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Robbie Keane is ‘Dark Horse’ to be Next Tottenham Manager

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Tottenham Hotspur have a ‘dark horse’ manager on their list along with Mauricio Pochettino and Roberto De Zerbi this summer, according to GIVEMESPORT senior correspondent Ben Jacobs.

Spurs will be weighing up who the right manager is to take them forward next season, with current caretaker boss Igor Tudor unlikely to be kept on in a full-time role.

The full focus for Tudor and the players on the pitch is to secure Premier League survival, with results going against them on Wednesday night as West Ham United beat Fulham and Nottingham Forest picked up an expected point away at Manchester City.

It means that Tottenham are now just one point above the bottom three ahead of their home clash against Crystal Palace on Thursday night, and they are in desperate need of picking up their first win in 11 Premier League matches – a run that stretches back to 2025.

While Spurs could move for Pochettino and De Zerbi at the end of the season, former striker Robbie Keane is also emerging as a strong contender.

Tottenham Have Two Main Candidates

Mauricio Pochettino smiling after being unveiled as the new United States head coach
United States men’s national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino talks to the media during a press conference introducing him as the new head coach for the United States men’s national team at Warner Bros. Discovery Hudson Center on Sept. 13, 2024. Credit: Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

According to Jacobs, Tottenham have two main candidates for the manager’s job in the summer.

Spurs will know that preserving their Premier League status will give them the best chance of landing their preferred target, with Pochettino and De Zerbi top of the list.

It seems unlikely that the out-of-work De Zerbi would take the job if Tottenham did end up going down, given he could be an option for Manchester United this summer, as well as Liverpool and Manchester City if managerial changes take place at those clubs anytime soon, as per GMS sources.

It would be a hard sell to Pochettino too after he manages the USA at their home World Cup, although according to Jacobs, the Argentine wouldn’t necessarily be put off if the club was in the Championship, although his salary could be an issue.

Keane a ‘Dark Horse’ for Tottenham Job

robbie keane

You do wonder that if the worst did happen for Tottenham this season, if Robbie Keane could be a realistic option to be their manager in the Championship next season.

While the Republic of Ireland legend is a title winner at Ferencvaros, the chance to lead Spurs – even in the Championship – would surely be a tempting proposition for the 45-year-old.

According to Jacobs, Keane is ‘one to watch’ for the Tottenham job, although he is also attracting interest from Premier League rivals Crystal Palace too, with the south Londoners set to lose Oliver Glasner when his contract expires at the end of the season.

Keane has won 42 of his 69 matches in charge of the Hungarian giants, with a win rate of 61%.

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Tottenham Agree Deal to Sign Martin Dubravka

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Tottenham Hotspur have now agreed their fourth summer signing as ENIC go into overdrive, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Tottenham have already been the busiest club in the summer transfer window, having completed and announced three deals, as they look to give Roberto De Zerbi the strong squad he needs to make the club contenders at the right end of the Premier League table again.

The additions of Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke have added experience and quality to a backline that has leaked goals for fun in recent years, with De Zerbi and the club still looking at making additions in other areas of the pitch.

Spurs are now working on two blockbuster midfielder deals as the club look to try and land both Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali and West Ham United’s Mateus Fernandes, with both players attracting interest from other top Premier League clubs this summer.

The North Londoners are also ready to transform their attack too, following the exit of Randal Kolo Muani after his unsuccessful loan spell, with Paul O’Keefe suggesting they want a left-winger, right-winger and a new centre-forward ahead of next season.

Tottenham are also looking to make a signing between the posts too.

Romano: Tottenham Agree Dubravka Deal

martin dubravka via Reuters

According to Romano, posting on X, Tottenham have now agreed their fourth signing of the summer as their business shows no signs of slowing down.

Spurs have wrapped up an agreement to sign Martin Dubravka on a free transfer, with his contract at Burnley due to expire at the end of this month.

The Slovakia international played 35 matches for the Clarets last season after joining them from Newcastle, but he was unable to stop them making an immediate return to the Championship.

The addition of the 37-year-old would suggest that one of Tottenham’s goalkeepers will be on their way out, with Guglielmo Vicario the most likely candidate following rumours he will return to Serie A this summer.

Bringing in Dubravka would also hint at Antonin Kinsky becoming De Zerbi’s first-choice keeper next term after an impressive end to the campaign under the leadership of the Italian.

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De Zerbi Tells Tottenham to Sign Man United Star

Roberto De Zerbi looks confused via Reuters

Tottenham’s current focus appears to be on trying to wrap up deals for Dubravka, Fernandes and Tonali, but after that they will need to look at their attack.

Spurs are in talks with Manchester City over a move for Savinho, although no progress has been made in negotiations yet.

Tottenham are looking at other left-sided alternatives to the Brazilian if reports are to be believed, with one report suggesting that De Zerbi is pushing the club to agree a deal to sign Marcus Rashford from Manchester United.

The England international is currently likely to leave Old Trafford this summer, although the Red Devils are keen to sell the 28-year-old on a permanent deal, with a £40m release clause available for all clubs apart from Liverpool and Manchester City.

Spurs are said to be unwilling to pay that amount, but they are exploring making a lower offer for a player who De Zerbi is a big fan of.

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Jude Bellingham Avoids Red Card For Banned Gesture vs Ghana

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England laboured to a disappointing goalless draw with Ghana in their second World Cup fixture, failing to register a shot on target for almost an hour.

