi Pro League amid some uncertainty over his future at Spurs.

Sources with a close understanding of the situation have informed CaughtOffside that Al Ittihad and Al Hilal are both keen on Son and would be willing to pay as much as €50m for the South Korea international.

Spurs, however, would ideally like to keep Son and are open to discussing a new contract with the 32-year-old.

“I’ve got NO respect for him, he’s even worse than Mario Balotelli!” – which ex-Liverpool teammate is Steven Gerrard talking about?

Son himself is also happy at Tottenham under Ange Postecoglou, so would be open to entering into negotiations over a new deal.

Still, the Saudi interest is there and could perhaps become a problem if they can offer the player big money, while THFC might also find it difficult to turn down offers in the region of €50m for a player who will turn 33 before next season.

Should Tottenham keep Son Heung-min?

Son is a Tottenham legend after a great career with the north London club over the last decade, but it might be tricky to keep on building around him for much longer.

Even if Spurs are still happy with Son now, it seems inevitable that he’ll soon start to show signs of decline as most players do at this sort of age.

There probably wouldn’t be any European clubs who’d pay as much as €50m for a player of Son’s age, so this could be a good opportunity for Spurs to make big money out of letting him go.

From a business perspective, it perhaps seems like a bit of a no-brainer, though of course they also have to take into account the impact it would have on the pitch.

Tottenham have struggled since letting Harry Kane go, and Son is another big name who would surely be very hard for them to replace.

Arsenal surely have no chance of signing Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, who would be more likely to return to Tottenham if he comes back to the Premier League.

That’s according to Charles Watts in his latest exclusive Daily Briefing column, with the journalist insisting some people are just putting two and two together and making five by linking Kane with Arsenal.

The England international is a world class centre-forward who would undoubtedly strengthen the Gunners, who need a top signing up front as soon as possible.

“I’ve got NO respect for him, he’s even worse than Mario Balotelli!” – which ex-Liverpool teammate is Steven Gerrard talking about?

Still, Kane is surely not realistic, even if he has a £65m release clause at Bayern, according to Watts.

Forget about Harry Kane to Arsenal transfer talk, says Charles Watts

“The talk of Harry Kane and Arsenal just seems farcical to me,” Watts said.

“People are just putting two and two together and coming out with five.

“Yes, Arsenal need a striker and yes, Harry Kane has a £65m release clause that will become active in the summer. But come on, does anyone really believe that Arsenal is a likely destination?

“Kane wouldn’t consider it and even if he did, I don’t think Arsenal would because of his age. He would be 32 by the time next season kicked off, so it’s just not something the club would do.

“I can’t see him leaving Bayern so soon anyway. Even if they do win the league this season, which looks very likely, I’m sure he will want to win even more over there before he does return to the Premier League.

“And when that does finally happen, I imagine it will be back to Spurs.”

Kane remains a legendary figure at Spurs and they’d surely love to have him back at some point, though there also seems little reason for him to leave Bayern right now.

The 31-year-old is enjoying his football in the Bundesliga and staying at the Allianz Arena is surely his best bet of winning major trophies.

Tottenham reportedly have some concerns behind the scenes about star player Son Heung-min, who seems like he may now be past his peak.

The South Korea international has been a terrific servant to Spurs for almost a decade now, and he’s sure to go down in the north Londoners’ history as a real club legend.

“I’ve got NO respect for him, he’s even worse than Mario Balotelli!” – which ex-Liverpool teammate is Steven Gerrard talking about?

Still, Son is not getting any younger, and he’s perhaps starting to look slightly in decline, with sources behind the scenes said to be concerned, according to Give Me Sport.

Tottenham fans will no doubt hope Son can continue to have an impact for their team for a while longer, but it seems there may have to be some re-thinking of his role in Ange Postecoglou’s side.

Tottenham planning to replace Son Heung-min?

The report from Give Me Sport goes on to suggest that Spurs might look at loan signing Mathys Tel as an ideal long-term replacement for Son.

