TEAMtalk

Tottenham Hotspur are on the verge of signing an attacking midfielder and could complete the deal tomorrow, according to two reliable journalists.

While Tottenham were dire in the Premier League last season and finished just a place above the relegation zone, the north London club won the Europa League under then-manager Ange Postecoglou and will play in the Champions League in the 2025/26 campaign.

Daniel Levy, though, was ruthless in his decision to sack Postecoglou, with the Tottenham chairman replacing him with Thomas Frank, who did an incredible job at Brentford.

Spurs are aware of the need to bolster their current squad and have already been active in the summer transfer window.

Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso’s loan deals from Bayern Munich and Lens, respectively, have been made permanent, while Luka Vuskovic is making his long-awaited move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham have also signed Kota Takai from J1 League side Kawasaki Frontale this summer and have reached an agreement to sign Mohammed Kudus from London rivals West Ham United for £54.5m.

It has now emerged that Tottenham are on the verge of making another signing.

According to The Telegraph journalist, Mike McGrath, on X, Tottenham will trigger the release clause in Morgan Gibbs-White’s contract and will sign the attacking midfielder from Nottingham Forest.

The England international has a release clause of £60million in his contract at Forest, and Spurs will pay it.

The reliable journalist has added that Gibbs-White will undergo a medical on Friday.

McGrath is not the only source who has claimed that Gibbs-White has agreed to join Tottenham and will undergo a medical soon.

Trusted journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Spurs have had direct talks with Forest and will now complete the formalities.

Romano has written on X: “BREAKING: Morgan Gibbs-White to Tottenham, here we go! Spurs trigger £60m release clause after direct contact with Forest today. Medical booked and set to take place in 24h, as @TeleFootball @mcgrathmike reported.

“Follows Kudus deal done, massive moves for Spurs project.”

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What has been said about Morgan Gibbs-White

Gibbs-White has been on the books of Forest since 2022 and has established himself as one of the best attacking players in the Premier League.

The 25-year-old former Wolves star scored seven goals and gave 10 assists in 34 Premier League appearances for Forest last season.

The England international has been getting widespread praise for his performances for Forest.

Following Forest’s 7-0 win against Brighton and Hove Albion at the City Ground in the Premier League on February 1, former Tottenham striker Peter Crouch told TNT Sports: “He’s a modern-day player. Back in our day, players with that ability were almost luxury players.

“But the amount of work he gets through and the pressing – if you want to play a high press he can do that, if you want to sit back he’s transitional and when you win the ball he carries it and invariably picks the right pass.

“[He does] a bit of everything and he does it really well; he can get goals, create goals, he’s very clever in the way he goes down for the penalty – he won’t thank me for saying this – but he accentuates the foul, very intelligent.

“When I look around the top teams, he could play for absolutely anyone. He’s really enjoying his time here and hopefully that doesn’t stop for a long time, but I genuinely believe he could play for anyone.”

Former Brighton striker Glenn Murray told BBC Sport in March 2024: “I’m a big fan of his.

“I think he is always positive, he gets on the half-turn and plays defence-splitting passes. He’s just always looking to progress the team.”

Murray added: “He’s just always positive. He’s got another side to his game – he doesn’t shirk his responsibilities and fights back.

“For me, that’s why he has become a really positive leader for Nottingham Forest.”

Latest Tottenham news: Real Madrid bid, Kudus revelation

The Spanish media have revealed that Real Madrid are planning to make a £69million bid for one of Tottenham Hotspur’s best players.

TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent, Rudy Galetti, has reported that Tottenham have taken a shine to a Genoa star, but there is competition.

A report has revealed why West Ham United have accepted a cut-price deal for Mohammed Kudus, who is on his way to Tottenham.

Real Madrid are planning to make a bid for Tottenham Hotspur central defender Cristian Romero in the coming weeks after their dire performance against Paris Saint-Germain, according to a report, as Atletico Madrid’s stance on the defender is revealed.

After a disappointing 2024/25 campaign in which Madrid could not win LaLiga or the Champions League, Los Blancos have been very active in the summer transfer window, as they embark on a new era under new manager Xabi Alonso. While centre-back Dean Huijsen has joined Madrid from Bournemouth, right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold has made the switch from Liverpool.

