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As Tottenham Hotspur get ready for the Mohammed Kudus Derby against London rivals West Ham this Saturday, the focus will be on an attack that looked quite limp two weeks ago in a 1-0 shutout loss to Bournemouth.

Guglielmo Vicario was the only thing keeping it from being a huge blowout for Tottenham, as they struggled to move the ball up the pitch in the first concerning game of an otherwise promising start to the Thomas Frank era.

Tottenham have brought in Randal Kolo Muani to join the brigade of Richarlison and Dominic Solanke in attack. But while Richarlison has been favored by Frank and was brilliant through the first two weeks of the season, the Brazilian star showed the ugly side to his game by completely ghosting on Matchday 3.

Solanke is a well-rounded option and a big anchoring point for Spurs, but he's now been claimed by a foot injury. And per Frank, Solanke still isn't ready to return yet, though he did nestle that news with a more positive injury update on the No. 2 striker's status, via Football.London's Alasdair Gold:

“I get the feeling he is not too far away, but he’s just fallen short for this week.”

Tottenham are missing a big-game player

Solanke had a solid first season at Tottenham, even if he didn't put the ball in the back of the net 15 times, which was what Spurs were hoping for out of the 65 million pound signing from Bournemouth. But Solanke brings much more to the game than goals, which Tottenham did benefit from significantly in the Europa League knockout stages.

Big Dom is a big game player, and his aerial presence can be a game-changer in tight matches. West Ham are rivals, but they are so poor that missing Solanke isn't a huge deal. But after this matchup, Tottenham start their Champions League return campaign at mid-week with a battle against a fiery and well-coached Villarreal side.

Thereafter, Tottenham will face Brighton in the Premier League, Doncaster in the League Cup, and the Wolves in the Premier League return. Having Solanke back as an option against Brighton would be nice, but given how vague Frank was, the positive injury update still doesn't mean Solanke will be back next week either.

But Spurs have more options with Kolo Muani now, and it will additionally be worth tracking how many minutes Kolo Muani gets on the left side of the attack - or if Frank tries to go with two strikers to accommodate the three men once Solanke returns.

Overall, Tottenham Hotspur had one of the more productive transfer windows of any big club in European football, bringing in three legitimate game-changing players to their starting lineup in winger Mohammed Kudus, as well as midfielders Xavi Simons and Joao Palhinha. And there is hope that new striker Randal Kolo Muani, whether in the middle or off to the left, can be a difference-maker for Thomas Frank's new-look team, too.

Going the other way, there were very few notable departures for Tottenham, who struggled to find a suitor for Yves Bissouma. They were able to finally sell off Bryan Gil permanently to Girona, while Manor Solomon also made his way to La Liga on a loan deal after a move to Crystal Palace collapsed at the last second.

But the most intriguing departure is that of teenage phenom Luka Vuskovic, who has all the tools to be one of the best center backs in world football. Tottenham could have used him in the squad on the basis of his talent, but with three top center backs already and then Radu Dragusin coming back from injury, the young man would have been buried behind a logjam of talent at center back.

So Tottenham loaned him off to Hamburg for the year, where Vuskovic will presumably be able to work his way into the regular starting lineup for a Bundesliga returnee that could struggle defensively. Vuskovic will have a chance to gain valuable experience elevating a team that needs him in a highly attacking league that has produced great Premier League center backs like Tottenham's very own Micky van de Ven.

Tottenham can recall a standout on loan if needed

But if Tottenham, for whatever reason, need Vuskovic back or are so blown away after six months by his performances at Hamburg that they want him to return early, they could actually have the opportunity to do so in January.

According to a report from BILD's Kai-Uwe Hesse and Babak Milani, there is a clause in the loan contract between Hamburg and Tottenham Hotspur that would allow Luka Vuskovic to return to North London in the January transfer window.

While Spurs supporters shouldn't anticipate this happening given there are five options at center back, including one of the world's finest duos between Van de Ven and Cristian Romero, the safety net of having Vuskovic should something happent to the top guys is a big deal in a grueling season with Champions League football.

Tottenham were burned so often by injuries last season that having an additional contingency plan is massive for the team, and while Vuskovic is young, he has the athletic ability and courage of character to make a difference in his youthful years.