The closest the Three Lions came arrived late on, when Nico O’Reilly’s close-range header cannoned off the crossbar and Harry Kane’s follow-up was smashed high into the stands.

At half-time, Jude Bellingham was involved in a foul-mouthed altercation with the Ghanaian bench, drawing Carlos Queiroz into the confrontation, with the Ghana boss later claiming the midfielder’s choice of language created “more tension” between the two camps.


Carlos Queiroz pursuits Jude Bellingham at the 2026 World Cup


Carlos Queiroz Explains Why He Was Fuming With Jude Bellingham During England 0-0 Ghana

Ghana boss Carlos Queiroz explains why he was angry with England’s Jude Bellingham at the 2026 World Cup

Bellingham was also at the centre of a separate issue that went largely unnoticed amid the chaos and the goalless affair: a question over whether he should have been sent off.

Why Jude Bellingham Risked Being Sent off

Jude Bellingham in discussion with the referee at the 2026 World Cup Peter Cziborra via Reuters

While the half-time spat with Queiroz drew most of the attention, it was a quieter exchange with Ghana forward Jordan Ayew that carried the greater risk for Bellingham.

Cameras caught the midfielder speaking to Ayew while covering his mouth, a gesture FIFA has specifically targeted under new rules introduced for this tournament.

Referees can now dismiss players for hiding their mouth during exchanges, a measure brought in following the fallout from Gianluca Prestianni’s six-match ban for homophobic language directed at Vinicius Junior during a Champions League tie in February.

Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron already felt the force of the new law this tournament, when he was sent off against Turkey after VAR flagged the gesture to the referee. Bellingham avoided the same fate because his exchange with Ayew was not deemed confrontational.


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England’s Greatest 11 of the 21st Century

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The rule only applies when the gesture accompanies a hostile interaction, meaning Ayew’s lack of a reaction likely kept Bellingham on the pitch, whereas Turkey’s Mert Mulder made an immediate beeline for the referee.

Pierluigi Collina Explains FIFA’s Reasoning Behind the Rule

FIFA referees committee chairman Pierluigi Collina addressed the law before the tournament began, making clear the intent behind the crackdown.

“If the conversation is friendly, they can continue to do it without any problem. When the conversation is confrontational, covering the mouth means that you are doing something very wrong, potentially, and the sanction is the red card.”

Had officials viewed the moment differently, England would have been without one of their talismans for this weekend’s pivotal Group L finale, leaving Thomas Tuchel’s side to wonder just how close they came to a damaging twist on top of an already frustrating night in Boston.

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Josh Hokit Reveals ‘Real Reason’ He Insulted Michelle Obama at UFC White House

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Rising UFC heavyweight contender Josh Hokit has revealed the ‘real reason’ why he insulted former first lady Michelle Obama after his win at the White House earlier this month.

The former NFL player went viral for his post-fight interview after stopping Derrick Lewis in the second round. Instead of basking in the 10th win of his professional career on such a big stage, the 28-year-old caused major controversy when he declared: “Michelle Obama is a man” and followed that up with “Am I right, America?”

Veteran broadcaster Joe Rogan quickly wrapped up the interview to avoid Hokit making any more remarks. Among those to publicly criticise the fighter for his slur was UFC Hall of Famer, Daniel Cormier, who branded it “disgusting”.

Although UFC CEO Dana White has confirmed that Hokit will not be punished by the promotion for his actions, the interview is still a major point of contention for many.

Josh Hokit Opens Up on Controversial Michelle Obama Interview

As a result, when Hokit appeared on a recent edition of the Ariel Helwani Show, the veteran Canadian podcaster was keen to find out what had motivated the Californian native to make such an offensive comment.

Hokit has become known for his outlandish, tongue-in-cheek, statements since joining the UFC and so it was no surprise to see him take a similar stance when Helwani first asked him about his interview.

“I thought I was giving her a compliment. I don’t think anyone viewed it as Michelle Obama being a man. It’s more like she knows how to deal with adversity, she knows how to work hard like a man when times get tough.

“It was a perfect opportunity to show the world how great this country is with freedom of speech… In other parts of the world, you say something like that and you die,” he reasoned, before insisting that he would never apologise for his words.

“That’s one thing about my career… You’ll never hear me backtrack from what I say.”

Josh Hokit Amber Searls via Imagn Images

Josh Hokit’s Motivation Behind Michelle Obama UFC White House Insult

However, later in the interview, Hokit gave a far more grounded explanation as to why he chooses to make such controversial comments.

“Don’t hate the player, hate the game, and that’s the game we’re playing nowadays. We’re playing a numbers game, and I’m gonna win them every single time. Whatever brings the most eyes to my fight, that’s what I’m going to do.”

Speaking about the financial impact of his UFC notoriety, the fighter confirmed:

“If anything, I’ve gained more money… I’ll coach a class on this one day, but I got seven figures in seven months, just put it like that. By the end of the year, this might be a $3 to 4 million dollars a year.”

As distasteful as some may find Hokit’s comments, he stated that the UFC have not contacted him to complain about his conduct.

“They would message me if they really felt a certain way. They can always feel some type of way. I respect their opinions, but we do have freedom of speech, so it is what it is. I don’t like what other people say, but I’ve got to deal with it.”

After his win at the White House, Hokit looks to be in line for a big fight next, with names such as Brazilian superstar Alex Pereira being mentioned as a possible opponent.

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