Six players waving goodbye to Tottenham on Sunday
Sunday marks the conclusion of a challenging and disappointing Premier League campaign for Tottenham Hotspur. The North London club will wrap up their season at home, hosting Brighton & Hove Albion at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in what will be the final act of a turbulent domestic journey.
Despite the struggles in the league, there’s a unique blend of emotions expected in N17. While the Premier League season has been nothing short of dreadful for Spurs—with the club hovering just above the relegation zone in 17th place—the mood will be far from somber. That’s because, in an uplifting turn of events, Tottenham recently celebrated a significant European triumph by lifting the UEFA Europa League trophy on Wednesday night.
This long-awaited piece of silverware—the club’s first major trophy in 17 years—has injected a burst of pride and joy into the fanbase. To commemorate the achievement, the club organized a parade on Friday that saw hundreds of thousands of jubilant supporters flood the High Road. The Europa League trophy will also be prominently displayed at the stadium ahead of kickoff on Sunday, reinforcing the celebratory atmosphere.
Supporters, while overjoyed by the European success, will likely breathe a collective sigh of relief as they bid farewell to a domestic season they’ll want to forget. A 17th-place finish—unless Spurs secure a final-day victory and other results swing in their favor—marks one of the club’s lowest league finishes in recent memory.
But the final game of the season may not only signal the end of this campaign. It could also serve as a farewell for as many as six first-team players whose futures are uncertain or already determined. As of now, six players are set to see their contracts expire at the end of June, and unless last-minute decisions are made, Sunday could be their final appearance in a Spurs shirt—if they make it onto the pitch at all.
Three players are confirmed to be leaving the club: left-back Sergio Reguilon, goalkeeper Alfie Whiteman, and veteran shot-stopper Fraser Forster. None of the trio are expected to be offered new contracts, and their departures appear inevitable.
Timo Werner, who joined on loan from RB Leipzig during the January window, will also return to Germany once the season concludes. Despite some positive moments, there has been no indication that Tottenham will seek to make the deal permanent at this stage.
The futures of the remaining two players—Ben Davies and Mathys Tel—remain up in the air. Davies, one of the club’s longest-serving players, sees his contract expire this summer. While sources at football.london suggest that Spurs are planning to trigger a one-year extension for the Welsh international, no official confirmation has been provided. As it stands, he remains out of contract and potentially set to leave after Sunday’s clash.
Meanwhile, Mathys Tel’s situation is a bit more complex. The 19-year-old forward arrived on loan from Bayern Munich in January, and while the deal includes an option to buy, no decision has yet been made on his long-term future. Tel has shown flashes of promise and versatility during his brief stint in North London, despite being thrust into a demanding role at a young age.
Speaking ahead of the match, manager Ange Postecoglou commented on Tel’s progress and the uncertainty surrounding his future:
“I guess they’re the kind of discussions that we start to need to have. But again, without myself gate-crashing meetings, I need to be invited to them, but we’ll assess all those things. Matty’s done really well for us. We put him in a real difficult position in that as a young player who hadn’t played a lot, probably wasn’t fit enough, we just threw him straight in but he’s handled it really well. I think he’s been a real important contributor for us and he’ll definitely play tomorrow at some point whether he starts or comes off the bench. I’m sure those decisions we’ll kind of look into post-season.”
As Spurs prepare to turn the page on a chaotic league season, there’s optimism for the future—anchored by their Europa League triumph and the potential reshaping of the squad over the summer. The club has already launched a special “Winners Range” of merchandise to mark their European success, with fans able to purchase 2024/25 home and away kits featuring the ‘Winners 25’ print.
For now, Sunday promises to be a bittersweet occasion. It’s a time for celebration, reflection, and farewell—as the curtain falls on a season of contrasts and the club begins to look ahead with renewed hope.