Tottenham Round-Up, Saturday 17th October: De Zerbi Plots Team News Ahead of Crucial Coventry Clash as Richarlison Row Rumbles on
Spurs prepare for a huge Premier League meeting with Coventry City, with a win said to be enough to lift Roberto De Zerbi's side out of the relegation zone (Football.London). Pedro Porro and Dejan Kulusevski are both hoped to be available, though Porro is described as an injury doubt and Kulusevski has not featured since May 2025 (Evening Standard) (Sports Mole). Football.London reports that ten players in total could miss the game following a De Zerbi setback (Football.London), while Spurs Web's predicted XI has Mateus Fernandes returning to the starting line-up (Spurs Web). Coventry, for their part, are set to welcome back Taiwo Awoniyi as Frank Lampard makes a change of his own (Sports Mole). Previews from Sports Mole cover the head-to-head history between the two clubs as well as full team news and predictions ahead of Monday's kick-off (Sports Mole) (Sports Mole), and there's a full guide on how to watch the match, including TV channel details (Spurs Web).
Football.London believes Spurs are still missing a key piece of the puzzle that De Zerbi badly needs back, pointing to the encouraging 1-1 draw at Manchester United as evidence of what the team can do (Football.London). Separately, Spurs Web suggests the club already have a player capable of 'connecting everything' who simply hasn't started a game yet this season (Spurs Web). Not everyone is convinced by the manager's methods, though - former striker Duncan Ferguson has accused De Zerbi of making two 'bad bad decisions' already this season, reportedly including the training camp held in Marbella, which he branded 'ridiculous' (Spurs Web). Alan Shearer has gone further still, warning of a 'massive' relegation battle for Tottenham this season depending on how results pan out (Football365).
The Richarlison situation continues to generate headlines. The striker has publicly backed criticism of De Zerbi over his exile from the first-team squad, posting support for critics on social media (Evening Standard) (Football.London). He also appeared to send a subtle dig at his manager, responding 'You are right' to a comment about his treatment (Spurs Web). Amid all this, Spurs Web reports that talks are already ongoing with two clubs interested in a potential £8.4m move for Richarlison, despite January still being some way off (Spurs Web).
On the transfer front, Spurs Web reports Tottenham have received a sobering update on Antonio Nusa, having missed out on a summer move and now seemingly been overtaken by other suitors (Spurs Web). Barcelona are said to be planning a move for Lucas Bergvall, whose contract reportedly contains a release clause despite having only recently signed fresh terms (Spurs Web), while GiveMeSport claims Spurs should consider listing a 'top player' to end a distraction around Bergvall (GiveMeSport). Elsewhere, TeamTalk and Spurs Web both report interest in Club Brugge striker Nicolo Tresoldi, with Arsenal named as frontrunners but Tottenham credited with a desire to sign him for a fee in excess of £50m (TeamTalk) (Spurs Web). Manchester United are reportedly considering a £68m bid for Troy Parrott, something Football.London suggests could cost Spurs dearly given his resurgence (Spurs Web) (Football.London). There's also an update on Will Lankshear, who continues to be monitored by Tottenham during his strong start at Middlesbrough, though a lack of the right buy-back clause complicates any potential return (Spurs Web). Sports Mole reports that James Maddison's attacking struggles this season have brought fresh criticism, alongside an update on his future at the club (Sports Mole). Spurs Web also claims Tottenham could be exploring a double raid on Atletico Madrid, with Pedro Porro's price tag and interest in a two-time Champions League winner mentioned as part of wider transfer plans (Spurs Web).
Away from the pitch, Football.London reports that Tottenham's £159m summer spending has left club bosses red-faced, with only Manchester United said to have fared worse for value in the market (Football.London). There's also a claim from a football finance expert that Tottenham's NFL hosting revenue has been overstated (Spurs Web), while Spurs Web suggests the sale of Pape Sarr to Juventus for £22.3m may prove to be an accidental bargain lost, with the midfielder viewed as a crucial figure in Turin (Spurs Web).
In the academy, Tottenham's Under-21s host Leicester this Sunday, live on SpursPlay (TottenhamHotspur.com), while the Under-18s suffered their first defeat of the season (TottenhamHotspur.com). Finally, Football.London's Talking Tottenham podcast discusses a big decision facing De Zerbi, with an absence from his squad set to be clarified (Football.London).
This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.