Tottenham news round-up: Van de Ven update given amid Dragusin exit claim
Tottenham Hotspur have had a rare midweek with no first-team matches, but that hasn’t slowed down the news cycle in North London.
Ange Postecoglou‘s side are preparing to return to action in the Premier League against Ipswich after back-to-back wins over Brentford and Manchester United, halting their seven-game winless streak.
Spurs have also learned who’ll they’ll face in the Europa League last 16 after the draw was made, with a two-legged tie coming up against Dutch side AZ Alkmaar, whom they defeated 1-0 in the league phase.
Here, Tottenham News rounds up all the latest news in North London on Thursday, 21 February.
Van de Ven and Romero return dates given at Tottenham
Spurs may have snapped their horror run of Premier League form, which saw them lose eight times in a 10-game spell, but fans will only be sleeping soundly once their two defensive lynchpins are back.
Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero could soon be back on the grass at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium though, after Postecoglou provided an update regarding the pair’s progress on Thursday.
Postecoglou said: “There are no new concerns from last week and the other guys are ticking along well.
“We’ve got two games in quick succession in the league. It is a good opportunity to get some minutes for players.
“I’m hoping that Romero and van de Ven will be back around [the Europa League first leg], with Solanke and Richarlison not far behind.”
Harry Redknapp predicts Tottenham v Ipswich Town result
As Tottenham get ready to face Ipswich on Saturday – who they lost 2-1 at home to in the reverse fixture, former manager and Lilywhites legend Harry Redknapp has said that a similar scoreline could happen.
Speaking to BetVictor Casino on 21 February, Redknapp said: “What a fantastic point that was for Ipswich away at Aston Villa – I don’t think many gave them much of a chance before the game.
“Tottenham got a vital win over Manchester United, but I’ve got to be honest, it was hardly a classic. At this stage, wins are all that matter for Spurs but they’re a long way off those European positions.
“I think Spurs will just have too much, but Ipswich will give them a real game here – Ipswich 1-2 Tottenham.
“I think Dejan Kulusevski has been Spurs’ best player this season by a country mile. Most of the good things they do come through him.”
| Position | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | GD | Points |
| 12 | Tottenham | 25 | 9 | 3 | 13 | +12 | 30 |
| 13 | Crystal Palace | 25 | 7 | 9 | 9 | –3 | 30 |
| 14 | Everton | 25 | 7 | 9 | 9 | –4 | 30 |
| 15 | Man United | 25 | 8 | 5 | 12 | –7 | 29 |
| 16 | West Ham | 25 | 7 | 6 | 12 | –18 | 27 |
| 17 | Wolves | 25 | 5 | 4 | 16 | –19 | 19 |
| 18 | Ipswich | 25 | 3 | 8 | 15 | –27 | 17 |
Radu Dragusin tipped for Tottenham exit in Romero development
Although Romero is slowly making his way back from the injury which has seen him miss over half of Spurs’ matches this season, fellow defender Radu Dragusin‘s campaign is over after an ACL rupture.
However, Lilywhite Rose owner John Wenham – speaking exclusively to Tottenham News – suggested that if Tottenham manage to keep hold of Romero this summer, Dragusin could be on the outer.
He said: “Kevin Danso has really impressed me in his first few games at Spurs – [but] I think Romero will probably move on in the summer.
“However, if he were to remain at Tottenham, the club could consider sending Draguin out on loan to a Premier League side, to see what he can do at that level, playing week in, week out as the main man.
“That would leave Romero, Micky van de Ven and [Kevin] Danso as the three options. However, I do think it is highly unlikely that Romero stays at this point.”