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Tottenham Hotspur appear to be headed for the next stage in their rebuild, because after finishing 17th in the Premier League, chairman Daniel Levy made the decision to fire manager Ange Postecoglou despite the fact that the Australian led Spurs to their first Europa League title in 41 years.

Postecoglou's exit from N17 was sad enough, but Spurs supporters have to prepare themselves for players to exit the club in order for new faces to fill out the next phase of the sporting project under expected new hire Thomas Frank of Brentford fame.

Some of those changes won't be unwelcome by any means, as players like Yves Bissouma and Richarlison haven't made good on their price tags or expected contributions. But the move Tottenham fans fear the most is the loss of captain Son Heung-min, who entrenched himself as the biggest modern Spurs legend with this Europa League title triumph.

Son Heung-min has one major suitor already

Son's departure to Saudi Arabia didn't happen last year, but 2025 could be the year the South Korean legend moves on from the highest level of European football. According to a report from Football.London's Alasdair Gold, Son is more open to leaving Tottenham this year than he has in any previous year before, and there are now serious questions internally about his future in North London.

After posting one of the worst seasons of his career in 2024/25 and seeing the second half of his campaign blighted by injury, Son will be 33 when the 2025/26 season opens up. And if Tottenham sign Mathys Tel permanently from Bayern Munich, as is expected, there will be a real debate as to whether or not Tel is already the superior option on the left wing after watching the two of them play at the end of the season.

Furthermore, Postecoglou showed a little less trust in Son as a starter towards the end of the season. Son could see Postecoglou's firing and his own Europa League glory as a sign that this is the best time to leave Tottenham on a high and help both Spurs and himself cash in on one final paycheck with a move to, say, Al-Hilal, who are highly interested in the ex-Bundesliga star after Saudi decided to keep Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr.

Tottenham fans have to be ready to wave an even more tearful farewell to Son than the one they recently gave to Postecoglou. Son has been there for Tottenham through all the highs and lows over the past decade, and while all is not said and done, it feels more and more like this could be the end.

From the moment Tottenham Hotspur officially decided to part ways with Ange Postecoglou as their manager, it was clear that Brentford coach Thomas Frank would be the top target that Daniel Levy and Co. would be targeting. Even before the Spurs manager rumors died down for a bit, Frank was reportedly the club's top target, and, now, Frank and Tottenham are said to be close to an agreement.

While most Tottenham fans are focused on the players Frank could bring in to the club, including Brentford's biggest star in right winger Bryan Mbeumo, plenty of other fans are thinking more big-picture about Frank's philosophy and how he can help the squad planning in North London.

Frank and Brentford have become famous around footballing circles for their "Moneyball" approach, which has earned widespread acclaim and admiration. He has unearthed some real gems in the Premier League, such as Mbeumo, and Spurs supporters are hoping the club will allow him to do the same at N17 and have a big say in the club's overall process.

Apparently that will indeed be the case. According to a report from TBR Football's Graeme Bailey and Jamie Brown, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has agreed to allow Frank to have a key say in the club's recruitment strategy and process.

Thomas Frank is Daniel Levy's guy

While Levy won't give Frank the final say on all signings, the incoming manager has given assurances that his word will carry significant weight. Reportedly, Frank made it clear to Tottenham that he wanted to have certain "guarantees" from the club about how things would be run with him as manager.

It's smart on all counts to have Frank heavily involved. Frank has surely seen the way the managers before him have been treated by Tottenham and their inability to bring in the players they want or be backed appropriately, and he doesn't want to fall victim to that.

At the same time, Spurs would undoubtedly benefit from Frank's input, insight on players, and overall strategy. Levy likes to keep within a certain budget, and Frank is used to doing more with less at Brentford, who outperformed Tottenham in the Premire League during the 2024/25 season.

As TBR Football report, Levy is sold on Frank as his guy, and, therefore, if he is so sold on Frank, he should have no issues with letting his pick as manager have a key role inside the walls of the club above simply being the manager on the pitch.

Although Tottenham fans have been severely bummed out these past few days after getting their hopes up that Europa League-winning manager Ange Postecoglou would stay at the club after his historic achievement, only to watch him get canned, there is optimism around expected new hire Thomas Frank.

A large part of that optimism has to do with the kinds of players Tottenham fans are hoping Frank can bring with him from Brentford. The main gem they are hoping for is 25-year-old right winger Bryan Mbeumo, but striker Yoane Wissa and center back Nathan Collins are two other key players from the 2024/25 Bees squad that could potentially help Spurs in 2025/26.

