TBR Football

Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero should be ready to return for Tottenham Hotspur in their fierce clash with Chelsea on Thursday evening.

Both Van de Ven and Romero were actually re-injured during Tottenham’s clash with Chelsea in N17 back in December, a chaotic game that was won 4-3 by the visitors.

Since that match, Van de Ven hasn’t started a Premier League game, and whilst Romero has returned in recent weeks, he hasn’t quite been at his best.

The Argentinian has been slightly wayward at times on the pitch since his return, and there’s now plenty of noise away from the pitch too surrounding Romero’s future too.

Romero is ready to leave Tottenham for a new challenge in the summer, a player who is subject to interest from both Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid.

Micky van de Ven lifts the lid on Cristian Romero at Tottenham

That being said, Van de Ven offered his thoughts on Romero’s contributions at Tottenham since his own arrival on the ‘One on One’ podcast.

The Dutchman hailed his defensive partner as ‘unbelievable’, someone he would surely be loath to lose in north London.

And whilst Tottenham will sign Kevin Danso in the summer, they wouldn’t have envisioned the Austrian as Romero’s replacement.

Speaking about his teammate, Van de Ven said: “Unbelievable player, so good, he’s also been out this season for quite a long time but when he comes back you see he plays straight away for Argentina, he plays for us, he’s unbelievable.

“Even at the beginning of this season and last season also the games I played alongside him, unbelievable player and helped me from day one when I came in here, he was there for me and he always backed me up.

“Yeah he’s an unbelievable player like I said already on the ball, off the ball, a true leader I would say.”

Cristian Romero sale could finance Marc Guehi to Tottenham

Perhaps in relation to Romero’s long-term future, Tottenham have been interested in Marc Guehi at Crystal Palace for some time.

In fact Tottenham bid for Guehi in January, a move that was swiftly rejected by their London rivals.

However, it is felt as if this summer could be Guehi’s opportune time to make the step up from Palace, who have been exceptional at times this season themselves.

However, if Guehi is going to make a case to be a regular starter under Thomas Tuchel for England he will likely need to be playing Champions League football.

But perhaps that might explain why the Palace captain could actually veto a move to N17.

Micky van de Ven has finally returned to fitness for Tottenham Hotspur ahead of their crucial end to the season.

Ange Postecoglou knows that Tottenham need to win the Europa League if he’s going to continue to lead the side into next season, a project that could come to an abrupt end.

Spurs could sack Postecoglou if he doesn’t qualify for the Champions League next season via winning the Europa League – it’s unsustainable for the club to accept not playing in Europe at all next term.

Of course, Tottenham won’t be qualifying for Europe via the Premier League at least given they are currently languishing in the bottom half of the table, a worrying reality for Postecoglou.

That being said, Van de Ven’s injury absence has been a big contributing factor to Spurs’ poor form, a centre-back who will now aim to make a difference before the end of the season.

Micky van de Ven says why Archie Gray has impressed him at Spurs

But in terms of players who have already been trying to turn the ship for Spurs – Archie Gray has played a serious amount of minutes for Postecoglou in several positions.

And when speaking on the ‘One on One’ podcast, Van de Ven was keen to praise Gray for his ‘unbelievable’ efforts, a player who he thought was proving himself to the whole of the Premier League.

Van de Ven said: “I spoke with Archie even after the games, before games.

“Of course I speak with him but it’s not even his natural position and if you see how he’s doing this season as a centre-back, I think we can only be really proud of him and what he’s shown.

“He’s shown everybody in the Premier League what his quality is.”

He continued: “Even sometimes he’s played left-back, right centre-back – he’s played everywhere.

“So every position where he’s played he did unbelievable so when you’re this young that’s really crazy that you can do this every time and just show your quality in every position the gaffer puts you in.”

What is Archie Gray’s best position?

Arriving from Leeds United in the summer, Gray spent most of the previous season playing as right-back in the Championship.

And as mentioned, he’s played pretty much all over the place for Tottenham, his skill-set has been well and truly tested to every degree.

But first and foremost, it does still seem as if Gray’s long-term future will be as a number six for Spurs.

