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The Morgan Gibbs-White transfer should have been completed a week ago alongside the 55 million pound coup of West Ham star Mohammed Kudus, but Nottingham Forest's temper tantrum has blocked Spurs from signing one of the biggest attacking talents in the Premier League to a squad that was in need of game-changers this summer.

But the reality is that Tottenham could have closed this deal despite Forest's protests, and they really should have ended this entire process by showing more urgency to sign Gibbs-White and fight the Powers That Be to make this deal happen officially. After all, Gibbs-White wants a Tottenham move, and Spurs paid his 60 million pound release clause fair and square.

If Gibbs-White truly wants to join Tottenham Hotspur this summer, then he could push for a move, too, instead of playing nice with a Forest organization that is essentially holding him hostage and placing him in official match squads for meaningless friendlies, as opposed to facilitating a transfer that should be legal and done by now.

Meanwhile, a different Tottenham transfer target is showing how it's done. Brentford striker Yoane Wissa, who is being pursued by both Newcastle and Tottenham this summer, has, per a report from BBC Sport's Sami Mokbel, made it crystal clear to the Bees that he has no intention of playing for them next season.

Yoane Wissa is standing on business

Wissa wants a move, and, unlike Gibbs-White, he's willing to act like it. The star striker has left the club's preseason activities in Portugal and is speaking with the Brentford sporting director about his future with the full intent of agreeing on personal terms with either Newcastle or Tottenham and getting a deal done.

Tottenham don't seem to be pursuing Wissa very hard, though, even though Thomas Frank is interesting in reuniting with his 19-goal Brentford striker after losing out on star man Bryan Mbeumo to Manchester United.

Newcastle, having just lost out on Hugo Ekitike to reigning Premier League champions Liverpool, are now showing the most urgency for Wissa. Tottenham appear to be resigned to giving Richarlison one last, honest go under Frank, with 2024 marquee signing Dominic Solanke entrenched as the starter after an excellent Europa League campaign in 2024/25.

Wissa's willingness to take a strong-arm stance on Brentford is a harsh reminder to Tottenham that if Gibbs-White really wants to be a Spur, then he'll make it happen. So far, MGW hasn't done that at all, and that has to be disappointing to Tottenham fans who want players, like Mathys Tel, who truly push to be part of the club.

Tottenham Hotspur have one clear transfer priority above all others at this point. If they want to ensure that they can compete at the highest levels of both the Premier League and Champions League in the 2025/26 season, then they are going to need to sign at least one competitive, starting-caliber defensive midfielder behind the, hopefully duo, of James Maddison and Morgan Gibbs-White in the No. 10 spot.

Dream transfer targets like Adam Wharton who are ascending and proven in the Premier League are highly unlikely, so Tottenham are going to have to scour more underrated options. Given how valuable defensive midfielders are these days, most of those options are already out of the bag, with Leeds snapping up the Bundesliga's Anton Stach and Club World Cup superstar Richard Rios moving over to Portugal's Benfica.

Joao Palhinha is heading towards the wrong side of 30, but the former Fulham star is a proven Premier League commodity who plays for one of the world's most prestigious clubs, Bayern Munich, and can be signed easily and cheaply by Tottenham this summer transfer window.

Tottenham don't even care about midfield

However, it looks like Tottenham aren't moving with any urgency for Palhinha - or any other defensive midfield option - for that matter either. According to new information from Football.London Tottenham beat reporter Alasdair Gold, Tottenham would actually have to sell off a center midfielder before they can sign Palhinha up to any deal, whether a loan or a permanent transfer.

That report seems to affirm what is clearly unfolding before Tottenham supporters, and that is the sad reality that Spurs don't have any real gusto towards acquiring a new midfielder. And as of right now, Palhinha is the only real option Spurs have an intention of pursuing this summer.

The implicit meaning of the report is that until Tottenham can offload Yves Bissouma, who has very little interest around European football currently, they won't be able to sign Palhinha. Tottenham evidently don't value the defensive midfield position highly, and they may even be OK with making the critical error of heading into the 2025/26 season with no real changes at their biggest position of need.

As happy as Thomas Frank should be about Spurs supporting him with Mohammed Kudus and, hopefully, Morgan Gibbs-White, Spurs supporters should be incensed at the lack of movement elsewhere in the squad. And the GIbbs-White situation will end up being an even bigger net negative in the minds of the fans if he doesn't ultimately arrive either.

