FourFourTwo

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou is under intense scrutiny at the moment as his side languish in 14th in the Premier League, with his job seemingly at risk.

While their league form has left a lot of room for improvement, Tottenham remain in the Europa League and still have a shot at silverware come the end of the season. They face Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-finals, but there's no guarantee Postecoglou will be in charge for both games.

Indeed, reports have suggested the Australian boss could leave Spurs before the end of the season if results continue to go awry, with Fulham and Bournemouth managers Marco Silva and Andoni Iraola both tipped to take over in north London.

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou wishes Pochettino well

Tottenham could opt to bring former manager Mauricio Pochettino back to the club, however, after the Argentine made clear it would be a "dream" to return and complete a second stint after a successful five years in charge the first time around.

And Postecoglou has highlighted that he would enjoy seeing Pochettino, who currently manages the United States national team, back at Tottenham.

"If he wants to come back one day, I hope it happens for him," Postecoglou said. "We all have dreams and aspirations if that’s what he wants. You’re suggesting that he’s trying to put pressure on me? I don’t feel disrespected.

"I think if you ask Mauricio that question directly, you’d get a pretty clear answer as to what his intent was. Again, nothing from me to sort of be consumed with. I’m more focused on trying to make sure we win tomorrow night."

Postecoglou continued, suggesting that he will continue to try his best for the club and turn around results while he is still manager, with the constant speculation not even entering his mind.

"I don't deal with it, mate," he added. "I know what my responsibilities are. I'm sure if the club decides to go in a different direction, there are some outstanding candidates out there for it. And you know what, maybe someone will think, 'Ah Ange Postecoglou's not a bad coach, maybe we'll take a punt on him.'

"It doesn't rock my world. It doesn't consume me. I'm here, I'm passionate about what we're doing. I was brought in to change the way the club plays, rejuvenate the squad, bring success, I'm focussed on that. That's what I'll keep doing."

Arsenal and Tottenham are set to play the first game in the history of the North London derby outside of the UK this summer.

While there's consistent talk of La Liga and Champions League matches heading abroad in the near-future, with Birmingham and Wrexham even attempting to get their League One clash this season moved stateside, the Premier League hasn't quite followed suit just yet.But, with Arsenal and Tottenham set to play their first-ever match against each other outside of the UK, that time is likely coming sooner rather than later.

Since playing their first completed match in 1888, Arsenal and Tottenham have faced each other 211 times in total. The Gunners have won 89 times, Spurs 67, and there have been 55 draws.

Arsenal and Tottenham to play first-ever abroad North London derby

While early games hosted by Arsenal were played in Woolwich, only six games since their move to Highbury in 1913 have been played outside of north London. Five of those matches were played at Wembley, including the 1991 and 1993 FA Cup semi-finals, as well as the 1991 Community Shield, while Tottenham's short-term stay at the national stadium saw two league matches against Arsenal played there.

In fact, just one of their games has been played outside of London, with the 2001 FA Cup semi-final between the two sides hosted at Old Trafford in Manchester. That's set to change, however, with the North London derby moving abroad.

For the first time-ever a North London derby will be played outside the UK when Tottenham and Arsenal meet in Hong Kong on July 31 as part of their respective pre-season preparations.

The 50,000-capacity Kai Tak Stadium will showcase the match between the rivals, as part of the Hong Kong Football Festival 2025. The announcement highlights both sides will spend a portion of their summer in Asia, having previously kept things under wraps.

“There are few bigger occasions in English football than a North London derby and to play this fixture in Hong Kong will be a huge occasion for our passionate fanbase across Asia, as well as providing ideal preparation for the team ahead of the new season," Ryan Norys, Tottenham's chief revenue officer, said.

“As is tour tradition, the club will be involved in so much more than the match itself when we visit, supporting charitable causes, celebrating local culture, delivering football clinics for young people and engaging with fans and partners. We cannot wait to visit such a beautiful place once again.”

The 2025/26 Premier League season gets underway on Saturday, August 16, meaning both sides will still have a few weeks after their match to get up to full speed.