Franco Mastantuono is also on his way to the Santiago Bernabeu, with a deal having been agreed with River Plate for the Argentine midfielder to team up with Alonso’s squad in August when he turns 18.

While things had been looking rosy for a while under Alonso at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, Madrid’s 4-0 hammering at the hands of European champions Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals has forced the manager and president Florentino Perez to look at signing a new central defender in the summer transfer window.

TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, reported back on March 28 that Madrid have Romero on their list of targets for the summer.

Fichajes has now claimed that Madrid are planning to make a formal bid for the centre-back, who was described as “world-class” and “a top-class player with the ball and without the ball when defending” by his Tottenham team-mate Micky Van de Ven on Optus Sport in March 2024.

Madrid are not happy with Raul Asencio and Antonio Rudiger, and believe that Romero ‘meets the requirements’ that they are ‘looking for to lead their new defensive line’.

Los Blancos are planning ‘formal talks’ for the Argentina international centre-back and are willing to pay €80million (£69m, $93.4m) for the 27-year-old, who won the World Cup in 2022 and the Copa America in 2021 and 2024.

The report in the Spanish news outlet has added that Tottenham, who will play in the Champions League next season after winning the Europa League in the 2024/25 campaign, ‘haven’t ruled out receiving an official offer in the coming weeks’.

Romero has been superb for Tottenham over the years and is under contract at the north London club until the summer of 2027.

DON’T MISS 🌐Every completed Real Madrid transfer in summer 2025: Signings, exits, loans

Atletico Madrid have given up on Cristian Romero

Real Madrid are not the only club from Madrid that are keen on Romero, with city rivals Atletico having long been credited with interest in the defender.

However, Madrid will be encouraged to know that Atletico have given up on the prospect of bringing Romero to the Metropolitano Stadium.

According to AS, Atletico made a formal approach for Romero, but Tottenham flatly turned it down.

While Atletico have been willing to pay €55m (£47.5m, $64m) for the defender, Spurs made it clear that they will not enter into negotiations for the Argentine star.

Atletico have already moved on, identifying Feyenoord’s David Hancko, Bayer Leverkusen’s Piero Hincapie, Murillo of Nottingham Forest and Bologna ace Jhon Lucumi as potential tagets.

This will encourage Madrid, but Tottenham’s stance of not selling Romero will be a cause for concern.

However, Los Blancos’s planned bid for Romero is way more than Atletico, so that could help to sway Tottenham’s mind.

Latest Real Madrid news: Players for sale, Liverpool raid

A Spanish report has claimed that Madrid have decided to put three players up for sale following the demolition from PSG at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, including Brahim Diaz.

A second source has claimed that Liverpool plan to make a bid for a Madrid superstar if they lose one of their best attacking players in the summer transfer window.

Ibrahima Konate has responded to a bid from Atletico Madrid, who are hoping to beat Real Madrid to the signing of the Liverpool central defender.

Tottenham’s summer window has exploded into life with reports claiming two attack-minded stars including Morgan Gibbs-White could follow Mohammed Kudus into the club.

Spurs are paying £55m to sign Kudus from West Ham, though the overhaul in Thomas Frank’s final third will not stop there.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein broke news on Thursday afternoon of Tottenham turning their attention to Gibbs-White.

The Nottingham Forest vice-captain is among the finest attacking midfielders in the Premier League and had come under serious consideration over at Manchester City earlier in the summer.

However, City elected to sign Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki instead, leaving Gibbs-White’s future in a state of flux.

Ornstein revealed there are no shortage of high-powered suitors who are sniffing around a move and Tottenham can now be added to that list.

The trusted reporter stated: “Tottenham Hotspur are set to turn their focus to Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White as work continues to bolster Thomas Frank’s squad for next season.

“Gibbs-White is high on the recruitment lists of several leading clubs and Spurs hope to convince him to join them if a deal can be agreed with Forest.”

Ornstein’s update was quickly followed by separate reports from the BBC, Fabrizio Romano and Ben Jacobs.

Tottenham’s move for Gibbs-White is understood to be accelerating quickly and should cost a minimum of £60m to complete.

Forest do not want to lose Gibbs-White but are aware of his desire for a new challenge. A move to Spurs would give the attacking midfielder the chance to play Champions League football.