Tottenham Hotspur are trying hard to sign a new midfielder to bolster a unit that is well behind their peers in the never-ending competition to secure Champions League football in the Premier League, and, now, Spurs are increasingly running the risk of ending up empty-handed in the middle of the park.

Ideally, Tottenham would sign a box-to-box player and a holding midfielder, with one player being on the younger side and the other older. Furthermore, Spurs also need to sign one player who is more of a creator and the other who is more of a defensive presence.

Although Tottenham have already pushed to sign Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest, the 25-year-old English attacking midfielder is not a signed, sealed, and delivered transfer for Spurs. So Tottenham need to look for an alternative, and, in this case, that alternative, Xavi Simons, could also be a stand-alone signing in conjunction with Gibbs-White as a more attacking profile of a No. 8 to offer a completely different dynamic to the Tottenham midfield.

Chelsea are cruising ahead

The problem is that Tottenham may already be implicitly out of the transfer battle for Simons. In his latest transfer update, Sky Sports Germany's Florian Plettenberg reports that Tottenham rivals Chelsea have continued transfer talks with Xavi Simons on Tuesday with the goal being to reach a "verbal agreement" with the world-class 22-year-old RB Leipzig star.

Chelsea have been pushing harder than anyone else to sign Simons, with rivals Arsenal and even Bundesliga powerhouse Bayern Munich falling to the wayside. Tottenham? They aren't even mentioned anywhere in Plettenberg's latest transfer report, indicating that they are no longer even in the picture to sign Simons, who is increasingly tied to Chelsea.

Tottenham have other transfer targets in the midfield, mostly more defensive options like Joao Palhinha of Bundesliga fame for Bayern Munich. A former Premier League star for Fulham, Palhinha is 30 years old and far from the most exciting option Spurs could sign in midfield, but with Adam Wharton implausible at this juncture, he might be one of the best options Spurs will get with Anton Stach, Richard Rios, and others already signing.

Staying in the Bundesliga, Tottenham could make a swoop for Stuttgart's underrated Angelo Stiller if Die Schwaben are open to listening to offers, but, in the case of Simons, this ship is already sailing. Tottenham have been slow to the punch, again, in the middle of the park, and Spurs supporters will hope it doesn't end up costing them this season.

Tottenham Hotspur supporters have been wanting to see their beloved club get serious and actually challenge the biggest franchises in European football for truly world-class players who can transform the team's fortunes.

Mohammed Kudus and, presumably, Morgan Gibbs-White will be an established Premier League one-two punch with the upside for more, and they would be a great start for the incoming Thomas Frank as summer signings. However, neither player is world-class, and, in truth, Tottenham don't have a single midfielder or forward who is a 100 percent, nailed-on world-class player.

That could change if Tottenham are able to actually sign the latest player they are interested in. According to Diario AS, Tottenham have come out of nowhere to join the transfer race for Real Madrid superstar Rodrygo Goes, who has become increasingly distant from his beloved Royal White club after being benched towards the end of the 2024/25 season by Carlo Ancelotti. Per AS, Daniel Levy is hoping that he can get a slight discount on Rodrygo due to his good relationship with Real Madrid, having sold them club legends Gareth Bale and Luka Modric in the past.

All the elite Premier League clubs want this move

Real Madrid have been in a push-pull situation with Rodrygo, with new coach Xabi Alonso, on the one hand, trying to convince him to stay with words but, on the other hand, benching the Brazilian Champions League hero outright during Real's disappointing Club World Cup run.

Rodrygo is wanted by virtually all the top clubs in the Premier League, with Arsenal, in particular, wanting him desperately as an upgrade on the left wing for Gabriel Martinelli. Chelsea have also been closely linked, and, lately, Liverpool have been pushing hard to sign Rodrygo as a possible Luis Diaz replacement.

So Tottenham are late to the party, but with Rodrygo's future still completely up in the air, it is truly a case of better late than never for the Hotspur. Rodrygo is an elite player on the left wing, and even when he plays out of position on the right, he's still a better forward than pretty much everyoen else in the Tottenham first team right now.

