Tottenham Round-Up, Wednesday 21st October: Porro Exit Fears Grow as Spurs Plot Gusto Move Ahead of Chelsea Clash
Spurs finally got the monkey off their back with a 3-1 win over Coventry City, but reaction continues to flow. Jamie Carragher spotted a deep-rooted concern despite the victory (Spurs Web), while Spurs Web's own analysis argued the scoreline masked an issue Roberto De Zerbi cannot ignore (Spurs Web). Jamie O'Hara launched an expletive-laden rant at one Tottenham star, branding them an "absolute toilet" (Spurs Web), though a Jan Paul van Hecke stat was used to suggest O'Hara's criticism was wide of the mark (Spurs Web). On a more positive note, Tosin Adarabioyo earned praise from fans after an impressive full Premier League debut (Spurs Web), and a Tottenham star has been named in the Team of the Week, handing De Zerbi a selection headache for Chelsea (Spurs Web), with the same player also in contention for the Premier League Player of the Week award (Spurs Web).
Dejan Kulusevski's emotional return after nearly 18 months out was a major talking point. Kulusevski said Tottenham is starting to feel like home, adding "they know who I am" (Spurs Web), while Micky van de Ven revealed he felt emotional watching his teammate's long road back (Spurs Web). Football.London ran a poll asking whether Kulusevski should start against Chelsea following his comeback (Football.London). Elsewhere, James Maddison's return to the side was highlighted by a shooting stat that puts him above Kane, Son and De Bruyne (Spurs Web), and Spurs Web pointed to the team's record with and without Maddison as a hopeful sign for De Zerbi (Spurs Web). Omar Marmoush also spoke about getting off the mark for Spurs and praised an "amazing" De Zerbi (Spurs Web).
Attention is already turning to the north London rivalry fixture at Chelsea, with Tottenham training and "dialling in" for the occasion (TottenhamHotspur.com). Sports Mole's latest injury and suspension round-up covered the fitness of Pedro Porro, Savio and Lucas Bergvall ahead of the clash (Sports Mole), while Football.London reported seven players are guaranteed to miss out, though one previously injured star is set to return (Football.London). Fans have been putting together their preferred XI with Porro and Destiny Udogie back in contention (Spurs Web), and there have also been calls for a player rated 8.3/10 to earn a second start of the season (Spurs Web). The club has also shared travel information for fans heading to Stamford Bridge, including details of a District Line closure on Saturday (TottenhamHotspur.com).
Transfer talk continues to swirl around Pedro Porro. GiveMeSport reports the defender has lost faith in De Zerbi and is seriously considering a 2027 exit amid interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid (GiveMeSport), while Spurs Web says the club have received a worrying update on his transfer plans despite his £75m valuation (Spurs Web). Football365 claims Tottenham are now targeting Chelsea's Malo Gusto as a potential replacement, with a fee of around £67m mentioned, should Porro depart (Football365). GiveMeSport also report a different Tottenham star may be furious after action taken by De Zerbi this week (GiveMeSport).
On incomings, talkSPORT's European football expert has urged Spurs to move for an €18m-rated forward outscoring Harry Kane, while cautioning he isn't yet ready to take the club to the next level (talkSPORT). Spurs Web report interest in Freiburg's Yuito Suzuki, with a possible £30m bid being considered to beat AC Milan to his signature (Spurs Web), while the club are also said to remain "desperate" to land Vangelis Pavlidis despite his hefty £84m release clause (Spurs Web).
Looking back, talkSPORT defended Tottenham's £70m double sale of Luka Vuskovic and Will Lankshear, insisting the club shouldn't dwell on the decision despite both players impressing at their new clubs (talkSPORT), and Spurs Web canvassed fan opinion on how much they'd pay to bring Lankshear back to N17 (Spurs Web). Football.London also reflected on a £60m transfer target who got away, with the player in question having torn Manchester United apart (Football.London). Former Spurs man Sandro praised the fanbase's loyalty 12 years after his exit, saying "they know that I love Spurs" (Spurs Web), while it emerged that record signing Tanguy Ndombele is currently on trial with a Russian club (Spurs Web).
Elsewhere, the Key Match Incidents Panel delivered a near-unanimous verdict on the Bentancur-Shaw red card controversy from the Manchester United game (Spurs Web), Football.London reported a "warning" has been sent over a potential reunion with former boss Thomas Frank (Football.London), and former manager Tim Sherwood predicted Spurs will finish above Manchester United in the Premier League this season (Spurs Web). Fans can also send in their questions for Dominic Solanke (TottenhamHotspur.com), while the club shared extended highlights of the Coventry win (TottenhamHotspur.com) and a numbers-based look back at the game (TottenhamHotspur.com).
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.