Kyle Walker-Peters could make a surprise return to Tottenham as Thomas Frank looks to fix a significant issue ahead of next season.
Daniel Levy made the cut-throat decision to sack Ange Postecoglou, leaving the first-team squad in turmoil after pipping Ruben Amorim’s Man United to the Europa League title in Bilbao.
Multiple players have been linked with exits, potentially due to the change in manager, with Football Insider understanding that Tottenham are preparing to replace Pedro Porro should he leave this summer.
That is far from the new manager’s biggest worry, however, with UEFA’s rules ahead of next season, having qualified for the Champions League, taking full effect this summer.
A “club-trained player” is someone who has been on a club’s books for three entire seasons or 36 months between the ages of 15 and 21, and the Lilywhites only have one, when the target is four.
Walker-Peters was with Spurs between 2015 and 2020 before leaving for Southampton, and he could help solve the issue at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ahead of 2025/26.
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Kyle Walker-Peters to Tottenham explored in North London
According to Football London (20 June), Spurs have considered a move later in the window to bring Walker-Peters back as a free agent to fill a club-trained spot in the squad for next season.
Brandon Austin is the only club-trained player in the current squad, with the Lilywhites needing four in total, and it is understood that the player would be interested in a return to North London.
Everton and Wolves are both interested in the full-back, and Frank’s side are expected to prioritise other key areas first before making a move for Walker-Peters, which could allow other clubs to pounce.
Without filling the four club-trained spots, Spurs’ squad for the Champions League will shrink from a 25-man squad to a 22-man squad.
Thomas Frank faces difficult summer after Brentford exit
Football Insider verdict
Frank is facing threats from all angles despite only joining the Lilywhites a matter of days ago, and will just now be realising the massive task he has taken on since being appointed.
Football Insider understands that Atletico Madrid’s interest in Cristian Romero is not expected to disappear, with several other high-profile stars being linked with exits.
Son Heung-min, Richarlison, Yves Bissouma, James Maddison, Manor Solomon, and Dejan Kulusevski have all been linked with a Tottenham exit in recent months, and any of those exits would be huge news.
Of course, due to the manager’s links to the Gtech Community Stadium, it has emerged that both Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa could follow Frank to North London.
The 51-year-old will be desperate to achieve a lot with the Lilywhites, building on the team breaking a 17-year trophy drought under Postecoglou’s reign.
A base has been set for a new squad to be built on, but with several big-name players now being linked with summer moves, the signing of Walker-Peters will likely be the least of his worries right now.