Mbeumo has been on Tottenham's transfer radar, but the 20-goal, 7-assist winger has chosen Europa League losers Manchester United over Spurs. However, with Frank set to come in as Postecoglou's replacement, there's been hope from Tottenham fans that he can change Mbeumo's mind.

For that to happen, though, Daniel Levy and Tottenham will have to sanction spending as much on wages and a transfer fee to Brentford as what Manchester United are willing to pay, and that should leave even the most hopeful of Tottenham fans a bit pessimistic.

Tottenham's biggest dream target isn't realistic at this point

Now, per a report from Mike Keegan and Matt Barlow of the Daily Mail, despite the recent reports and optimism from Spurs supporters, it's actually "highly unlikely" that Tottenham enter the transfer battle from Mbeumo at this stage and attempt to hijack an expected transfer from Brentford to Manchester United.

It's just one report and clearly not the end-all, be-all with regards to the Mbeumo transfer rumors, but it is a disappointing blow and one that seems like the most realistic outcome, looking at the financial details of Mbeumo's potential move to Man United and the fact that no Spurs player makes 10 million pounds in wages.

Mbeumo is likely headed to Manchester United, and Tottenham are either going to have to look hard at alternative wing options in the Premier League like Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo or stick to a platoon of Dejan Kulusevski and Europa League Final hero Brennan Johnson, who scored a team-high 11 goals in the Premier League last season, as their main options on the right wing.

It's not over with regards to Mbeumo, but it was always a bit hopeful and more than a tad bit unrealistic to expect Frank to be a great equalizer who convinces Tottenham to spend and Mbeumo to scrap his apparent desired move to Old Trafford.

After Tottenham Hotspur decided to part ways with manager Ange Postecoglou on Friday, there's been a lot of speculation as to which players could follow the beloved coach out the door. While center back Cristian Romero has been highlighted as the most likely to leave, there are real doubts about Son Heung-min's future in North London.

The club legend will be on an expiring contract, and while Spurs fans largely don't want to see the captain leave any time soon, Daniel Levy may have other ideas if he gets a rich offer from Saudi Arabia. Shortly after Postecoglou's firing, rumors of Son's potentially departure began to swirl, and ambitious Saudi giants Al-Hilal, keen on making an impression at the Club World Cup, have been concretely linked to the South Korean superstar.

Al-Hilal have been linked to a large number of great forwards in European football this summer, and they've already made arguably the biggest splash of the summer transfer window by hiring Champions League finalist Simone Inzaghi to manage them.

Their main target was Cristiano Ronaldo, who was rumored to be under consideration to switch Saudi giants from Al-Nassr to Al-Hilal by order of the government in order to increase the league's popularity and chances of making a statement at the Club World Cup. Al-Hilal and Real Madrid, after all, are in the same group.

Cristiano Ronaldo isn't leaving Al-Nassr

However, in the aftermath of Ronaldo's Nations League triumph with Portugal, Fabrizio Romano is reporting that Cristiano has publicly confirmed he is staying with Al-Nassr. CR7 will reportedly be signing a new contract with his club this summer.

That means Ronaldo is off the table for Al-Hilal, and with players like Victor Osimhen and Viktor Gyokeres rejecting high salary offers from them, their attention could increasingly turn to the 32-year-old Son. Younger players like Osimhen and Gyokeres have no interest in Al-Hilal, so the Saudi powerhouse must keep going for veterans.

Since Cristiano will stay with Al-Nassr, their best hope at getting a big-name attacker who can move the needle and still play effective football at the top level may be acquiring Son Heung-min from Tottenham. Spurs fans worried about losing their biggest club legend will have to fret about this Cristiano news, since it means Al-Hilal could have more desperation and more funds to throw at Spurs and Son in order to coax a transfer.

Of course, not every Tottenham fan shares the same opinion, and there will be some who believe this is a natural time for Son to leave Spurs on a high and give the club back some valuable transfer capital that can be utilized to sign an up-and-coming Premier League winger like Bryan Mbeumo or Antoine Semenyo.

Tottenham Hotspur are expected to be major buyers in the summer 2025 transfer window with a Champions League return on the horizon and a new coach set to replace Ange Postecoglou. Spurs are close to agreeing to terms with Brentford manager Thomas Frank, who already has designs on bringing multiple stars from the Bees to Spurs.

