Hotspur HQ

Ninety minutes of unimaginative mediocrity was all it took to destroy any illusion that Thomas Frank's current squad is deep or talented enough to challenge for the Premier League—let alone qualify for the knockout rounds of the Champions League.

Bayern embarrassed Spurs. The German giants peppered Guglielmo Vicario with 26 shots and managed to score more goals (four) than Spurs had shots on target (three). Even more worrying was that Vincent Kompany's side squandered seven "big chances" throughout the match, including a rare missed penalty by Harry Kane, and played the last twenty minutes with six teenagers on the pitch. Had the Bundesliga champions not taken their foot off the gas, they might have scored ten.

But there was an important lesson to be gleaned from the thrashing. After the tour of Asia, there was a moment when it seemed plausible that Thomas Frank could lead his depleted squad through another devastating Tottenham injury crisis without having to spend big in the transfer market. That moment has passed like a fart in the Bavarian wind.

Spurs' feckless display in Munich exposed three alarming deficiencies that Daniel Levy, Johan Lange, and Fabio Paratici must address in the next 20 days.

Impotence in the Attacking Third

Problem: Regardless of whom Thomas Frank has selected, Spurs' frontline has been woeful in every preseason match. They can't seem to complete a string of passes together or conjure up any ideas about how to break down opposing defenses. The lack of precision, creativity, fluidity, quality, and confidence in the attacking third can be attributed to the growing pains of adapting to a new system, jet lag, or the absence of Dominic Solanke. But it has never been more obvious that Brennan Johnson cannot create chances for himself, or others. Mathys Tel does not possess the skill set to play as a number nine. And Richarlison is a liability when leading the line.

Solution: The loss of Son Heung-min is going to hurt. Spurs need a versatile winger who is capable of playing as a striker, or vice versa.

Who's Available: Rodrygo would be a dream signing, but there is a better chance of Daniel Levy growing an afro than the Madrid forward coming to north London. The same can be said for Randal Kolo Muani and Ferran Torres. Ademola Lookman and Arnaud Kalimuendo are more realistic options. And unlike Nicolas Jackson, they wouldn't require Tottenham to add funds to Chelsea's coffers.

A Dearth of Creativity

Problem: Other than Mohammed Kudus and Wilson Odobert, Spurs lack playmakers who can produce moments of individual brilliance and single-handedly alter the course of a match. The problem is most evident among Tottenham's midfield quintet of João Palhinha, Yves Bissouma, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr, and Archie Gray. However, the issue is equally apparent in the attacking third. The lack of creativity isn't an isolated problem; Spurs' plodding, unimaginative patterns of play put stress on the backline to defend against unnecessary counterattacks, play on their heels, and engineer the offense. It will be a long season if Spurs are reliant on Pedro Porro to create chances in the attacking third.

Solution: Finding a replacement for James Maddison should be at the top of Spurs' list of priorities in the waning weeks of the transfer window.

Who's Available: If Spurs can't sign Eberechi Eze before the UEFA Super Cup, they need to spend the Morgan Gibbs-White money on a statement signing like Rafael Leão, Maghnes Akliouche, Nico Paz, or even Barış Alper Yılmaz. Bilal El Khannouss, James McAtee, and Harvey Elliott don't move the needle, while Jack Grealish would be an expensive temporary fix.

Lack of Defensive Depth

Problem: Spurs will regret attempting to compete in four competitions with six healthy defensive players. It would be ludicrous to think Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven will stay healthy throughout the entire season when neither was able to suit up for half of Spurs' 60 matches during the Europa League-winning campaign. Furthermore, no one knows how Radu Drăgușin will perform when he returns from ACL surgery, and Kōta Takai suffered an injury in the first week of training. There are also questions about Destiny Udogie's long-term fitness. That leaves Thomas Frank with two healthy fullbacks in Djed Spence and Pedro Porro, and only Ben Davies and Kevin Danso as cover for Romero and van de Ven at the moment.

Solution: Spurs need to sign a left-sided central defender who is capable of playing fullback, or vice versa.

Tottenham have confirmed the news we were all expecting, with James Maddison set to undergo surgery after rupturing his ACL.

As a result, there is a huge creative void in Thomas Frank's ranks, and the club will only be setting themselves up for failure if they fail to act in the transfer market.

