Hotspur HQ

Mere hours before João Palhinha was set to be unveiled as Tottenham's new defensive midfielder, James Maddison was stretchered off the pitch in tears during the final minutes of a meaningless friendly against Newcastle in South Korea.

What began as a beautiful celebration for club legend Son Heung-min quickly morphed into Thomas Frank's worst nightmare. The Dane will presumably be without both of his preferred attacking midfielders for a significant part of the season, leaving recent signing Mohammed Kudus and academy graduate Jamie Donley as the only natural number tens in the squad.

Spurs' failure to sign Morgan Gibbs-White suddenly hurts a lot more. The onus is now on Daniel Levy to sign a creative midfielder to replace Maddison, and he needs to act quickly if Spurs are to have any chance against PSG in the UEFA Super Cup on August 13.

In the meantime, Thomas Frank will have to go back to the drawing board and think about how to line up his now-injury depleted squad against the Champions League winners.

Guglielmo Vicario will start in goal. The talk of Antonín Kinský overtaking the Italian international is premature. Vicario is a world-class goalkeeper, and his preseason performances have given fans reason to believe that his deficiencies on set pieces and playing the ball out from the back will improve under Fabian Otte’s mentorship.

Assuming Destiny Udogie's injury is minor, Tottenham's back four is set in stone. Pedro Porro is among the best right-backs in the Premier League. Udogie is also a world-class left-back. And the center-back pairing of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven would be the envy of most teams in England and abroad.

The midfield is where things get tricky. João Palhinha will walk into the team as Spurs' new number six, but whether Frank prefers Rodrigo Bentancur, Lucas Bergvall, or Pape Matar Sarr as his number eight is anyone's guess. Bentancur provides stability and experience. Bergvall adds flair and creativity. Sarr brings energy and tenacity. Frank will probably opt for Bentancur to begin the season, electing to go with his most stalwart midfield unit.

Until Spurs sign a new attacking midfielder, the number ten role belongs to Mohammed Kudus. But moving the former West Ham star to the center of the pitch deprives Frank of his most dangerous winger.

With Son Heung-min gone and Kudus forced to play as an attacking midfielder, Frank will urge Daniel Levy to bring in two more attacking options. As it stands now, Brennan Johnson will start on the right wing, Mathys Tel will play opposite him, and Dominic Solanke will lead the line.

It’s not the team Thomas Frank envisioned lining up to start his Spurs managerial career. But chances are he will have a couple more attacking options to choose from in the coming weeks.

Less than four weeks remain until the draw for the 2025-26 Champions League is announced at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on August 28. Despite Daniel Levy's penchant for last-minute deals, there are several reasons to believe the Tottenham chairman will be busy in the transfer window long before Spurs find out who they will face in the Champions League league phase.

Mitigating another injury crisis should be at the top of Levy's to-do list. The addition of João Palhinha helps solidify the central midfield, but manager Thomas Frank still needs a reliable attacking threat in the middle of the pitch, given James Maddison's injury history and Dejan Kulusevski's long road to recovery from patella surgery. Spurs were already thin at fullback before Destiny Udogie "felt something in the warmup" against Luton Town and did not make the trip to Asia. Dominic Solanke tweaked his ankle in preseason for a second year in a row, and there is no evidence to suggest Richarlison will stay fit for more than half the season.

Health concerns aside, UEFA's "locally-trained player" rules leave Frank with no conceivable way to register a full 25-man squad for the Champions League. While Spurs have more than enough "association-trained players," only Brandon Austin can be registered among the four spots reserved for "club-trained players." They simply don't have the luxury of signing new players without first releasing others. Logic would suggest that Daniel Levy and Johan Lange will focus on outgoings while prioritizing versatile signings to ensure Frank has depth at all positions.

The only position where Spurs have no apparent need is goalkeeper, with Guglielmo Vicario, Antonín Kinský, and Brandon Austin all expected to be registered for the Champions League squad.

Levy may, however, look to add another central defender. Ben Davies is Spurs' only dedicated left-sided center-back other than Micky van de Ven, but it's not a foregone conclusion the Welshman will be at the club when the season begins. There are also concerns Radu Drăgușin will not have recovered from ACL surgery until the Champions League knockout phase.

