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Why Tottenham Have Turned to Igor Tudor as Interim Manager

Igor Tudor set as interim Spurs manager with 15 weeks to steady a squad stretched by injuries. today

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Tottenham Hotspur appear to have settled on Igor Tudor as manager until the end of the season after the club dismissed Thomas Frank. The appointment would run for roughly 15 weeks as Spurs attempt to arrest a worrying run that has left them 16th in the Premier League.

Robbie Keane was linked to the vacancy, but the former player made clear he would only leave Ferencváros for something more than an interim role. Former Borussia Dortmund managers Marco Rose and Edin Terzić were also considered, though it is unclear whether either would be viewed as a long-term option.

Tudor arrives with a playing career rooted at Juventus and with Croatia, having started the 2003 Champions League final and finishing third at the 1998 World Cup. His managerial approach, developed since beginning with Hajduk Split in 2013, is known for physically demanding football built around intense pressing. That style tends to favour attack, an ironic turn for a former defender, but it raises immediate questions about fitness management.

The squad is already short of players because of injury. Tottenham are reported to be 12 players light, with five of those hamstring and thigh problems. An intense regime risks further absences at a point when the team cannot afford more setbacks.

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Defensively Tottenham’s Premier League record this season mirrors that of fourth-place Manchester United, both having conceded 37 goals. Offensively the numbers are less encouraging. Spurs have scored 36 goals, the same total as 15th-place Leeds United, two more than Brighton & Hove Albion in 14th and four more than West Ham United in the relegation zone. Increasing the team’s output in front of goal would therefore be significant.

Tudor’s managerial CV spans clubs in Croatia, Greece, Türkiye, Italy and France. Most of his 11 prior appointments did not reach 50 games or extend into a second calendar year, though he has experience taking jobs midseason and produced positive initial results, notably securing Champions League qualification for Juventus in 2024–25. His connection to Tottenham includes working with Fabio Paratici at Juventus in 2020–21 when he was assistant to Andrea Pirlo.

Some judged a short-term alternative such as Sean Dyche might have had merit, while the interim route also preserves the possibility of a longer-term appointment in the summer, including a return for Mauricio Pochettino at considerable cost of almost £22 million ($30 million).

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Liverpool

Mac Allister’s Camp Rebuffs Madrid Talk but Keeps Door Ajar After World Cup

Carlos Mac Allister says Real Madrid have not spoken to Alexis; future after World Cup remains open.

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Alexis Mac Allister’s agent and father, Carlos, has moved to dampen talk of an imminent transfer to Real Madrid while making clear his son remains focused on the World Cup.

Speculation has linked the Liverpool midfielder with a summer move following a 2025–26 campaign in which his form drew harsh scrutiny. Real Madrid have been mentioned as a destination after securing Bernardo Silva this year as they seek long-term successors to Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić.

Carlos Mac Allister, who also represents his son, denied that any contact had taken place with the Spanish club when speaking to Erem News. “The reports circulating about Alexis are false.

“No one from Real Madrid has spoken to us so far. There is no new information regarding Alexis’s current situation at Liverpool .”

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Mac Allister’s contract at Liverpool runs until June 2028 and, according to the available information, there have been no discussions about an extension. The player spent three seasons on Merseyside after his move from Brighton & Hove Albion.

The agent returned to the subject in comments to WinWin, stressing the immediate priority and leaving the possibility of reconsideration once the World Cup is concluded: “Alexis is in excellent shape to play in the World Cup. Before the World Cup begins, it’s not possible to discuss or analyse a player’s future,” he said.

Liverpool endured a difficult 2025–26 season and finished fifth to secure Champions League qualification. The club has since changed managers, with Arne Slot replaced by Andoni Iraola, and a significant summer of turnover is anticipated, including the departures of Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson.

How the new manager views Mac Allister remains unclear. After three seasons at Liverpool, both player and club may evaluate whether a fresh chapter is appropriate once international commitments conclude.

