Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank has made it clear to club bosses that he would only give the green light to the exit of Randal Kolo Muani IF the club sanctions the signing of a replacement and with TEAMtalk sources making clear the Premier League marksman right at the top of the Spurs wishlist in the final days of the window.
The north London side have endured an underwhelming season to date, heaping pressure on Frank, who has found himself the subject of intense sack speculation in recent weeks. Despite their Premier League struggles – Tottenham currently sit 14th in the table – the club can make it through to the last 16 of the Champions League if they secure a positive result away to Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday evening.
Nonetheless, Frank needs an urgent shift of fortunes in the league and, while he has the club’s backing for now, sources have told our correspondent Fraser Fletcher that the club are doing their due diligence on several prospective replacements with the Dane’s future to be assessed at the season’s end.
A lack of quality up front has not helped Frank’s cause, and, with Kolo Muani failing to score in 15 Premier League appearances since signing on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, the Spurs attack has, all too often, relied far too heavily on contributions from other areas of the pitch, noticeably, central defenders Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven.
We revealed on Tuesday that Tottenham are weighing up the possibility of allowing Kolo Muani to leave the club before the end of the window, with Juventus pushing to secure an immediate deal with parent club PSG and take the striker back to Turin.
Following up on our article, the Daily Mail claims Juventus are now pushing hard to secure a deal for the French striker, who spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan in Turin, though any deal would need the green light from Frank himself first.
In light of that, we understand a possible exit could still be sanctioned and with Spurs asking to be kept up on developments regarding the future of Jean-Philippe Mateta…
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Tottenham kept informed over Mateta transfer
The Crystal Palace star is eager to leave Selhurst Park this month and has made clear his ambitions to play in the Champions League, believing it will help raise his profile ahead of the 2026 World Cup and his wish to rubber-stamp a place in Didier Deschamps’ squad.
And while a deal with Juventus broke down over the asking price – Palace are demanding a £40m (€46m, $55m) package for the 28-year-old – and with AC Milan’s initial interest not progressing, Nottingham Forest have since stepped in to lead the pursuit.
Sean Dyche’s side have already agreed to meet the striker’s personal terms, believed to be £150,000 a week, though the deal has yet to be agreed and with some debate still ongoing over the fee.
While the Eagles will relent and are open to the sale, they have been unequivocally clear that they will not relent on their £40m price.
However, Spurs’ admiration for the Frenchman has not faded, and they are monitoring the situation carefully in case an opportunity opens up, sources can confirm.
Those within Tottenham’s recruitment team believe Mateta could fit Frank’s system well, and his profile is viewed as one that could complement the squad if Kolo Muani were to move on.
For now, Spurs are watching events unfold on both fronts, aware that Juventus are ready to act quickly should they receive encouragement.
As the window approaches its final stages, sources are not ruling out the prospects of Mateta making the transfer across London to Spurs and with the north London side sanctioning the exit of Kolo Muani as a result.
Latest Tottenham news: £10m Wolves star wanted; Andy Robertson transfer tease
Meanwhile, we can confirm that West Ham are closing in on a deal for a rarely-seen Tottenham star and with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side still looking to conduct three more pieces of late transfer business this month.
On the incoming front, Frank is reportedly ready to balance that exit by launching a £10m raid on Wolves for a four-times capped England international.
Elsewhere, Liverpool manager Arne Slot has made it clear that he wants left-back Andy Robertson to stay, though the Dutchman has teased that the door remains open for a move to Spurs following recent talks over a £5m deal.