Hotspur HQ

Next Sunday, Tottenham Hotspur will get to show the rest of the Premier League what they are made of, as Thomas Frank will have to face his most important match as Spurs coach yet. Because for as big as a UEFA Supercup battle with PSG is or a matchup against Chelsea may be, there is nothing - absolutely nothing - bigger than the North London Derby, maybe not even in the entire Premier League as a whole.

Spurs are reeling a bit after drawing Manchester United 2-2 in the Premier League in the final matchup before the November international break, but they recently got a boost that they should not take for granted going into next Sunday vs. Arsenal.

In the Brazil national team's 2-0 friendly win over Senegal, Arsenal star center back Gabriel Magalhaes had to leave the pitch during the match with an adductor injury, as confirmed by national team manager Carlo Ancelotti. Further testing will reveal the true extent of the injury to Gabriel, but with just about a week before the North London Derby, Gabriel's injury is a massive result for Tottenham and Arsenal in very different ways.

All eyes will be on Mathys Tel then

Because even if Gabriel is able to play against Spurs and recover in time from this, adductor injuries have a way of lingering. It may make Arsenal more hesitant about playing him, and if he does play, he won't be at his full 100 percent best, which is something Tottenham can try to take advantage of.

Now, Arsenal do have an amazing new third choice center back in Cristhian Mosquera, who they shrewdly picked up in the summer transfer window from Valencia. But nobody can replace Gabriel, who has honestly been the best pure defensive player in the Premier League this season, as much as some Spurs fans may hate to admit that fact.

Any injury to Gabriel, even if it ends up being just a little nick, is a big deal. And Tottenham need any attacking advantage they can get, since they have been absolutely putrid in that sense with not even Frank being able to pick them up out of their slump.

With Richarlison struggling again last week vs. Manchester United, young Mathys Tel, who scored an important goal off the bench as a striker, is expected to draw the start at the 9. Not having to face Gabriel - or facing a less amped up Gabriel - will be huge for the young Frenchman, who can't afford to be bullied out of the game.

Tottenham's sporting director Fabio Paratici returned to the club in an official capacity last month, but the Italian has disclosed how close he was to opting for a different venture earlier this year.

First hired by Daniel Levy in 2021, Paratici was initially tasked with finding José Mourinho's long-term successor. A chaotic managerial search culminated in Nuno Espírito Santo getting the job, but the current West Ham United boss lasted just ten Premier League games in the role.

Antonio Conte was subsequently appointed, allowing Paratici to team up with an old friend from Juventus. However, the director, who quickly emerged as a popular figure among supporters, found himself in trouble with the law for some of the business he conducted with the Bianconeri.

Paratici got caught up in the 'Plusvalenza' scandal and received a 30-month ban from FIFA in March 2023, forcing him to resign from his role in north London a month later. However, there was a sense that the 'Don' never really went away. He operated as a consultant to the club during his suspension, and an official comeback was seemingly inevitable upon the expiry of his ban.

Paratici was confirmed as Spurs' co-sporting director alongside Johan Lange in mid-October, with the Italian saying he was "delighted to be returning to a club that I love."

However, that isn't to say the former Juve director didn't flirt with alternative opportunities.

Fabio Paratici reveals he was 'very close to joining Milan' before Spurs return

There was a point earlier this year when it seemed as if Paratici would take a high-profile job in his homeland.

The highly-regarded director held talks with Milan over a hierarchical position, and was ready to join the Rossoneri, but the club pulled the plug on his appointment at the last, much to Paratici's surprise. He maintains that he "doesn't know" why the deal fell through.

“We were very close [to agreeing a deal with Milan]," the 53-year-old told Sky Sport. "Then, if the marriage wasn’t completely concluded, I don’t know why. Diplomatic? No, I’m not, and I’m not getting any better at it. But I can’t stand there wondering why, after everything I’ve been through, if this influenced a club’s decisions.”

A rather messy situation culminated in Milan appointing long-time Lazio director Igli Tare instead.

Paratici thus remained in touch with the Lilywhites before joining forces with Lange in N17. There's hope that their combination of skills will prove fruitful in the market, with the Italian's eye and Dane's number-crunching potentially combining the great effect.

