Premier League

Spurs' new centre-back Kota Takai idolises Virgil van Dijk and has been compared to Dean Huijsen, as Asian football expert John Duerden explains.

Kota Takai’s rise to prominence may have been long-expected, but the last few months have been a whirlwind for the 20-year-old.

In September 2024, the classy defender made his international debut for Japan, in December he was named J1 League Young Player of the Season and in July, he signed for Tottenham Hotspur.

European, especially Serie A, interest has been rumoured for a year or so, but the London club paid out a reported £5million to Kawasaki Frontale.

It is a J1 League record for a Japanese player but looks like a bargain.

Japan's rising defensive star

Born in Yokohama just two years after that city hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup final, Takai joined the academy at nearby Kawasaki before his 10th birthday.

“He has great physical ability and technique and his ability to play well under pressure has helped him grow,” said Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu.

“It’s is not common to go directly to the Premier League and it’s great to see a Japanese player being recognised."

Takai’s idol is Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk and Moriyasu sees the Liverpool captain as the blueprint.

“I hope he can become Japan’s Van Dijk... play well at Tottenham and help them compete for the Premier League and the [UEFA] Champions League,” said Moriyasu.

Since breaking into the first team in 2023 and then becoming a regular, Takai has missed just one league game this season.

'Takai is special'

The sight of the 6ft 3in star using his pace to chase down an attacker and get in a last-ditch tackle has become a familiar one, as has his habit of getting on the end of set pieces.

Well-timed interceptions are another speciality, often followed by sweeping passes, from either foot, to start attacks, though he is comfortable in bringing the ball out of defence.

Opta Analyst has compared his style to Dean Huijsen, whose eye-catching performances for AFC Bournemouth last season persuaded Real Madrid to spend a reported £50m in May.

“It is unusual for a defender so young to be selected by Japan but he is special,” said Tom Byer, a Japan-based youth development specialist who has worked with the Japan FA.

“I think he’ll contribute significantly to Tottenham. He’s very good in the air and dangerous from set-pieces. At the back, he breaks up a lot of plays as he’s quite aggressive.

“What stands out is his great technical ability, especially as he is such a big guy.”

Tactically also, he is aware.

After one of his final games for Kawasaki, a 2-1 defeat against Vissel Kobe, Takai commented that he felt the gap between the defensive and attacking midfielders was too big, making it harder to start attacks.

From Kawasaki to the world stage

He won’t be the only Kawasaki alumni in England’s top tier.

Brighton & Hove Albion winger Kaoru Mitoma and Ao Tanaka of Leeds United, also arrived in Europe from the Kanagawa club.

Other old boys include established Japanese internationals Takefusa Kubo at Real Sociedad and Borussia Monchengladbach’s Ko Itakura.

Located just south of Tokyo, Frontale have one of the largest player pools in the world on their doorstep and are an attractive destination given their history of developing talent, top-level coaching, giving opportunities and success on the pitch with four championships in the past eight years.

With Wataru Endo of Liverpool, Crystal Palace’s Daichi Kamada, there are now five of Japan’s best in the Premier League.

Once Takai makes his Premier League debut, the entire total of Japanese players to play in the competition will rise to 16, after Junichi Inamoto was the first, joining Arsenal in 2000.

That figure could also rise to 17 if midfielder Ao Tanaka features for newly-promoted Leeds United this season.

Endo, who last season followed Shinji Kagawa, Takumi Minamino and Shinji Okazaki in lifting the trophy, is also captain of the national team, the first to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in March.

He announced that it is time to focus on winning the tournament.

The future of Japanese football

Given the country’s rise, it is no longer unthinkable, a reason why young Japanese players are in such demand.

More may follow Takai west. Wing-back Ryunosuke Sato (Fagiano Okayama) is only 18 and in June, became the youngest player ever to represent Japan, beating Kagawa’s record.

The J1 League Best Young Player of 2022 Mao Hosoya (Kashiwa Reysol) has also broken into the national team and the intelligent forward, 23, has admirers in Europe as has defender Junnosuke Suzuki (Shonan Bellmare).

All will be watching how their international team-mate Takai settles in London.

It may take time to break into a team with an abundance of talented centre-backs including Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso, Radu Dragusin, Ben Davies and another new signing in Luka Vuskovic.

Just as teenage South Korean winger Yang Min-hyeok was loaned out to Queens Park Rangers by Spurs upon his arrival in January, Takai may get regular minutes elsewhere.

Time is on his side, however, but even if he is thrown straight in, he has already shown that he can handle most of what is thrown at his way.