Kudus, Gibbs-White and one more

Gibbs-White primarily operates in an attacking midfield role, meaning James Maddison is the player whose minutes could be negatively impacted the most by his arrival.

Kudus is expected to line up on one of the wings and news of Tottenham’s breakthrough for the Ghanaian came at roughly the same time as their interest in Yoane Wissa emerged.

ICYMI: Three reasons West Ham accepted cut-price Kudus, Tottenham transfer revealed

Reporter Ben Jacobs was the first to break THE news of Tottenham taking a close look at the 28-year-old. However, initially it was not made clear whether the Kudus coup would prevent Spurs from proceeding for Wissa too.

According to Sky Sports reporter, Dharmesh Sheth, the Kudus move will NOT put a stop to Tottenham’s Wissa plans.

“With Mohammed Kudus’ arrival at Tottenham imminent, there have been question marks as to whether this will impact any of their other activity,” began Sheth.

“Well, they are after one of Thomas Franks’ former players, Yoane Wissa. That pursuit, I’m told, will not be impacted by Kudus’ imminent arrival.

“There’s been no club-to-club contact between Tottenham and Brentford as of yet, but we expect that to be pretty soon.

“Wissa is into the final year of his contract and turns 29 in September, with those ingredients, Tottenham may feel that there is a deal to be done.”

It is important to note Brentford do hold an option to cover the 2026/27 campaign in Wissa’s contract, meaning the Bees aren’t in as weak of a bargaining position as Sheth alluded to.

Furthermore, Brentford will not sell both Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo in the same summer. As such, Spurs must race to seal a deal with Wissa before Man Utd strike an agreement of their own for Mbeumo.

Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of Yoane Wissa creates a potentially critical problem for Manchester United in their chase for Bryan Mbeumo, and with a race against time now underway, Sky Sports has at least delivered a positive update for Ruben Amorim.

The Red Devils are desperate to bring the Bees forward to Old Trafford this summer and have so far seen two offers rejected for the Cameroon international. Having scored 20 goals and laid on another nine assists for Brentford, Ruben Amorim dreams of pairing him alongside Matheus Cunha as one of two No.10s in his 3-4-2-1 Manchester United line-up.

However, while securing a deal for Cunha was relatively straightforward, adding the 25-year-old Bees frontman to their squad as summer signing number three has been anything but.

Indeed, after seeing two offers rejected for Mbeumo already – the second one topping the same £62.5m fee paid for Cunha – United are now locked in talks with the Bees and contemplating a raised third bid.

A big problem for United lies in the fact that Brentford see the 22-times capped Cameroon star as a better player than Joao Pedro and Anthony Elanga, two players of a similar profile who have moved, or are at least due to, for £60m and £55m packages this summer. That makes the Bees more determined than ever to hold out for their exact price, believed to be £65m (€75m, $88m) – and with United forced to pay a bigger chunk of that cash up front and as a guaranteed payment.

And while reports on Wednesday suggested a third bid for Mbeumo was now planned amid a new deadline from Amorim, Tottenham’s counter-move for Wissa creates another, potentially critical move for United.

That’s after Ben Jacobs revealed that, while Brentford are open to the sale of Wissa, whom has been linked with a £50m move across London to reunite with Thomas Frank at Spurs, the south-west London club will not sell both players.

And as a result, it now means the two sides are effectively in a race against time to secure the signing of each of their targets first – and with the winner delivering a knockout blow to their rivals’ hopes.

Sky Sports still confident Man Utd can seal Bryan Mbeumo transfer

In revealing why it was either Wissa to Spurs or Mbeuno to United, Jacobs explained on X: ‘Spurs are weighing up a move for Brentford forward Yoane Wissa.

‘Move driven by Thomas Frank. Wissa is keen on a move.

‘Brentford don’t want to lose Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo in the same window.’

Spurs are also due to put Mohammed Kudus through a medical on Thursday after a fee worth £55m was agreed with West Ham. However, any move for Wissa can be done independently of that deal.

At the same time, Brentford’s director of football, Phil Giles, warned last month that there is a possibility that Mbeumo will remain at the Gtech Stadium if United do not match their valuation and they would have no problems retaining a figure he described as their ‘best player’.

