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Thomas Frank picks Vitinha as ‘next Ballon d’Or winner’ after Tottenham Hotspur's UEFA Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain

Vitinha proved himself as one of the world's best midfielders with a virtuoso display against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night. Questions had been asked of this Paris Saint-Germain side after a matchday four defeat to Bayern Munich, but the reigning champions showed they still have the quality to go all the way once again in Europe, and Spurs boss Thomas Frank was in awe of Vitinha's quality.

Thomas Frank is tipping Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Vitinha to win the Ballon d’Or after his hat-trick in the 5-3 UEFA Champions League win over Tottenham Hotspur.

The Portuguese was the star of the show in a pulsating contest at the Parc des Princes, in what was his first career hat-trick, with Fabian Ruiz and Willian Pacho also on target for the hosts.

Spurs twice took the lead against the reigning champions, but Vitinha’s two brilliant strikes and a goal from the penalty spot were ultimately decisive on the night.

Frank made the comments while addressing his own team’s performance, and admitted they were the architects of their own downfall in some respects.

"There is a frustration when you go 1-0 up and 2-1 up against PSG away from home," he told TNT Sports.

"The performance was to really get something out of the game - a point or three points. That was the performance.

"You hope Vitinha doesn't put the ball in the top corner. That was very tricky. Then the two goals, their third and fourth, you can't concede them if you want to win here.

"By the way, Vitinha, best midfielder in the world, he'll be the next Ballon d'Or winner for me."

Despite falling to defeat, this was a Spurs performance which showed more fight than their meek display in Sunday’s 4-1 north London derby defeat against Arsenal.

Frank claimed that was one of the key positives to take from the match, alongside the goals for PSG loanee Randal Kolo Muani and Richarlison.

"I'm very pleased with the performance, I liked the bounce back from the setback in the last game," he explained.

"This showed more of the identity of the team. The aggressivity, the bravery, going forward, running at them, just everything about the performance. I was very pleased with that.

"Another positive from the game, two strikers scoring three goals between them. I think the whole team performed well overall. I think Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall in midfield, looked really, really good."

Frank elaborated more on Kolo Muani’s display after the Frenchman’s troubled start to his loan spell at Spurs.

He scored his first two goals since arriving at the club last summer, and the Spurs boss hopes the 26-year-old can use that performance as a springboard for the remainder of the season.

"I think that can definitely be a turning point, and the two goals give you some confidence to go forward," Frank continued.

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"He's been struggling a little bit with form for various reasons. He had a setback with the dead leg, a broken jaw, and came to us not being fit. Now it looks better and better, and we saw the best of him."

Spurs' focus now turns to the Premier League when they host Fulham on Saturday, looking to end a run of three games without a win across all competitions.

They welcome The Cottagers to north London sitting ninth in the table ahead of the weekend, but just three points adrift of the top four.

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Thomas Frank tells TNT Sports his Tottenham Hotspur side "need to learn" from their 4-1 defeat to north London rivals Arsenal, as they prepare to face European champions PSG. Watch the UEFA Champions League on TNT Sports and discovery+.

‘Can only apologise’ – Frank on Tottenham’s ‘hugely disappointing’ loss to Arsenal  TNT Sports

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank sorry for 'extremely painful' defeat to Arsenal in north London derby drubbing - 'We can only apologise'

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank said he was sorry for the 4-1 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday in the north London derby. He said the performance was "not good enough", with those sentiments echoed by the club's goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who then looked ahead to his side's UEFA Champions League tie at Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank apologised for the "extremely painful" 4-1 defeat to Arsenal in the north London derby on Sunday.

Spurs slumped to defeat at the Emirates in a loss that has left them sitting ninth, though they could end Monday in 10th depending on the result between Manchester United and Everton.

Richarlison grabbed a second-half goal for the visitors, but it was not enough to cancel out Eberechi Eze’s hat-trick and Leandro Trossard’s opener for Arsenal.

Frank has come under pressure for some underwhelming performances since his arrival from Brentford in the summer, and the manner of the defeat will do little to quell any dissatisfaction amongst the club’s supporters.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the loss, he did not make any excuses and said the performance was not to the required standards.