Tottenham Hotspur Team News, Fixtures & Results 2025/26  Premier League

From Tuesday, 1 July, a number of top football players around the world will be out of contract, as most player deals in football expire on 30 June. Their availability could attract the attention of Premier League clubs.

When players' contracts expire, they can be signed for free, with no transfer fee paid to the player's club required. This has been the case since the "Bosman ruling" was introduced in 1995, when Belgian midfielder Jean Marc-Bosman successfully challenged RFC Liege's demand to receive a fee before permitting him to join another club after his contract had expired.

In the 30 years since then, we've seen some high-profile free transfers such as Sol Campbell swapping Tottenham Hotspur for Arsenal in 2001 and Germany captain Michael Ballack signing for Chelsea in 2006.

Below, we identify 20 players that clubs might consider signing this summer.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

When Everton spent £1.5million to sign Dominic Calvert-Lewin, then a relatively unknown 19-year-old forward, from Sheffield United, few could have predicted the rise that was to follow.

Over the course of nine years, the young striker would go on to establish himself as a key figure at Goodison Park. He made 273 appearances in all competitions for the Toffees, netting 71 goals.

Calvert-Lewin’s most prolific season so far was in 2020/21, when he scored 21 times in all competitions, including his best Premier League tally to date - 16 goals in 33 appearances,

That momentum was soon disrupted. A series of injuries curtailed his progress in 2021/22 and 2022/23, when he was limited to just 18 league and cup appearances in each campaign.

Calvert-Lewin’s availability improved in 2023/24 (38 appearances in all competitions) and last season (26) but his goal tallies were in single figures. The 28-year-old's last strike for Everton came in January, in their 3-2 win over Spurs, just before another 12-match absence through injury.

Thomas Partey

Five years on from Thomas Partey’s arrival at Arsenal, it’s fair to say the Ghanaian midfielder has played a pivotal role in Mikel Arteta’s transformation of the team.

As the Spanish manager sought to usher in a new era at the Emirates, Partey became a key component in the finely tuned machine Arteta was building. He made 130 Premier League appearances, scoring nine times – including Arsenal’s Goal of the Season, against arch-rivals Spurs, in 2022/23.

Although a hamstring injury caused Partey to miss four months of the 2023/24 campaign, the 32-year-old returned to the fore last season and produced some moments of brilliance. One such highlight came on 23 November 2024, when he unleashed a stunning strike from outside the box against Nottingham Forest.

Nelson Semedo

Over the course of five seasons and 182 appearances in all competitions, Nelson Semedo developed into a dependable figure at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Portuguese right-back played a leading role in helping Vitor Pereira’s side remain in the Premier League, having taken on the captain’s armband following Mario Lemina’s departure in the winter transfer window.

While his tally of three goals and 11 assists may not leap off the page, the 31-year-old’s contribution to the club went far beyond statistics. His consistency, experience, and quiet authority made him a trusted presence in the squad.

Thomas Muller

In an era where one-club players have become increasingly rare, 35-year-old Thomas Muller stands as one of the last of a dying breed.

Having spent his entire professional career at Bayern Munich, the veteran forward has become synonymous with the club’s identity.

With a remarkable 755 appearances and 250 goals to his name, he is a Bayern legend and a towering figure in German football history.

Yet, as the club begins to pivot toward a more dynamic and modern style of play under new manager Vincent Kompany, Muller has found opportunities harder to come by.

The Belgian coach’s tactical vision has made it difficult to carve out a regular role for Muller in his system. He made 18 of his 30 Bundesliga appearances last season as a substitute.

Jonathan David

It's no secret that a number of clubs are searching for a striker this summer, and David has been linked with many of them including Man Utd, Newcastle United and West Ham United.

The 25-year-old Canada international lit up France's Ligue 1 with Lille last season, scoring 16 goals and producing five assists in 32 appearances. His seven UEFA Champions League goals in 2024/25 also drew many admirers from across Europe and Saudi Arabia.

In total, he has netted 109 goals in 232 games at club level since joining Lille in the summer of 2020. His contract expires on 30 June.

Olivier Boscagli

The classy 27-year-old French defender is said to be on Brighton & Hove Albion's radar.

As a ball-playing centre-back, Boscagli has impressive passing stats, playing 12.75 progressive passes per match last season for PSV Eindhoven.

Jamie Vardy

The player who wrote one of football's most remarkable stories is looking to add one final chapter.

Vardy's rise from the Northern Premier League to Premier League champion with underdogs Leicester City won't ever be forgotten. He has left the Foxes as a 200-goal hero, and the 38-year-old striker says his journey is not over yet.