Djed Spence admitted that Gray had shocked him this season when talking about his talented teammate recently, a player who is clearly appreciated by his teammates.

And when/if Postecoglou has a fully fit team, it will be interesting to see where the England U21 international gets the bulk of his chances moving forward.

Tottenham Hotspur are ready to listen to offers for one of their most expensive signings with the player having struggled to make an impact in North London.

Spurs look set for a big summer of change following a tricky season with Ange Postecoglou’s future at the club remaining uncertain and several players expected to be sold.

Johan Lange will know that plenty of work needs to be done to Tottenham’s squad and he will be assessing who could be sold to make way for new additions.

One of their players already has several clubs queuing up to sign him and the North London club are already thinking about accepting offers for him.

Tottenham ready to listen to offers for Richarlison

Tottenham Hotspur are ready to listen to offers for Richarlison this summer with the Brazilian’s future believed to be ‘far from’ North London, according to GOAL Brazil.

The 27-year-old had several clubs approach him during the January transfer window, however, he made it clear he wanted to remain at Spurs.

His stance could well change in the summer as he looks to regain the form which saw him become the Brazilian national team’s number nine.

Richarlison is now keen to find a club where he can recover his best form and also compete for titles.

Palmeiras, Fluminense and Flamengo were the clubs who approached him in January, but he was not keen on returning to Brazil and wanted to stay in Europe.

Spurs are set to get Richarlison back from injury next week with the forward having been sidelined for

Could Richarlison return to Everton?

The report adds that Everton could also try to bring the striker back to Merseyside, with the forward having shared a strong bond with their supporters.

TBR Football revealed last month that Everton are keen on re-signing Richarlison and he could be the perfect addition for their new stadium.

Today, April 1, marks seven years since Tottenham Hotspur’s last win at Stamford Bridge with the North London club set to face Chelsea away on Thursday.

Mauricio Pochettino’s team ended a 28-year wait for a win in West London as they defeated the Blues 3-1 to significantly boost their top-four hopes.

A goal from Christian Eriksen and a Dele Alli brace secured the win over Antonio Conte’s defending champions team at the Bridge.

Now, just two players who started in the 3-1 victory remain at the North London club ahead of their trip across London this week.

How did Tottenham line-up vs Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in 2018?

Son Heung-min and Ben Davies are the two remaining players from the team that Mauricio Pochettino, who Tottenham fans want back, fielded in the club’s last win at Stamford Bridge.

Tottenham’s team vs Chelsea: Lloris, Trippier, Vertonghen, Sanchez, Davies, Dier, Dembele, Lamela, Alli, Eriksen, Son.

That season, Tottenham finished third in the Premier League and topped a Champions League group containing Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.

For Spurs fans, it will feel a lot longer than seven years since that campaign, given just how much has gone on at the football club since then.

Ange Postecoglou travel to West London in shocking form having won just three of their last 13 Premier League matches.

Dele Alli with his best performance in a Tottenham shirt vs Chelsea

Dele Alli was without doubt the star of the show that afternoon as he netted twice in the second-half to win the game for Tottenham.

It was one of his best games in a Spurs shirt and scoring twice away at the defending champions was a symbol of just how good he was back then.

Despite also scoring twice against Real Madrid earlier that season, Alli had been on a poor run of form which he ended against Chelsea.

Pochettino hailed the youngster after the game by saying: “In the end, he’s a great talent, only 21 years old, and sometimes we lose the focus on that. Sometimes, the expectation is too much. There is too much pressure.”

Aston Villa are enjoying a superb season under Unai Emery and will be eager to build on their success in the summer transfer window.

Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur will need to be mindful of players in their ranks who could be set to move on when the market reopens.

For instance, Tottenham defender Cristian Romero is looking for a new challenge and is likely to be on the move this summer.

TBR Football understands that Romero has made it clear that he is ready to leave Tottenham and told his people that a move to Spain is his preferred choice.

Now, Aston Villa have emerged as suitors for Romero, and journalist Steve Kay has shared the details involving the player and both clubs.