Chelsea return to action on Thursday evening with a Stamford Bridge clash against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Enzo Maresca’s men will begin the week fourth in the Premier League table and as they prepare to get stuck into a run-in that is set to feature an enthralling battle for the Champions League places.

Crucial to their hopes of landing a place back in Europe’s premier competition will be Cole Palmer, who missed Chelsea's defeat to Arsenal last time out in the Premier League.

Will Cole Palmer be fit when Chelsea host Tottenham Hotspur?

While he has not quite hit the heights he did during the end of last season and beginning of the current campaign in recent weeks, Palmer - who was ranked at no.4 in FourFourTwo's list of the planet's best attacking midfielders last month - he remains a key player for the Blues, with his 14 goals this term easily topping the club’s goalscoring charts.

His last Premier League goal came in January, with the 22-year-old missing a penalty against Leicester City earlier this month after he had been struggling with illness.

He then missed Chelsea’s last Premier League match against Arsenal with a hamstring injury and withdrew from Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad.

Maresca indicated that this rest could benefit Palmer when he discussed this issue before the international break.

"We never wish for players to get injured but, in Cole's case, in this moment it will give him some rest physically and mentally so it could be good,” he said. “He needs a scan and it is planned for Monday."

And it would appear that this rest has done Palmer good, as he returned to training at Chelsea last week. Maresca will no doubt give a further update on the England star’s condition during his pre-match press conference this week.

Maresca may also be able to welcome striker Nicolas Jackson back to his line-up, after the Senegal forward returned to full-team training following his recent hamstring injury, while Noni Madueke is also back with the group following a hamstring problem of his own.

After hosting Spurs on Thursday evening, Chelsea face another London derby on Sunday when they make the short trip to Brentford.

Tottenham Hotspur have begun enquiries to hire Marco Silva from Fulham – and they're not the only ones.

The Lilywhites are enduring a tough season, finding themselves 14th in the Premier League table with just nine games to go. With just four league wins since the spectacular 4-0 thrashing of Manchester City last autumn, Ange Postecoglou is under significant pressure in the dugout, as the prospect of losing out on European football looks likelier by the week.

A 2-0 loss against Silva's Whites before the international break highlighted several of the deficiencies of this Tottenham side – and now, chairman Daniel Levy is believed to be looking for a change of head coach.

Tottenham have got the ball rolling on Marco Silva move

Marco Silva, meanwhile – ranked at no.34 in FourFourTwo's list of the best managers in the world right now – has been a hit since arriving at Fulham in 2021, following stints at Hull City, Watford and Everton.

Spearheaded by 43-goal Aleksandar Mitrovic smashing records in the second tier, Silva led the west Londoners to the Championship title in his first season in charge at Craven Cottage but has arguably been even more impressive in subsequent seasons, adapting to Premier League life without the super Serbian, and then without highly influential no.6, Joao Palhinha.

Such achievements have not gone unnoticed, and Tuttomercatoweb journalist Marco Conterio has claimed that both Spurs and Juventus have enquired about the Portuguese.

“Silva will leave Fulham,” Conterio claimed in a post on X (formerly Twitter), adding that “the Bianconeri have inquired about the situation,” following the sacking of Thiago Motta in Turin.

FourFourTwo understands, however, that there may well be a complication when hiring the 47-year-old, in the form of compensation.

Silva signed a new contract with Fulham in October 2023 to keep him at the club until the end of the 2025/26 season, meaning that any club interested in luring him will have to pay the remainder of that deal.

Silva is said to earn £4 million a year as Fulham manager – a fee that may be enough to sway Spurs away from hiring him. Postecoglou is said to be on a £5m-a-year deal.

Juventus, meanwhile, didn't pay anything to bring Motta to the Allianz Stadium, with the former Italy international reaching the end of his Bologna contract before his cross-divisional switch.

Whether or not Silva will be interested in moving across London is another matter. With Fulham higher in the table and arguably more settled in terms of their squad makeup, there is a case that Tottenham isn't an attractive enough proposition to leave for right now – and with Silva having realised that the grass isn't always greener in the past, having moved across the Premier League from Watford to an ill-fated stint at Everton, perhaps experience will see him shun the advances of bigger clubs.