Mario Pasalic

The Croatia midfielder, 30, has been with Atalanta for seven years - initially on loan, then permanently from 2020. His contract expires on 30 June.

The Serie A club are reportedly keen to retain Pasalic, who spent virtually all of his six seasons as a Chelsea player from 2014 out on loan. He did not make a single appearance for the west London club.

Mason Holgate

The versatile defender is a free agent, following his departure from Everton after 10 years.

The 28-year-old Jamaica international spent 2024/25 at West Bromwich Albion, in the latest of his various loan spells that have also taken him to Southampton and Sheffield United in recent seasons.

Stefan de Vrij

The experienced Inter centre-back, who plays alongside Virgil van Dijk for the Netherlands, has a contract that is due to expire on 30 June 2025.

However, De Vrij is reportedly in talks to extend his stay at the San Siro.

Christian Eriksen

Potential suitors have been alerted since Man Utd announced a new contract has not been offered to the Danish midfielder.

Rangers and Ajax are two of the clubs reported to be keen on the 33-year-old, who won the FA Cup and the EFL Cup during his three years at Old Trafford.

Danny Ings

Although Ings endured a quiet second season at West Ham, making only two starts and 15 substitute appearances in 2024/25, he has the reputation of being a deadly finisher.

Southampton fans certainly witnessed that, as he scored 41 goals in 91 Premier League matches for their club before his move to Aston Villa in 2021.

The 32-year-old's stint at the London Stadium may not have quite gone to plan but the UEFA Europa Conference League winner still has plenty to offer.

Willian

The Brazilian, now 36, has always been an eye-catching player.

The former Chelsea and Arsenal winger left Fulham on a free transfer last summer but, after a few months with Greek club Olympiacos, he returned to Craven Cottage in the January transfer window and made a further 10 Premier League appearances for the club.

Willian was named on Fulham's released list this week.

Ashley Young

He may be turning 40 in July, but Young apparently has no plans to mark his big birthday by retiring.

A Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Europa League winner at Man Utd, Young played 31 times for Everton in 2024/25 and said he feels as fit and fresh as he did during his 20s.

Ben Mee

The 35-year-old defender joined Brentford on a free transfer in July 2022 after 11 years at Burnley.

Mee played 67 times for the Bees in three seasons, scoring five goals, and although he made only two starts in 2024/25, his vast experience will be an attraction.

Lukasz Fabianski

A West Ham stalwart of seven seasons, the 40-year-old Polish goalkeeper is determined to play on.

Set to be forever remembered by supporters for his part in the Hammers' 2022/23 Conference League success, Fabianski made 195 Premier League appearances for the club, keeping 45 clean sheets.

Neal Maupay

Maupay spent two of his three seasons as an Everton player out on loan, firstly to his former club Brentford in 2023/24 and then Marseille in 2024/25, when he scored four goals in Ligue 1.

The 28-year-old forward, who has also played for Brighton in the Premier League, reportedly has suitors in France.

Victor Lindelof

The Sweden captain represented Man Utd for eight years and appeared 194 times in the Premier League.

Although it has been far from the most glorious period in the club's history, the 30-year-old free agent still has FA Cup and EFL Cup success on his CV.

Abdoulaye Doucoure

Everton paid a reported £20million to sign Doucoure from Watford in September 2020.

But it proved to be a very decent investment, especially when his goal against AFC Bournemouth helped keep the club in the Premier League on the final day of the 2022/23 season.

The 31-year-old midfielder made 166 appearances for the Toffees, scoring 21 times and producing 14 assists, and will no doubt be an attractive proposition. That said, he was included on Everton's retained list - published this week - as a player who has received an offer to stay at the club.

Sergio Reguilon

The Spanish full-back may have only made 56 appearances for Spurs since joining them in 2020, but loan spells at Atletico Madrid, Man Utd and Brentford in the past few years have given the 28-year-old a wealth of experience at the highest level.

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The Scout picks out clubs and players who can be paired together effectively in opening squads in 2025/26 Fantasy Premier League and give FPL managers a great run of early fixtures.

While it is a good idea to rotate cheap defenders from two different clubs according to their fixtures, data from last season suggests that, when choosing those clubs, it's best not to focus too much on getting lots of home fixtures instead of away matches.

See: How and why to rotate your defenders

After all, of the 17 clubs who have remained in the Premier League from last season, only SIX produced more clean sheets in home matches than they did away from home.

More often than not, then, the key factor for getting defensive returns was the strength of the opposition attack, rather than where the match was being played.

This only enhances the importance of using the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR) at the start of any season when building your opening squad.