We know there is interest in signing a new No. 10, given our failed pursuit of Morgan Gibbs-White. The club were willing to trigger a £60m release clause that no one was supposedly meant to know about, suggesting that funds are on the table to make a splash.

The emotional departure of Son Heung-min leaves another void, and, ideally, the club focus their attention on a player capable of functioning not only as Frank's creative heartbeat from a central position, but someone who can also drift wide and operate as an inside forward. Eberechi Eze and Iliman Ndiaye immediately spring to mind.

Tottenham must fill James Maddison's creative void

Maddison's ACL surgery, which was confirmed by the club on Thursday morning, means he could miss the entirety of the upcoming campaign.

It's a devastating blow, and Spurs will likely feel the effects even if they're aggressive in the market. Maddison is a do-it-all creator. While a savvy operator in and around the opposition's box, he also takes responsibility in the build-up to function as a linker between defence and attack.

The Englishman has suffered physically since joining the club, but his numbers are nonetheless impressive. After notching 13 Premier League goal contributions in 28 appearances during his debut season, Maddison recorded 16 in 31 games last season, all while playing a key role in our journey to the Europa League final.

Spurs have already seen potential options to mitigate Maddison's void come off the table, while Dejan Kulusevski is also out injured. Enzo Millot is heading to Saudi Arabia, Chelsea are working on Xavi Simons, and Harvey Elliott looks to be Bundesliga-bound. Arsenal had been leading the race for Eze, but there has been little movement on that front in recent days.

Eze is many supporters' ideal, but Jack Grealish and Bilal El Khannouss have also been linked. A motivated Grealish would be capable of killing two birds with one stone, but he's been off the grid since Manchester City won the treble. El Khannouss would raise the technical level of this Tottenham team after impressing for a bad Leicester side last season, but he would be a better signing had he been able to play second fiddle to Maddison.

My gut says we move for the Moroccan international, but don't be surprised if we make a play for Grealish, too. Perhaps signing both is feasible. El Khannouss' capacity to drop in and resist pressure combined with the maverick talent of Grealish further upfield could be a useful combination, and the Englishman may be the personality N17 needs off the back of a huge departure.

Whomever the playmaker of choice, Spurs must move swiftly with precision and clarity. This is a desperate situation.

Thomas Frank’s praise of Pape Matar Sarr after the recent friendly win over Arsenal was well deserved. The Tottenham Hotspur manager said of the midfielder, “He has impressed me I must admit. He has been really good in the last four weeks.

Sarr has had a good pre-season, including in front of goal with a brace against Wycombe coming before his goal vs. Arsenal. It was a great goal, not only to hit a controlled shot from that distance over David Raya but also the awareness to lob the Arsenal keeper early with him so far off his line, and the press to be in that position in the first place.

“Friendly” or not, anytime someone scores against Arsenal, particularly if it’s a winning goal, they deserve credit. Plus, as the first North London Derby played outside the UK, Sarr’s winning goal has given us critical stats like “we are unbeaten in North London Derbies outside the UK” or “we have never conceded a goal vs. Arsenal outside the UK” and “100% of our games vs Arsenal outside of the UK have resulted in us winning trophies”.

The press and forward movement is the particularly interesting part of that passage of play though. We have seen this from Sarr throughout his young Spurs career, though he had started to deliver this more consistently towards the end of the last season. He was excellent in the Europa League final in this capacity, including assisting Brennan Johnson’s winner.

We were light on attacking midfield from a central area even before James Maddison’s injury and Son Heung-min's departure. Dejan Kulusevski has played there with some success but he too is recovering from injury. The rate at which we are loaning players out does suggest something will happen in the transfer market around this situation, too. However, it may be that Thomas Frank has plans for Sarr in a more forward position and it would be great to see how this plays out.

We may find out more against Bayern in the final pre-season game, but by the time our opener against Burnley comes around, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Sarr in a more attacking role. That, of course, is assuming everyone will be required to do just a little bit more defensive work than most other games when we play PSG in the Super Cup.

I still see Sarr more as a box-to-box midfielder but if Frank can develop his attacking play, Sarr could represent another goalscoring, forward-thinking option, of which we desperately need and, in any case, cannot have enough of.

In another world, I may well be preparing to wax lyrical over Saido Berahino.