Don't worry, fellas, it'll all be over soon. To be honest, I'm quite enjoying the break—the last until next March.

Amid my bid to "find myself" during the November international break, I almost forgot that I'd committed to a monthly Power Ranking of the Tottenham squad. Our first was produced during last month's internationals, with Thomas Frank's side taking to the field seven times between the two intervals.

Thus, there have been plenty of opportunities for our top five to change. You must be desperate to find out, I can sense it through the screen. Your scrolls per second are increasing exponentially.

To be honest, I'm done with the introduction. So, let's get into the good stuff. Here's our Tottenham Power Ranking for November 2025.

Honourable Mentions: Pedro Porro, Destiny Udogie, Pape Matar Sarr.

The Italian shot-stopper is not perfect, but I won't tolerate Guglielmo Vicario being made a scapegoat.

There will come a time when Spurs may need to think about an upgrade, but that time isn't now. Plenty wanted to see more of Antonín Kinsky between the posts, including this writer, but the Czech only reasserted Vicario's status as Thomas Frank's No. 1 with his performance against Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup.

A big character in the dressing room and on the pitch, Vicario, statistically, has been one of the best-performing goalkeepers in the Premier League this season. According to FBRef, his save percentage ranks third in the division, and he only sits behind Dean Henderson for 'goals prevented'.

Vicario's shot-stopping has been stellar, but he still leaves much to be desired as a ball claimer and distributor.

João Palhinha may struggle to pass a football, but boy, does he know how to win it back. We've always known this, to be fair.

Palhinha's success in north London will ultimately be determined by Frank's utilisation of him. He should be limited at home, but at the forefront of the manager's thinking for big away days.

The Portuguese international supplies steel in the middle of the park, and is a profile we've sorely lacked for years. Since the October break, Palhinha starred off the ball against Monaco and Everton, before adding to his impressive scoring tally this season in the emphatic triumph over Copenhagen.

The captain moves down a place primarily because of his injury absence. Cristian Romero missed four games in October, before returning to play a makeshift centre-forward role in the defeat we all want to forget to Chelsea.

The Argentine then didn't produce his best work in the 2-2 draw with Manchester United before the interval, but I'd suggest that was the only time Romero has looked off colour all season.

He remains an imperious presence and a critical figure for Frank's side in possession.

Also moving down a spot is Mohammed Kudus, who topped our Ranking last month after enjoying a fine start to his Tottenham career.

There have been no goal contributions over the past month, though, with the Ghanaian suffering from a couple of knocks he sustained against Everton and Newcastle. Kudus missed the final two games before the break as a result.

It was a quieter period for the winger, who continued to operate as a one-man outlet in Tottenham's attack. As I've alluded to several teams, an improvement in balance and connectivity down the left will help Kudus re-emerge on the opposite flank.

Leapfrogging Romero and Kudus into our esteemed No. 1 spot is the former's centre-back partner, Micky van de Ven. How could he not?

Since our last Ranking, Van de Ven became the first Tottenham defender since Jan Vertonghen in 2013 to score a Premier League brace. If that wasn't impressive enough, the Dutchman then decided to put himself in the hat for the Puskás Award with a stunning solo goal in the Champions League win over Copenhagen.

Micky's one of a kind, and he may take some serious dislodging at the top of our Power Ranking.

Tottenham Hotspur are staring down all the flaws in their squad at the November international break, and it's abundantly clear to the vast majority of Spurs supporters that the most pressing issues plaguing the squad are the same ones they were already most worried about coming into the 2025/26 Premier League and Champions League seasons.

Spurs lack goals. Son Heung-min left for MLS, and Spurs were already struggling in the scoring department even before his decline and subsequent departure to the United States. Dominic Solanke has been unable to get healthy, and new loan signing Randal Kolo Muani has been essentially in the same boat, leaving Spurs in quite the lurch.

So it should come as no surprise that, per a report from Sky Sports News editor Lyall Thomas and reporter Mark McAdam, Tottenham are trying to sign one more forward in the upcoming January transfer window, with their main focus being a left sided player who can upgrade that position. Specifically, Spurs are poised to compete with Manchester City and Liverpool for breakout superstar Antoine Semenyo.