Spurs and Wolves

You could barely ask for a better opening rotation pairing than picking a defender from both Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

According to the FDR - where the easiest possible matches are ranked as No 1 and the hardest are ranked as No 5 – as many as EIGHT of the first nine fixtures would score only 2.

Spurs and Wolves rotation, Gameweeks 1-9

GW Club Fixture FDR 1 Spurs Burnley (H) 2 2 Wolves Bournemouth (A) 3 3 Wolves Everton (H) 2 4 Spurs West Ham (A) 2 5 Wolves Leeds (H) 2 6 Spurs Wolves (H) 2 7 Spurs Leeds (A) 2 8 Wolves Sunderland (A) 2 9 Wolves Burnley (H) 2

*1 = easiest possible fixture, 5 = hardest possible fixture

The only match in this opening spell that scores more than a 2 in the FDR is in Gameweek 2, when the better fixture - Wolves’ visit to AFC Bournemouth - is rated as a 3. In that same Gameweek, Spurs visit Manchester City.

A further assessment of the fixtures also shows your starting defender would face a promoted opponent in FIVE of those nine Gameweeks.

Spurs host Burnley in Gameweek 1 and visit Leeds United in Gameweek 7. Wolves, meanwhile, host Leeds and Burnley in Gameweeks 5 and 9 respectively, while travelling to Sunderland in Gameweek 8.

Who could be the best budget picks?

Spurs and Wolves were both among the worst defences in the league last time around, claiming just six and eight clean sheets respectively.

While that might seem like a reason to avoid their defenders, it means there should be at least one from each club who will remain in the budget price bracket.

In the case of Spurs, it would be no surprise if it's Micky van de Ven once again - the Dutchman’s cost of £4.5m last season made him their only regular starter in defence who was under £5.0m.

Spurs are very much a work in progress right now, and the selections, tactics and summer transfers of new head coach Thomas Frank means FPL managers will have to keep a keen eye on Spurs’ pre-season friendlies.

Wolves’ progress after Vitor Pereira's arrival midway through last season looks hugely encouraging for their prospects in 2025/26.

SEVEN of their eight clean sheets in 204/25 came after the Portuguese took charge in Gameweek 17. That total put them level with Arsenal and Liverpool in that spell, and was bettered by just five other sides.

All of Wolves' defenders were priced under £5.0m last season and, despite their improvement under Pereira, that seems unlikely to change.

At present, wing-back Nelson Semedo and centre-back Toti could prove the best options, although managers will be hoping Pereira can find a suitable replacement for attacking left wing-back Rayan Ait-Nouri, who has moved to Man City.

Next: Everton and Crystal Palace

Also in this series

Thomas Frank has promised a risk-taking, front-foot approach at Tottenham Hotspur next season.

In an exclusive interview with Spurs' in-house media, the new head coach, 51, said he will follow in the tradition of Spurs' attacking style as he looks to build on the club's UEFA Europa League win and turn them into "serial winners".

“I know the ethos and the history of the club is massive on attacking football, and there is so much attacking talent in the squad," said Frank. "I’m very, very big on principles and what we do in the final third in terms of creating chances.

“I always say this one-liner: if you don’t take risks, you also take risks. So it’s important we take risks. Risk is you need to play forward.

"If you don’t risk the ball, you can’t create things. We need to be brave."

Predecessor Postecoglou a 'legend'

Frank has joined from Brentford on a three-year contract, replacing Ange Postecoglou, who was dismissed despite delivering Spurs' first trophy in 17 years.

The Dane spoke of his admiration for the person he is replacing and his desire to create more memories at the club.

“He will for ever be a legend at Tottenham Hotspur," Frank added. "It’s very important to understand that we all stand on the shoulders of others so I am going in on the foundations that Ange has built.

"I’m very humble about that and I’ll do my very best to continue the great work he put in.

“The feeling and excitement [following the Europa League victory over Manchester United] the joy and happiness you could see in the fans’ faces, the pictures you saw - wow!

"Hopefully we can create more of those moments. That would be the ultimate dream to do that and build on that. No one can say they are not winners; the team and the players are winners. Now we need to do our best to see whether we can be serial winners in the future.”

Frank also discusses the importance of alignment at the club from top to bottom in order to achieve success in the video below.

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy has said that winning the UEFA Europa League is not enough and that they need to win the Premier League.

In an exclusive interview with Spurs' in-house media, Levy spoke about their aspirations and why he, as well as chief executive officer Vinai Venkatesham, replaced Ange Postecoglou with Thomas Frank as the club's head coach.