"After a decade of prolific service, having usurped a burgeoning Harry Kane, who retired from football in 2021 to pursue a career as a kicker in the NFL, Berahino departs as Tottenham's all-time record goalscorer, having established himself as one of the finest strikers of his generation."

But no, Berahino, following spells in Belgium and Cyprus, is now plying his trade in the Slovenian second tier. Venture down to Tabor Sežana's Rajko Štolfa Stadium if you're ever in the area.

Instead, I have the privilege of dedicating the next few hundred words to Son Heung-min. I write with a grin on my face, safe in the knowledge that the Korean superstar will be riding into the Californian sunset, having been one of the very few to enjoy a happy ending in N17.

He departs after ten years of wonder, but Son's relationship with Spurs wasn't always full of glee. After a debut season in which injury thrust him into a sporadic role behind a majestic trio of blossoming stars (and Erik Lamela), Son was keen to give up on his Premier League venture with an offer from Wolfsburg on the table. The Bundesliga comfort zone enticed him, but Mauricio Pochettino convinced the unsure Korean that Tottenham was the place to be.

If the ending of our Berahino pursuit to strike a deal for Son in 2015 wasn't the ultimate sliding doors moment in the forward's career, then perhaps that meeting with Poch takes the cake.

From that moment on, all Son could do was grow. He emerged from the periphery into perennial, cult hero into icon. We quickly learned of the Korean's capacity to devastate in front of goal when handed merely half a yard of space. The ball location when Son opted to let fly was so often irrelevant, with his remarkable consistency off both feet a major reason why he leaves the club with 173 goals, and one of the Premier League's top 20 leading marksman.

He hit double figures in every league campaign between 2016/17 and 2023/24, with his best work arriving when his destructive relationship with partner in crime Harry Kane was at his pomp. Son claimed his one and only Golden Boot in 2021/22 with 23 Premier League goals.

Most memorably, he struck three times over two legs in our unforgettable quarter-final victory over Manchester City—a tie we had no right to win. With our backs against the wall for 90 minutes at the Etihad, Son's two early strikes, which arrived the week after he passionately queried whether Pep Guardiola knew who he was, evoked a sense of destiny. How could anyone finish with such unerring precision in the face of Guardiola-induced suffering?

His peak coincided with the increased prominence of goalscoring metrics, but Son has only been able to smile widely in the face of "xG" and the like. His relentless defiance of data has baffled the boffins, and the forward fittingly saved his one high-profile miss to ensure Arsenal wouldn't get their hands on the Premier League title in 2024.

All the superlatives that have been dished out to describe Son fit.

His ten years proved to be a decade of exciting tumult in N17, when Spurs teased to be something great under Pochettino, but hopelessly lost their way in the subsequent years, wading their way through short-term highs that eventually forced supporters to nihilism.

Son's relationship with Harry Kane was the saving grace. The former's infectious personality, distinct from his first day at Hotspur Way ten summers ago, functioned as a fallback in times of strife. We were never too far away from the next devastating connection between our telepathic tandem to make us believe again.

But then Son lost Kane, too. He'd seen Christian Eriksen move to Inter in 2020, Dele Alli drift, and Lamela pick up his final booking. Not to mention the drastic turnover which took place behind him. Son, through admirable loyalty, remained a constant. In 2023, he was named club captain by Ange Postecoglou, who aptly described the loveable Korean as a "unifier", and his two years with the armband concluded with that glorious night in Bilbao.

As Jack Pitt-Brooke of The Athletic puts it, Son's tears on 21 May, 2025, "were Tottenham’s tears," such was the lack of distinction between player and club.

Nobody deserved it more. For suffering through a tough debut season, the cruel demise of Pochettino, "We're going to make you proud", Cristian Stellini, and Ryan Mason's 34 interim spells. Son's experienced this bonkers club like no other. Well, maybe best friend Ben Davies will eventually be able to tell a similar tale.

"“I came to north London as a kid — 23 years old, a very young age, a boy who couldn’t speak English. I leave this club as a man. Thank you to all the Spurs fans who have given me so much love. It felt like it was my home.""

Son Heung-min

Son was not the inevitable superstar of his lengthy apex in 2024/25, and there is a sense that this is the right time. Bilbao was the perfect finale, but that doesn't mean it hurts any less.

A special footballer, but perhaps an even more impressive human being. Son Heung-min: universally beloved. Erewhon has him now.