Tottenham Hotspur emerge from the international break with only six teams below them in the Premier League and nine matches left to play.

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou has done well to stay in his post this far and it’s increasingly difficult to see him taking charge next season.

Postecoglou’s Spurs have won just ten of their Premier League matches this season and the club’s bigwigs have started activating their succession plan, according to reports.

Tottenham Hotspur target Premier League manager to replace Ange Postecoglou

The Athletic reports that Postecoglou’s future is in “serious doubt” and that chairman Daniel Levy and Spurs have identified their number one target to take over from him.

It’s understood that Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola is Spurs’ first choice if they do elect to end Postecoglou’s reign.

The Cherries have suffered their own dip in form since Liverpool ended their long unbeaten run at the start of February but remain at the highest point in their history.

Iraola has revolutionised Bournemouth’s playing style and given a talented squad a chance of qualification for European football. It’s inevitable that he’ll be in demand in the summer.

Despite their poor season, Spurs will be an attractive prospect for any manager who fancies himself to fix a failing giant. Iraola wouldn’t be an easy acquisition but there are practical limits on Bournemouth’s short-term ambition.

Both Postecoglou and Iraola have a year left on their contracts and The Athletic reports that the Australian isn’t yet on borrowed time at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.

Bournemouth will be expected to resist any approach for Iraola and Spurs reportedly have two other Premier League managers on their radar.

Thomas Frank has stabilised and advanced Brentford as a Premier League outfit since he became their head coach in 2018. The Dane is highly regarded and has the Bees playing in a way that seems well suited to Spurs’ personnel.

Elsewhere in West London, Marco Silva has Fulham fighting for a European place. They’re a point ahead of Bournemouth in the Premier League table and Silva, like Iraola and Frank, might consider how much further he can go.

The prospect of European football in 2025/26 isn’t something Spurs will be presenting to Iraola, Silva or Frank.

Should they manage to reach and then win the Europa League final in Bilbao, Postecoglou would surely be the favourite to continue as manager.

Spurs return to Premier League action next weekend when they welcome Chelsea to North London.

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou was in a buoyant mood heading into the season, and before a ball was kicked he stated that he "usually wins things in his second season" at a club. A bold statement.

He later doubled down on this after a 1-0 loss to Arsenal in the North London Derby, saying he "always wins something in his second season."

However the seasons hasn't quite panned out that way. Tottenham currently sit 14th in the Premier League and were knocked out of both domestic cups, with the Europa League the only chance Postecoglou now has of delivering on his statement and potentially saving his job.

Tottenham boss Postecoglou facing the sack with London rival's manager pipped to replace him - report

Former Tottenham scout Mick Brown believes Postecoglou will be lucky to be in the dugout at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium come the start of next season, and suggests Fulham boss Marco Silva is being lined up to replace him.

Speaking to Football Insider, Brown said: “Tottenham, unless they put a run together from now to the end of the season, you would think that things might happen there in terms of the sack for the manage.

“Silva would certainly be top of the pops in terms of competition for that [managerial] spot, that’s what I’m hearing from my sources there.”

Silva's Fulham are currently six places and 12 points above Spurs in the Premier League, and in the last game before the international break strengthened their bid for European football after beating Postecoglou's side 2-0.

O ver the past few years, there's been plenty of interest in Silva, who was ranked 34 in FourFourTwo's best managers in the world, but a reported £7.5 million release clause in his contract with The Cottagers has put off potential suitors as of yet.

Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola is another manager Daniel Levy is reportedly interested in, but the Basque-boss looks set to lead Bournemouth to European football for the first time and it may be tough to entice him away from the south coast.

Winning the Europa League would certainly change the narrative surrounding Postecoglou's future at Tottenham, as winning the tournament would grant them a place in the Champions League.

Failure to do so would almost certainly mean no European football next season, and it would most likely mean the writing was on the wall for the ex-Celtic boss.

Put simply, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur have been miles off their usual respective standards this season.

Both sides are already looking to next season with rumours suggesting it could cost up to £100 million to steal their latest attacking target away from Southampton.

