Thomas Frank must be wondering what the fuss is all about. Managing Tottenham Hotspur isn't that tricky, is it? Think again.
Spurs kicked off their Premier League campaign with back-to-back wins over Burnley and Manchester City. They even led PSG 2-0 in the UEFA Super Cup. However, a mini crisis is always around the corner at Spurs.
While crisis may be pushing it a bit, their 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday did raise some alarm bells. The Cherries managed 20 shots. Spurs managed just five and failed to create a single big chance.
Well, the arrival of Xavi Simons should certainly help in that regard, but is there more to come for the Lilywhites? Quite possibly.
Spurs transfer deadline day plans
If there's one area that Spurs could recruit in during the dying hours of the transfer window, it's in attack where you sense some quality is still left to be found.
A number of players, including Ademola Lookman and Savinho have been touted, with both players hoping to move before the window slams shut.
Savinho, in particular, is pushing for a move to north London and has been left frustrated by Manchester City's stance this summer.
Well, it would appear an alternative has been lined up. According to The Independent this Sunday, one player Spurs are said to be 'looking' at is AC Milan winger Rafael Leao.
The report states that Spurs would 'prefer' to sign a winger before 7pm on Monday, although a move for Leao is seen as a difficult one to do at this moment in time.
Why Leao is as exciting as Simons
After James Maddison suffered an ACL injury it was imperative that Spurs went out and signed another no.10.
They failed with their pursuit of Eberechi Eze but it matters no more as far as Frank and Co are concerned. Simons is now a Spurs player.
He was unveiled in front of Tottenham supporters prior to the defeat to Bournemouth and he must have been wishing he was on the field to help his new teammates.
Help is exactly what he'll provide, specifically from a creative point of view. He's also a goalscorer and could transform this Spurs attack.
In 2024/25, the former Leipzig man scored 11 goals and supplied eight assists. The campaign prior, the young Dutchman was even better, netting ten times and registering 15 assists.
Yet, Leao, who has been causing chaos for Champions League defences in recent years, would be an even more exciting addition.
The primary reason is that, in the words of data analyst Ben Mattinson, he is "one of the best left wingers in the world".
Why is that the case? Well, back in 2022, Milan coach Stefano Pioli said: "Leao reminds me a lot of the early Thierry Henry, who started wide then came inside."
It's safe to say he's one of the most captivating forwards in the world, something backed up by the numbers. In 2024/25, the Portuguese winger scored 12 times and also provided 13 assists in all competitions. One year prior, the electric speedster scored 15 and managed 14 assists.
He's a duel threat packed with speed, chaos and energy. He's like a younger Heung-min Son in that sense.
Over the last year, the 26-year-old ranks inside the top 4% of wingers in Europe's top five leagues for successful take-ons. He's so lively and that ability to beat a player and get in behind a backline will be game-changing alongside Simons.
The Netherlands international is a superb pick-up for Spurs but Leao is a true game-changer. He's been renowned as one of the best wingers in European football for a number of years now and would be the maverick forward Frank needs to really push on domestically and on the continent this season.