Likewise, Spurs' situation at fullback is worryingly precarious. If Destiny Udogie's injury is serious, Djed Spence will be expected to play left-back in three competitions. Frank could deputize Archie Gray, but he would be ruthlessly targeted as Spurs' weak link by Champions League managers. The smart money would be on Tottenham signing a left-sided defensive player who can also play centrally.

With the addition of João Palhinha, Frank has no shortage of midfielders to choose from. Even if Yves Bissouma departs the club this summer, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr, and Lucas Bergvall can all play in the double pivot. However, the failed pursuit of Morgan Gibbs-White raises questions about whether Frank feels he needs a more dynamic option than James Maddison, particularly if he intends to play Mohammed Kudus on the right wing.

Despite signing Mathys Tel to a permanent deal, Son Heung-min's tearful departure from the club leaves Frank to choose between two young, inexperienced left wingers and either Brennan Johnson or Mohammed Kudus on the right. In an ideal world, Spurs would add a versatile forward who could play across the front line and fill in for strikers Dominic Solanke or Richarlison, should the Brazilian stay for another season.

Despite the talent Frank has at his disposal, Spurs' current 22-man squad is nowhere near deep enough to compete in the Champions League. To upgrade the current roster, Tottenham need to move a few players on and add a versatile left-sided defender and a multifaceted attacking player.

Current Squad Breakdown

Goalkeepers (3): Guglielmo Vicario, Antonín Kinský, Brandon Austin (CT)

Central Defenders (4): Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso, Ben Davies (AT)

Fullbacks (4): Pedro Porro, Destiny Udogie, Djed Spence (AT), Archie Gray (AT)

Midfielders (5): João Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall, James Maddison (AT)

Wingers (4): Mohammed Kudus, Mathys Tel, Wilson Odobert, Brennan Johnson (AT)

Strikers (2): Dominic Solanke (AT), Richarlison

Non-Registered: Radu Drăgușin (injured), Dejan Kulusevski (injured), Yves Bissouma, Manor Solomon, Bryan Gil

CT = Club Trained, AT = Association Trained

Tottenham Hotspur are still pursuing multiple attacking options before the summer 2025 transfer window closes, as the collapse of the Morgan Gibbs-White deal with Nottingham Forest gives Spurs cash and squad space to go after another attacking game-changer. And even if Tottenham signed Gibbs-White, they could have still used a left winger or striker signing, too.

The thing is, the transfer market is pretty barren in terms of top goal-scoring options at striker. Tottenham aren't going to be competitive for the best options like Benjamin Sesko - let alone Alexander Isak - especially since Thomas Frank and the club want to give 65 million pound investment Dominic Solanke the first crack to start in his second season in North London.

Tottenham, though, should be after alternatives to offer depth, and while Yoane Wissa may be the preferred option for Frank as his 19-goal striker at Brentford last season, that ship may have sailed as well with Newcastle currently showing significantly more interest in the 28-year-old No. 9.

One option Tottenham could circle back to is Ligue 1 star Arnaud Kalimuendo, whom Tottenham were linked to earlier in the transfer window. Other Premier League clubs like Nottingham Forest have also been mentioned in the past as suitors for the French No. 9.

Brentford are now interested

Now, according to a report from Fabrizio Romano, Brentford have also joined the transfer battle and "made contact" with Kalimuendo over a transfer, facing the prospect of losing Wissa alongside Bryan Mbeumo this summer transfer window. And Villarreal, who may be the favorites to land the 23-year-old striker, have also reached out for information on a transfer.

Fab says that Kalimuendo has "concrete chances" of a transfer this August and declares the Rennes star as "one to watch". Kalimuendo has been one of the better forwards in Ligue 1 over the past few seasons, scoring 12 goals for Lens a few years ago as a top prospect and then 10 in the 2023/24 season for Rennes.