Tottenham searching for Cristian Romero replacements as £55m price tag set

Kay says he’s been told that Tottenham are open to selling Romero, but want around £55million for him.

The journalist, writing on FootballTransfers, has reported that ‘sources with knowledge of the situation’ say Tottenham are preparing for his exit and are already searching for a replacement at centre-back.

Meanwhile, Villa are willing to offer Romero a five-year contract, which is exactly the kind of long-term deal he wants at this stage of his career.

However, the Villans are likely to have competition from Napoli, whose manager is former Tottenham boss Antonio Conte, as well as Bayern Munich.

Aston Villa’s chances of signing Cristian Romero

Tottenham were ready to make Romero their highest-earner, but it looks like he wants a fresh challenge regardless of whether Spurs will qualify for next season’s Champions League or not.

Meanwhile, Villa have been going from strength to strength under Unai Emery and will fancy their chances of making another high-profile signing this summer.

Romero was in great form last season, prompting teammate Pedro Porro to describe him as the best centre-back in world football.

Speaking on the Premier League’s official YouTube channel last year, Porro said: “Respect, respect for Cuti, the best centre-back in the world.”

However, Romero has struggled with injuries this season, missing 27 games for Ange Postecoglou’s side in 2025/26.

It remains to be seen whether Villa will triumph in the race for Romero, especially considering he fancies a move to Spain and Atletico Madrid are keen.

Nonetheless, the Villans have made a name for themselves as a club that can pull off transfer coups, so they cannot be ruled out.

Tottenham chairman and co-owner Daniel Levy is one of football’s very few bona fide superstar executives, alongside the likes of Florentino Perez and Nasser Al-Khelaifi.

But Levy, who owns just over 25 per cent of Tottenham through holding company ENIC, is an outlier in more ways than one, both within the Premier League and the wider football finance ecosystem.

Unlike Florentino Perez of Real Madrid and Nasser Al-Khelaifi of Paris Saint-Germain, he doesn’t control one of the planet’s most successful clubs.

As a business, Spurs are a behemoth. Their recently filed accounts for 2023-24 confirm that, even with no European football of any description, only eight clubs worldwide earned more revenue across the season.

But as a sporting institution? Unlike Real and PSG, the North Londoners are perma-underachievers.

Since 2008, when they last won a trophy, Tottenham have spent £3.286bn on wages and amortisation, which is how clubs account for transfer fees over a period of time.

Daniel Levy apologists rightly point out that figure, while huge, is less than their peers in the so-called Big Six, who have spent more and, as you’d expect, have won more – a lot more.

But the law of averages would suggest that, if Levy had the requisite footballing acumen, that level of spending would have yielded a far greater share of the trophies.

The flipside, of course, is that Levy and ENIC – who are now controlled by Joe Lewis’ family trust following his conviction for insider trading last year – have dragged Spurs into a new era financially.

While they are a regular source of ridicule from both rivals and the club’s own fanbase alike, Tottenham’s commercial operation and brand building are probably the best in world football.

They don’t have the same global profile as, say, Liverpool or Manchester United but deliver outsized returns in sponsorship, merchandise sales and events at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

They’ve achieved the dream of every club’s corporate arm: decoupling commercial income from on-pitch results. It’s at £245m in their latest accounts, 316 per cent higher than the last season at White Hart Lane.

And with a license to double the number of non-football events at the stadium now in effect, expect that figure to continue defying gravity in seasons to come, regardless of whether they end the trophy drought.

Unless Ange Postecoglou oversees an unlikely triumph in the Europa League, that streak won’t end in 2024-25.

But – and this will, totally justifiably, enrage Tottenham fans – it is almost because of, not in spite of, Spurs’ lack of footballing success that Levy has earned superstardom among the game’s executives.

That the former city banker has turned Spurs 2.0 into a money-printing machine without the prestige that silverware brings is really quite extraordinary. In that sense, Levy more then earns his huge salary.

And given that Tottenham are for sale, either via the form of a minority investment or full takeover, it will be Levy’s management of the club that makes it such an attractive option for buyers.

And, how ever long it takes, Spurs with new owners will have the Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) capacity and revenue base to spend like a genuine super club.