It will cost a pretty penny, likely over nine figures, to sign Rodrygo, but that is money well-spent for Tottenham, who are craving a player with his explosion, short-area quickness, creativity, effort, passion, technical ability, and tactical intelligence. All Rodrygo is missing is the finishing, but that will surely come with more consistent playing time in his favored position. And with Son Heung-min on his last legs, the left wing job at N17 is wide open for the taking in 2025.

Tottenham Hotspur are on the hunt for new solutions in the middle of the park, and Spurs have to know that if they want to truly compete in the top five of an increasingly competitive Premier League each season, then they are going to need more than just Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur as the veteran options with Lucas Bergvall, Pape Sarr, and Archie Gray as the youngsters.

Spurs need to sign top-class talent. Ideally, Spurs will sign a box-to-box defensive destroyer and a more holding, playmaking defensive midfielder. And ideally, one will be a sure-fire player in his prime while the other will be, like Bergvall and Gray, an exciting up-and-comer.

Bayern Munich defenisve midfielder Joao Palhinha has done absolutely nothing to stand out in Germany, but before his ill-fated transfer to the Bundesliga, he was one of the best defensive No. 6's in the Premier League for Fulham, who were flirting with European football at the time.

Palhinha has been squarely on Tottenham's transfer radar as a more experienced alternative to the likes of Adam Wharton, who are dream targets but entirely unrealistic. The 30-year-old Bayern man, however, is very achievable and clearly has no future with the Bavarian giants.

Tottenham don't need to commit to a 30-year-old

According to a report from The Athletic's Jack Pitt-Brooke in the site's Transfer DealSheet column, Tottenham are now eyeing the acquisition of Joao Palhinha on a loan transfer as opposed to a permanent move.

It would make much, much more sense for Tottenham to negotiate a loan deal with Bayern. Unlike the Mathys Tel tranfer Tottenham negotiated with Bayern this summer after a six-month loan spell, Palhinha is unlikely to join Spurs on a permanent basis as a 30-year-old.

Palhinha makes a lot more sense as a solid, stopgap option. Maybe Tottenham could be convinced to sign him permanently, but he'd have to show a lot in that year on loan. And that's why a loan makes sense. Tottenham don't have a whole lot of great options in the defensive midfield, but maybe preferred targets like Wharton will be more available in 2026.

So Spurs can cover Palhinha's wages, bring him over for a year as a starter, and tell Bayern that there's a chance they could take him off their hands permanently if he does well enough. It makes way more sense to get a loan done for Palhinha than commit to, say, 30 million pounds to sign him this summer.

There have been so many conflicting reports about Son Heung-min's future at Tottenham. Early in the transfer window, it seemed like Son was more likely to go than stay, but in the last several weeks, Tottenham and Son appeared to have worked out an agreement to have the club legend remain in North London for the final year of his contract.

Recently, though, seemingly spoonfed quotes from Daniel Levy to manager Thomas Frank cast slight doubt on Son's future with the club. Frank invoked the classic line that the club would decide Son's future, and his remarks seemed more like a caution to not assume Son would be staying rather than genuine excitement at the South Korean icon sticking around.

According to a report from the Daily Telegraph's journalist Matt Law, there is a "key player clause" in Tottenham's tour contract in South Korea, meaning the club could not actually sell the 33-year-old left winger before the tour in Asia. Specifically, Tottenham are set to face Premier League rivals Newcastle on Aug. 3 in Seoul, the capital of South Korea.

Tottenham could lose millions

If Tottenham were to sell Son and thus not have him available for the tour, which also features a July 31 battle against North London rivals Arsenal, then Tottenham would have risked forfeiting 75 percent of their total earnings from the tour. That is a whopping hit, and anyone who knows anything about Daniel Levy knows that he would not take that hit.

Law also reports that if Son were to travel with the team but not play in the game in Seoul against Newcastle, they'd lose half the fee. So to recap, if Son isn't in the squad, they lose three-quarters of their earnings from the match in Seoul. And if he doesn't play, it's a loss of 50 percent.

You can see why there's a more cynical reason why Tottenham have neither sold Son nor seriously entertained any transfer offers from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and MLS for the South Korean superstar. They can't afford to sell him now and miss out on that money.

That doesn't guarantee Son will be sold at all, but it means that a lack of transfer movement around the Tottenham icon doesn't necessarily indicate that the forward is safe. When August hits, we'll get a better idea of how serious Tottenham are about keeping Son, because the minute they return from Asia, we could see the transfer rumors ramp up.