Tottenham Hotspur surprised the entire footballing world just a few days after the closure of the summer 2025 transfer window, pushing long-time chairman Daniel Levy out the door. And the most surprising part of it all is that they have parted ways with Levy because of significant disagreements with his approach, as the club now want to truly compete with the Big Six on the scale of being Champions League and Premier League title contenders every year.

Although Tottenham fans are as wise as any fanbase on this planet and have a "we'll believe it when we see it" whenever they are fed these kinds of optimistic lines from the club (and who knows how many times Levy sold them on this, too), there is indeed palpable optimism. After all, Spurs spent big on Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons this summer while also bringing in Randal Kolo Muani and Joao Palhinha on loan from elite European clubs.

There doesn't seem to be any downside in Tottenham letting go of Levy, regardless of how much stability he is purported to have brought the club financially. Look, it's awfully tough not to make money with a massive club in London when said club's net spending is closer to clubs in the Championship than the other major English footballing powers in large cities.

But there may be one potential negative quietly brewing. Tottenham seemed to have the reunion of Fabio Paratici sewn up, and the top-notch footballing executive was said to be a key reason why Spurs were able to get Kolo Muani at a cheap loan price from PSG even though Paratici's former employers Juventus were keen on extending the striker's loan for longer (and on a more expensive deal).

Tottenham's big reunion is now in real doubt

Now, according to a report from talkSPORT's Alex Crook, Daniel Levy's exit at Tottenham threatens to prevent Paratici from returning for good. Apparently, Paratici was only advising Levy in an unofficial role without being hired as a part of the technical team yet, and whlie things were moving in that direction, Levy's dismissal has cast serious doubt on Paratici's future as an official member of the club.

It would be pretty ridiculous for Tottenham to not want an executive of Paratici's caliber back, especially since the club's Europa League winning outfit last season has Paratici's handprints all over it - and so does this Kolo Muani transfer. Anyone would love to work with Paratici, and even though he seemed to have an affinity for Levy, it would be equally outlandish for Paratici to base his own future at Tottenham off the exit of an impediment to him getting more financial support in a general manager or other executive-type role at Spurs.

Nevertheless, Levy's exit means that Paratici's full-time return to Tottenham is reportedly legitimately up in the air because of how much Levy was the one pushing for his return to the club, and whlie that twist of fate seems hard to believe, there is now an apparent, tangible drawback to Levy's exit from Spurs this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur stars once again made the club proud over the international break, and while the most important headline for Spurs supporters is that their best players will be heading back to North London unscathed, fans have something else to cheer about as Premier League action returns this weekend with a battle against London rivals West Ham.

Last season, the midfield was a major weakness under Ange Postecoglou, but with the hiring of Thomas Frank and the additions of Xavi Simons and Joao Palhinha from the Bundesliga, the Tottenham midfield suddenly looks like a real point of strength for Spurs in 2025 - and we haven't even seen Simons take the field yet.

The Tottenham midfield has gotten so good that with Simons in tow, key players from last season like Rodrigo Bentancur and Lucas Bergvall are going to be fighting for starts. And that's a great "problem" to have, especially with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski nursing significant knee injuries.

But what makes this all even better is that Tottenham's most prominent midfield upgrade from the 2024/25 season to the 2025/26 campaign isn't even a new signing; it's a young talent who has been there all along.

Tottenham have a new box-to-box maven

Pape Matar Sarr has started the season off on a torrid pace, earning such plaudits from Tottenham fans as comparisons to N'Golo Kante. While those flattering comparisons don't really get to the heart of Sarr's playing style and what he brings to Spurs as much as they lead to social media engagements, the point stands that Sarr has been fabulous in a box-to-box role for Tottenham this season.

And he only enhanced his reputation over the international break for Senegal. Not only is he bringing the same excellent work rate, defensive contributions, progression, and all-around ability in covering all parts of the field for Senegal as he has for Tottenham, but he's also showing even more technical ability and, yes, goal scoring in a more prominent and freer role as THE current star of the Senegal national team.

To wit, Sarr came up with the game-winning goods off the bench in the 87th minute of Senegal's 3-2 victory over the DR Congo in the World Cup qualifiers, producing his second moment of sublime quality to score a goal during this international break.

Sarr had already scored a great goal four days prior in a 2-0 win over Sudan. He is showing a level of star power and technical quality for his country that Tottenham haven't really seen yet, and it's something Frank can unlock, just as he's already gotten significantly more out of the 22-year-old than Postecoglou did last seaosn.