But for that to happen, Levy will have to budge on his price. £3.75bn is said to be his valuation of Tottenham, with any offers for a full or partial takeover seemingly required to meet that rate.

Where Tottenham rank among most valuable sports teams

Qatar, either through state-sponsored PSG ownership group Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) or the sovereign wealth fund Qatar Investment Authority, have long been touted as potential buyers.

And developments in recent days have shed some light on the Gulf state’s grand vision in football.

Have Qatar Sports Investments given up on Tottenham after negotiations with Daniel Levy?

A secretive process that has been going on for much longer than when it was announced last April, Qatar Sports Investments is one of the few groups known to have been part of the Spurs equity auction.

Nasser Al-Khelaifi has been reliably reported to have held several rounds of talks with Levy about buying into Tottenham. Both parties admit the meetings took place but deny that investment was on the agenda.

As well as owning PSG, QSI own a significant minority stake in Portuguese side Braga.

Now, in news that could be read one of two ways from a Spurs perspective, Sky News City Editor Mark Kleinnman has relayed that QSI are in advanced talks to take over Spanish second-tier side Malaga.

And in more recent days, several outlets have reported that negotiations with the club’s existing owners are in the final stages and a deal worth around £85m could potentially be complete within days.

So, what might be the significance for Tottenham?

One way of looking at it is they have turned their attention away from discussions with Levy in favour of the Segunda Division club.

Conversely, it may be that their interest in Malaga is a tacit admission that they are simply disregarding UEFA’s rules on dual ownership of clubs, which would leave the door open for investment in Spurs.

Under the current system, clubs under the same ownership umbrella are not allowed to compete simultaneously in the same UEFA competition, i.e. the Champions League or Europa League.

But UEFA have given temporary reprieves to some clubs operating multi-club networks in the past – and there have been suggestions that the governing body could scale back the conflict of interest rules.

If that is the case, a QSI takeover or minority investment in Tottenham could see them become part of an operation that includes PSG, Braga and Malaga, rivalling the game’s biggest multi-club networks.

Of the ‘Big Six’, Spurs and Arsenal are the only clubs who are neither part of a multi-club model nor actively seeking to establish one.

Liverpool owners FSG could rival QSI for Malaga, with impact for Spurs

One interesting subplot in this story is the recently emerged interest of Fenway Sports Group (FSG), the Boston-based owners of Liverpool, in Malaga too.

FSG have been looking to launch a multi-club network since Michael Edwards’ return to the club as CEO last summer and, it is reported, a Liverpool delegation has visited Malaga with a view to a deal.

Illustrating the extent of shared ownership in the modern game, FSG are part-owned by private equity firm Arctos, who also own a stake in PSG, whose owners QSI are their rivals in the Malaga auction.

So, Tottenham’s Premier League rivals Liverpool could theoretically have an indirect effect on their future ownership through a bidding war with QSI.

Premier League takeover saturation could delay Tottenham sale

In related news, Brentford’s Matthew Benham has become the latest Premier League club owner to explore a minority sale, with various parties reportedly interested in the Bees at his £400m valuation.

Crystal Palace, West Ham, Wolves, Bournemouth are also seeking minority investment in what is fast becoming a saturated market that favours buyers, not sellers.

With a £3.75bn valuation, far higher than any of those clubs, Spurs would represent a riskier option for a minority investor, although likely the one with the biggest upside.

Previously, Chelsea’s Todd Boehly has held talks with Levy about acquiring the club outright in tandem with his investment partner Jonathan Goldstein, who is a Tottenham fan.

That opportunity could potentially re-emerge if Boehly loses the boardroom tug of war with Clearlake Capital at Chelsea.

Tottenham Hotspur have had a whole host of incredible midfielders at their disposal throughout their history.

Luka Modric is perhaps the standout name, who used Tottenham as a stepping stone to sign for Real Madrid in 2013 and etched his reputation as one of the best midfielders the game has ever seen.

Antonio Rudiger raved about Mousa Dembele and named him as the most underrated player he has ever come across, which speaks volumes of how tremendous he was for Spurs in particular.