Tottenham Hotspur came into the summer transfer window knowing that they had to upgrade their midfield, and, so far they have managed to sign one new starter to rotate with the current crop of Pape Sarr, Lucas Bergvall, Rodrigo Bentancur, Archie Gray, and, still on the books, Yves Bissouma at the base of the midfield.

That player would be ex-Bayern Munich defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha, acquired on loan from the Bavarian giants after failing to settle in during his lone season at the club. But prior to this ill-fated loan, Palhinha was a defensive machine in the middle of the park at the Premier League level, standing out as one of the best 6's in the game for Fulham.

Tottenham have their destroyer, but they still need their general. If incoming manager Thomas Frank's words are anything to go off of, though, Spurs already feel like they have their archetype architect to man the midfield.

Frank has praised Rodrigo Bentancur before in the transfer window, but he offered arguably his highest praise yet with just weeks remaining in the calendar before the 2025/26 Premier League season officially starts.

Thomas Frank has his midfield general

The former Brentford manager said of Bentancur, via Football.London's Alasdair Gold, "I was pretty sure he would be a key player [before I started working with him], so that's not been a surprise. That's a player, of course I think is important for the future".

Frank's praise for Bentancur's future importance is of particular note to Tottenham fans, because Bentancur is in the final year of his contract. Now, Spurs were always expected to pick Bentancur over Bissouma when it came to the two out-of-contract midfielders, but since the Uruguayan international is now 28, it is a big deal for Frank to think of him as someone who can be important for the foreseeable future.

When Bentancur was a young player, he took Serie A storm in 2019/20 in Juventus's last season as Italian champions, and while he proceeded to tumble off a cliff as Juve did the same, his career revived in Tottenham before, again, falling a bit in the last season.

But Bentancur has the technical quality, tactical intelligence, and willingness to play with grit in midfield to be a great complement to Palhinha as the more "holding" oriented of the holding midfielders. And he may just need better coaching, akin to what he got with Maurizio Sarri, from Frank, who is stronger tactically and actually values midfields and structures over his predecessor. Because while Ange Postecoglou had his strengths, he didn't know how to make use of Bentancur as effectively.

Tottenham Hotspur have made it their mission to assemble a squad filled with young, ascending players, and while the cynical Spurs supporters will point out that these are often the players who cost the least in wages, thus preserving Daniel Levy's real ultimate goal, there is evidence to suggest that a renewed focused on this transfer strategy is paying dividends.

After all, Tottenham won the Europa League for the first time in 41 years last season, and youngsters were a key part of that effort. Brennan Johnson, for example, led the team in Premier League goals and scored the sole goal in the Europa League Final over Manchester United. Others like Lucas Bergvall, Destiny Udogie, Pedro Porro, and Mathys Tel were crucial to Spurs at the end of the season, and still others are going to be crucial in the coming years.

Balancing the need for more experienced players in the side, such as strikers Dominic Solanke and Richarlison, is one challenge, as is finding minutes for all the young talents. Already, in an effort to give burgeoning winger Mikey Moore more playing time, Tottenham loaned the 17-year-old off to Scottish giants Rangers this summer.

Tottenham can grant him first-team experience elsewhere

An arguably more promising player, 18-year-old center back Luka Vuskovic, is set to follow Moore shortly. Receiving a bevy of interest around European football, Vuskovic is one of the players Tottenham fans have been buzzing about the most this summer, as his preseason performances were that of a player who looks ready for the big time.

But Tottenham are shopping Vuskovic on loan to make sure he gets starting experience, since the center back spots are well locked up by Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, and unsung hero Kevin Danso.

According to a new report from Football.London's Alasdair Gold, there are five clubs who are lining up with interest in acquiring Vuskovic on loan for the 2025/26 season. The most prominent of those in terms of their interest appears to be Hamburg, who are back in the Bundesliga at long last and are in need of defensive reinforcements. And they have reportedly been fans of Vuskovic for quite some time.

Moving to a smaller team like Hamburg could be great for Vuskovic, and that's likely the level of teams interested in bringing him on as a starter. And Tottenham should only be interested in one-year loan spells for Vuskovic at clubs where he can start, gain experience, and even allow Spurs to gauge whether or not he'd be able to start for them in 2026/27. As it is clear, there is no shortage of options to choose from.

