Tottenham are pushing to sign a new central midfielder during the summer transfer window, with Roberto De Zerbi giving the green light for a deal.

It could be a busy few months for Tottenham in terms of reinforcements.

After a disappointing season that saw them finish 17th in the Premier League, Tottenham managed to avoid relegation after a resurgence under their new manager, and they’ll be keen to avoid being dragged into a battle once again.

That’s now two campaigns in a row that Tottenham have finished 17th, and it’s undoubtedly been a disastrous few years for the club.

Spurs acted fast to bring in new additions with Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson both arriving through the door on free transfers.

Tottenham Pushing to Sign Midfielder

According to journalist Matteo Moretto, Tottenham have thrown themselves in the race to sign Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali during the summer transfer window.

Tonali is also a target for Manchester City, but Spurs are now pushing to close the deal.

Tonali is open to joining Tottenham, with De Zerbi pushing to bring him to the club this summer.

It appears that a number of clubs are also interested in signing Tonali this summer, but Tottenham are pushing to secure his signature.

Tonali an Upgrade in Midfield for Tottenham

via Reuters

Tonali, described as ‘one of the best CMs in the world’, would be a huge addition for Tottenham in the middle of the park.

The Italian international has been a key figure in Newcastle’s midfield over the last few years. If Spurs can convince him to join over clubs competing in Europe, it will be a massive coup.

It remains to be seen whether they can beat the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City in the race, but it’s a positive sign that he would be keen on the move.

Tonali would be a huge upgrade on Tottenham’s current midfield options, so they need to try to get a deal over the line as soon as possible.

Iran footballer Mohammad Mohebi has spoken out after being accused of a controversial World Cup goal celebration after scoring against New Zealand on Monday.

Mohebi, who plies his trade with FC Rostov in the Russian Premier League, scored Iran’s second goal in a 2-2 draw with New Zealand at the Los Angeles Stadium in California.

Elijah Just scored twice for New Zealand, either side of half-time, but the All Whites were pegged back on both occasions.

There was controversy before kick-off, with protests taking place outside the stadium, and a mixed response to Iran’s national anthem comprised of boos, whistles and cheers.

FIFA’s World Cup rule was also defied after world football’s governing body had successfully won a case to ban flags with the pre-revolution ‘Lion and Sun’ emblem on. Many of these ‘banned’ flags were seen in and around the stadium.

Mohebi Goal Celebration Sparks Outrage

Lisi Niesner via Reuters

There was further controversy during the match after Mohebi scored Iran’s second equaliser of the night.

The 27-year-old has sparked outrage with a ‘gun’ celebration in which he was seen holding out two fingers, initially pointing them to the ground before waving them in the air. Watch the footage below:

Many fans have called on FIFA to examine the gesture more closely, per The Express, with the celebration coming under particular scrutiny due to the sensitivity surrounding Iran’s participation in the tournament on US soil.

Amid the backlash, Mohebi has now spoken out to offer his version of events.

“First, I wanted to say thank you to all the Iranian fans that came to watch in Los Angeles. They made a great atmosphere in the game,” the Iran international said, per The Mirror.

Ramin Rezaeian Explains His Own Goal Celebration

Matthew Childs via Reuters

Mohebi’s teammate Ramin Rezaeian netted Iran’s first goal of the 2026 World Cup in the 32nd minute.

The 36-year-old, who pulled his shirt over his face, acknowledged that his own celebration carried a political message.

“It’s something political (his goal celebration),” he said. “I don’t want to talk about that. We are here to answer football questions. If there is a problem between us (the Iranian people), it is between us.”

Iran face Belgium in their second Group G fixture on June 21 before going head-to-head with Egypt five days later.

Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi has made a decision on the future of defender Destiny Udogie, according to TeamTalk, as he continues to be linked with a potential transfer away from the club.

It comes as the head coach oversees an important summer transfer window, where plenty of changes are expected across the whole Spurs squad.

Two signings have already been completed, while a third and fourth could follow, with talks ongoing for Jan Paul van Hecke and Savinho from Brighton and Manchester City respectively.

While the focus is understandably on the potential signings, there will be some huge exits on the cards, with doubts swirling over the future of Udogie.

While links persist over the left-back, De Zerbi has seemingly made a decision on Tottenham sanctioning a sale of the Italian.

Destiny Udogie Transfer Update

As Udogie continues to be linked with a move away from Tottenham, TeamTalk reports that head coach De Zerbi has made it clear that he doesn’t want to sell the 23-year-old this summer.

It’s claimed that Spurs have made it clear to suitors that they won’t entertain offers for the defender in the market, with Serie A clubs lining up to try and tempt the star across.

Both Juventus and Fiorentina have enquired about Udogie’s availability, with Tottenham standing firm on their belief that he will be a key player for De Zerbi in the future.

That’s not to suggest a move would be totally off the cards, with the report adding that an offer in the £50 million range would have to be placed to even tempt Spurs to reconsider their position, though even that may not be enough to force a deal.

With that in mind, Tottenham have already held internal discussions over an improved contract for the defender, to keep him for the long-term future.

Udogie’s Injury Battles

At his best, Udogie is one of Tottenham’s most dangerous outlets. The full-back transformed the team when he arrived under Ange Postecoglou, and he continues to show glimpses of that quality.

Thomas Frank called him “exceptional” during his time as manager, but there have been issues in getting the star player on the pitch regularly.

Over the past season, there have been five separate injuries for Udogie, which saw him miss 20 matches across all competitions as he looked to recover.

It shows that the main battle for him moving forward is to become fit enough to start more regularly, justifying Tottenham’s stance in keeping him.

With the signing of Andy Robertson, there is some extra reinforcement at left-back, which should give him the best chance possible of recovering.

It remains to be seen whether the campaign will be one for him to turn his fortunes around.