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Premier League

De Zerbi Prioritises Sandro Tonali as Spurs Target After Survival Drive

De Zerbi has identified Sandro Tonali as Spurs’ priority target after rescue mission last season…

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Roberto De Zerbi has identified Sandro Tonali as Tottenham Hotspur’s primary midfield target as the club looks to rebuild following a perilous run last season. Spurs were perilously close to succumbing to a stunning relegation, with only the work of De Zerbi after he was appointed at the end of March steering them clear of West Ham United and the Championship abyss.

Tottenham have already moved in the market, signing Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi from Liverpool and Bournemouth on free transfers. The acquisition of Tonali would be regarded internally as a clear statement of intent and one engineered by De Zerbi, who holds considerable power in N17 after steering the club to safety.

Newcastle United are expected to make a major decision on their squad this summer as they embark on a mini-reset. While Eddie Howe remains in the picture, Anthony Gordon has moved on to pastures new with Barcelona and Tonali could soon follow the Englishman out the door.

Tonali has been linked previously with Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United, but multiple sources state Spurs have now entered the race. The Athletic’s David Ornstein is among those to report that Spurs and the player’s entourage have held “positive talks”, though there has not yet been any contact with Newcastle, who are expected to demand a mega fee for the former AC Milan star’s services.

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The Magpies value Tonali highly and may force Spurs to pay as much as £85 million ($114 million). Newcastle paid AC Milan £55 million ($74 million) in 2023, so a sale would produce a sizeable profit for them. Spurs are said to be further advanced in talks than other suitors.

Tonali, the 26-year-old, is not the pass-first, build-up orchestrator some expect, but he contributes across the pitch. He is strong out of possession and more forceful in that phase. Early-career Andrea Pirlo comparisons proved to be erroneous, but Tonali has become underrated with the ball. Having helped resurrect Tottenham’s engine room down the stretch, De Zerbi believes he could get the best from the player, who grew up in Lodi, Lombardy, an hour’s drive from Brescia where the manager was born.

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Man Utd

Man Utd Target Crysencio Summerville as Left‑Wing Options Are Weighed

Man Utd assess Crysencio Summerville as one of several left-wing options, West Ham face sales. soon.

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Manchester United are “paying serious attention” to West Ham winger Crysencio Summerville as part of their search for a left-sided wide player this summer. Sources suggest the club view Summerville as one of several candidates while evaluating alternatives and squad options.

Summerville, 24, drew fresh interest after an impressive World Cup showing against Japan in which he scored and offered a combative display off the ball. The Athletic reports Manchester United have “enquired” about his situation. At an estimated $67.1 million (£50 million) he sits at the lower end of the price range compared with other reported targets.

Other names United have considered include Yan Diomande, Iliman Ndiaye, Morgan Rogers and Bradley Barcola. Leipzig are likely to demand about $116 million (€100 million, £86.5 million) for Diomande, a figure that would place him well above Summerville and potentially push any move beyond the immediate window. Barcola has been linked amid reports of frustration over his minutes at Paris Saint-Germain.

Domestically, reintegrating Marcus Rashford remains a discussed option within the club, although it may be regarded as a last resort. Michael Carrick has not ruled out that path while also acknowledging the desire to add a new wide player.

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Summerville’s form last season included a run of four successive Premier League goals in January after an indifferent start to 2025–26, but a minor injury in March interrupted his momentum and reduced his influence in the closing weeks.

West Ham paid roughly half of the reported United valuation to sign Summerville from Leeds United in 2024. Relegation has increased the likelihood of interest in the club’s top performers, a list that also contains midfield target Mateus Fernandes and attacker Jarrod Bowen.

Daniel Křetínský, the incoming principal shareholder at West Ham, has insisted the club will not sell for financial reasons. “We have a very credible strategy,” Křetínský told The Times. “We don’t need to sell the players for financial reasons. We are doing this to make sure we are promoted back to the Premier League immediately. That is our only goal.”

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