The Frenchman is currently on loan at Tottenham from Bayern Munich, but it could perhaps make sense for all parties if he stays at the club permanently.

Tel didn’t get much playing time at Bayern, so he might do well to try reviving his career with THFC, where he’ll surely have more opportunities.

Postecoglou also needs new faces in attack after failing to ever really replace Harry Kane, and if Son is eased out of the team in the near future then that will be another big gap to fill.

It will be hard to truly replace talents like Kane and Son, whose world class performances made Tottenham genuine top four contenders for a few years, and even title challengers on a few occasions.

This is a new generation coming through now, though, and it will be interesting to see how the club manages that challenge of replacing such big names.

With the Premier League all-time goalscoring record potentially in mind it’s understood that Bayern Munich hit-man, Harry Kane, would be open to a return to Tottenham at some point.

When Kane left the North London outfit, he did so on 213 goals, just 47 behind record scorer, Alan Shearer’s total of 260 (PremierLeague.com).

Harry Kane hasn’t ruled out Spurs return

Having already become England’s best-ever goal getter, to etch his name in Premier League history surely has to appeal to a player who will be 32 by the start of the 25/26 campaign.

Arsenal want to sign Kane, but there’s little chance of the player, who has 29 goals and 10 assists in 30 games in all competitions this season (transfermarkt), moving to Spurs’ North London rivals.

With Man United also interested in bringing Kane back to the Premier League, the player himself has played a blinder by saying he’s happy at Bayern and making no comment on his release clause.

Intriguingly, he also hasn’t ruled out a return to Tottenham and reliable journalist, Ben Jacobs, has now indicated that such a move could be a possibility.

I CRIED in my car the day I left Man Utd!” – which United legend has hit out at the “lies” about his time at Old Trafford?

“I think if Kane returns to the Premier League, there is a willingness to go back to Spurs,” he told Give Me Sport.

“That’s not been ruled out by the player.

“We have to wait and see if there’s an appetite for Tottenham to do that deal, especially with Dominic Solanke.”

Can Spurs afford Harry Kane?

Perhaps the biggest hurdle in a return to the Lilywhites will come in the form of Daniel Levy.

Whilst the chairman is likely to be amenable to the idea, the cost of such an operation may not be to his liking.

Were that precise scenario to occur, the chorus of boos from the stands for Levy’s removal are likely to reach unprecedented levels.

If Tottenham Hotspur truly want to improve as a club they need to start spending big, but in order to land Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund, they’ll have to fork out €102m.

Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal have all been linked with Gittens, though would appear to prefer to bid somewhere in the region of €80m for his services.

Tottenham want Jamie Gittens

According to BILD (subscription required), that’s not even going to touch the sides with the Bundesliga giants, who want €102m in order to let the 20-year-old Englishman move on.

That would represent an incredible rise for the player who has 28 goals and 19 assists in his 113 career appearances to date (transfermarkt).

Gittens, dubbed the next Jude Bellingham, would certainly fit into Ange Postecoglou’s effervescent attacking system and bring that extra bit of quality that the North Londoners have been lacking.

I CRIED in my car the day I left Man Utd!” – which United legend has hit out at the “lies” about his time at Old Trafford?

Whether Daniel Levy is willing to invest such a significant sum on one player is another question entirely.

The overriding issue for Spurs is how tightly the chairman holds onto the purse strings, as it’s abundantly clear Postecoglou is hamstrung to a certain degree because of the lack of financial backing from above.

Jamie Gittens will cost Tottenham €102m

Ultimately, it’s the manager that always seems to carry the can for the lack of progress, however, the job is almost impossible when you’ve theoretically got one hand tied behind your back.

The incredible amount of injuries (Premier Injuries) that Spurs have had to endure over the past few months hasn’t helped, and, once again, the club are petering towards another under-par campaign.

The cacophony of boos from the stands are getting louder, and one has to wonder how bad it’s got to get before Daniel Levy either unburdens his manager with financial freedom or exits stage left.