He said: "I think it is extremely painful. I won't talk away from that. It was a bad performance. It was completely the opposite of what the intention was when we came here. We can only apologise to the fans for the performance.

"I think, no matter if both teams wanted to play short, they got more out of that, and we couldn't get out. When the team went long, we didn't win enough duels. That is exemplified by the 2-0 goal and the 3-0 goal, where a player went through two or three players.

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"I have seen a lot of character and fight in this team, but we didn't win enough duels. We can call that whatever we want, but we didn't win enough.

"I tried to play a 5-4-1. I will always take responsibility as it's my choice in the end to take the system, and we changed it at half-time. My view on it is that no matter what formation we played today, we don't have enough duels or intensity in the decisive moments, and it is very difficult to win a football match.

"The goals I want to see more in detail. The whole game, I need to watch tonight, and it will be a difficult watch. We were not aggressive and stepped forward when we could, and they played it round us."

Asked about his team’s struggles to create chances, he added: "That has been an ongoing theme that we are working hard to improve. It doesn't look good today or against Chelsea. We need to keep working on it.

"There were a lot of things in this game we need to do better. We are four months into it, and they are further in their journey as a team and that was very obvious today. Of course, there will be noise. We played against our biggest rivals and we lost badly.

"But we keep the noise out and we focus. I know this team is very competitive, and we showed that against Man City and PSG [in the UEFA Super Cup]. Of course, it looks bad today, and it was not good enough."

'We didn't fight' - Vicario sorry for defeat

Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario echoed his manager’s thoughts, but looked ahead to their trip on Wednesday night in Paris, when they play current Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain.

He told Sky Sports: "A very bad night for us. First of all, we have to apologise to the people that support us every day. They expected us to fight and today we didn't fight. That's not negotiable to do in football at this level.

"It's a tough night, a very bad defeat, but we have to stick together. We have a big night on Wednesday, but we need to stick together. Tonight we didn't show the things we are normally capable of.

"The emotions are high, but we need cool heads and apologise to the people that support us and have travelled today.

"I think we waited too much to get into the game. We were too passive. The game plan we prepared was different.

"Today we didn't fight. We have to apologise, first of all, for this. But we have to stick together and move on because on Wednesday we have a big night."

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Thomas Frank believes that in-form Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven does not rely on his pace, ahead of the north London derby against Arsenal. Frank insists the Dutch defender's goalscoring record this season reflects that of "complete defenders". Spurs will travel to Emirates Stadium for Frank's first derby since taking over from Ange Postecoglou in the summer.

Thomas Frank believes that Micky van de Ven does not solely rely on his pace and that the Tottenham Hotspur star has emulated the beautiful game's "complete defenders" by showing off his goalscoring prowess this season.

He will be key to Spurs' hopes of upsetting Premier League leaders Arsenal in the north London derby on Sunday, Frank’s first since replacing Ange Postecoglou as Spurs manager in the summer.

Frank admits that some defenders do rely on their pace, but he feels that there is so much more to Van de Ven’s game.

"I think when you are a quick player, you can rely a little bit too much on your pace," he told former England international Owen Hargreaves.

"He works a lot on his positioning in the box, which I think is crucial. As a defender, one thing is to be physical and quick and all that, but also the best defenders for me do what I call cool and composed defending.

"They are not hectic, they are just waiting, then boom, they block. That’s key. He is obviously fantastic on the ball, he can drive forward, he has a beautiful left foot and can play short or in behind.

"Also, this year he has added a set-piece threat, which I think again the complete defenders need to do that."

Frank’s side are currently fifth in the Premier League table after a mixed start to the season.

Spurs were booed off the pitch by sections of their own support following a 1-0 defeat against Chelsea earlier this month, but they followed that up with a morale-boosting win against Copenhagen and a dramatic 2-2 draw with Manchester United.

Frank's style of play may have been called into question by some, but he is adamant that one non-negotiable with his teams is that they put in effort.

"For me, it is a big thing; we need to work hard as a team," he said. "There is not one team in world history that has achieved something without working really hard.

"It is [a blueprint for success], of course, we need to build up in a nice way and we need to defend in a nice way. But just a pure work ethic in these days, it is like a non-negotiable."