Sir Alex Ferguson wished to manage Paul Gascoigne but as the former Manchester United boss admitted, the English legend went on to sign for Tottenham and became a Lilywhites legend.

In 2018, Sam Allardyce saw a lot of potential in Eric Dier when he was still a defensive midfielder after he competed against Sergio Busquets and his Barcelona side as Spurs lost 4-2 in the Champions League.

Sam Allardyce compared Eric Dier to Sergio Busquets at Tottenham

Allardyce commented on Dier’s display after the contest, who was just 24 at the time.

Seven years ago, the former Sporting CP dynamo looked like he could become a top-class number six — capable of breaking up play expertly and anchoring the back four for both Tottenham and England.

Dier, who Brighton wish to sign as well as Brentford and Wolves went on to become a centre-back eventually.

But in 2018, Sam Allardyce told talkSPORT that Dier was just as good a midfielder as Sergio Busquets, who is widely considered the greatest player in his position in history.

“The praise about Busquets must be stopped, was never evident last night because he’s no better or worse than Eric Dier for me and Eric Dier. Busquets is a sitting midfield player that breaks it up, intercepts and passes it very simply and is intelligent. That’s what he is, he’s not much more than that but gets a huge amount of praise for it whereas Eric Dier does a similar job but sometimes, gets lots of criticism for it.”

Sam Allardyce also claimed Busquets was hailed for what Dier was slated for, explaining: “I’m only saying he’s got the capabilities of being that. If the rest of the team is as good as the Spanish and Busquets’ been a great player for Barcelona, don’t get me wrong but he’s a very effective, first-pick for every manager because he plays such a simple game and because he plays such a simple game, it’s great for the team and we laud him as a genius. Whereas our own, we don’t, we criticise and that’s all I’m saying.”

At the time, the former Leeds United boss’ comments generated plenty of headlines as the comparison was a staggering one to say the least.

But Sam Allardyce went on to admit on Sky Sports later that year that while Dier did outperform Busquets on the night, his claims were off the mark.

“I slipped up a little bit, but on the night, he was better than him.”

“In career terms, he’s not. But what I was doing was sticking up for Dier, after the amount of stick he’s been getting People saying he’s not good enough for England, people saying he shouldn’t be playing. There’s been a lot of negative comments in the press.”

Tottenham have a crop of exciting young players coming through.

Indeed, while Spurs’ season, on the whole, has been terrible, the young players at Tottenham have been a bright spark.

Archie Gray has received praise for his performances this season, while Lucas Bergvall has been hailed for his showings as well.

On top of that, Mikey Moore has been tipped for big things too.

However, there’s also a young player away from the club who has been identified as a potential top talent too.

According to Rob Guest, speaking on the Gold and Guest Talk Tottenham Podcast, Alfie Devine is a player who is rated very highly by Ange Postecoglou at Spurs.

Alfie Define is rated highly by Ange Postecoglou

Guest shared what he knows about Devine and how he’s viewed by Postecoglou.

According to the journalist, Devine has made a big impression on Postecoglou in pre-season in the past, and he’s rated quite highly by the manager.

Devine is currently out on loan at Westerlo.

“Alfie Devine, probably another one where a decision’s got to be made, whether he’s going to be another loan spell for him. But what I would say with Devine, whenever he has played for Tottenham in preseason, he’s made a big impression on Ange Postecoglou and he’s someone who the head coach does rate quite highly.”

Alfie Devine stats this season

Devine is highly rated by Postecoglou, but the sad reality is that he may not be doing enough in Belgium to force his way into the Spurs team next season.

Devine was tipped to compete with James Maddison at Spurs at one point, but the stats suggest that the 20-year-old isn’t quite at that level yet.

Unfortunately, Devine hasn’t taken the Belgian Pro League by storm, and the reality is that Spurs would never be looking at signing a player with those stats in Belgium if he wasn’t already on their books.

Of course, it only takes one pre-season for everything to change sometimes, but, at the moment, it’s hard to see how Devine breaks into the Tottenham team.

Postecoglou is a big fan of Devine, but unfortunately for the midfielder, Postecoglou is likely to leave Tottenham in the near future, and he may face another uphill battle to win over the next gaffer.

