Tottenham Hotspur
Polzin Pleads for Another Loan Spell as Vušković’s Future Remains Open
Luka Vušković could stay at HSV on loan, Hamburg boss Merlin Polzin makes a public plea. Uncertain.
Hamburg manager Merlin Polzin has publicly appealed for Luka Vušković to remain at the club on loan, while acknowledging the limits imposed by the parent club’s contract. Polzin described the situation as difficult but underlined his admiration for the 18-year-old’s impact at Die Rothosen.
“I’m a man of conviction. Of course, I also believe in things that seem impossible, even if they’re just a bit romantic about football,” the Hamburg manager said, as reported by Bild. “Nevertheless, there’s a clear contractual agreement between the clubs.
“We’re very grateful that we found a solution last summer. It was very clear from the start with Luka’s camp that he only wanted to join HSV. The communication with Tottenham is extremely professional, both last summer and now. We’d be very interested in him continuing to wear the HSV jersey.”
Tottenham’s acquisition of Vušković for £12 million ($16.1 million) now looks an exceptional piece of business after his season in Germany. The teenager, who made his senior Croatia debut in June and is expected to feature at the 2026 World Cup, has become a defensive cornerstone for Hamburg. He has impressed with aerial and defensive attributes, composure on the ball and a threat from set pieces.
His scorpion kick in the 3–2 win over Werder Bremen was named the Bundesliga Goal of the Month for December, and he was voted Bundesliga Player of the Season for the first half of the campaign, taking 60% of the vote ahead of established stars.
“It’s not just about winning headers and tackles or scoring goals: he’s somebody who can organise a defence. That’s something you find very rarely,” Germany legend and Ballon d’Or winner Lothar Matthäus said of Vušković last month. “At the age of 18, he plays as if he had already played three World Cups! Even when I was 30, I didn’t see what he saw at 18.”
Tottenham will almost certainly want the defender back after the World Cup as cover in a fragile back line, potentially more urgent if Cristian Romero departs this summer. Vušković has not closed the door on staying in Germany. “I don’t know what will happen; we’ll talk about that in the summer. Tottenham is also being talked about because I’m their player until 2030,” he told TPortal. “So, after my eventual appearance at the World Cup, we’ll see what we’ll do and how to proceed. As for me, I wouldn’t mind staying at HSV, in fact.”
Man Utd
De Zerbi Linked to Manchester United as Spurs Continue Talks
De Zerbi is reportedly open to Manchester United while Spurs continue talks amid ongoing instability
Reports suggest Roberto De Zerbi is interested in the Manchester United job even as Tottenham Hotspur continue to hold talks with him. The situation has added pressure to an unsettled managerial picture at both clubs, where interim managers Michael Carrick and Igor Tudor are fighting for their futures.
Tudor is reported to be at risk of being sacked after just three games, with Spurs sitting one point clear of the relegation zone. While Carrick is believed to have done enough to remain in the running at United, the potential availability of De Zerbi will complicate summer planning for both sides.
Talks between Spurs and De Zerbi have been held, but the Italian is expected to hold out for more appealing offers this summer. His high octane soccer earned admirers during spells with Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk between 2018 and 2022, and it was at Brighton & Hove Albion that he established himself among the world’s elite.
It is widely accepted that De Zerbi overachieved with the Seagulls and he spoke with a handful of big names, including both Spurs and United, during the summer of 2024 before taking his talents to Marseille. The French side finished second in Ligue 1 during his first season in charge, playing a possession-heavy brand of soccer that was both aesthetically pleasing and effective on the field.
There is a sense that his approach would suit a team built to be favorites every week, but his style of management remains a concern for some suitors. De Zerbi is a fiery character who is not afraid to raise his voice and challenge anybody in his path, be that his own players or those above him in the hierarchy. His departure from Brighton stemmed from public disappointment towards his limited impact in the club’s transfer dealings, and that could be a major issue for both United and Spurs as they lean into the modern approach of appointing “head coaches” to lead the team and hand the transfer business to a recruitment department.
United, having shaken off the cobwebs of the Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim eras, have enjoyed enough on-field success to remind the world of their pedigree and reputation as the biggest brand in English soccer. With the promise of a hefty transfer budget this summer, the allure of the Red Devils is clear. Spurs, meanwhile, face the added complication that they cannot even offer assurances of Premier League status next season after two seasons at the wrong end of the standings, leaving them with an uphill battle to retain their place among England’s ‘Big Six.’