Former Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane is loving life at Bayern Munich.

He has secured the first pieces of silverware of his career in 2025, and he looks set to improve on it ni the coming years with Germany's best team, by an absolute landslide.

However, his decision to leave Tottenham was also met with a lot of criticism - particularly from some former players and English media, which confused quite a few people, including me.

Legendary footballer Michael Owen, famously known for a Ballon d'Or win, his stint at Liveerpool and a failed move to Real Madrid, was heavily critical of Kane's decision to chase silverware in Germany, instead of with his own club.

He was also not too happy with Kane leaving just before he beat Alan Shearer's record of the most Premier League goals ever.

Well, Kane's just responded, and it is as good of a response as you'll hear this week.

Harry Kane gave the perfect response to Michael Owen

He said: "I heard it. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I've spent a bit of time with him but don't know him well. Obviously, he is a Premier League great and an England great as well, so I'll respect him as a person, but ultimately as he will know, everyone's career is different - everyone's decisions and motivations are different.

"I know he was insinuating I went just for the trophy, but it was to be at the highest level for as long as possible, and I'm really happy in that sense of playing big games, title runs, big Champions League matches, Club World Cup quarter-final.

"I feel I'm improving as a player, I'm pushing my limits as a player in terms of goalscoring. It's hard not to hear things these days, but the decisions are best for me and I'm really happy that I made that decision and very happy at Bayern Munich now."

Honestly, that is fair enough.

It is clear that Kane didn't just move for the trophies. That may be one of the reasons - as is with every single big player who wants to win more - but he wanted to be competitive for longer. To be better as a footballer than he was in England.

So, moving to Germany has helped him in many ways. Owen's quotes about the trophies not being a "great achievement" is ridiculous. Every trophy is a success, and much more so when you are by far the best player in the league.

Besides, I do think Kane has improved as a player, even though he was already one of the best in the world at Spurs. English football is great, but these players don't deserve criticism just because they leave for a different country to achieve things elsewhere.

He spent a lot of his formative years and his career trying to win things at Spurs. Things did not work out, so he left. End of story. That does not make him any less of a legend at the club.

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Tottenham Hotspur have an embarrassment of riches at the center back position, and after watching the way Europa League Player of the Season Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, and even third center back Kevin Danso teamed up to take down clubs en route to a victorious Europa League title run, Spurs supporters wouldn't trade any of their center backs for anything in the world.

They were, therefore, ecstatic that Atletico Madrid's overtures for Argentinian World Cup and Copa America hero Romero didn't go anywhere, keeping one of the world's finest center back trios intact for the 2025/26 Premier League and Champions League seasons. And if you are high on Radu Dragusin under new manager Thomas Frank, then you could call it a quartet.

What's even wilder is that Tottenham could have had, by far, the best quintet of center backs in the world if they decided to keep Luka Vuskovic. But after a standout preseason, Spurs felt it was best to let Vuskovic spread his wings on loan to Bundesliga side Hamburg, in need of new defensive star power upon their return to the German top flight.

Vuksovic is just 18 years old, but Spurs fans are already buzzing about their next Sergio Ramos, and even former Tottenham manager Martin Jol is waxing poetic about the future potential of this special center back talent.

Ex-Tottenham manager sells Cristian Romero a bit short

He told Football.London's Alasdair Gold that Vuskovic has what it takes to be an even better player than Cristian Romero, who is currently Spurs best center back and widely recognized by fans and his peers as one of the best in the world:

"[Cristian] Romero could go anywhere but you feel like if he plays for a while at his top level, he will get injured. Romero is a good, decent defender, but I will tell you one thing, the guy they sent to Hamburg now - Luka Vuskovic - will be better."

It's a bold claim from the one-time Tottenham coach, but it's one of the only bold claims at Romero's expense that Spurs fans may actually entertain. Because if they aren't going to take any center back over Romero or Van de Ven in the world, the one they may take is someone who is already a Spur.

Although Jol does downplay Romero a bit by underselling him as "good" and "decent" when it's pretty clear that he's world-class with what he's accomplished for Argentina and Tottenham as a serial trophy-winner, the reality is that Vuskovic has the potential to be even better.

That's no statement against Romero but rather effusive praise for Vuskovic's potential. Of course, potential is a funny way to say that a player hasn't actually accomplished anything yet, and, for that reason, you really have to tip your cap off to Romero, at the end of the day, for becoming what he's become in world football as a top-level center back. Spurs are very fortunate to have all these guys within their ranks here in 2025.