But Tottenham aren't hiring Frank just to buy the players he wants from Brentford and elsewhere. Even under a very stingy chairman in Daniel Levy, Tottenham will be doing buying. But they are also hiring Frank because of his track record at coaching young players and bringing out the most productive version of up-and-coming attackers.

Welsh international Brennan Johnson was the surprising league leader in goals for Tottenham last season with 11, outscoring more experienced players in superstar Son Heung-min and 60 million pound strikers Dominic Solanke and Richarlison.

It was Johnson, of course, who scored the winning goal in the Europa League Final against Manchester United, following up his uncanny trademark of always being in the right place at the right time.

Brennan Johnson made his presence felt

Although Wales lost this World Cup qualification match, Johnson was a bright spot in the 4-3 defeat to Belgium. Not only did the 24-year-old score a goal for Wales, but he also had a good all-around game for his country, which has commonly been a steep criticism of Johnson's at Tottenham; he's there for the goals but does little else that you'd want from a winger.

Johnson had a key pass, a dribble completed, three fouls drawn, and even three combined tackles and interceptions in an eye-catching performance that, had it not been for some atrocious defending from his teammates, would normally be a matchwinning one.

It came at a great time, too, as Tottenham will be welcoming Frank soon, and Johnson could play an even bigger role under the new coach than he did under Postecoglou. That's because Frank actaully tried to bring Johnson to Brentford before Spurs ambitiously outbid the Bees for the young Welshman.

Johnson's display against Belgium is one that Frank will undoubtedly have taken notice of, and the 24-year-old could be a crucial player on the right wing for the new coach, especially if, as expected, Spurs aren't willing or able to outbid Manchester United for Frank's Brentford right winger Bryan Mbeumo. Tottenham need their young talents to take the next step in 2025/26, and the onus will be on Johnson to improve his all-around game.

Tottenham Hotspur need to sign attacking reinforcements this summer transfer window, as they have a serious lack of difference-makers up front. Brennan Johnson was the only Spurs player to score at least 10 goals in the Premier League last season, and no player registered 10 assists.

Thomas Frank is expected to take over as the next Tottenham coach for Ange Postecoglou, and after leading a Brentford line that boasted Yoane Wissa, Bryan Mbeumo, Kevin Schade, and Mikel Damsgaard, Frank will have his work cut out for him at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2025/26.

In addition to trying to bring Mbeumo with him to fill the right wing position, which will be a lot easier said than done for Spurs when the stingy Daniel Levy is their chairman, Frank is expected to try and bring a starting-caliber left winger with him to Tottenham, too.

TalkSPORT's Ben Jacobs reports that while Mathys Tel is expected back at Tottenham permanently going forward despite Postecoglou's dismisal, Tottenham won't just settle for purchasing the Frenchman permanently from Bayern Munich as their solution on the left wing.

Tottenham won't settle for one new left winger this summer

Tottenham reportedly want to sign another left winger in addition to Tel, and they are indeed interested in Manchester City left winger Jack Grealish, who has other Premier League clubs lining up to sign him after the Citizens made it clear that he's not a part of Pep Guardiola's future plans.

Grealish has been consistently linked to Tottenham in the past, and while those links cooled recently, Jacobs has put them squarely back into play now that a deal could actually happen. Although Grealish is 29, he's three years younger than Son Heung-min, who has been increasingly the subject of transfer speculation, with Saudi Arabia clubs renewing their approach for the South Korean icon after Postecoglou's firing.

The Europa League win, combined with the loss of Postecoglou, could leave Son with the idea that this is a natural goodbye to Tottenham, moving on to the next - more financially lucrative - stage of his career. While most Tottenham fans won't want to see Son go, a combination of Son himself and Levy could lead to Spurs needing to find a replacement.

Grealish is a legitimate option. Although he hasn't been very productive for City of late and took a clear backseat to younger options last season, talent has never been a question with Grealish. One of the most exciting players in the Premier League at Aston Villa, Guardiola frustratingly turned him into more of a progressive winger than a true difference-maker, but in this unselfish role, the England international proved to be indispensable in Man City's treble triumph of 2022/23.

Tottenham Hotspur have been working on signing Thomas Frank as their new manager since Friday night when they fired Ange Postecoglou, and it looks like Spurs are close to hiring Frank, based on information from Fabrizio Romano and other important transfer insiders around Europe.