An old transfer target for Spurs

Now, the Semenyo links are not new for Tottenham. Spurs were after Semenyo earlier this year but decided not to make a serious play for the Bournemouth winger due to his price tag. But now that Semenyo is playing even better and scoring more goals from the left side, having been moreso on the right last season, for an even more dangerous Bournemouth side, he's really piqued their interest as a transfer target.

The thing is, Semenyo is only more expensive now, and with two Premier League title contenders after him in Man City and Liverpool, he definitely isn't going to get any easier for Spurs to acquire, especially not in the winter with the Cherries still very much in European football contention.

If it isn't Semenyo, Tottenham fans will want to see a real star brought in to play the left wing. That's the least that can be done after losing a player of the stature of Son Heung-min in the summer. Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel have shown some promise on the left wing, but, obviously, Spurs need someone who can shine in the here and now, especially if they want to make a big push for one of the Champions League places at the end of the 2025/26 campaign. It's nothing less than what Spurs supporters expect from their club.

Fabio Paratici must be casting a watchful glance over the ongoings at Juventus, with a potential contract dispute playing out between club and its most prized asset, Kenan Yıldız.

Paratici's return to the club in an official capacity in the summer has some of us dreaming that Turkish sensation Yıldız could emerge as a legitimate target for Tottenham, thanks to the director's connections with the Bianconeri.

Paratici turned to his former club to appease Antonio Conte midway though the 2021/22 season, helping the club acquire Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur. However, Juve will be far less willing to part ways with Yıldız, even if they're unable to reach an agreement with the 20-year-old over a new deal.

Kenan Yıldız contract dispute opens door for hopeful Tottenham

Yıldız's contract in Turin doesn't expire until 2029, but there's a recognition on behalf of both sides that the winger is deserving of a reworked deal.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport (via Forza Juventus on X), Yıldız currently earns €1.5m a year with the Old Lady, but wants a new deal worth €6m a year. As it stands, Juve are willing to offer the 20-year-old €5m.

While this wouldn't seem a major issue, other Italian outlets, including Corriere dello Sport (via Forza Juventus on X), write that if no renewal is reached by the time the summer transfer window rolls around, Juve would consider selling Yıldız "for around €100m."

The club's need to sell would likely depend on whether they qualify for next season's Champions League, and it's currently hard to gauge whether the Bianconeri are well placed to do so. The appointment of Luciano Spalletti should help, but they entered the international break sixth in Serie A.

Yıldız's breakout over the past 18 months has doubtless been impressive, with his direct running and ferocious ball-striking suggesting that the 20-year-old will enjoy a stellar career at the highest level. Plenty are reportedly interested, and he plays a position that Spurs may look to upgrade via the purchase of a potential superstar next year.

Son Heung-min hasn't yet been adequately replaced, and while Wilson Odobert is developing nicely, Spurs undoubtedly need another option down their left-hand side.

The youthful Yıldız would be a wonderful fit for Thomas Frank's frontline, but it'll likely take some Paratici magic for Spurs to have any chance of pulling such a deal off. The sharks will circle if word gets out of Yıldız discontent, and the Lilywhites must place themselves in the best position possible to land a dream target.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank has done an admirable job with what he's inherited, all things being equal, because he took the position of a team that finished 17th in the Premier League and lost its most important players to either exit (Son Heung-min) or serious injuries (Dejan Kulusevski, Dominic Solanke, and James Maddison).

Spurs attack already had holes in it coming into the 2025/26 season, but the attack had been ravaged further, with only Mohammed Kudus standing out as a true star up front. Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert have potential, but they are too young to be entrusted as stars of the team.

So Tottenham are fully expected to be active in the winter and summer 2026 transfer windows when it comes to bolstering both the left wing and even striker positions, as new loan signing Randal Kolo Muani has yet to make the desired impact.

Kolo Muani was a standout for Juventus last season, and Spurs have been linked back to Fabio Paratici's favorite well for a less impressive 2024/25 striker performer in Dusan Vlahovic, who, on paper, is a prime bounce back candidate when looking at his physical tools and past track record before joining the Bianconeri.

