Thomas Frank has a seismic job on his hands to rebuild Tottenham and lead the freshly crowned European champions into a new era.
Spurs came into the summer off the back of success in the Europa League final - a first trophy in 17 years, delivered by Ange Postecoglou.
However, silverware was not enough to save the Aussie’s job after what was otherwise a catastrophic campaign, with Tottenham finishing 17th in the Premier League on just 38 points.
Frank was sounded out as Daniel Levy’s first choice to replace Postecoglou in the dugout, with the Dane winning his fair share of admirers over a seven-year spell at the Brentford helm.
He oversaw a remarkable rise in the Bees’ fortunes, guiding them to promotion to the top flight in 2021, and has now moved to one of the Premier League’s “big six” in a bid to restore Spurs’ status as a contender at the upper end of the table.
The capture of West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus for £55m was the first step in doing that, but a potential move for Morgan Gibbs-White went awry before Spurs were beaten to the signing of Eberechi Eze by arch-rivals Arsenal.
And with James Maddison out for the majority of the season with an ACL injury, reinforcements are desperately needed ahead of the window closing on 1 September, with Spurs tracking targets in several attacking positions.
Here’s everything you need to know about Tottenham’s summer transfer plans.
Areas to improve
Tottenham might be boasting European champion status, but their team is hardly reflective of such an achievement. At the heart of their issues is depth, something that was brutally exposed last term in the midst of their unrelenting injury crisis.
Future injuries in defence cannot lead to Archie Gray being plonked at centre-back. As such, Spurs will be desperate for cover in those defensive positions, especially given the amount of time Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero spent in the treatment table last season.
Spurs were targeting a top quality defensive midfielder to elevate the team, given the issues experienced in that position. Though they have a few top-drawer midfielders – with the likes of James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall impressing – a new No 6 was a priority, and they seem to have sorted that with the loan signing of Joao Palhinha.
Going forward, Spurs need further reinforcements. Mathys Tel’s loan move has already been made permanent, and alongside the arrival of Kudus these signings act to partly address issues in depth on the wing and up top. However, Spurs could really do with another striker option and ideally an extra body on the wing, though their much-publicised pursuit of Morgan Gibbs-White was derailed after the Englishman signed a new contract at the City Ground.
Done deals
Ins: Mohammed Kudus (West Ham, £55m), Mathys Tel (Bayern Munich, £30m), Kevin Danso (Lens, £21m), Luka Vuskovic (Hadjuk Split, £9.4m), Kota Takai (Kawasaki Frontale, £5m), Joao Palhinha (Bayern Munich, loan)
Outs: Pierre-Emile Hojberg (Marseille, £17m), Alejo Veliz (Rosario Central, loan), Fraser Forster (released), Sergio Reguilon (released), Alfie Whiteman (released), Heung Min Son (LAFC, £20m), Mikey Moore (Rangers, loan)
Potential targets
Savinho, Manchester City
City winger Savinho emerged as a main target for Spurs after the injury to Maddison, with the club seeing a proposal worth a rumoured €50m rejected by City.
City’s hierarchy are blocking the move at the moment, though it is suggested that a bid closer to £70m would tempt the Cityzens, and Spurs are still interested.
Maghnes Akliouche, AS Monaco
AS Monaco winger Akliouche has been identified as an alternative target to Savinho, with the Frenchman available for around £47.5m.
The 23-year-old scored seven goals for the club last season and opened his account for 25/26 in the 3-1 win over Le Havre on the opening day, and it is understood that several of Europe’s top clubs are tracking him.
Morgan Rogers, Aston Villa
As reported in The Independent, Spurs have made Morgan Rogers a primary target after missing out on Eze, with contact made via intermediaries to see if a deal is possible.
Villa do not want to sell the 23-year-old, who won the PFA Young Player of the Year award this week, though they may have to consider if a bid arrives due to their ongoing PSR struggles.
Nevertheless, it is suggested that Villa would require a bid worth around £80m to even consider a sale.
Marc Guehi, Crystal Palace
Eagles skipper Marc Guehi has been near the top of Tottenham’s wish list for a while now, though they face competition from clubs including Liverpool and Newcastle.
Spurs had a late move for the defender rejected in the winter window but could go back in for him in the coming weeks, with his contract at Selhurst Park expiring in 2026. Palace are said to be holding out for around £40m for the 25-year-old, though Liverpool are reportedly close to a move after agreeing personal terms with the England international.
Yoane Wissa, Brentford
Tottenham are interested in Brentford’s Yoane Wissa, who is Brentford’s leading scorer in the Premier League with 45 goals. Spurs originally held an interest in the striker in January, and have been quoted a price of £50m for his signature.
Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and even Liverpool are also interested in the Congo international, but with Brentford wanting to keep him and Newcastle already seeing two bids rebuffed, this is not an easy deal to do at this point.
Nico Paz, Como
Reports in Italy claim that Spurs submitted an offer worth €40m for Como midfielder Nico Paz, who joined the club from Real Madrid last season and subsequently won the Serie A young player of the season award. Como are said to want at least €60m for the Argentina national, with Madrid set to earn up to 50 per cent of any transfer fee due to a sell-on clause.
Rodrygo, Real Madrid
File this one under ‘unlikely’, but Tottenham continue to be linked with Real Madrid winger Rodrygo in several reports over the last few weeks.
The Brazilian is said to be unhappy at his lack of a starting berth at the Bernabeu, and could move elsewhere with leading clubs including PSG and Liverpool interested.
However, conflicting reports suggest he could opt to fight for his future and sign a new deal at Los Blancos, so each report needs to be taken with a pinch of salt.