Tottenham: will Pochettino go to Real Madrid and take Kane and Eriksen with him?

Spurs look to recover from ‘dressing-room bust-up’ and Bayern battering

Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino
Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino
(Image credit: Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP via Getty Images)

Manchester Utd are “confident” of agreeing a deal for Christian Eriksen in the January transfer window, claims the Daily Express, which won’t surprise many Tottenham fans in the light of the allegations that surfaced on social media this week.

The rumours soon drew a terse response from Eriksen, who tweeted “bulls***” along with a sleeping emoji, while Vertonghen joined in on the emojis act, “including a heart next to Eriksen’s Twitter handle”.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Black eyes and bust-ups

It was a bizarre end to a bewildering 24 hours for Tottenham fans, which had begun with the 7-2 hammering at home to Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Then came the rumours of dressing room strife, given added piquancy by the fact that only last week Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino talked of divisions within the squad.

According to the Sun there was a fall out in the dressing room with Harry Kane involved and a photo circulated on social media of Vertonghen sporting a black eye.

Ole eyeing Eriksen

Man Utd were linked to the Danish midfielder in the summer transfer window with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said to be a “keen admirer” of Eriksen.

With Paul Pogba expected to leave Old Trafford, Eriksen is seen as the perfect replacement and it would also suit the Dane as he looks for a fresh start.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For analysis of the biggest sport stories - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news - try The Week magazine. Get your first six issues free–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Poch to Real?

The Daily Telegraph reports the rumours of dressing-room disharmony and adds that the same source also claims that Pochettino is “unable to resolve the situation” and wants out.

If he does go to Real Madrid, says the Telegraph, he’ll try and take Eriksen and Kane with him.

Tottenham striker Harry Kane is captain of the England team

(Image credit: Lindsey Parnaby/AFP/Getty Images)

Kane’s pain

The Times doesn’t stoop so low as to report the scurrilous social media speculation but does remark that Tottenham are increasingly worried “that a disillusioned Harry Kane could join the growing list of senior players who want to leave”.

The England captain talked in the summer of his need to win silverware and with that ambition a distant dream at the moment he could be forced into making a tough decision at the end of the season.

The Times namechecks Manchester United, Chelsea and Real Madrid as possible suitors for the Three Lions striker and, with a touch of intrigue, adds that “the chances of Kane leaving would increase if an increasingly exasperated Pochettino departs”.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For analysis of the biggest sport stories - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news - try The Week magazine. Get your first six issues free–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––