But he really broke out in the 2024/25 season for Rennes, scoring 17 goals with 3 assists as one of the top strikers in Ligue 1. At just 23 years old, Kalimuendo has star potential, and even with the caveat that goals are easier to come by in the French top flight, he did have a significantly better scoring season than Solanke or Richarlison at Tottenham, though he was still beaten by Wissa's 19 in the Premier League.

Tottenham are probably going to stick with Richarlison, who is to difficult to sell at this juncture, and Kalimuendo is more of a Brentford or Nottingham Forest level signing than a Tottenham one. But he is younger and has a better recent track record than Richarlison, so if Tottenham can arrange a deal with a Turkish or Saudi Arabian club for the Brazilian international, then maybe Kalimuendo could work as an affordable alternative to split minutes with Solanke. More likely, though, Spurs will pass.

Tottenham Hotspur are no longer desperate for center back help in the summer transfer window this year, as it's quite obvious to everyone that Cristian Romero is going to be staying in North London for the foreseeable future despite some drama earlier in the window, particularly after Daniel Levy unceremoniously dumped Europa League-winning manager Ange Postecoglou.

Romero appears to have gotten off to a great start with new coach Thomas Frank, and with Son Heung-min's future at Tottenham still unsettled, the Argentinian World Cup and Copa America winner could yet wear the Tottenham armband after leading the team to the Europa League title with a Player of the Tournament performance.

Even Atletico Madrid have long since backed away from Romero, knowing that Tottenham are not interested in selling the 27-year-old center back. But even though Tottenham have two world-class center backs in Micky van de Ven and Romero with hopes that Kevin Danso will emerge as a third in 2025/26, they are still monitoring some of the best players availble in the Premier League.

Tottenham and Newcastle are watching top EPL defenders

In addition to long-time transfer target Marc Guehi over at Crystal Palace, Tottenham are also tracking Jan Paul van Hecke of Brighton fame alongside clubs like Newcastle United. Per a report from Dutch outlet Voetbal International's Joost Blaauwhof, Van Hecke has his eyes on Champions League clubs - of which Tottenham are one of them after winning the 2024/25 Europa League title - and Brighton will be open to selling him for a price of 50 million euros.

That's a hefty price, but Van Hecke is only just entering the prime of his career as a center back at the age of 25, and the Dutch international is coming off a career year in the Premier League as one of the English top flight's biggest breakout stars at the center back position.

Van Hecke now has two successful seasons of Premier League football under his belt as a regular starter for the Seagulls. He is a solid defender and one of the best in the league on the ball, completing 92.5 and 88.5 percent of his passes in the past two league seasons with 82.7 and 66.6 passes per game, respectively.

Tottenham clearly don't need another center back, and Van Hecke is overqualified to be a fourth-choice player. But like Guehi, he could make a lot of sense as a third option. Due to his experience and superior defensive skills, in addition to what should be a cheaper cost with one year on his contract, Guehi would be preferred if Tottenham do try to sign a top Premier League center back this summer, but Van Hecke is worth monitoring at least.

Tottenham Hotspur supporters thought their beloved club had made an uncharacteristically ambitious double swoop for not only West Ham star Mohammed Kudus on the wings, but also Nottingham Forest standout Morgan Gibbs-White through the middle as a combination option with established star James Maddison.

However, the deal for Gibbs-White, who allegedly had a hidden 60 million euro release clause, immediately reached a friction point with Forest even threatening legal action over the transfer. In the end, the 25-year-old England international elected to re-sign with Nottingham Forest instead of pursuing and pushing for a move to Tottenham, so, in that sense, it's been a feeling of "good riddance anyway" from Spurs supporters despite the initial frustration.

The falling apart of the 60 million pound Gibbs-White transfer means that Tottenham still have money to burn and still have a need for another attacking game-changer. Kudus as the only new addition from a 2024/25 squad that finished 17th in the Premier League is simply insufficient.

Tottenham need to challenge Inter Milan

One name Tottenham have been loosely linked to and could circle back to is Ademola Lookman, who remains available on the transfer market despite intense pursuit from Serie A title contenders Inter Milan. In his latest transfer news update on the Lookman situation, Fabrizio Romano reported that La Dea are still holding out for their 50 million euro asking price for the Nigerian superstar. Per Romano, Atalanta have rejected Inter's latest proposal of 42 million euros plus an additional three million in add-ons.