"You saw the outpouring of emotion with the parade [after Spurs beat Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League final to win their first piece of silverware in 17 years]. It was just incredible. We've won a European trophy," Levy said on the club's official website.

"But it's not enough. We want to win the Premier League. We want to win the Champions League."

Venkatesham: Thomas is outstanding developer of young players

CEO Venkatesham said that Frank was the clear candidate to be named as Spurs' new head coach, as he explained why the Dane was appointed.

"We analysed in real detail, through our technical staff led by Johan [Lange, technical director], more than 30 candidates," Venkatesham said.

"Thomas was absolutely the number one candidate.

"One of the things I'm really excited about is that he is an outstanding developer of young players. I really look forward to seeing what he can do with the squad that we have here."

Levy also spoke about Postecoglou and why he had no regrets appointing him in July 2023.

Football writer Ben Bloom retraces Thomas Frank's unconventional rise from youth coach, psychology student and nearly becoming a teacher in Denmark to new Tottenham Hotspur head coach.

There is a story Thomas Frank tells about the sliding doors moment that occurred two decades ago when he was struggling to juggle university studies in his native Denmark with responsibilities as a father to two young children, and work as a part-time youth football coach.

Down one route was a managerial ladder comprising the numerous rungs needing to be climbed to eventually end up as Tottenham Hotspur’s fifth permanent manager in six years.

Down the other was a farewell to football, and the start of a likely career in teaching.

“My wife came to me and said: ‘Thomas, it is not working,’” he recalled to the Telegraph in 2020.

“I had the Under-17 job [with Danish second-tier club Hvidovre IF], I was doing my final dissertation for my masters in psychology, I was an instructor for the federation in educating other coaches, I was taking my [football coaching] A Licence, and I had two lovely children, two and three years old, and my wife.

“It did not work.

“She said we needed to find something else, because we did not have any money.

“So I said I would stop in December that year.

“And at that stage I would have stopped coaching football.”

So intent was he on the decision that, when an offer from now Spurs technical director Johan Lange arrived to take up a full-time talent development position at Danish club B93, Frank initially turned it down.

Thankfully, he swiftly reversed his decision, and so continued an upward trajectory that shows no signs of stopping.

Good with people

Unlike the overwhelming majority of his present-day Premier League peers, Frank possesses no background in professional football; he never played higher than amateur leagues and did not spend any time in a youth academy.

Shorn of his contemporaries’ knowledge gleaned from their playing days, he felt a necessity to compensate in alternative areas: notably, a rigorous appetite for academia and the harnessing of exceptional interpersonal skills.

“I’ve always been aware that, because I didn’t play, there’s got to be other bits that I need to be really good at,” he told Gary Lineker in a BBC Sport interview earlier this year.

Frank’s footballing journey had begun in the latter stages of his secondary education at a local sports school, when he started to coach the U8s of his amateur hometown club Frederiksvaerk.

A step up to the U12s preceded a move through Hividovre’s U14s, U16s and then U18s, before that call from Lange brought a step up to professional roles at B93 and Lyngby.

“In the beginning it was not like I wanted to be a head coach in the Superliga in Denmark,” he told Lineker.

“I just wanted to be a full-time coach in academies or talent development.

“It was a bit step by step.”

Handily, he was aided by a charismatic and warm demeanour that quickly enabled him to build connections with the players under his charge.

“I was pretty good with people. I’ve always been that,” he explained.

Climbing the ranks

With a growing reputation in his home country, Frank next moved from club football to the Danish Football Association, where he spent four years in charge of the national team’s U16s and U17s, coaching the likes of Christian Eriksen, and guiding the older cohort to the UEFA European Championship semi-final and their first ever FIFA World Cup.

A brief period coaching Denmark’s U19s was then followed by a difficult first senior managerial job at historic Superliga giants Brondby, who had narrowly avoided relegation and bankruptcy prior to his arrival.

Hand-picked to work for a club lacking the financial resources to challenge the wealthiest Danish sides, Frank’s skills with younger players were deemed an ideal fit for the role.

But it was not always smooth sailing for a man accustomed to junior age-group football.

Former Brondby midfielder Martin Ornskov recalled players occasionally overstepping the mark with tackles in training.

“He made some mistakes at first,” Ornskov told BBC Sport in 2023.

“At times he was a little soft.”

In time, Frank effectively imposed his methods, but his tenure would end under a cloud.

Having guided the club to the UEFA Europa League in both of his first two seasons in charge, he departed before the end of the third when it emerged that Brondby chairman and majority shareholder Jan Bech Andersen had criticised him on an online fan forum under a pseudonym using his son’s account.

