Tottenham Hotspur will take on Burnley in their first match of the 2025/26 Premier League season, but how will Thomas Frank’s starting line-up look?
There are less than two months to go until Tottenham get their first Premier League campaign underway with new manager Thomas Frank at the helm.
Spurs will begin the new season as the last one ended, appearing in front of their home support at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. They will be hoping for a better result after losing 4-1 to Brighton & Hove Albion on the final day of the league season.
Burnley will take on Tottenham on the opening day of the season. Despite being pipped to the Championship title by Leeds United on goal difference, Scott Parker’s men set the record for the fewest goals ever conceded in the division, as well as the most consecutive clean sheets.
How Tottenham Hotspur could line up against Burnley
Spurs have already made two signings during the current transfer window. However, both players, Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel, had already been on loan since January.
Therefore, there are no new faces in the Tottenham first-team squad. This is likely to change, as Frank looks to make the North London team his own.
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Predicting a starting lineup for a game in mid-August is no easy task, but here is our best effort at taking an educated guess on Tottenham’s team to take on Burnley:
Goalkeeper: Guglielmo Vicario
A recent report revealed Tottenham could offload Vicario, with the possibility of signing a new goalkeeper, or even promoting Antonin Kinsky to the starting lineup. Many Spurs supporters have reacted in favour of Vicario departing, as he has struggled to hit the heights of his early performances at the club.
However, Tottenham are not looking to sell Vicario, despite interest from AC Milan. At this point in time, Spurs have not been heavily linked with a new goalkeeper and it would be surprising to see Kinsky starting, so Vicario may well be the man between the sticks on August 16.
Right-back: Pedro Porro
Trying to decide whether Porro is a world-class right-back or a defensive disaster has not been easy. For much of last season, he was slammed for consistently positioning himself too far forward, leaving far too much space behind him for the opposition winger.
However, Porro has shown that when he gets his positioning right, he is actually a competent defender. As well as this, he is a big asset in attack and the best crosser of the ball in Tottenham’s team. It has been a while since the Spaniard was linked with a move away from Spurs and so there is every reason to believe he will continue to start under Frank.
Centre-back: Mario Gila
Diego Simeone has said he wants to sign Cristian Romero and this is unsurprising considering how many sources believe he is on his way to Atletico Madrid. A replacement may well be needed and Fabio Paratici wants Spurs to sign Mario Gila.
Signing him may be difficult, as Gila has a good relationship with Maurizio Sarri. However, when Paratici wants someone, he is usually successful in his pursuit. The Italian was one of the key men behind bringing Romero to Hotspur Way and he could be the one to secure his replacement.
Centre-back: Micky van de Ven
The only reason the Flying Dutchman will not start Tottenham’s opening Premier League fixture is if he is injured, which, based on last season, could well be the case. However, if he is fit, starting van de Ven is a no-brainer. His athleticism and rock-solid defending is a joy to behold and there is no way he will be demoted to the bench.
Left-back: Destiny Udogie
Last season had its ups and downs for Udogie. It seemed as though Djed Spence might become the first-choice left-back under Ange Postecoglou, but it was the Italian who had a strong end to the campaign and started in the Europa League final.
Spurs may consider signing a new full-back this summer, but there is little evidence at this point to suggest Udogie will not be the first choice next season.
Central midfielder: Rodrigo Bentancur
Predicting who will start as a deeper-lying midfielder is not easy, because there have been far more transfer rumours focusing on further up the pitch. With this in mind, Bentancur may keep his place in Tottenham’s Premier League starting lineup.
The 27-year-old is currently the best holding midfielder at Spurs. Truth be told, he looked better under Antonio Conte than Postecoglou, as he was given more positional freedom. However, if recent transfer speculation is true, he is likely to continue playing as more of a pivot player. This is because Spurs are looking to bring in at least one attacking midfielder.
Despite this, there remains a chance Frank will favour Lucas Bergvall over Bentancur. The youngster is not as good in defence and is prone to making the occasional key error, but on the whole, he is an exceptional talent, considering his age.
Attacking midfielder: James Maddison
If there were a line diagram to measure Maddison’s performances since making the switch from Leicester to Tottenham, it would be all over the place. He started brilliantly, but picked up an injury and struggled to get back to his best.
However, last season he was tied with Heung-min Son for most Spurs Premier League goal contributions. Also, Maddison took on a deeper role later in the campaign, which helped him stay involved in matches. He still has plenty to offer Tottenham and it is likely he will at the very least be in with a shout of starting during the next term.
Attacking midfielder: Eberechi Eze
Things seem to have gone a little quiet on the Eze front. He has been linked with Tottenham this summer and Thomas Frank has urged Spurs to sign Eze if Bryan Mbeumo joins Manchester United. While capable of playing on the wing, Frank could attempt to fit him into his system as an attacking midfielder.
Eze scored both goals when Crystal Palace defeated Spurs 2-0 last month and has a release clause of £68m. There is no guarantee he will join Tottenham, but he will be a top signing if he does.
Right-wing: Dejan Kulusevski
Tottenham have been offered the chance to sign Mohammed Kudus from West Ham. The 24-year-old has mainly been playing as part of a front two, but under Frank, he would be more likely to start on the wing. However, West Ham want to sell Kudus to a Saudi Arabian club, while Chelsea and Manchester United are also interested in him, making a move less likely.
Therefore, Kulusevski may retain his spot in Tottenham’s starting XI. He was the standout player for Spurs in the first half of last season, but he struggled to get going in the second. If he can revive his form, there is every chance the Swede will excel under his new boss.
Striker: Dominic Solanke
Solanke’s first season at Tottenham was fairly mixed. He was consistently good in his hold-up play and really in most areas, other than in front of goal. Nine goals and three assists in the Premier League is not what you expect from a club record signing.
However, the fact Spurs spent so much on Solanke, and also Richarlison a few years ago, could mean they will be reluctant to splash the cash on yet another striker. Perhaps under a new manager, Solanke will hit the heights he reached at Bournemouth.
Left-wing: Antoine Semenyo
Solanke only spent one season with Semenyo at Bournemouth, but the pair could soon be reunited. Tottenham have hatched a plan to sign Semenyo, although bringing him to North London could mean breaking the club’s transfer record for the second consecutive season.
The winger registered 11 goals and five assists in the league last season and even though we will not be cheap, Spurs could break the bank to secure him.
Should Spurs fail to sign Semenyo, Tel is another option to play on the left flank, while there is no confirmation yet of Son departing the club.