As it stands, Tottenham Hotspur have landed just two new players in the summer 2025 transfer window. They snagged bargain bin center back Kota Takai from Japan, and then they spent 55 million pounds to bring in high-upside West Ham forward Mohammed Kudus.

With the collapse of the Morgan GIbbs-White transfer and now the injury to James Maddison at the No. 10 position, Tottenham still have a huge need for another attacking difference-maker after finishing just 17th in the 2024/25 Premier League season.

But funny enough, Tottenham may also be plotting another move to bolster their defense. While they have already been linked with a move for a new left back, there's a chance Tottenham are eyeing another move entirely.

Center back looked like a hot-button issue for Tottenham Hotspur early in the summer transfer window when rumors were swirling around star man Cristian Romero, but with the sale of Son Heung-min to the United States imminent, Romero is going to be the captain. He and Tottenham turned down interest in Atletico Madrid, with Romero showing just as much of an affinity for the new man in charge, Thomas Frank, as he did for the deposed Ange Postecoglou.

Tottenham are letting a top talent spread his wings

Still, it looks like Tottenham haven't given up the chase for another center back, because they've surprisingly decided to dangle their most talented young players, center back Luka Vuskovic, up for loan, according to a new report from top beat writer Alasdair Gold of Football.London.

Just 18 years old, Vuskovic looks like the real deal in defense, and no single player has dazzled Spurs supporters more this offseason - not even exciting new attacking addition Kudus - than Vuskovic. He's ready for the first team, but like Rangers-bound winger Mikey Moore, his opportunities could be more fruitful out on loan, which is likely the logic here.

Tottenham technically already have four center backs in the squad with Radu Dragusin and Kevin Danso backing up Romero and Micky van de Ven, but Dragusin hasn't been an important part of the team. Spurs are still linked to dream target Marc Guehi, as Crystal Palace's asking price for the star central defender continues to tumble.

Guehi isn't the only proven Premier League starter on the Tottenham transfer radar, as Jan Paul van Hecke over at Brighton has also been linked with a move to North London. Tottenham could give Vuskovic the chance to shine in another top five league as a starter before welcoming him back as a star, all the while snagging another top player to create the best defense in Europe- and maybe even throw in some flexible looks with a back three as Frank did with Brentford.

Tottenham have their new midfield enforcer in Joao Palhinha, and Thomas Frank is thrilled to have the Portuguese international on board.

Holding midfield (No. 6) was regarded as a priority position of need entering the summer, and many supporters have clamoured for the addition of a passer/destroyer profile. You know, because they're so easily attainable.

Much has been made of Palhinha's limitations as a passer, but his talents as a defender cannot be denied. His two-year spell at Fulham manifested the 30-year-old's outstanding tackling ability, and very few would've scoffed at his arrival last summer.

A down year at Bayern Munich has undoubtedly seen his stock take a hit, with Vincent Kompany seemingly giving up on the Portuguese midfielder. However, if Spurs are able to get the Palhinha which manifested so effectively in west London, then Frank has, without doubt, stumbled upon a lynchpin in his engine room.

Thomas Frank explains why Tottenham signed Joao Palhinha

Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur primarily functioned as Ange Postecoglou's deepest-lying midfielder during his two-year reign, but both players particularly struggled for consistency last season.

Bissouma, while majestic on his day, is far too up-and-down, while Bentancur has always been better suited to playing in a midfield two, going back to his Juventus days.

There is a clear need for a player of Palhinha's profile, especially given the youth with our midfield ranks. After his loan arrival was confirmed on Sunday, Frank echoed that sentiment.

"It was always his abilities, and if you look at the squad, I don’t think we have his ability or package as a clear number six with his profile," the Dane said, explaining to Football London why he wanted to bring the 30-year-old in.

Frank then waxed lyrical about Palhinha's capacity to "break up play", and also made note of his "distribution" and positional discipline. "Especially if you are playing away from home or against good counter-attacking teams, it’s very important to have one that, you know, is not running away or gets attracted to something," the boss added, which probably isn't a dig at Bentancur or Bissouma, but would be an apt one.

This isn't a signing which evokes glamour, but one that could prove to be extremely effective. Frank's excitement over Palhinha's addition—and surprise he was available for transfer—just goes to show how desperate we are for an enforcer of his ilk, and I expect the 30-year-old to make an immediate impact.