Premier League pedigree

Initially brought to Brentford nine months later, in December 2016, as an assistant to manager Dean Smith, one of Frank’s responsibilities was to bridge the gap for players promoted from the club’s B team to the first team.

Less than two years into the role, he was then named as Smith’s successor, starting a seven-year stint at the helm that would see Frank guide the west London club to the Premier League for the first time in their history.

In four years in the top flight, they rarely looked in threat of relegation, with Frank defying a meagre budget and the departure of club topscorer Ivan Toney to finish 10th in 2024/25.

With his reputation continuing to enhance as a masterful man-manager and expert communicator, there remain two cultural rules Frank has rigidly imposed and will doubtless do so again in north London.

“The most important is the people,” he told Lineker.

“I believe every person is a good person.

“If you come into a good environment it’s easier to shift towards that good side of you.”

The other is his response to success and failure, with Frank setting a time period for players and staff to process their emotions before moving onto the next task.

“I can only celebrate for 24 hours, I can only be sad for 24 hours.”

Barring that career change of heart two decades ago, it may well have been school pupils learning from those mantras today.

Instead, he will prepare for a first competitive Spurs outing against European champions Paris Saint-Germain later this summer in the UEFA Super Cup final.

Teaching’s loss has been football’s gain.

Football writer Alex Keble selects five players who could benefit most from the arrival of Tottenham Hotspur's new head coach.

Thomas Frank has been appointed Tottenham Hotspur head coach and it’s fair to say he represents a major tactical departure from Ange Postecoglou.

Where Postecoglou was infamously ideological, Frank is renowned for being a flexible tactician who moves between progressive possession tactics and a more reactive or direct approach.

That means players who thrived under Postecoglou could struggle - and those who floundered could be given a new lease of life.

Here’s a look at five Spurs players who stand to benefit most from Frank’s arrival:

Archie Gray

Gray is a player Frank and Brentford were rumoured to be interested in signing before he joined Spurs, and it’s easy to see why; Gray, pictured top left, has an intelligence, positional awareness, and technical ability in tight spaces that would have helped Brentford grow.

In the Championship, Brentford played possession-based progressive football with a high defensive line, only to drop into a more reactive system at Premier League level. However, it’s important to note that over the last year, Frank tried to move Brentford back the other way.

Their number of 10+ open-play passing sequences rose from 245 in 2023/24 to 325 in 2024/25, an increase of 33 per cent. Spurs, then, will often build carefully out from the back and through midfield.

Gray is very comfortable receiving the ball under pressure, playing cute one-twos, and moving the ball gracefully through the thirds.

He is a step-up from any midfielder Frank worked with at Brentford – and will quickly become one of the manager’s favourites.

Destiny Udogie

More direct does not mean less progressive, and like Frank’s Brentford, Spurs will attack with gusto.

Frank usually instructs one of his two full-backs to sit in the back three and the other to attack aggressively, so much so that he converted winger Keane Lewis-Potter into a left-back at Brentford.

That’s good news for Udogie, pictured top right, who is likely to be turned back into a more conventional left-back after spending two years inverting into a No 8 position under Postecoglou.

Udogie's positioning under the old regime didn’t always work. He averaged 7.5 goals and assists in Serie A for Udinese, but contributed zero goals and just one assist in the Premier League last season.

He will enjoy overlapping or crossing from deep in 2025/26, simplifying a role that sometimes left Udogie crowded out in central areas under Postecoglou.

Brennan Johnson

Having reportedly tried to bring Johnson to Brentford back in 2022, Frank will be pleased to link up with a fast, direct, and line-breaking winger reminiscent of the players who flourished at the GTech Community Stadium.

Broadly speaking, Frank’s Brentford organised their build-up play – whether through passing moves out from the back or longer passes over the top – to get wide wingers arriving in the final third at speed and in space.

Johnson contributed 14 Premier League goals and assists last season (one goal involvement every 155.5 minutes), but in a team more interested in fast transitions and counter-attacks, those numbers could increase.

Like Bryan Mbeumo at Brentford, Johnson will be given licence by Frank to run in straight lines down the right flank.

Micky van de Ven

Most managers would want Van de Ven in their team for his outstanding defensive qualities and recovery speed, which will be essential despite Frank deploying a lower defensive line than Postecoglou.

What Frank will particularly appreciate, however, is Van de Ven’s technical ability. He is superb at playing raking long balls towards the forwards, as well as progressive line-splitting passes; these are qualities that Frank will use as he implements more direct football.

