Ciaran Morrison

Tue 17 March 2026 18:30, UK

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Tottenham Hotspur should be pursuing Dougie Freedman to become their next sporting director.

That is according to ex-Everton, Aston Villa, and Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who states that Freedman may want to return to the UK from his role at Saudi club Al-Diriyah due to the war in the Middle East.

Freedman also has experience as a sporting director at Crystal Palace, where he held the role at the south London club between 2017 and 2025.

Spurs could sack sporting director Johan Lange amid their troubled season on and off the pitch, with the club facing the possibility of relegation to the Championship.

Dougie Freedman ‘unhappy’ by events in Saudi

Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes Spurs’ next sporting director appointment is “crucial.”

Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness thinks Freedman should be the club’s “number one choice.”

He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “It’s something that Spurs seem to have got wrong for a long time. Daniel Levy controlled a lot of the player decisions for too long.

“I know he would have listened to a degree to his sporting directors, but he seemed to have the final major decision-making vote. And it hasn’t worked as we’ve seen now. It did work for a couple of seasons, and they did all right in Europe, but then it is, you know, the fall from grace is there to be seen from everybody, and I think the sporting director role is one that they’ve got wrong for a period of time. 

“So this will be pretty crucial. As I say, if I was Spurs right now, if I was there, Dougie Freeman would be my number one pick. He may be unhappy with the present world events in Saudi and so may want to be thinking about coming home. There’ll be tax implications for him and all those sorts of things as well, but I think he might be my number one choice if I could make it happen.”

Tottenham U-turn on Igor Tudor sack plan

Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Spurs will stick with manager Igor Tudor following their 1-1 draw at Liverpool.

Tudor could have been sacked as Spurs boss had his side lost against Liverpool, but Richarlison’s 90th minute goal rescued a point at Anfield.

Spurs face a crucial Premier League game next against Nottingham Forest, with Tudor still looking for his first win in charge.