“He had a fantastic season. We expected big interest in him, we have had big interest in him,” Giles said.

“He has his ideas about where he wants to take his career. He is well within his rights to do that.”

He added: “It is not impossible he is still a Brentford player next season if we agree he is going to stay.”

Despite that, Sky Sports insists there remains optimism at United that Mbeumo will still complete the move to Old Trafford.

And a simple post on their X account: ‘Manchester United are hoping that they will be able to secure a deal for Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo before their pre-season tour of the USA begins.’

An earlier post had also acknowledged Spurs’ interest in Wissa and how deals for both will not be permitted.

United are due to fly out to the States on July 22, ahead of games against West Ham, Bournemouth and Everton, with their first game against the Hammers in New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on July 27.

Man Utd transfer latest: Rashford approves shock transfer; monster striker makes sacrifice

Meanwhile, a totally unexpected European side are ready to ‘detonate its second bombshell’ in the transfer market by signing Marcus Rashford – and the finer details of the proposed move have been detailed by a report.

Elsewhere, some good news could be finally coming on the new striker front with Dusan Vlahovic set to make two incredible sacrifices in order to force through a move to join Manchester United.

Rio Ferdinand, however, has got other ideas and he has demanded INEOS stage a transfer intervention to bring Victor Osimhen to Old Trafford after the Nigerian striker finally agreed to a move elsewhere.

And finally, United have made a massive bid for Aurelien Tchouameni, according to a Spanish source, as Real Madrid’s stance on selling the midfielder is revealed.

A reporter has detailed three reasons why Tottenham were able to get West Ham’s green light to sign Mohammed Kudus for well below his release clause.

News broke on Wednesday evening of Tottenham having a £55m bid accepted by West Ham for Kudus. The 24-year-old is primed to sign a six-year contract running until 2031 and is scheduled to undergo a medical on Thursday.

Kudus was not Spurs’ first choice for an attacking addition this summer. Moves for Antoine Semenyo and Bryan Mbeumo were explored first.

Nevertheless, Kudus is a very fine player in his own right and at £55m, the final fee is some distance below what it would’ve cost to sign Mbeumo or Semenyo.

Indeed, Bournemouth quoted a £70m asking price for Semenyo when Spurs enquired. Man Utd’s latest bid for Mbeumo totalled £62.5m and was knocked back by Brentford.

Furthermore, the £55m figure Spurs are paying is a whopping £30m below Kudus’ £85m release clause for Premier League sides.

Reporter Ben Jacobs has shed light on why the Hammers were willing to cash in for a smaller sum and the reasons do not reflect badly on Kudus or Spurs one bit.

“West Ham originally wanted a £60m package but came down in price after Spurs upped the fixed fee following a rejected £50m bid,” wrote Jacobs on X.

“West Ham aware Kudus only wanted Spurs and sale allows them some freedom to now move in the market.”

As stated, West Ham securing a quick-fire sale gives the club more freedom to step on the accelerator for signings of their own.

Furthermore, Spurs agreed to pay a higher portion of the £55m as a fixed fee and not via add-ons, meaning the Hammers have secured more favourable payment terms.

Finally, West Ham’s chances of capitalising on a bidding war for Kudus were nil given the player only wanted to sign for Spurs.

Backing up that final point with an update of his own, Fabrizio Romano stated on X: “Mohammed Kudus didn’t want to negotiate with any other club, only Spurs.

“Clear intentions as revealed last week… and deal now done, as Kudus will become new Tottenham player this week.”

What will Kudus bring to Spurs

Assessing the player and offering insight into how Kudus will be used by Thomas Frank, The Athletic’s Jay Harris wrote:

‘Frank loves players who are positionally versatile. Kudus has spent the majority of his time with West Ham United on the right wing but he operates as a No 10 for Ghana.

‘Frank could use the 24-year-old as a threat cutting inside onto his stronger left foot or as a powerful and dynamic dribbler in tight central areas.

‘Tottenham’s squad struggled to cope with the demands of the Premier League and the Europa League last season so it was crucial that they boosted their numbers this summer.

‘Mathys Tel arrived permanently, after spending the second half of last season on loan from Bayern Munich, but he only turned 20 in April and is still raw. Kudus has a lot of room for growth but is far more experienced and proven.