Tottenham doesn't want Fabio Paratici's guy

But despite Vlahovic's obvious upside and minuscule price tag on an expiring contract, it appears Thomas Frank is disinterested in taking a gamble on the Serbian international. According to a report from TEAMtalk's Dean Jones, Frank wants to move in a different direction on the striker transfer market than Vlahovic, leaving the 25-year-old open to join another club, such as London rivals Chelsea and West Ham.

Juventus are amidst another sea of change this season with the legendary Luciano Spalletti stepping in to spell the, quite frankly, entirely overmatched Igor Tudor. Vlahovic has shown signs of returning to stardom this season in spurts, but, by and large, the striker looks like a man who wants a change of scenery to wash away the sourness of a move to Turin that he so desperately envisioned turning out differently.

Tottenham Hotspur supporters probably aren't doing a whole lot of relaxing during this November international break, because as is customary, Spurs are heading into the break coming off a poor result, blowing what would have been a comeback win by allowing Matthijs de Ligt to score a wide open header at the back post in a 2-2 draw with Manchester United.

When Spurs come out of the break, they will face a much stronger opponent in the literal best team in the Premier League right now, hated rivals Arsenal. And after how badly a lesser rival in Chelsea embarrassed them in their last derby, Spurs are under immense pressure for their first North London Derby of the mixed Thomas Frank era.

Tottenham may be getting a real boost, though, ahead of the Nov. 23 battle against the Gunners. Arsenal have been tight lipped about the injury status of Martin Odegaard, who is traveling with the Norway national team as moral support this international break but won't be playing.

Tottenham have to prepare for a summer enemy

Well, Norway manager Stale Solbakken just let it slip that Odegaard is still far away from returning from his injury, dropping a major hint that as much as Arsenal are hiding things in an effort to keep Tottenham on their toes, their captain isn't likely to play in the North London Derby. Solbakken said, via Football.London's Ryan Taylor, “It is steady. It is going in a steady direction, but he is some distance away.”

It sounds an awful lot like Tottenham are going to have to prepare for Eberechi Eze, the man who burned them this past summer by flirting with Spurs before choosing childhood club Arsenal at the last second.

Eze is a good player, but he's honestly a fraction of the footballer that Odegaard is in terms of his creativity and ability to find the pass. Both are clutch players, but Odegaard is a different league to Eze, so not having to face him as a player and leader would be massive for Spurs.

Tottenham Hotspur have quite a few needs they still need to address in the coming winter and summer transfer windows next year, but nowhere on the roster are Spurs more desperate for help than in the attack.

Although youngsters Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel reminded everyone of their quality in Saturday's 2-2 draw with Manchester United, changing the game for the better, the club's options at striker are far from impressive. Dominic Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani have been plagued by injuries, and based on what we have seen from these two players during their careers, they will never be world-class options for Spurs anyway. And the less said about Richarlison at this point, the better.

Tottenham can blow all the smoke to the fans they want about spending big in an era without Daniel Levy, but Spurs supporters know better than to take any of that at face value. Realistically, Spurs are going to be gambling on young, ascending talents with enough red flags to prevent them from being 80 million pound transfers, and they have apparently found their latest transfer target.

One of Brazil's biggest standouts

According to a report from Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke, Tottenham have joined fellow Premier League giants Manchester United and rivals Chelsea with interest in young Brazilian striker Vitor Roque, who was signed for a great deal of money to play for Xavi and Barcelona but quickly flamed out after being buried on the bench behind Robert Lewandowski.

Like Richarlison, Roque is a Brazilian who can play on the left wing as well as striker, but he has made it clear throughout his career that he only wants to be a striker. Roque feels like ancient history since it's been years since he was in the spotlight at Barca, and he did play for Real Betis thereafter. But he is just 20 years old.

More to the point, Roque is having a great 2025/26 season in South America again. Roque is the new face of Palmeiras and scored 16 goals in 22 starts with solid all-around numbers, including 1.1 key passes per game and nearly four combined dribbles completed and fouls drawn per match.