According to FBref, Van de Ven ranks in the 90th percentile for progressive passes per 90 (5.15) among centre-backs in Europe’s "Big Five" leagues. His long passes aren’t particularly high in number, at 7.1 per 90 last season, but that’s because of Postecoglou’s instructions.

Van de Ven is also strong in the air, and maximising set-pieces will almost certainly be a prominent feature under Frank. Brentford ranked third in the Premier League last season for xG created from dead balls (16.71).

Son Heung-min

Frank is neither Postecoglou-like nor Nuno-like, but rather a hybrid manager with a flexibility and adaptability that will make Spurs less easy to read.

Consequently, he needs all-weather players just as capable of excelling when the plan involves quick counters as when it means hogging possession.

Only one player at Spurs has played well for the club despite the tactical setup; only one player who stood out under all of their last five permanent managers in Mauricio Pochettino, Nuno Espirito Santo, Antonio Conte, Jose Mourinho, and Postecoglou.

Son’s speed and dribbling quality could make him an ideal centre-forward for Frank too, combining the traits of Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa.

The Spurs captain only managed 16 goal involvements in the Premier League last season, down from 27 the year before, prompting rumours that he could be set to leave the club this summer.

But Frank’s track record of getting the best out of forwards and creating space for dribblers in the final third could revive Son’s fortunes.

Do that, and Spurs fans will instantly fall for their new manager.

Football writer Adrian Clarke looks at the tactics and management style of new Tottenham Hotspur head coach Thomas Frank and assesses how he could look to set Spurs up.

Thomas Frank is now a proven head coach at the highest level, having guiding Brentford to a top-half finish in two of the last three seasons.

Frank has earned his shot at managing a bigger club, and has been charged with the task of reviving Tottenham Hotspur as a Premier League force.

Let's take a closer look at what the Dane will bring to the club…

What is Frank's style and how might Spurs look under him?

Spurs’ tactical approach under their new head coach will be adaptable, aggressive, thoughtful and attack-minded.

Frank’s Brentford were the Championship’s top scorers in both his full seasons in charge at that level, playing an attacking brand of football.

During that period, they were also possession-based in style, averaging a 56.15 per cent share of the ball.

In the Premier League they have had a lot less possession, although the Bees enjoyed their highest average last season (47.82 per cent).

Whichever way they play, Frank’s teams always score plenty of goals.

Brentford averaged 57 goals per season over four campaigns, and were the Premier League's fifth-highest scorers in 2024/25 with 66.

That positive approach should go down well with Spurs supporters.

Without the ball, Frank’s principles revolve around creating overloads designed to crowd space, usually in the wide areas.

They force teams to switch their point of attack by knocking opponents out of their rhythm.

At certain moments, Spurs will be asked to press high in a man-to-man set-up, striving to regain the ball in advanced areas.

Holding a risky high line to do so, this will not be a huge departure for the squad Frank inherits from Ange Postecoglou.

As shown in the tables below, Spurs and Brentford were almost identical in this facet of the game last season.

Possession won in final third High turnovers Bournemouth 216 Man City 357 Man Utd 194 Bournemouth 337 Brentford 190 Arsenal 335 Chelsea 189 Brighton 325 Arsenal 188 Spurs 320 Spurs 186 Brentford 319

At the back end of 2024/25, Postecoglou also began to deploy a pragmatic, low-block style of play, and this is something we have also seen plenty of from Frank.

In matches where he wants to be more cautious, he may deploy a compact back five.

The journey so far

Before becoming a full-time coach, Frank taught at all levels from pre-school to higher education.

He has a degree in physical education, and in his late 20s he studied sports psychology.

This background provides the new Spurs head coach with impressive communication skills and emotional intelligence.

So, it is no surprise he is regarded as empathetic, and one of the best man-managers around.

Consequently, the challenge of handling a dressing room full of international stars will not faze the 51-year-old in the slightest.

After Frank impressed as a coach at junior levels, the Danish FA appointed him manager of Denmark's Under-16 and Under-17 teams in 2008.

Five years later, he was appointed manager of Brondby. He guided them to the Europa League qualifiers in back-to-back seasons.

Then, in December 2016, Frank joined Brentford as one of Dean Smith’s assistant coaches, before taking over as head coach in October 2018.

Who are Frank’s biggest influences?

He likes visionary coaches, citing Morten Olsen as his greatest inspiration for changing the face of Danish football with his 4-2-3-1, with wingers at the heart of the team.

Three other big names also impacted him, as discussed in 2018 when he became head coach at Brentford.

At the time he said, "Diego Simeone, his way of defending, wow! Guardiola’s positions when building up, fantastic. Jurgen Klopp’s counter pressing and high pressing is amazing. Can we mix that? Then, no problem."