Tottenham Hotspur had one of the best transfer windows of any Premier League club this summer. And that's not just on paper, because the likes of defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha and right winger Mohammed Kudus have been absolutely smashing it through the first three matchdays of the new campaign, making Spurs look like legitimae top-five contenders after finishing 17th last season.

Credit a large part of the early turnaround to Thomas Frank's tactics, but also credit the players for their contributions. Palhinha and Kudus have been game-changers, and Spurs fans are still waiting for the Tottenham debuts of new attacking midfield sensation Xavi Simons and new striker signing Randal Kolo Muani.

Although Simons is the player everyone is hyped about, Kolo Muani was an intriguing transfer deadline day snag from PSG, and it sounds like Tottenham have big plans for "RKM" in the 2025/26 season. Based on this latest quote from technical director Johan Lange, Spurs don't just see the former Bundesliga star as only a striker either:

"I think with Randal, first of all, I’m so pleased we managed to get it over the line. Credit to everybody at the club to act quickly when the opportunity of a player of that level arises. Randal is a versatile, attacking player, so he can play across the front line. It gives Thomas and the staff so many options across the front line, where most of our players can play in more than one position and, again, with Randal coming in, a player we have followed for a long, long time, very successful in the Eintracht Frankfurt team a couple of years ago. He's made his move to Paris and then in the last six months, also played with success at Juve, played in the World Cup, played in the Champions League, played for big clubs, so we are very, very pleased and excited that he's here and he will be another great addition to squad for the season."

The new Tottenham starting LW?

As Lange notes, even though Kolo Muani didn't make much of an impact for PSG, he was an absolute star in the Bundesliga for Eintracht Frankfurt, even outshining Bayern Munich in some big games. His numbers in terms of goals and assists were pretty similar to Hugo Ekitike's in Frankfurt last season, and Spurs aren't paying anywhere near 90 million euros for his services.

Kolo Muani also impressed enough on loan at Juventus last season that the Bianconeri actually tried to keep him for longer before Tottenham swept in and stole away the versatile 26-year-old forward. He has the finishing, speed, and well-rounded dribbling and creativity to be a solution on the left wing.

Lange seems to be implying Kolo Muani as a versatile option on the left side of the formation with Kudus already nailing the right wing with that tricky left foot of his. If Kolo Muani can be a supplementary goal scorer from the left with Dominic Solanke and Richarlison manning the middle, this Spurs front three suddenly looks versatile, fluid, and unpredictable. And that's exactly what appears to be Frank's and the club's larger plan here.

After nearly 25 years of executive leadership in North London, Tottenham’s now former- chairman Daniel Levy is partying ways with the organization.

In the wake of the departure, along with rotation of managers and player personnel, fans are likely wondering what sort of impact these new decision-makers will have on the club’s trajectory.Â

Luckily, a recent interview with club CEO Vinai Venkatesham has revealed that the organization is willing to do whatever it takes to maintain the momentum of last season’s continental success by securing more silverware in the years to come.

“This is a new era for the club, under new leadership, completely backed by our majority shareholder, the Lewis family, so we can feel optimistic and ambitious for the future,” Vinai stated.Â

“We saw in May, in Bilbao, what that next step is. That next step is competing for and ultimately winning major trophies. We’ve had a taste of that… and that’s what everybody associated with this football club is hungry for,” he added.

Tottenham’s historic Europa League success has been on the top of everyone’s mind heading into this year’s return to Champions League action, club ownership included.

Now, according to Vinai, the senior leadership is ready to make a commitment to continuing that success. Adding to his praise of the Lewis family, the CEO claimed “They are very very passionate about Tottenham Hotspur, and they’re ambitious for the club… focused on giving our men’s team… the best chance to be successful on the pitch over the long term.”