‘It will be interesting to see how Kudus’ arrival impacts Brennan Johnson and Dejan Kulusevski.

‘Johnson was Tottenham’s top scorer in all competitions last season and he scored the winning goal in the Europa League final. Johnson primarily plays on the right and Frank tried to sign him when he was in charge of Brentford.

‘Will Kudus replace Johnson as the first-choice right winger or will he take over Kulusevski’s playmaking responsibilities in the middle of the pitch?

‘Spurs have a lot of attacking talent at their disposal and it will be fascinating to see how Frank will effectively combine them.’

Tottenham have agreed a £55m fee with West Ham for the transfer of Mohammed Kudus and a medical has been scheduled, and why this is excellent news for Manchester United has been revealed.

After Bryan Mbeumo gave total priority to Man Utd and Bournemouth slapped a £70m asking price on Antoine Semenyo, Tottenham turned their attention to West Ham ace, Kudus.

An opening bid worth £50m didn’t get the job done, though David Ornstein led the way when revealing Tottenham’s second bid has. What’s more, Spurs have not had to come close to Kudus’ £85m release clause to seal a deal.

Ornstein broke the news of a £55m agreement being struck and the claims were quickly backed up by fellow reporters Ben Jacobs, Fabrizio Romano and Florian Plettenberg, to name just three

Kudus is set to sign a six-year contract running until 2031 and is scheduled to undergo a medical on Thursday.

One club who’ll be breathing a sigh of relief at Tottenham striking for Kudus is Man Utd.

The Red Devils are hellbent on making Bryan Mbeumo their second major signing of the summer. Two bids have been rejected by Brentford thus far, with the highest worth £55m plus £7.5m in add-ons.

Man Utd are believed to be formulating a third bid, though Tottenham could have thrown a spanner in the works.

Ben Jacobs revealed on Wednesday that Spurs were plotting a move to sign Mbeumo’s Brentford teammate, Yoane Wissa.

The key point for Man Utd came when Jacobs stated Brentford would not sell Wissa AND Mbeumo in the same window.

As such, if Tottenham were to snatch Wissa – and Jacobs claimed he’s keen on the move – Brentford would then deny Man Utd by clinging on to Mbeumo.

But with Tottenham now finalising their move for Kudus, the expectation is their Wissa plans will be shelved, much to Man Utd and Mbeumo’s relief.

How will Tottenham use Mohammed Kudus

Providing insight into Tottenham’s plans for Kudus, The Athletic’s Jay Harris wrote: ‘Frank loves players who are positionally versatile. Kudus has spent the majority of his time with West Ham United on the right wing but he operates as a No 10 for Ghana.

‘Frank could use the 24-year-old as a threat cutting inside onto his stronger left foot or as a powerful and dynamic dribbler in tight central areas.

‘Tottenham’s squad struggled to cope with the demands of the Premier League and the Europa League last season so it was crucial that they boosted their numbers this summer.

‘Mathys Tel arrived permanently, after spending the second half of last season on loan from Bayern Munich, but he only turned 20 in April and is still raw. Kudus has a lot of room for growth but is far more experienced and proven.

‘It will be interesting to see how Kudus’ arrival impacts Brennan Johnson and Dejan Kulusevski.

‘Johnson was Tottenham’s top scorer in all competitions last season and he scored the winning goal in the Europa League final. Johnson primarily plays on the right and Frank tried to sign him when he was in charge of Brentford.

‘Will Kudus replace Johnson as the first-choice right winger or will he take over Kulusevski’s playmaking responsibilities in the middle of the pitch?

‘Spurs have a lot of attacking talent at their disposal and it will be fascinating to see how Frank will effectively combine them.’

Thomas Frank is the driving force behind a Tottenham plan to sign a winger that could have dire consequences for Manchester United and their own transfer plans, according to a trusted source.

Tottenham and Frank are determined to make at least one more impactful addition to their forward line this summer. Mathys Tel has been banked after his loan spell was turned permanent. If the new Spurs boss gets his way, Tel won’t be alone in bolstering the forward line.