It's only a matter of time before Frank is announced as the next Tottenham coach, and there's an expectation from fans and transfer reporters that he will try to bring his biggest gem from Brentford with him, Bryan Mbeumo.

According to a new report from the Hounslow Herald's Sam Tabuteau, not only are Frank and Spurs in the final hours of agreeing to terms on an official deal, but the Brentford coach wants to bring both Mbeumo and defender Nathan Collins with him to North London.

Mbeumo has been linked to Tottenham for weeks, long before Postecoglou left the club, but he apparently already chose to join Manchester United above the other big Premier League clubs. In fact, Man United have already begun negotiating with Brentford for the 25-year-old right winger, but there's a hope that Frank can sway the breakout star forward's mind.

Tottenham are looking at Cristian Romero replacements

There's no doubt that Mbeumo is an ambitious and transformative target for the Tottenham attack, but few have focused on Collins as a potential option. Per Tabuteau, Collins is an option for Spurs if Cristian Romero were to leave the club this summer, and with Tottenham already linked to a few center back targets after Postecoglou's dismissal, Romero's departure unfortunately seems like it could happen.

Collins is a couple of years younger than Romero at 24, and the Ireland international is coming off a career year for a Brentford side that significantly outperformed Tottenham in the Premier League. He averaged 1.1 tackles, 0.9 interceptions, 5.8 clearances, 1.5 blocks, and 0.4 dribbles completed allowed while completing 86.3 percent of his 51.6 pass attempts per game. He even contributed five goals to the Brentford good.

None of those numbers jump off the page as elite, but taken all together, they are solid and show that Collins has no major deficiencies to his game and is a quality Premier League center back. Given the aspirations Tottenham should have, Collins isn't a starter or a direct replacement for Romero, but he could be a decent buy for Spurs if the price is right.

Obviously, the real target Tottenham should be going after is Mbeumo, but the concern with the 20-goal, 7-assist winger is this: Would Daniel Levy be willing to outbid Manchester United in wages for him? Frank can push all he wants, but we all know the stinginess of Levy is the ultimate deciding factor in these cases.

As Tottenham Hotspur embark on a new future without Ange Postecoglou, Daniel Levy and the club will have to study new transfer targets to replace the players that will inevitably depart and to plug up the obvious holes in a squad that could only muster a 17th-placed finish in the Premier League despite conquering the Europa League.

Cristian Romero is one of the high-profile players who is increasingly likely to leave this summer after the decision to fire Postecoglou, and so Tottenham are going to need to look at all the best available center back options to replace a player who was named the best of the 2024/25 Europa League tournament.

It won't be easy to replace Romero, but Tottenham have been linked to a number of quality center back options like Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite, Roma's Evan N'Dicka, and a host of other underrated options in Serie A like Bologna's Jhon Lucumi.

Another name that should be on Tottenham's list is Loic Bade. The French center back has been one of the most underrated players in European football over the last several years, but he's been pretty close to world-class as a beautiful covering defender for Sevilla, perhaps the one of the only things (along with winger Dodi Lukebakio) keeping the historic Spanish club from outright embarrassment and relegation.

Tottenham could replace one Europa League hero with another

Bade has proven himself on the big stage before, such as against Roma in the Europa League Final two years ago. But he did it again in the Nations League on Sunday, blanketing Germany in a third place game that always favored France.

The 25-year-old defender rose to the occasion with a majestic, commanding display at the heart of the French defense, and on a country with so many great defensive talents, Bade made it clear that he's just as good as any of them because of his ability to read the game and avoid mistakes.

Bade cleared five balls and put his body on the line with two blocked shots, making two tackles and completing about 94 percent of his passes in a nearly flawless defensive display against one of the best national teams in Europe.

Tottenham will need to sign the right profile to pair with Micky van de Ven if they have to replace Romero, and Bade could be a great fit for the uber-athletic Van de Ven with his more reserved and tactical approach to defending.

It's remarkable that Bade isn't a bigger name in European football, but the cat may leap out of the bag soon. Before then, Tottenham would be wise to recruit him and leap at the chance to replace a potentially LaLiga-bound Romero with Sevilla's Bade, who is one year younger and likely significantly cheaper.

For weeks, it seemed like Tottenham would have to resign themselves to Cristian Romero's departure, because after he publicly stated his desire to join a club in LaLiga, Atletico Madrid appeared to accelerate their interest in Tottenham's vice captain.