As for the Saints, their return to the Premier League has been torrid. Southampton have won just two games, and are currently battling to ensure they do not match Derby County’s record of the worst Premier League points tally of all time – 11.

Tyler Dibling could cost over £100 million

Championship football will undoubtedly be played at St Mary’s next season, but Southampton could even struggle in England’s second division if they are to lose their best young talent.

Tyler Dibling has been the one shining light for Southampton this season, making 30 appearances all season, and contributing to six goals.

The 19-year-old’s performances have attracted the attention of the biggest clubs in Europe, with The Telegraph revealing that Southampton may demand an absurd fee of more than £100 million for Dibling.

The extortionate fee would make Dibling the third most expensive teenager of all time, with only Joao Felix (£106m) and Kylian Mbappe (£150m) sold for over £100 million.

In fact, only nine players in football history have cost over £100 million, meaning Dibling would instantly sit in the top-ten most expensive footballers of all time if Manchester City or Spurs were to break the bank for the Englishman.

Dibling’s rumoured admirers also include Manchester United, Bayern Munich, and RB Leipzig, with the Saints set to sell the youngster given their all-but-certain relegation from the Premier League this year.

Whilst his statistics do not match the price tag, Dibling’s potential is clear. His dribbling has threatened full-backs across the country all season, and he can play in attacking midfield and on the wing.

Whether Dibling is the long-term successor to Jack Grealish at Manchester City or Son Heung-Min, who is the third-most expensive Asian player of all time, at Spurs, remains to be seen. What is clear is that Dibling is a young English forward with huge ability.

In FourFourTwo’s opinion, it is therefore unsurprising that Southampton are demanding such a high fee. With relegation a certainty the Saints will want to ensure they have money to spend if they are to return straight back to the Premier League at the end of next season.

Tottenham Hotspur's season continues to go from bad to worse in recent months as they try and salvage whatever remains of their dismal campaign which has left them out of both domestic cups and sat 14th in the Premier League.

Speculation surrounding manager Ange Postecoglou's future continues to grow following a run of three wins in their last nine games in all competitions, with formerly crucial first-team players repeatedly failing to meet the required performance levels.

Elsewhere, injuries have ravaged the squad this season, perhaps the main reason the Australian still has his job, with the likes of Micky van de Ven, Dominic Solanke and Guglielmo Vicario all suffering significant respective periods on the sidelines.

Spurs defender 'willing to do everything' to leave the club

Another such player is World Cup winner Cristian Romero, who has spent the past few seasons establishing himself as the rock of Spurs' defence having signed from Atalanta on a permanent deal in 2022.

The Argentine's brazen physicality and habit of getting himself sent off was often overlooked by his imperious presence at the back in recent years, forming one of the Premier League's best defensive partnerships with Van de Ven prior to the duo missing the majority of the current campaign leading to him being recognised by FourFourTwo in our list of the best centre-backs in the world.

However, having already missed over half of the league games this season, intense speculation now suggests that Romero is edging towards an exit from North London, with Atletico Madrid believed to be the most interested party.

Sky Sports claim that the Spanish giants are going all-in on a summer move for the 26-year-old, who enters the final two years of his contract this summer.

Elsewhere, journalist Matteo Moretto claims that the Argentine 'is willing to do everything' to leave the club this summer, suggesting an exit has been initiated by the player himself amid Spurs' poor run of form.

Having paid close to £50 million for the player in 2022, Daniel Levy is likely to demand a figure close to the fee Atletico forked out for Julian Alvarez last summer to make a move happen, providing a big stumbling block in negotiations so far.

FourFourTwo understands that Spurs could start the bidding at a whopping €95m – which would put the World Cup winner in the upper echelon of sales from North London alongside Harry Kane and Gareth Bale.

It's Tottenham policy to only sell for huge profit – and with Romero the Lilywhites' fifth-most expensive signing ever, Levy would ideally want to charge double what the club spent.

The defender has made over 100 appearances for the club and would leave Postecoglou's side scrambling for replacements, with Radu Dragusin currently facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines with an ACL injury.