Tottenham shelved plans to sign Antoine Semenyo after baulking at Bournemouth’s £70m asking price. Frank then requested Tottenham explore a move for Bryan Mbeumo almost immediately after taking charge, though the Brentford ace only has eyes for Man Utd.

However, the Red Devils are struggling to get the green light from Brentford who have rejected two offers so far, the latest of which was worth £55m plus £7.5m in add-ons.

And after seeing big-money moves for Joao Pedro (£60m) and Anthony Elanga (£55m) either cross the line or be agreed, Brentford have reportedly raised their asking price to well in excess of £62.5m. Furthermore, Brentford are now demanding a higher portion of the fee up front.

That’s put a Man Utd move in limbo and according to the latest from Ben Jacobs, Tottenham could end United’s Mbeumo hopes once and for all.

Rather than go back in for Mbeumo, Jacobs stated Tottenham are now seriously considering signing his Brentford teammate, Yoane Wissa. Encouragingly for Spurs, the 28-year-old is “keen” on moving to north London.

The issue for Man Utd that would arise from a Spurs move for Wissa is Brentford are willing to sell one of their two best forwards, but not both.

As such, and if Spurs can quickly wrap up a move for Wissa, Mbeumo will not be allowed to join Man Utd – even if they return with a more satisfactory third bid.

“Spurs are weighing up a move for Brentford forward Yoane Wissa,” wrote Jacobs on X. “Move driven by Thomas Frank. Wissa is keen on a move.”

“Brentford don’t want to lose Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo in the same window.”

Regarding cost, Brentford want around £40m before letting Wissa leave.

What about Mohammed Kudus?

Whether Tottenham would move for Wissa as well as Kudus or instead of was not made clear in Jacobs’ update.

Tottenham have an agreement on personal terms with Kudus in place and per Fabrizio Romano, are planning to launch an improved second bid. Spurs’ first offer worth £50m was rejected by West Ham.

“Tottenham are expected to bid again for Mohammed Kudus,” insisted Romano earlier this week. “So in the next days Tottenham want to attack again.

“Second point: Thomas Frank has approved internally Kudus as a top target for Tottenham this summer, as a crucial target. They are prepared to advance and push for Mohammed Kudus

“And then the player side, probably the best news for Spurs fans is that my understanding is Kudus wants to go to Tottenham.

“Kudus gives total priority to Tottenham. Kudus is not negotiating with other clubs because his intention is to go to Tottenham.

“So when you see the player with his intention it’s probably the best news possible for the club to try and get the deal done between clubs, in this case with West Ham.”

Providing a minor update on Wednesday afternoon, Romano stated on X: “Tottenham keep advancing in talks for Mohammed Kudus as negotiations continue between all parties involved.

“Kudus wants Spurs as absolute priority, as reported over the weekend as he has agreed personal terms.”

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Thomas Frank will be looking to put his own stamp on Tottenham Hotspur ahead of the 2025/26 season and TEAMtalk has taken a look at how the Dane’s frontline could shape up, with a new winger signing, as well as a highly-rated playmaker pulling the strings in the No.10 role.

Spurs’ summer transfer window business has largely been underwhelming so far, having turned their loan moves for Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel into permanent transfers. The club have paid £5millon to sign Japan international centre-back Kota Takai from J-League side Kawasaki Frontale.

Midfield and forward positions remain a big focus for Frank when it comes to improving his starting XI though, with Tottenham finishing as the joint-seventh highest scorers in the Premier League last season – despite finishing just a place above the drop zone.

To that end, TEAMtalk has focused on the final third of Frank’s team and the players who are first choice and backups in his favoured 4-3-3 formation. However, it must be said that the former Brentford boss is far more interchangeable than Ange Postecoglou when it comes to mixing up how his teams line up and the personnel he uses.

That being said, let’s take a look at those forward positions and how things could shake down in north London…

Strikers

Record signing Dominic Solanke remains Frank’s first-choice No.9, with the former Bournemouth man expected to thrive more in a slightly more direct style of play under the new Spurs chief.

Solanke scored 16 goals in 45 games in all competitions in his first full season at Spurs but had time out with four niggling injuries that hampered his ability to get up a full head of steam in north London.

Frank loves his forwards to press, which is something Solanke does exceptionally well, while build-up play is more likely to go through the central striker in a way that will utilise the England man’s power, pace and technical ability more.