For as long as most Spurs fans can likely recall, every transfer window has been accompanied by its fair share of excitement and disappointment, often in equal measure. The past month was no different, as supporters were exposed to a roller coaster of emotions in the wake of transfer rumors and last-minute dealings.Â

But, with exciting new additions to the squad in Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani, among others, along with an optimistic 2-1 showing across the first month of the season, the Tottenham faithful will be hoping that success is in the club’s future, and that the organization’s top decision-makers will keep their promise by investing in the club’s competitiveness moving forward.Â

Part of that long-term success may very well include selling off unused players this upcoming transfer window, and potentially bringing in more talent as Tottenham look to sustain themselves across both continental and domestic aspiration.Â

Tottenham Hotspur limped to the finish line in the 2024/25 Premier League season from an injury standpoint, though ailments and absences have been familiar territory for Spurs in recent years. Key midfielders Lucas Bergvall, James Maddison, and Dejan Kulusevski all went down with season-ending injuries, yet Spurs were still able to secure the Europa League title at the end of it all.

Although Bergvall recently made his return to the Tottenham lineup and has been playing a key role off the bench - starts will hopefully be soon to follow under new manager Thomas Frank - the other two star midfielders remain absent.

Maddison suffered a worse injury before the season started, tearing his ACL and ruling him out for almost the entirety of the 2025/26 Premier League and Champions League seasons. Meanwhile, Kulusevski has been slower to recover from his own knee injury, and there have been fears that he could be out until closer to 2026.

Recently, though, Kulusevski offered a positive injury update for Tottenham fans. Speaking to Swedish outlet Fotbollskanalen, the right winger and attacking midfielder said that he is recovering well in his rehab and will be able to return to training on a football pitch "very soon". He affirmed that his current recovery status is "very good":

Tottenham need to wait 2-3 more months for his injury return

"The status is good. The rehab is going well. Every day I wake up with the same hunger and even more hunger with each passing day. The status is very good, and I will be on a football pitch in the very, very near future. If everything goes as it should, as it has so far, I am very confident that I will be on the pitch in two to three months."

It seems like some Tottenham fans and wider Premier League observers have forgot, but Kulusevski is a great footballer who is very important to this team. His progression, chance creation, work rate, versatility, and upside as a tertiary goal-scoring option make him an ideal rotational player.

Kulusevski fits the culture of Tottenham wonderfully, and it is easy for people to forget but the left-footed winger has plenty of natural talent, too. After all, he was once named the best young player in Serie A while carrying Parma in the 2019/20 season. Tottenham fans will, unfortunately, have to wait for two to three months, per Kulu's own words, for his return, but as he continues to rehab well, they will be crossing their fingers for an earlier return.

Tottenham Hotspur are embarking on a new chapter in their history, as they hired Thomas Frank this summer and made two of their three most expensive transfers in history in Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons. And then shortly after the transfer window ended, they finally parted ways with chairman Daniel Levy.

Spurs also waved goodbye to the biggest legend in their club's history, as Son Heung-min rode off into the sunset after securing a historic Europa League title. He will finish up his career in MLS with LAFC, reuniting with another Spurs legend in Hugo Lloris.

But on the subject of Tottenham legends and reunions, perhaps the biggest name possible could be headed back to North London next year. German journalist Raphael Honigstein recently stated on the talkSPORT show Hawksbee and Jacobs that those in German footballing circles feel as though Harry Kane will leave Bayern Munich before his contract runs out in 2027.

Honigstein says that Bayern are prepared for the possibility of Kane leaving before summer 2027, and that is partially why they acquired Nicolas Jackson this summer transfer window on loan with an obligation to buy from Chelsea. He further highlights their interest in other strikers as a sign that Bayern are already tacitly acknowledging Kane will depart and are preparing replacement options.

Tottenham still need attacking firepower

Naturally, Tottenham fans have taken interest in Honigstein's words and are reading the tea leaves themselves. Spurs showed interest in strikers at the beginning of the transfer window and eventually circled back to Randal Kolo Muani, acquiring the former Bundesliga star from PSG on a one-year loan deal with no possibility to buy.

It is unlikely Kolo Muani has a long-term future at the club, and although recent striker signings Richarlison and Dominic Solanke are quality footballers, neither have adequately replaced Kane since his departure to Bavaria. And at this point, neither have shown they are capable of being long-term solutions and stars for Tottenham as they push for true Premier League title contention in the post-Daniel Levy era.

So a dream reunion with Kane next year is entirely on the table. Tottenham will still be in need of a striker, Kane may be interested in heading out after winning the Bundesliga last season, and Bayern may be ready to cash in their chips and look for a more long-term solution at striker alongside Jackson. Kane to Tottenham would also make senes for both parties, as the legendary striker's exit from his beloved club was also tied to the fatigue of working under Levy and his miserly ways.