That actually represents a slight increase from the 40 million euros that the Nerazzurri were holding onto. Lookman is a little older than Gibbs-White at 27, and he isn't proven in the Premier League like MGW after flopping at Everton. But that was a different version of Lookman, who was arguably the best forward in the Italian top flight last season alongside Inter's own star striker Lautaro Martinez.

With Maddison as the No. 10, Tottenham have more of a need for a goal-scorer who can play on the left wing or up top, which is exactly the profile Lookman, who scored 15 goals with 5 assists in Serie A last season, brings to the table. Since Tottenham are shopping Son Heung-min to MLS clubs, Lookman could be a tailor-made replacement who will cost at least 10 million euros less than Gibbs-White would have.

Tottenham have mostly been looking at options in the Premier League this summer like Bryan Mbeumo, Eberechi Eze, Yoane Wissa, Kudus, and Gibbs-White, but all you have to do is look at players like Son Heung-min, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Guglielmo Vicario, Destiny Udogie, Rodrigo Bentancur, Mathys Tel, and Dejan Kulusevski to remember that, often times, the best deals are outside England.

After months of speculation and on-and-off-again transfer rumors, Tottenham Hotspur have learned the fate of superstar Son Heung-min. As Fabrizio Romano first broke the news, Son has made his decision, and with the tour in South Korea wrapping up, the Tottenham legend has informed new manager Thomas Frank and the rest of the club's officials of his intention to depart this summer.

That means that 2024/25 season will have been Sonny's last in Tottenham colors, and he'll have ended his Spurs career on a high note, helping the club secure its first Europa League title in 41 years while ranking first on the team in Premier League goal contributions.

Per Fab, MLS is the most likely landing spot for Son, who is in ongoing transfer negotiations with LAFC, one of the biggest clubs in the United States. He's been approached by Saudi Pro League sides this summer, just as he was last summer, but it looks like the next journey in his career will be in America.

There was, at one point this summer, a sense that Son would stay for the last year of his contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as something of a bridge for the next generation of Tottenham attackers and a steady veteran hand for Frank. But Frank didn't seem to have big plans for Son based on his remarks in press conferences, and, well, now we know why.

Tottenham knew it all along

Given the timing of the announcement, it appears Son and Levy may have had something mutual cooked up, given that he's waited until almost literally August 1st to announce his departure, again, at a time when Tottenham wouldn't be on the hook for a penalty from South Korea for selling the international superstar before the conclusion of the tour in Seoul.

What's next for Tottenham after Son announced his departure is obvious. Tottenham are going to have to sign a new left winger. While they brought in Mathys Tel permanently from Bayern Munich this summer and have 2024 signing Wilson Odobert literally waiting in the wings, neither are ready to be the only primary options across from new right winger Mohammed Kudus.

Tottenham have big shoes to fill when they officially lose Son, and even though Son declined in 2024/25 to the point where he wasn't really any better than Tel by the end of the campaign, it would still make sense for Spurs to sign a left winger. Even with Son, left wing wasn't a real position of strength for Tottenham in comparison to other big European clubs, and now without Son, they have to make a move.

Spurs were already in the market for an attacking difference-maker, and that need only doubled with the implosion of the Morgan Gibbs-White transfer. There aren't many valid left wing options remaining on the transfer market, but underrated stars like Atalanta's Ademola Lookman and maybe even Manchester United playmaker Alejandro Garnacho will likely start getting closer second looks from Spurs now.

Tottenham Hotspur are still in the market for another attacking player after Nottingham Forest star attacking midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White ended up spurning Spurs in order to sign a contract extension with Forest, collapsing an agreed 60 million pound transfer per MGW's existing release clause with his current Premier League employers.

Spurs already have one of the best No. 10's in English football in James Maddison, but given his injury record and the preceding interest in Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze, it appears Spurs still want another option in the playmaker role.