These differing role models have shaped Frank’s approach, which is one of the most varied among all top-flight managers.

How will he set Spurs up?

Frank’s preference is to use a back four.

He inherited a 3-4-3 when succeeding Smith at Brentford, but in both of his full seasons in charge at Championship level, his first-choice shape was 4-3-3.

Injuries prompted the Dane to revert to 3-5-2 late on in 2020/21 and it was a tactical ploy which inspired their promotion via the play-offs.

In the Premier League, he has relied a lot more heavily on that shape, showing a penchant for using it against the division’s most difficult, possession-heavy opponents.

Frank's defensive formation at Brentford

Formation Premier League matches Championship matches Back three 71 40 Back four 81 85

Last season, Frank pivoted away from a back three though, starting that way in just four of Brentford's 38 league matches.

He also deviated from 4-3-3 (eight matches), preferring the use of Mikkel Damsgaard as a No 10 in a 4-2-3-1 (22 matches).

When you analyse Frank’s formations at Premier League level it would be fair to presume he will consider three primary formations at Spurs.

Frank's most-used formations in PL

Formation Times used 3-5-2 53 4-3-3 51 4-2-3-1 22 5-3-2 16 4-4-2 4 4-5-1 3 3-4-1-2 1 3-4-2-1 1 4-3-1-2 1

How could Frank's Spurs XI look in his three most-used formations?

Who will suit Frank’s approach?

Pedro Porro is a player who will fit well with the demands of his new manager.

Frank places a lot of emphasis on width, asking his teams to put lots of crosses into the danger zone.

He demands that quality balls are whipped across the face of goal; Brentford have been ranked inside the top six for successful open-play crosses in all of the last three seasons.

Brentford's crossing stats and PL rank

Porro is, by some distance, Spurs’ most effective crosser.

The Spain international executed 34 accurate deliveries last term, with no one else in the squad producing more than nine.

Frank can also be direct in his tactical approach, with the Bees ranking second last season for successful long passes.

Porro is superb in that department, racking up 84 successful long passes, far more than anybody else at Spurs.

Spurs players' successful open-play crosses and long passes 24/25

Successful open-play crosses Successful long passes Pedro Porro 3 Pedro Porro 84 James Maddison 9 Cristian Romero 47 Son Heung-min 9 James Maddison 41 Djed Spence 9 Ben Davies 37

Frank also likes pace, power and mobility in forward areas.

Ollie Watkins, Ivan Toney, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa have all been success stories under his guidance, so Dominic Solanke looks a good fit as the central striker.

Solanke made the fourth-highest number of off-the-ball runs last season (847), and I suspect Brennan Johnson, a player Frank tried to sign for Brentford on more than one occasion, is another lively forward who will fit in well with the new regime.

Dejan Kulusevski’s incessant industry will also delight his new head coach, who places great emphasis on unselfish running for the team.

The Swede covers a lot of ground and is comfortably Spurs’ best presser.

Interestingly, Brentford’s Damsgaard was ranked first among top-flight midfielders last season for possession wins in the final third.

Kulusevski’s excellence in that area could mean he is preferred to somebody like James Maddison at No 10.

Midfielders with most possession won in final third

Player Times possession won Mikkel Damsgaard 35 Amad 29 Dejan Kulusevski 27 Abdoulaye Doucoure 27

How does Frank differ to Postecoglou?

The key difference between Frank and his Australian predecessor is his tactical flexibility.

Until the final few weeks of his tenure, Postecoglou was married to a philosophy of bold, adventurous football, even if it meant his high defensive line was often exposed by runners.

His replacement at Spurs is more of a horses-for-courses type.

Frank will adjust his strategies to stifle opponents’ strengths, and to prey on the weaknesses he sees.

So, Spurs' players will have to develop a new understanding of their roles and adjust on a game-by-game basis.

What can we expect?

After finishing in 17th place last season, surely the only way is up for Spurs under Frank.

The Dane’s high-energy style will suit most of the players, and they should enjoy his attack-minded approach.

Taking on board variations to their tactical requirements, depending on who they face, is something they must quickly adapt to, though.

Frank will also have much less time in between matches to formulate game plans.

Brentford played 43 matches in all competitions in 2024/25, compared to Spurs who took part in 60 fixtures.

A decrease in prep time is something the Dane and his staff must acclimatise to, and that will not be easy.

Whichever way you look at it, there is no doubt Frank has earned his opportunity to manage at one of the Premier League’s biggest clubs.

He will face a lot of new challenges, but Frank looks a good fit.