As we approach the end of the 2024/25 campaign, several clubs – including Tottenham – are putting plans for the summer in place.

TBR Football understand Tottenham are trying to bring Fabio Paratici back to N17 ahead of the summer – where Ange Postecoglou could be replaced after a tough season.

A decision will also have to be made on Mathys Tel – who Spurs have the option to sign permanently from Bayern Munich for £45m.

While the above remains up in the air, there is a deal which seems more certain to happen for Tottenham this summer involving Johnny Cardoso.

Real Betis believe Tottenham will take Johnny Cardoso

A story from AS in Spain now states that Real Betis think Spurs are going to sign the United States international this summer in a €25m (£20m) deal.

For those unaware of the situation, Tottenham agreed a £20m option to buy Cardoso this summer when negotiating the £8m sale of Giovani Lo Celso to Real Betis back in August.

The man born in Denville has since enjoyed an impressive 2024/25 campaign with the Spanish side, recently scoring in a 2-1 win over Real Madrid as he excels in his defensive midfield position.

AS claim that Real Betis are already operating under the expectation Cardoso will move to north London in a £20m deal, with Manuel Pellegrini’s side said to be ‘crying out’ for an injection of funds.

Therefore, unless the 23-year-old himself refuses to join Tottenham, it would seem this deal is practically already done.

Johnny Cardoso unlikely to scupper the agreement

Spurs fans shouldn’t worry about the United States international ruining the deal.

TBR Football have been told Cardoso is keen to join Tottenham this summer – although we understand Real Betis want Spurs to pay up by July 10th in order for them to proceed with their own recruitment plans.

That is a fair request from Real Betis, seeing as Spurs have had since August to decide what to do with the American.

Tottenham face Chelsea in the Premier League in midweek as both teams look to build a bit of momentum as we head into the business end of the season.

Tottenham need to bring the feel-good factor back within the squad as they desperately try to win the Europa League and qualify for next season’s Champions League.

Ange Postecoglou is under pressure, and results need to improve quickly.

Meanwhile, the chasing pack are breathing down Chelsea’s neck as they look to hang onto their Champions League qualification spot.

Both teams aren’t in great form, and writing in his column for the BBC, Chris Sutton has now predicted how this game will go.

Chris Sutton predicts Chelsea vs Tottenham

Sutton shared his verdict on how this game will go.

The pundit says that this should be a cracking game with plenty of goals.

Ultimately though, Sutton tipped Chelsea to win this match, claiming that the Blues will win 3-2.

“This is a great game to finish the week off. It ended up 4-3 to Chelsea earlier in the season, and there are likely to be a few more goals this time too,” Sutton wrote.

“Chelsea have people like Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke back from injury to bolster their attack, but Spurs have got some key players like Micky van de Ven fit again too.

“Tottenham’s league campaign has been disappointing – it is winning the Europa League or bust for them – while Chelsea are still chasing the Champions League places.

“Spurs looked tired to me before the international break, so it will be interesting to see what they are like here. We know how exciting they can be on their day, it is just those days have been few and far between this season.

“Chelsea have been a bit flat as well, but maybe this is the game where both teams come to life and serve up a thriller – that is what I am hoping for anyway.”

Tottenham recent record vs Chelsea

Sutton believes that Chelsea will beat Spurs here, and his prediction is backed up by the formbook.

Indeed, Spurs have had a lot of trouble against Chelsea in recent times, particularly since Ange Postecoglou took charge.

Postecoglou famously suffered his first defeat as Spurs boss against Chelsea last season as Spurs lost 4-1 at home and went down to nine men.

Tottenham played a crazy style against Chelsea on that day.

That defeat started a real downturn in form for Spurs, and, since then, things haven’t been the same.

Postecoglou has actually lost every game he’s played vs Chelsea so far, while Spurs themselves have won just one of their last 10 meetings against the west London side.

With Tottenham at their lowest ebb in years, Chelsea will certainly fancy their chances heading into this match, and, as Sutton says, the Blues could come away from this game with all three points.