Despite a rollercoaster Premier League campaign, Spurs have enjoyed some success in the UEFA Champions League.

They are currently 10th in the league phase table, undefeated after four games with two wins and two draws.

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Getting the Spurs job was the culmination of a long journey for Frank, who has reached Europe’s elite competition after starting his managerial career with an under-8s team.

"It started really small," he added. "Literally step by step. I think after four years at under-8s and under-12s, then I started thinking maybe under-17s.

"I had that for a few years, and then at a certain stage I was thinking I could maybe have a full-time job in this."

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Bournemouth striker Antoine Semenyo's £65 million release clause interests Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur - Paper Round

Tuesday’s Paper Round leads on the news that Bournemouth striker Antoine Semenyo has a release clause amid interest from Manchester United and Liverpool. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest want at least £100 million for midfielder Elliot Anderson, and The Red Devils turned down a chance to sign Romeo Lavia from Chelsea, while they have also discovered how much Wolves’ Joao Gomes will cost.

Semenyo’s £65m release clause

Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur target Antoine Semenyo has a £65 million release clause in his Bournemouth contract that would need to be triggered by a certain date in January, the Telegraph reports.

Bournemouth are hopeful no club will meet the release clause, however, with the price dropping slightly in the summer – although not below £50m.

The Telegraph adds: "Semenyo had rejected £50m moves to Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur and, instead, agreed to sign a new five-year deal with Bournemouth, including a pay rise, but with a specific release clause.

"Semenyo would not have signed the contract otherwise. At the time the amount of that clause was not disclosed – although Semenyo’s agent was allowed to inform potential suitors. The fee is understood to be £65m if an offer is made by an agreed deadline in the January window.

"That is made up of £60m in a guaranteed fee and £5m in achievable add-ons."

Forest set price for Anderson

Elliot Anderson could become the next £100m-plus English player but Nottingham Forest are not willing to listen to offers for the England international during the next transfer window, the Telegraph reports.

Manchester United and former club Newcastle United are both interested in signing Anderson, who could follow Jack Grealish and Declan Rice in going for £100m-plus, but that would not be until the summer at the earliest.

The Telegraph adds: "Forest signed Anderson from Newcastle for a fee of around £15m in July 2024, taking advantage of strict profit and sustainability rules.

"It is understood there are no clauses or stipulations in the five-year contract signed by Anderson. There is also no buy-back or sell-on for Newcastle, which was confirmed by manager Eddie Howe on October 5.

"Forest’s valuation will be set by owner Evangelos Marinakis with the club expected to demand a figure at market value. With potential interest from Champions League clubs in Europe, Anderson’s price could move above £100m after instalments."

Man Utd rejected Lavia in swap

Manchester United turned down the opportunity to sign Romeo Lavia as part of a swap with Chelsea for Alejandro Garnacho, the Daily Mail reports.

Chelsea eventually signed the winger for £40m during the transfer window, but The Blues had been willing to sell midfielder Lavia as part of the deal.

The Daily Mail adds: "United are said to have snubbed the 21-year-old midfielder because of worries about his fitness record.

"That's despite the fact that United's recruitment team had acknowledged they wanted a central midfielder. In the end, Bruno Fernandes has been shifted back from his No. 10 role into the middle of the park alongside Casemiro.

"Lavia's time at Stamford Bridge has been blighted by injuries."

Man Utd learn Gomes asking price

Sticking with Manchester United, Ruben Amorim’s side have discovered the asking price for Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes as they weigh up their options in midfield, the Daily Mail reports.

United’s search for a new midfielder is no secret, and with Carlos Baleba, Conor Gallagher, Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton also under consideration, the club have learned Gomes would cost the club €50m (£44m).

The Daily Mail adds: "The 24-year-old penned a long-term contract when he moved from Flamengo to Molineux. But with the Premier League basement boys at risk of relegation, Gomes may see the winter window as an ideal opportunity to jump ship.

"Should any deal materialise, he would become the second Wolves player to join Ruben Amorim's side this season, after United snapped up his fellow countryman Matheus Cunha for £62.5m in June.

"United were priced out of moves for Baleba and Gallagher in the summer after spending most of their budget bolstering their frontline."

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