With Solanke starting, Tottenham still need a quality backup, given the demands of domestic and European football, and that’s where it’s goodbye Saudi Pro League target Richarlson and welcome Nice star Evann Guessand.

Spurs tried twice to sign the 24-year-old in the January window and it’s third time lucky here as a deal worth around €28m (£24m) for the Ivory Coast international is struck.

His overall record last season was an impressive one, recording 13 goals and 10 assists in 42 games in all competitions, although the majority of his appearances came on the right wing.

Guessand did play through the middle on 13 occasions, and also lined up on the left six times to showcase his versatility which – for the money Nice are asking for his services – is right up Daniel Levy’s street.

Spurs have also Son Heung-min and Tel, who can both play centrally, while highly-rated young forward Dane Scarlett will also be around – unless he is packed off on loan again for more experience.

DON’T MISS ➡️ Every completed Tottenham transfer in summer 2025: Signings, exits, loans

Right-wingers

This was largely Brennan Johnson’s domain last season, especially when Dejan Kulusevski was pushed into the No.10 role, and stats-wise it’s hard to argue that he did not have an exceptional campaign.

The Wales international was the club’s top scorer with 18 goals and also netted seven assists, but his general play outside of those stats often left a lot to be desired – particularly against the bigger teams.

To that end, Frank pushes Kulusevski back to his old role on the right flank in order to open the door to the signing of a new creative playmaker just behind the forward line.

While it’s tough on Johnson, Kulusevski was arguably the club’s player of the season before suffering a campaign-ending injury and is a more consistent performer than the former Nottingham Forest man.

Summer signing Tel is also an option for that position, as is Wilson Odobert and young talent Mikey Moore.

Left-wingers

There is where a big new signing makes his mark in Mohammed Kudus, although the Ghana star is capable of playing any position across the frontline.

Having had offers rebuffed by West Ham, Tottenham finally get their man and give Thomas Frank an explosive threat out wide with a player who has yet to reach his full potential.

The addition of Kudus does relegate club legend Son Heung-min to a backup role, after he decided to see out the final year of his contract before likely heading to MLS in the summer of 2026.

In truth, Son was not the same player last season that he’s been in previous campaigns, having seemingly lost a yard of pace and that clinical finishing ability.

Despite that, the South Korean still managed 11 goals and 12 assists as he lifted the club’s first piece of silverware in 17 years after their Europa League triumph.

Son will, however, face major competition from Tel for that role behind Kudus and there remains a slim chance that Spurs may still look to offload him while he has some transfer value.

New creative playmaker

Although our focus here has been on the front three, supplying the ammunition for those attackers is critical, and that is where Tottenham splash out again to bring in RB Leipzig star Xavi Simons.

The Netherlands international costs in the region of £60m but arguably gives Frank an upgrade on the inconsistent James Maddison in that role.

Maddison has, for the most part, been a success in north London but there are games where he has very little impact – most notably against some of the bigger teams – and the signing of Simons gives Spurs a more versatile attacking midfield option who is capable of filling multiple different roles.

That, in turn, makes him fit in more with Frank’s tendency to alter formation depending on who his team are facing from week to week.

Tough on Maddison but he will still have a major role to play as Frank and Tottenham cope with the demands of domestic and European football in 2025/26.

Explosive Tottenham attack for 2025/26

Tottenham Hotspur fans can start to get excited about new arrival Kota Takai as the 20-year-old has already outshone legendary figure Cristiano Ronaldo, according to Japanese football expert Alan Gibson.

Takai is a centre-half who can also play at right-back. Born in Yokohama, Japan, he came through the Kawasaki Frontale academy before going on to make 81 appearances in their first team.

Takai’s strong performances in the Kawasaki Frontale defence have seen him earn four caps for the Japan national team so far, as well as gain admirers from around Europe.

It is Tottenham who have ultimately won the race for his services. Spurs confirmed on Tuesday that they have signed Takai for £5million, tying him down to a five-year contract.

Takai was named the J League’s best young player for the 2024 campaign and has now become the division’s record sale.

The starlet came up against five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo when Kawasaki Frontale played Al-Nassr in the Asian Champions League semi-final in April.