Who emerges as his partner in crime is set to be a hotly contested competition, with Lucas Bergvall making his case during the second half of last season, and Pape Matar Sarr the star of the summer so far. Both will benefit from the stability Palhinha supplies.

At the start of last season, I would have expected Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray to be on this list for 2025/26. No chance after the season they had. Due to injuries and on occasion form, both played far more than expected last season. Bergvall has a legitimate case for a starter each week. And after Gray’s versatility last season, Thomas Frank played him further forward against Arsenal recently.

This leaves striker and goalkeeper as a couple of the few remaining options to get him more minutes in a new position. I also would have put Mikey Moore in this group, but having already completed a loan move to Rangers, I am expecting him to get some good experience there, both domestically and in Europe.

Instead, here are three very promising players who will benefit greatly from more minutes next season. I would have liked all three to get those minutes as part of the first team squad, but football.london reports that all three are available for loans already. This can also be fine, if they play at the loan clubs, of course.

Luka Vuskovic

Vuskovic has already had two necessary loan spells and recently made an appearance for the Croatia national team in a world cup qualifier. Given his experience already at such a young age, clear ability, number of games we hope to have this season, and the recent injury history of our central defenders I would be reluctant to loan Vuskovic out.

If he is not going to be in Thomas Frank’s plans this season, though, then a loan is sensible. Vuskovic has been playing consistently and if he is to be loaned out, then a championship team to gain experience in English football would be ideal.

Will Lankshear

In recent years, Tottenham seemed to actively try not to have two “out-and-out strikers” in the squad. For years, it looked like Harry Kane was our only one. Fernando Llorente being an honorable exception, we have recently favored players who can also play in a deeper role or out wide. I had hoped this was changing when Lankshear made a few appearances last season and scored in a particularly tricky game against Galatasaray (I know, a red card followed).

This goal did not provide a springboard for any run in the squad, though, and a loan to West Brom was to follow. This was not a particularly successful loan, either in terms of goals (zero) or appearances (often as a substitute).

Lankshear is a traditional center forward, and that gives us something different. He needs minutes, and while I think the better development here would be as a squad player backing up Dominic Solanke, if this isn’t to happen, then getting the right loan is critical. Championship preferred, and a loan to Oxford United is looking likely.

Jamie Donley

I have made the case for Donley to be part of the squad this season. As per the other two players on this list, a loan looks far more likely, and his season at Leyton Orient was too good for him not to build on it again. Last season, we sometimes seemed to struggle for creativity in the middle of the field.

Part of this may have been Ange’s tactics to play wide so often, but even in pre-season, we have looked a little too easy to defend against. James Maddison’s injury is a huge blow to this as well. Donley offers us a chance to experiment in this position.

Loans do look more likely for all three players and there is a huge value in that as well. There are senior players that would be considered ahead and so minutes might be hard to come by. There is a concern, however, that other clubs are becoming more successful at integrating youth team players, and it is true that we don’t really know how they will perform until given the chance on a consistent basis (instead of 2-minute substitute appearances or as part of a wholesale weakened League cup team). If loans are the way forward for a number of younger players this season, let’s hope we prioritize opportunities in the first team squad for the longer term.

In a shocking move, Stuttgart attacking midfielder Enzo Millot has spurned interest from European clubs and agreed to join Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League. Florian Plettenberg has reported that the Bundesliga side will receive a €28 million transfer fee after the Frenchman's €18 million release clause expired earlier this summer.

Tottenham were believed to be among a handful of clubs vying for the 23-year-old, including Atlético Madrid and Galatasaray. The news comes at an inopportune time, considering that Millot would have been an excellent replacement for the oft-injured James Maddison.

The French youth international contributed to 20 goals in all competitions last season and was instrumental in Stuttgart’s recent resurgence, helping the Swabian side secure a second-place finish in the Bundesliga during the 2023-24 campaign.

Given his age, Millot's decision to join Riyad Mahrez, Franck Kessié, and Ivan Toney in Jeddah rather than compete in the Champions League represents something of an anomaly. However, it can also be seen as a statement of intent from Al-Ahli, who finished fifth in the Saudi Pro League last season and are keen to lift their first trophy since 2016.

Tottenham can now focus their search for a Maddison replacement on creative attacking midfield options like Eberechi Eze or Maghnes Akliouche, whose skill sets are more aligned with Spurs' needs.