Premier League
How Tottenham’s Remaining Fixtures Stack Up Against Survival Rivals
A March defeat left Tottenham precarious; Opta now gives them a 16.1% relegation chance. After March.
Let Thursday, March 5, 2026, stand out as the night Spurs’ supporters allowed themselves to believe again. The lift lasted only minutes. A Micky van de Ven tug on Ismaïla Sarr’s shirt led to a quick turnaround; within 13 minutes, Solanke’s smart tap-in left Tottenham a man down and 3–1 behind. Supporters headed for the exits or a sombre half-time beer.
The table is tight: Leeds (31 points), Tottenham (29 points), Nottingham Forest (28 points), West Ham (28 points). A home defeat to Sunderland left Leeds two points clear of Tottenham and three ahead of West Ham. Yet Leeds have rarely looked like relegation candidates since November, when a switch to a back three improved their form.
On paper Leeds have the easiest run-in, their remaining opponents averaging a league position of 13.2. Forest (9.8) and West Ham (9.1) face tougher sequences but both are showing more cohesion and belief than Spurs. Forest have difficult trips to Sunderland, Chelsea and Manchester United, but they also host Aston Villa, Burnley, Newcastle and Bournemouth. West Ham will rely on home support down the stretch and have fixtures including Manchester City and Wolves.
Tottenham have managed just four points from 11 games in 2026 and “don’t look like winning a game until they face Lincoln City in August,” according to the current assessment in the draft. They do, however, host vital six-pointers against Nottingham Forest and Leeds. All of their away trips look daunting, not least the trip to Anfield, which comes after the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie against Atlético Madrid.
After the club parted ways with Thomas Frank last month, Opta’s supercomputer had Spurs’ relegation probability at less than 4%. With Igor Tudor now overseeing a third straight defeat, Opta has increased that chance to 16.1%. West Ham’s survival odds are just under 50% and Forest sit on 26.88%. Wolves and Burnley are described as all but condemned.
Tottenham still have home dates with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge late in the season and a final day meeting with Everton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium could yet be decisive.
Analytics & Stats
Opta Supercomputer: Tight Premier League Relegation Picture After Tottenham Defeat
Opta’s model predicts a close relegation battle: Leeds, Tottenham, Forest and West Ham all involved
The relegation battle in the 2025/26 Premier League tightened significantly after Tottenham Hotspur’s 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace. Positive results for West Ham United (a 1-0 win over Fulham) and Nottingham Forest (a 2-2 draw at Manchester City) left both clubs level on 28 points and intensified the fight at the bottom.
Leeds United remain precarious. Daniel Farke’s side sit 15th, just three points clear of the current relegation group, making this a contest that could shift quickly.
Opta’s supercomputer produces the following projection for the bottom six:
– Leeds: current 31 points, expected 42.09, relegation chance 8.09%
– Tottenham: current 29 points, expected 40.04, relegation chance 16.10%
– Nottingham Forest: current 28 points, expected 39.08, relegation chance 26.88%
– West Ham: current 28 points, expected 37.49, relegation chance 49.53%
– Burnley: current 19 points, expected 27.07, relegation chance 99.36%
– Wolves: current 16 points, expected 24.62, relegation chance 99.92%
Wolverhampton Wanderers have improved form after a draw with Arsenal and successive wins over Aston Villa and Liverpool, but the supercomputer underlines that their season was effectively over months ago, with the club not recording a victory until the 20th game. Burnley sit 10 points adrift; Opta’s model projects only eight more points for the Clarets and expects their return to the Championship to be confirmed well before the final day.
The model largely maintains the current ordering and gives West Ham the highest chance of relegation among the quartet fighting to avoid the drop into the second tier. Forest are forecast to finish two points clear of the relegation places, with Tottenham projected to reach 40.04 points and stand as the final side to reach the 40-point threshold. Opta assigns a 16.10% chance of relegation to Igor Tudor’s side, a near doubling of their previous prediction before Thursday’s defeat. The fixture between Tottenham and Forest on March 22 now carries clear significance for both clubs.