He kept Ronaldo quiet as Kawasaki Frontale picked up a surprise victory over Al-Nassr before losing to another Saudi club, Al-Ahli, in the final.

During an appearance on talkSPORT, Gibson was asked to provide Spurs fans with some background information on their new player. He said: “He’s very, very good. He’s very fast.

“He’s registered at 6 foot 4, 6 foot 3 and a half, which is very unusual for a Japanese player and shouldn’t be a problem in the Premier League if size matters.

“And he’s only about 80, 82, 83kg at the moment. So he might need a bit of beefing up.”

Gibson added: “I think some of the highlights you’ve probably seen were in the Asian Champions League semi-final when he played against Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane and Jhon Duran, and basically he had them in his pocket all game.

“I didn’t realise Ronaldo was playing for about 60 minutes. Seriously, I was watching it on a small screen, and I really had forgotten that Ronaldo was there.”

DIVE DEEPER 👉 Every completed Tottenham transfer in summer 2025: Signings, exits, loans

Big changes at Tottenham

Takai becomes Spurs’ third signing of the summer after loan deals for Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso were made permanent.

It is the start of a new era for the Europa League winners as Thomas Frank has replaced Ange Postecoglou as head coach. Postecoglou ended Spurs’ long trophy drought but was sacked due to the club’s poor league form.

Frank has greenlit the signing of electric West Ham attacker Mohammed Kudus. Chelsea have also held talks for Kudus, but it is Spurs who are in the box seat to land him.

So far, Spurs have offered West Ham an initial £50m plus £12.5m in potential bonuses. The Irons want at least £60m up front to sell Kudus, who could help Spurs move on from Son Heung-min.

Tottenham transfer news: Mbeumo claim; Ligue 1 target

Meanwhile, there have been suggestions Spurs could thunder back into the race for Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo as his switch to Manchester United has stalled.

Nice striker Evann Guessand is another player understood to be on Spurs’ radar.

Reports claim that Spurs are confident they will beat up to three Premier League clubs in the chase for Guessand.

Tottenham Hotspur are ramping up their transfer business after a slow start to the summer window, with the club reportedly ready to raid Serie A for a top talent to follow up a big-money deal for Mohammed Kudus.

There have been three additions to Thomas Frank’s squad so far, with Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel turning their loan deals into permanent ones, while highly-rated Japan centre-back Kota Takai has also arrived from J1 League side Kawasaki Frontale.

The new Tottenham boss wants more, however, as the club look to strengthen a squad that is back in the Champions League next season, having struggled to cope with the demands of domestic and European football last time around.

West Ham winger Mohammed Kudus remains the top target for now, even though reports suggest Frank could yet reunite with Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo in north London after a big twist in his proposed switch to Manchester United.

Tottenham have had two offers knocked back for Kudus so far, with the Hammers wanting in excess of £60million (€70m / $81m) for them to part company with the explosive attacker. However, a third bid is now expected, with the Ghana international already agreeing to sign and Spurs confident of finally striking a deal.

The north London club will not stop there, though, and a fresh report from The Athletic states that Frank also wants a new full-back who is also capable of playing centrally. Step forward Genoa’s Koni De Winter, who has now emerged as a major target for Spurs.

The report claims that Frank wants more competition for left-back Destiny Udogie, despite De Winter playing predominantly as a right-back or right-sided central defender.

DON’T MISS ➡️ Every completed Tottenham transfer in summer 2025: Signings, exits, loans

Tottenham eye top Serie A talent

The 23-year-old was one of the standout defensive stars in Serie A last season, and his ability to play in multiple positions makes him an attractive proposition.

According to CaughtOffside, the Belgian is valued at £30million (€35m / $40m) by Genoa, who Spurs did business with in January 2024 when they signed Radu Dragusin. However, Tottenham are not alone in their admiration for the player.

Manchester United are said to have been monitoring De Winter’s situation closely, as well as fellow Premier League sides Wolves and West Ham.

The talented defender also has suitors elsewhere in Europe, with Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Napoli and Inter Milan also keen on his services.

While it remains to be seen if Tottenham make a concrete approach for De Winter in the coming days and weeks, they at least seem to be sparking into life when it comes to trying to improve Frank’s squad for the 2025/26 campaign.

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