Thomas Frank is getting used to his new role at Tottenham ahead of the new season
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Thomas Frank knew he had a job to do when he arrived as new Tottenham Hotspur boss earlier this summer following the dismissal of Ange Postecoglou.
Spurs had just endured their worst-ever Premier League finish but followed that up with ending a 17-year trophy drought with victory over Manchester United in the Europa League final. The club, therefore, entered an unprecedented summer.
The arrival of Frank meant the Dane was able to assess the existing squad with a fresh pair of eyes to see which players would be compatible with remaining under his stewardship.
Additions have been made, notably Mohammed Kudus in addition to Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso joining permanently, but not as much business has been done yet as would have been liked. Spurs were dealt a major blow when their supposedly agreed transfer for Morgan Gibbs-White fell through at the eleventh hour. Now, Gibbs-White has signed a new deal with Nottingham Forest and Spurs have been forced to consider other options.
Thomas Frank may consider creative in-house solution to Gibbs-White problem
Gibbs-White was set to arrive at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for a £60million fee to play in the No.10. Reports by TBR Football suggest that Frank may be considering using teenage midfielder Lucas Bergvall in the role instead. TBR source Football.London in stating that the Swedish international was spotted playing there in training.
Bergvall was utilised as a central midfielder in a strong debut campaign for Spurs but it is not beyond the question that he could be moulded by Frank, who has a reputation of improving young players. He was seen operating in a more advanced role in an 11 v 11 match in training in Hong Kong, where the Lilywhites will soon face their north London rivals Arsenal on Thursday.
Dejan Kulusevski is still some way from recovering from knee surgery he underwent in May, while James Maddison has only just returned from an injury lay-off and may not yet be fully fit. Therefore, it will be interesting to see if Bergvall is given the chance to start in the 10 in the derby.
Who else could Spurs sign in place of Gibbs-White later in the window?
While in-house options will certainly be considered, it is still likely that Spurs target another signing in creative midfield before the summer transfer window is up. The belief is that they may have a four-man shortlist after losing out on Gibbs-White, also as per TBR Football.
One man they may decide to target is Liverpool ace Harvey Elliott, who may be available for around £50m this summer after shining at the U21 Euros. The 22-year-old looks primed and ready to take the next step in his career and would relish the chance to fight for a starting role at Spurs.
In addition, Aston Villa academy graduate Jacob Ramsey has been linked after seeing his development stall with the West Midlands outfit. A change of scenery could be what the 24-year-old needs to become the player many believe he can be.
Other players Spurs may make a move for include Alejandro Garnacho and James McAtee. Both young stars are surplus to requirements at their respective Manchester clubs and may be available for a bargain price this summer. It will make interesting viewing to see who starts in the No.10 role for Spurs come the start of the new Premier League season in just over two weeks’ time.