Kevin Danso's recent injury further amplifies the need for reinforcements, leaving the Carabao Cup semi-finalists with a headache this summer.

Tottenham are looking to bring in a new signing ahead of next season that will help get the best out of Dejan Kulusevski in 2025/26.

Kulusevski has been Tottenham's stand-out peformer in a poor season at the club, with his goals and assists ensuring Spurs don't slip even further down the Premier League table.

While the 24-year-old arrived at the club primarily as a right-winger, Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has now increasingly started using him more centrally, where he can have an even greater impact on the game. That could be set to continue next season as well, with their latest transfer target providing more strength to the side.

Tottenham want to bring in a new right-winger

Brennan Johnson has largely started at right-wing for Tottenham this season, providing width and pace to their attack. Inconsistency has hampered the club's progress, though, with Johnson coming under plenty of scrutiny during the campaign, too.

As a result, Tottenham are looking for an upgrade on Johnson, and they might have just found the perfect player from the Premier League to take up that mantle.

According to TBR Football, Tottenham are interested in signing Noni Madueke from Chelsea this summer, with the winger free to leave after falling out of favour with Enzo Maresca.

Madueke started the season strongly under Maresca, scoring a hat-trick against Wolves and cementing his spot on the right-wing in the starting XI. While he is now out with a hamstring injury, Maresca has questioned the 23-year-old on a number of occasions this term, suggesting that he "stopped playing" and is something "we need to improve immediately".

That has caused Chelsea to be open to selling Madueke in the summer, with Tottenham keen on taking him across the capital. The report suggests that Tottenham have been interested in Madueke since before he joined Chelsea, with his performances at PSV catching the club's attention.

Signing Madueke would allow Kulusevski to start games from the No.10 position he has excelled in at times this season as well, with the Swede often used on the right-wing to compensate for a lack of balance in the side.

With five years still remaining on his Chelsea contract, Madueke is valued at £33.4m by Transfermarkt. He moved to Stamford Bridge in January 2023 for £28.5m, with the report also suggesting that Newcastle and Aston Villa are interested in signing the English forward.

In FourFourTwo's view, Tottenham making an effort to sign Madueke certainly makes sense, with the winger possessing qualities Postecoglou's squad lacks. Whether Chelsea are willing to let a player leave who has once proved so useful is another story entirely, however.

Tottenham Hotspur are pushing ahead with plans to hire Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola.

That's according to a report following the Lilywhites' 15th Premier League defeat of the season at the weekend, away to Fulham. Ange Postecoglou's side are now winless in their last three, finding themselves 14th in the table.

European football now seems too distant for Tottenham to achieve unless they win the Europa League – but with Eintracht Frankfurt up next, they will have to beat one of the tournament favourites to progress.

Tottenham Hotspur have begun talks to hire Andoni Iraola of Bournemouth

Iraola, ranked at no.32 in FourFourTwo's list of the best managers in the world right now, was hired the same summer that Postecoglou arrived at Spurs – but fortunes have been dramatically different for the two bosses.

The Basque boss led Bournemouth to a record points tally last term and the Cherries are on course to improve on that once against this time, needing just four points to equal 2023/24's haul of 48 points – despite their talismanic forward Dominic Solanke becoming Tottenham Hotspur's second-most expensive signing ever last summer.

Now, Fichajes in Spain relay reports from Spanish outlet Estadio Deportivo that state that Spurs have sat up to take note of Iraola's fine progress.

It's claimed that the 42-year-old former Athletic Club defender is the board's favourite to “lead the new project” with talks already underway over replacing Posetecoglou as manager.

Fulham boss Marco Silva is apparently an option, too, for the north Londoners. Bournemouth, meanwhile, are already looking to try and convince Iraola to stay, as per talkSPORT.

FourFourTwo understands that Iraola has no intention of leaving Dorset midseason – especially with the hunt for European football still underway – but this summer, he will be one of the most sought-after coaches in Europe.

With plenty of European giants eyeing managerial changes over the summer, Spurs may well have to act early to secure their first-choice target. In 2023, Postecoglou was a backup option behind the likes of Arne Slot – and chairman Daniel Levy will be keen not to repeat history.