(Credit: Imago)

Evan Shaw

Mon 1 June 2026 11:19, UK

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Tottenham Hotspur’s end-of-season statement should have come directly from the Lewis family, rather than non-executive chairman Peter Charrington.

That is according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes that the owners should have shown a “clear line of direction” by coming forward and speaking out.

This comes after Charrington issued an open letter to the supporters after the Lilywhites narrowly avoided relegation on the final day of the season, as he thanked them for their support and promised change for next term.

The North Londoners have now recorded back-to-back 17th-placed finishes in the Premier League, and are desperate to climb back into the top half of the table next term.

Tottenham’s ownership have been questioned on several occasions within the last 12 months, and Wyness believes that Joe Lewis and Co. have already taken their first wrong step of the summer.

Tottenham must put an end to ‘mixed messages’ behind the scenes

Everton’s former chief Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that Tottenham must put a stop to the “mixed messages” that have come from their board if they are to turn things around in 2026-27.

Roberto De Zerbi’s arrival as manager brought a small upturn in form in the crucial stages of their campaign, but Wyness feels that the Italian needs more support from those above him.

Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, he suggested that the Lewis family have to show “clear, direct control” if things are to return to normality for the club.

“There’s got to be clear, direct control coming from the top. Not the mixed messages we’ve been getting that have led to this issue. That’s got to be the first stage,” Wyness said.

“De Zerbi seems to be a very capable manager. And if you take some of those injuries coming back into it, the squad itself is a very good squad. There may only be one or two signings that have to be added.

“But overall, they’ve got no European battles, so they’ve got to focus on the league totally. And they’ve got to try and turn this around. I think De Zerbi is the right man to do it. But as I say, the clearest thing has got to be messaging from the top.

🚨 FULL LETTER to #thfc fans from Non-Executive Chairman, Peter Charrington. 📝⤵️ pic.twitter.com/WnwN1lFH3Q

— Spurs Army (@SpursArmyTweets) May 25, 2026

“I was very disappointed that the statement from the club came from the non-executive chairman rather than from the Lewis family as owners. I thought that was bad. So it’s not started off well from my point of view in terms of messaging coming from Spurs from the top and a clear line of direction.”

Spurs plan to accept Cristian Romero offer this summer

Former Spurs scout Mick Brown told Football Insider last weekend that Tottenham plan to accept an offer for Cristian Romero this summer, amid reported interest from the likes of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

The ex-recruitment man suggested that De Zerbi and the club have grown tired of the Argentine’s antics away from the pitch, after it looked like he would miss the final game of their season at one stage.

Brown suggested that De Zerbi wants somebody who is “reliable” and can be depended upon to play at the heart of the defence next term, and he expects his former club to cash in on Romero if the chance arises.

He expects them to then re-invest that money elsewhere in the squad, as they try to add the necessary quality to fire them back towards the European places in 2026-27.