Tottenham Hotspur's poor start under new manager Roberto De Zerbi continued with a defeat to Sunderland, leaving the club in serious danger of relegation from the Premier League, according to reports. The loss, which also saw captain Cristian Romero injured, has intensified concerns about the club's financial future. According to Rob Wilson, a football finance expert at the University Campus of Football Business, relegation would trigger a significant revenue drop. "There will be a significant drop in revenue if Spurs are relegated. The drop is quite structured and relatively manageable, particularly across one year because of parachute payments and relegation clauses, which are becoming fairly standard. Even so the loss will create pressure to trim operational costs, especially the wage bill and will feed into transfer strategy," Wilson said.
Tottenham's final game of the season is at home to Everton on May 24, a match that could be crucial in determining their fate. Meanwhile, several key players are attracting interest from other clubs. Inter Milan are interested in goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and are confident of striking a deal for £20 million, according to multiple reports. Vicario has two years left on his contract. Pedro Porro, who is moving into the final two years of his deal, is also expected to attract interest.
Forward Richarlison has one year left on his contract and is a target for Brazilian club Flamengo. Tottenham have been prepared to listen to offers for Richarlison in recent windows without attracting an acceptable offer. Midfielder Yves Bissouma is out of contract in June. Tottenham have tried without success to sell Bissouma for two windows and had been planning to trigger a one-year extension, though that decision may now be reconsidered.
Loan options on Joao Palhinha from Bayern Munich and Randal Kolo Muani from Paris Saint-Germain will likely be declined by Tottenham, according to sources. In other news, Leeds United's surprise win over Manchester United was a notable result elsewhere in the league.