There have been two more players in the attacking midfield on the Tottenham transfer radar in Xavi Simons and Alejandro Garnacho. The RB Leipzig star, however, has always been closer to Chelsea, and while talks with the Blues seem to be on hold, the Dutchman is still favored to move to Stamford Bridge over the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

And it appears the same will be the case with Garnacho over at Manchester United. According to new information from top transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, Garnacho is "keen" on joining Chelsea this summer and still views the Blues as his "priority", which is a stance the 21-year-old Argentinian attacker expressed all the way back in the January transfer window.

Tottenham aren't fighting hard enough against the big boys

Garnacho is reportedly still waiting for Chelsea to submit a bid to Man United's liking to get the ball rolling on a transfer, and he's rejected proposals from outside the Premier League. Clubs like Serie A champions Napoli, coached by Antonio Conte, have shown interest in the playmaker.

Although Garnacho is frustrating and inconsistent, which is why Manchester United are now OK with letting him go, there is no doubt that the versatile U23 talent has massive upside. Thomas Frank, for example, could get a lot out of him in his system, just as he did with even lesser talents at Brentford.

Tottenham have yet to show serious interest in Garnacho despite being persistently linked as an outside option for the Manchester United star. It's just that with players like Garnacho and even Simons, Spurs tend to back off when other elite clubs like Chelsea are involved, which is why Spurs don't sign these kinds of players and thus don't have that perception of being on their level.

The reigning Europa League champions have an opening for two more attacking talents after the Gibbs-White transfer fell apart, and Garnacho should be someone on their radar at a ripe price of potentially 40 million pounds or under.

Just a couple of months ago when the status of superstar center back Cristian Romero was up in the air, Tottenham Hotspur were lining up a mountain of center back transfer targets around world football, adding pretty much any credible name with European experience and some modicum of additional future upside to their list.

From Jhon Lucumi, Yann Bisseck ,and Koni De Winter in Serie A to a bevy of assorted names in the Premier League, including Thomas Frank's Brentford standout Nathan Collins, Tottenham had a list of roughly ten names at center back on their radar.

But now that Romero is clearly staying with Tottenham despite how the club handled the firing of his favorite coach, Ange Postecoglou, Spurs have understandably cooled their interest in center back transfer targets to almost a standstill.

There is one name, though, who is so good and could be such an obvious market opportunity with a proven Premier League track record that Tottenham have to still be interested in despite the positive clarity on Romero's future at Tottenham.

Tottenham aren't the only big club interested

Before there was any uncertainty about Romero's future back in 2024, Tottenham submitted a whopping 70 million pound transfer offer to Crystal Palace for star center back Marc Guehi, who stood out for Euro 2024 finalists England in the tournament after yet another dominant season for the Eagles in the Premier League.

Palace rejected the offer for Guehi at the time, and so far in 2025, the Eagles have been similarly difficult to negotiate with. They've set sky-high asking prices for Adam Wharton and Eberechi Eze - the top two midfield targets for Tottenham at the 6 and 10 positions, respectively. And even though Guehi has just one year left on his contract and is at risk of leaving the club for free as early as this winter, the FA Cup champions have been equally reluctant to talk shop regaridng a Guehi deal, too.

That may be changing now, though. According to a new report from BBC Sport journalist Sami Mokbel, Crystal Palace now want just 40 million pounds in order to part ways with Marc Guehi.

That's actually still a bit of an overpay, because Palace know they will lose Guehi before the season ends for free, since they don't have a deal in place for him and because Guehi is in the prime of his career at 25 years old and has all the biggest clubs in England after him.

But that last fact could help Palace get the 40 million pounds they want. Tottenham aren't the only Premier League giants with eyes on Guehi, as Chelsea want him back at Stamford Bridge, too, while Liverpool and Newcastle are also highly interested - and have been interested for a while. If Tottenham want to secure the best trio of center backs in England - and maybe Europe abroad - Guehi should still be on their radar at any reasonable price.

Tottenham Hotspur haven't exactly been pushing hard for striker targets in the summer 2025 transfer window, but before the market opened up in June, there was a sense that Spurs could be buyers for another No. 9 after neither Dominic Solanke nor Richarlison were able to reach 10 goals in the 2024/25 Premier League season.