Tottenham Hotspur are coming to the home stretch of the summer 2025 transfer window, and while it's been a surprisingly good market for Spurs in comparison to past windows what with the additions of Mohammed Kudus and Morgan Gibbs-White- assuming Gibbs-White does indeed arrive at N17 - there are still gaping holes in the squad in the middle of the park.

The lack of a top holding midfielder held Tottenham back last season, as Spurs were disorganized tactically from inadequate personnel in midfield - not just from Ange Postecoglou's unique tactical style. Tottenham have not signed a true midfielder this window, and they are going to have to make at least one notable signing to bolster their position.

Arguably the best overall option available in the middle of the park is hybrid 8/10 Xavi Simons. The RB Leipzig superstar has been one of the top players in the Bundesliga over the last two seasons, providing everything a midfielder could be asked to do: goals, chance creation, plenty of running, industrious defensive ball-winning, and elite ball progression.

Tottenham are interested in Simons, but so are London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea in what will surely be a battle of the heavyweights. The Blues appear to be the early favorites, leaving Daniel Levy and Spurs with something to do in order to bridge the gap for an important transfer target.

Chelsea are the ones in the lead, however

Per a report from Sky Sports Germany's Florian Plettenberg, Chelsea and Simons are in concrete talks with Simons, and they are trying to close in on a deal this week.

Tottenham are thus behind the curve, but they are in the picture. Per Plettenberg, Leipzig want to sell Simons this summer and are asking for at least 70 million euros in exchange, which would make Simons Tottenham's most expensive transfer target of the summer: Gibbs-White and Kudus both cost 60 and 55 million pounds, respectively.

It looks like Chelsea are in a clear lead, and as long as they pay the 70 million euros Leipzig are requesting, Simons will be theirs. Tottenham and even Arsenal are behind Chelsea, and there's a sense that Spurs could be behind the Gunners, too.

A 70 million euro fee for a world-class 22-year-old midfielder who scores, assists, progresses play, and even defends at a high level is actaully money well-spent and much better than spending more than 70 million euros on two inferior players who won't move the meter towards legitimate Premier League title contention.

Tottenham Hotspur are busy assembling a new-look attack for incoming manager Thomas Frank to conduct in the 2025/26 season, as Spurs are back in the Champions League and clearly have to do better than 17th placed in the Premier League going forward.

Already, Spurs have secured the permanent signing of uber-talented young left winger Mathys Tel, the purchase of one of the most exciting wingers in the Premier League in Mohammed Kudus from London rivals West Ham, and, soon, they will likely sign Nottingham Forest's biggest star Morgan Gibbs-White.

But Tottenham shouldn't be done there, and the North London giants are indeed looking at more established attacking names in the Premier League. One of those targets is disgruntled Manchester United 21-year-old Alejandro Garnacho, who is widely viewed as one of the biggest talents in the league and is also keenly admired by London rivals Chelsea and fellow top-five hopefuls Aston Villa.

Chelse are battling Tottenham for this signing, too

According to a report from James Ducker of the Daily Telegraph, the clubs going after Garnacho think that all it will take is just 40 million pounds to pry the talented Argentinian international away from Old Trafford this summer. All three of Villa, Spurs, and Chelsea are involved in the sweepstakes after Garnacho turned down the likes of Serie A champions Napoli, making it clear that he only wants the Premier League.

Tottenham already have Gibbs-White on the way to pair with veteran James Maddison as a No. 10 option in midfield, but Garnacho could still fit into the rotation. He can also play on either wing, and with Son Heung-min on his last legs at N17, Garnacho could work with Tel as the main left wing options after Son leaves Tottenham.

There's also the matter that the MGW signing is far from official, and if a deal for the 25-year-old attacking midfielder were to fall apart, Garnacho could be the alternative. And at 40 million pounds, Garnacho would be significantly cheaper than Gibbs-White, who was signed by Tottenham from a 60 million pound release clause.

Just 40 million pounds for one of the most physically and technically gifted young midfielders in the Premier League - let alone one playing for the mighty Manchester United - may be too good of a deal for even Daniel Levy to pass up on. Garnacho is an inconsistent gamble, but he's also a real gem of a footballer who could pay off handsomely for one of these aspiring title contenders.