It was reported that Romero's chances of staying with Spurs could increase if Ange Postecoglou were to be retained, but now that Postecoglou has been dismissed as Tottenham manager, the positive momentum built through the successful Europa League campaign has dissipated.

With the jubilation of the Europa League triumph and Romero's crucial performances in getting to that point, including a massive one in the final against Manchester United, it seemed like Romero would be staying with Tottenham. Spurs were apparently driving too hard of a bargain for Atletico Madrid, Romero seemed so happy, Champions League football would be on the way, and big-time accolades and recognition were rolling in for the Argentinian international.

Now, though, it would be an upset if Tottenham were to hold onto the 26-year-old center back, and whlie nothing certain has been done, the tea leaves seem to be pointing in the direction of a Romero exit this summer.

Tottenham are after another top Serie A center back

Just days after Postecoglou's firing, Romero has been quiet while Spurs are already being linked to replacements. RMC Sport's Fabrice Hawkins reports that Tottenham have made an inquiry to Roma about their center back Evan N'Dicka, via The Spurs Express.

N'Dicka is, per the report, valued at 40 million euros, which is a sum Tottenham are unlikely to make without selling Romero first. And with links to Jarrad Branthwaite ramping up, too, it seems like Tottenham are preparing for the strong possiility of Romero leaving by coming up with a shortlist of notable candidates to fill his shoes as starters next to Micky van de Ven.

A lot of the targets linked to Spurs at center back are, like Romero, from Serie A. N'Dicka was one of the most touted defenders in the Bundesliga for Eintracht Frankfurt for years before the Frenchman moved to Roma, where he has been comfortably one of the better defenders in Italian football.

While N'Dicka is good enough to start for Spurs, he isn't as good as Romero, and he may not be seen as an adequate replacement for the Argentinian. The interest in N'Dicka doesn't necessarily mean that Romero is doomed to go, but taken in context with Postecoglou's dismissal, it seems eerily like Tottenham are waiting for the other shoe to drop with a player who had a close relationship with his now former manager.

Tottenham superstar left winger Son-Heung min is the highest-profile player on Spurs, and he is also the highest-profile player on Spurs who could leave this summer. His chances of departing Tottenham may have increased with the dismissal of manager Ange Postecoglou, and the immediate aftermath of the coach's sacking, reports surfaced of concerns within the club that 2024/25 may have been Son's last in North London.

Although Son is 32 years old and clearly in the downswing of his career, he still tied James Maddison for the team lead with 16 goal contributions even in his worst season. And Son came back from a nagging foot injury that slowed his statistical progress badly to help Spurs hoist their first Europa League title in 41 years, sealing his status as his club's biggest modern legend (above former teammate Harry Kane).

Saudi Pro League clubs are always interested in landing superstars from around European football, and Son has always been one of their top targets. According to a report from Foot Mercato's Santi Aouna and Valentin Feuillette, Son is one of several big names on Al-Hilal's wishlist for the summer 2025 transfer window.

Al-Hilal just hired Simone Inzaghi to be their coach for the upcoming Club World Cup, and they've been viciously going after the biggest-named attackers in world football. Cristiano Ronaldo, Victor Osimhen, and Viktor Gyokeres are the headliners on their wishlist, but they are also after Son, Darwin Nunez of Liverpool, and Manchester United's Jadon Sancho, too.

Tottenham fans won't want to let Son Heung-min go

They are certainly ambitious, and Son is right up their alley in terms of the kinds of players they tend to target. He is past his prime but still effective, on a contract that will expire in a year, and at a potential crossroads at Tottenham due to their youth movement and the dismissal of a popular coach.

The vast majority of Tottenham fans understand that Son could free up a lot of money for the club and help them look to the future, but they are also not in favor of selling Son. Beyond the nostalgia factor and the human side that are both very important (more important than someone like Daniel Levy may have you think), Son is the club's captain and someone with Champions League experience. Tottenham can't lose too many of these kinds of players before their Champions League return.

Al-Hilal have the money to entice Son and are building a formidable sporting project in Saudi Arabia this summer with Inzaghi at the helm of it, but the ball is in Son's court. If he isn't interested in leaving Champions League football and his beloved Tottenham behind, then he isn't going to Saudi. But if he feels he has accomplished what he needs to accomplish at Tottenham and sees both the Europa League title and Postecoglou's departure as a natural farewell, perhaps Al-Hilal will be his next challenge.