In fact, Tottenham's leading goal scorer in league play was Son Heung-min, and the South Korean superstar is being heavily linked with an exit away from the club this summer, as MLS giants LAFC are significantly interested in the Tottenham club legend.

If Son were to leave Spurs, Tottenham would have an even bigger need for an attacking difference-maker. As it stands, former West Ham man Mohammed Kudus is the only new attacking addition to the Tottenham starting lineup, and he's not primarily known for scoring goals.

The thing is, Tottenham like Solanke - for good reason - and are realizing that with how difficult it is to sell Richarlison, it may be more valuable for Tottenham to keep the former Everton star around for one more season. Perhaps he can return to form under the guidance of Thomas Frank, though he'll need to be healthy for a full season for that to happen.

Tottenham need to pivot to a new priority at striker

There aren't many tantalizing striker options around European football for Tottenham to pluck, and while Spurs are showing recent interest in Juventus striker Randal Kolo Muani, who remains under PSG's books, his teammate should still be the top target for Tottenham.

In a recent press conference, Juventus general manager Damien Comolli spoke about the status of fallen star striker Dusan Vlahovic, who is heading into the final year of his contract. And Comolli pretty much openly stated, via Fabrizio Romano, that the Serbian striker is for sale so long as the Bianconeri receive a competitive offer, “We have agreed with Dusan on his exit this summer if we get a good proposal. Vlahović can only leave with a good bid and we’ve not received it so far”.

Tottenham can easily pounce and sign Vlahovic for free next winter on a pre-arranged contract for the 2026/27 season, or they can wait until the very end of the summer 2025 transfer window in August to nab Vlahovic for pennies on the dollar, especially if Juve are able to secure Kolo Muani permanently from Paris.

So it may be in Tottenham's best interest to bide their time, pivot away from Kolo Muani, and let the Bianconeri sign the Frenchmen before snagging Vlahovic for under 30 million euros. Then, they can be the one to resurrect a striker who was once one of the best in Europe while at Fiorentina before flashing his obvious talent in Turin but being stymied by one of the continent's worst-run clubs.

At long last, Tottenham Hotspur closed a deal for a new defensive midfielder, agreeing to terms with Bayern Munich to bring No. 6 Joao Palhinha back to the Premier League from an underwhelming and brief tenure in the Bundesliga.

Palhinha, once a star for Fulham, will join Tottenham on a loan deal with an option to buy, and while he is a good start to bolstering an oft-overmatched midfield from the 2024/25 Premier League season, Spurs should really be looking into another midfield player, too.

Tottenham still have needs in other places in the squad. A few weeks ago, they thought they had a transfer for Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White all wrapped up, but Forest blocked Spurs from completing the deal and eventually took MGW off the table entirely by signing the 25-year-old attacking midfielder to a surprising contract extension.

According to a report from Gary Jacob, Peter Rutzler and Paul Joyce of The Times, Tottenham are interested in signing another forward after the collapse of the Gibbs-White transfer. They are also interested in nabbing another left back to fill out their squad, as Destiny Udogie has been in need of some cover. They discussed the negotiations for Joao Palhinha, which have since been successful, and the interest in Juventus and PSG striker Randal Kolo Muani.

Tottenham need more attacking firepower

It's obvious that if Tottenham were after a 60 million pound Premier League star attacker, then they should be after a similar caliber of player to bolster the front line if that same attacking star didn't actually end up arriving at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

But it's interesting to note that Tottenham haven't forgotten about their need for defensive depth, specifically at left back. They've been mulling center back options, mostly as emergency plans in case Cristian Romero were to leave, but since the World Cup hero isn't exiting Spurs, the focus will likely be on a left back.

Aside from Mathias Olivera of Napoli, there haven't been any top options linked to Tottenham at left back this summer. With Palhinha on the way, perhaps more left backs will be mentioned going forward as Spurs move ahead with left back listed as a secondary transfer need behind another attacking game-changer.

The need for another forward is quite obvious to Tottenham fans, especially if Spurs, as many expect, decide to sell club legend Son Heung-min off to LAFC or another MLS club this summer.