Every Tottenham transfer target from Juventus pairing Jonathan David and Dusan Vlahovic to Roque is going to have flaws, but Roque has more upside and recent production than the other strikers linked to Tottenham. He has a chance at being a legitimate target in 2026.

Tottenham Hotspur had an active summer transfer window, but it's been a mixed bag in terms of overall success. Keeping Mathys Tel permanently from Bayern Munich was a wise move long term, Joao Palhinha has been a big success on loan from Bayern in the defensive midfield, and maybe Randal Kolo Muani can offer something later in the season at striker.

But by and large, the only truly successful, immediate upgrade Tottenham have made to their starting lineup from the summer window of business was right winger Mohammed Kudus. The former West Ham star has been even better under Thomas Frank at Tottenham, and, without him, the Spurs attack would be somewhere in the Premier League's gutter.

More help is needed, and some transfer rumors have been circling back to West Ham as a place where Spurs could find that help. Proven Premier League goal scorer Jarrod Bowen was a great one-two punch with Kudus in West London, and he is a leader and consistent difference maker in the final third.

Tottenham won't sign rival star

The problem is that he won't be available. According to a new report from Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke, Bowen is "highly unlikely" to leave West Ham next year, as the Hammers are fully expected to swiftly turn down any and all transfer offers for him, unless they are of an "irresistible" nature.

It makes sense, after all. Bowen is by far their best player, and after the sting of losing Kudus to rivals Tottenham and then watching Spurs trample over them 3-0, they will hardly want to part ways with an even more important player - least of all to a direct Premier League rival.

Bowen is versatile enough to play through the middle or on the right, but like Kudus, he does his best work with that trusty left foot of his from the right side of the attack. So spending a boatload of money on Bowen in order to sway West Ham honestly wouldn't make sense for Spurs from that vantage point, since they'd have to sacrifice someone from the right hand side.

And even though left footers should be scarcer than right footers, Tottenham's real problem is on the left side of the attack, as the big shoes of Son Heung-min still have not been filled. Bowen could have been a worthwhile investment as a secondary scoring option since Tottenham need the goals, but it looks like he can be crossed off the transfer wishlist.

Bayern Munich superstar striker Harry Kane is having another season for the ages, and it truly feels like, especially in terms of all around play, the 32 year old No. 9 has never been better. Tottenham Hotspur supporters have been continuing to dream of a potential reunion with Kane in 2026 if Thomas Frank and the club can just coax him to run it back with an improved squad around him.

Everything Kane has said and everything reported in the transfer rumor mill seems to indicate that any links between Tottenham and Kane are nothing more than fool's gold and false hope. Kane has no interest in leaving Bayern at this time, especially not for a club like Tottenham that isn't competing for league or Champions League titles; he's graduated above the Europa League, at this point, and so have Spurs, to be brutally honest.

And Tottenham aren't the only club after Kane, as Barcelona have become increasingly attuned to the sliver of availability for the superstar striker. Per a report from The Guardian's Will Unwin, the Blaugrana have their own pipe dreams of locking in Kane as their new striker, as they are ready to replace the aging Robert Lewandowski and now view Kane as their ideal successor.

Tottenham would not be favored

Lewa left Bayern for Barcelona to chase a Ballon d'Or, and while he failed in that regard, he became a legend at another historic club and won two La Liga titles en route. Now, Lewandowski is still very, very good, but Barcelona want to go with someone younger.

And since Erling Haaland isn't on the table and Etta Eyong may not be ready to be "the guy" for Barca, Kane could be a compromise as a superstar striker who is a few years younger than Lewandowski and can bridge the gap until someone like Eyong is ready for prime time.

Barca's interest is a huge blow for Tottenham, because if given the choice, it's honestly hard to justify why Kane would pick Spurs over the Blaugrana, other than nostalgia. And all bias aside, it is never a good idea to pick nostalgia, especially when it's quite evident that Tottenham are nowhere near Barcelona in terms of attacking quality.

Pedri, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and even Ferran Torres and Marcus Rashford lap all of the forwards Tottenham have in their squad at this point. So if Kane were to even contemplate leaving Bayern, it would make no sense to pick Spurs over Barcelona.