Tottenham Hotspur are still riding a high after winning the Europa League to cap off an otherwise dismal 2024/25 season in the Premier League, but one of their London rivals, Chelsea, are riding an even bigger high after conquering the likes of PSG as winners of the Club World Cup. And that's after they already won the Conference League and secured 2025/26 Champions League football with a top-five finish.

The controversial and incredibly expensive Todd Boehly-led sporting project at Chelsea is finally paying dividends, and the rich only got richer this summer. If Tottenham fans would be satisfied with the trio of Mohammed Kudus, Mathys Tel, and Morgan Gibbs-White enriching their squad, then look at the incomings at Chelsea in Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, Liam Delap, Estevao Willian, Andrey Santos, Joao Pedro, Mamadou Sarr, Dario Essugo, and Kendry Paez.

That's an embarrassment of young, high-upside riches, and Chelsea don't look like they are stopping any time soon. The Blues and Tottenham are going toe-to-toe for several more transfer targets before the summer 2025 window closes, and the most prominent of them is RB Leipzig center midfelder Xavi Simons, who is one of the best young midfielders in world football right now.

Chelsea already have a crazy good midfield

According to new information from top insider Fabrizio Romano, Simons has "opened doors" to a move to Chelsea this summer, as his camp have made direct contact with Chelsea over a move. Starting today, Tuesday, the Blues and Leipzig will begin talks between each other regarding the transfer fee.

That's a big step and a concrete development in Chelsea's favor on the Simons front, whereas Tottenham have a bigger need for a midfielder. Chelsea have the Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez with Cole Palmer in the playmaker role, and they have Dario Essugo and Romeo Lavia as depth options along with Andrey Santos coming in with Essugo. That's incredible, and yet they are still going after the world-class Simons.

Tottenham are in trouble here, and they need to step things up. Daniel Levy doesn't have any better options than Simons on the transfer market right now, and Spurs have done very little to go after midfielders - other than Morgan Gibbs-White, who is way too attacking to play as an 8. Simons, meanwhile, can be a top-class 8 or a 10 for either Chelsea or Tottenham. Spurs have been second-best to their London rivals too often this window, and they don't want to fall this behind on Simons.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank is quietly building a team in his image, while keeping the talented pieces of the past and reintegrating in a way that will suit them best. Frank has coaxed some of the biggest attacking breakout performances in the Premier League over the past couple of seasons, including Manchester United-bound right winger Bryan Mbeumo and former Brentford striker Ivan Toney.

If Morgan Gibbs-White joins Mohammed Kudus this summer, Frank will have several intriguing pieces to work with in the Tottenham attack, but Spurs are still working on trying to give their new manager the right ingredients behind all of them in midfield. So far, Lucas Bergvall is the only truly exciting midfield player.

Frank also needs to add some workhorses, too, especially with Tottenham pushing hard to find buyers for Yves Bissouma, whose time as a Tottenham player has clearly run its course. The midfield is now Spurs most pressing need in the summer transfer window.

According to a report from TBR Football's Graeme Bailey and Jamie Brown, Tottenham are back in the race for former Chelsea midifelder Conor Gallagher, who currently plays his football at Atletico Madrid in La Liga. Gallagher was on Tottenham's transfer radar earlier in the transfer window, but those links cooled.

He wasn't good enough for Chelsea

Now, it appears they have been revived with Thomas Frank reportedly a fan of Gallagher's. The 25-year-old box-to-box midfielder is said to be open to a move away from the Spanish capital due to concerns over the importance of his role and overall playing time under Diego Simeone.

Chelsea pushed Gallagher out to make space for a pivot of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, which proved to be a winning move. Enzo Maresca came in as Chelsea manager and helped the two dominate Premier League midfields, with Chelsea returning to Champions League qualification immediately.

Meanwhile, Gallagher played for a title contender in Spain, but he started fewer than 20 games and clearly didn't look like a fit in La Liga. Chelsea fans had their concerns with Gallagher technically despite his decent performances for them and his standout displays as a No. 10 for Crystal Palace before that.

Gallagher is a proven Premier League commodity, but, as Chelsea found out, he's not a star. And if he wasn't good enough for them, then why would he be good enough for another London powerhouse club aiming to make the Champions League on an annual basis? Gallagher, though, does have grit and some creativity, so if Atleti are reasonable, maybe Frank wouldn't be foolish to pursue him. He is much better than Bissouma, after all, though hardly inspiring either.