Credit: Imago

Richie Mills

Wed 18 February 2026 19:00, UK

Vinai Venkatesham has been rumoured to be leaving Tottenham this summer, and Johan Lange could follow suit.

Last April, Tottenham announced that Venkatesham would become their new CEO that summer after leaving the same role at bitter rivals Arsenal the year prior.

Lange swapped Aston Villa for Tottenham in October 2023, initially as technical director, but two years later, he was promoted to the position of sporting director.

Lange, in particular, played a part in the hiring of Thomas Frank from Brentford last June, but he lasted just eight months in the role, with Igor Tudor now tasked with taking the reins until the end of the season.

Now, according to X account Tottenham Talk, CEO Venkatesham‘s summer exit is all but confirmed, and Lange is “very likely” to lose his job soon. Moreover, if United States boss Mauricio Pochettino makes a dramatic return to the club after this year’s World Cup, Lange could be surplus to requirements.

• Vinai Venkatesham and Johan Lange to follow Thomas Frank out the door after what they did at Tottenham

Tottenham fans split over Mauricio Pochettino shakeup rumours

Few can forget the impact Pochettino had at Tottenham during his 2014-19 spell. The Argentine turned Spurs into a team regularly finishing in the top four and led them to the 2019 Champions League final.

Just a few months after that, however, Pochettino was sacked, with many arguing that he wasn’t sufficiently backed to build on their huge strides.

The now 53-year-old has opened the door to a Tottenham return one day but for now, he is leading the United States’ men’s national team.

Aside from that, Tottenham fans questioned whether Pochettino would be given carte blanche to shape the squad as he saw it if appointed this summer. And others were split over potential departures for Venkatesham and Lange.

Others felt that someone like former Monaco and Newcastle United sporting director Paul Mitchell – who previously worked at Tottenham in player recruitment – was the way to go, or even Aston Villa’s ex-football operations president, Monchi.

One fan wrote on X, “We definitely need Paul Mitchell, Monchi type and have a clear coherent strategy on DoF/Manager being aligned with strategy and not ‘opportunities’ for players whose contracts are running out.”

One fan even called for former executive chairman Daniel Levy to return, along with Pochettino.

They tweeted: “Bring back Levy. Bring back Poch,” and another fan opined, “I’m all for Poch coming back as a coach, but if he actually wants that much control, then this is a hard no for me. We ABSOLUTELY need a quality DOF to come in.”

• Read more: Mauricio Pochettino won’t be returning to Tottenham, this is why

Tottenham have bigger fish to fry before Pochettino

Talk of a fairytale return for Pochettino is, naturally, going to get many Tottenham fans cooing.

Spurs played some of their best football of the century under the former Paris Saint-Germain manager, and he regularly got them challenging for trophies – albeit without winning any.

But the chatter around a possible Pochettino return is premature, particularly as Tottenham are not far above the relegation zone. Spurs sit 16th in the Premier League table, just five points above the bottom three.

Tottenham decided to axe Frank and have plucked for former Juventus boss Tudor to see them over the line this term. However, his managerial record has left many fans concerned.

Tottenham may fall into the category of ‘too good to go down’, but, they cannot afford to think like that and need wins fast.

First up for Tudor is the North London Derby at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday. An upset win over league leaders Arsenal would lift the gloom around Spurs but another defeat could see the relegation zone come roaring into view.

If Tottenham are in the Championship, there is next to no chance of Pochettino coming back.

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