The Mirror

Tottenham Hotspur have hired former Brentford boss Thomas Frank as Ange Postecoglou's replacement following his dismissal - despite the Australian winning the Europa League and securing a Champions League spot

Thomas Frank will be given big money to spend this summer to help rebuild Tottenham. Tottenham are already among the Premier League's big spenders but desperately need signings to revive their fortunes and boost their Champions League campaign.

They have got Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo on their hit-list after his stand-out season on the South Coast. Spurs are unlikely to be the only suitors for Semenyo but his pace, creativity and threat has made him one of the Premier League’s most promising players.

Bryan Mbeumo was a firm favourite with Frank at Brentford but Manchester United believe they are in the driving seat. They are prepared to back the Dane heavily in the transfer market but there are still unlikely to be superstar signings because they have shied away of spending £100m-plus on a player.

But they are ready to strengthen the squad and bring in new faces but there will also be departures with Richarlison likely to go as his £60m move has proved to be another underwhelming transfer for Spurs.

His former club Everton are one of several clubs linked with a cut-price move for the Brazilian.

Frank's arrival at Spurs comes as Tottenham have filed High Court proceedings against Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe’s company Ineos over a terminated sponsorship agreement. Court records show Spurs filed a commercial claim at the High Court against Ineos Automotive on Thursday, though no documents are available.

Chemicals firm Ineos agreed a five-year deal with Spurs in 2022 – before Ratcliffe bought a stake in United – for Ineos Grenadier to become the London team’s official 4×4 vehicle partner.

Ineos said in a statement: “Ineos Automotive has been a partner of Tottenham Hotspur since 2022, expanding on a partnership agreement that Ineos Group had in place with the club since 2020. We have a contractual right to terminate our partnership contract and in December 2024 exercised that right.”

Spurs declined to comment.

In March it was announced Ineos had reached a settlement with New Zealand Rugby in relation to a sponsorship deal. The previous month, NZR had said it had launched legal proceedings against Ineos after alleging that the first instalment of 2025 sponsorship money due under a six-year agreement struck in 2021 had not been paid.

The Dane's former club was beaten by Ange Postecoglou's side in a Premier League game back in February and Frank was full of praise for several Tottenham stars, including full-back Pedro Porro

Thomas Frank has delivered a glowing assessment of the squad he is inheriting as the new Tottenham Hotspur manager. Frank has signed a three-year deal with Spurs, replacing Ange Postecoglou, even though the Aussie won the Europa league, the club’s first trophy in 17 years.

And Frank clearly believes Postecoglou is leaving him a good set of players, despite the fact Spurs suffered a staggering TWENTY-TWO defeats in the Premier League, finishing 17th. One of Spurs’ rare Premier League victories came at Frank’s former club, Brentford, in February and after the 2-0 loss, the Dane spoke positively about the Postecoglou’s squad.

And Frank even compared one of his new players to Real Madrid new boy Trent Alexander-Arnold, saying: “I know they haven’t had their best season but look at their line-up. Just take their front three - I think a lot of clubs would have taken them any day.

“Their midfield? (Dejan) Kulusevski, (Rodrigo) Bentancur, (Yves) Bissouma. That’s a very, very, very, very good Premier League midfield.

“And then I know they haven’t had a centre-back but maybe (Archie) Gray and Ben Davies played their best defensive game of the season (against Brentford). They were great.

“(Pedro) Porro is fantastic at right-back. He’s got Trent-ish offensive qualities. And Spence has done very well.”

Daniel Levy’s appointment of 51-year-old Frank was confirmed after it was agreed he could bring his Brentford backroom staff. It means a complete coaching reset at Spurs with the highly-regarded Justin Cochrane arriving as a first-team assistant coach, alongside Chris Haslam, who is also head of performance.

Joe Newton has joined as an analyst while Andreas Georgson - who worked with Frank before moving to Arsenal in 2020 - is also linking up with his old boss as an assistant coach. It is also assumed Levy has promised Frank considerable backing in the summer transfer market.

It is understood the new manager would like to hijack Manchester United’s move for Bryan Mbeumo. Other names to be linked with Spurs include Crystal Palace gems, Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi, but Frank would face considerable competition if it looked as though either - or both - of those would be open to leaving Selhurst Park.

In conjunction with Tottenham technical director Johan Lange, Frank will also have to make key decisions on outgoings, with Son Heung-Min thought to be considering an exit. Cristian Romero is attracting significant interest from Spanish clubs, Atletico Madrid in particular.

And he might have to reassure Bissouma of his future. The Malian midfielder was only a fringe operator under Postecoglou.

In their extensive talks, a detailed transfer plan will have been worked out by Levy and Frank but it is clear the new boss thinks he already has a squad that should be finishing a lot higher than on place above the relegation zone.

The transfer window is shut for now, but just for a short time. Teams will require just a little patience before they see it open again on June 16 after the first window closed in time for this summer's Club World Cup.

The main name in the window looks set to be Viktor Gyokeres, who was reportedly set to go on strike to force a move away from Sporting Lisbon. The Man United and Arsenal target has now spoken out with an angry statement on social media.

Liverpool are close to breaking the British transfer record with a move for Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz and have already added Jeremie Frimpong to Arne Slot's squad. They are struggling to shift Darwin Nunez as the Reds line up departures that could include Harvey Elliott.

Speaking of heavy spending, both Man City and Chelsea have both been very busy indeed. Pep Guardiola's have already made four signings this summer, the latest becoming Tijjani Reijnders. Chelsea in the meantime have already welcomed six new faces to Stamford Bridge.

Away from transfers, Tottenham have finally confiemed the appointment of Thomas Frank as their new manager.

Tottenham have confirmed the appointment as Brentford boss Thomas Frank as their next head coach. The Dane was identified as the North London's side first choice after sacking Ange Postecoglou.

They opened talks with Brentford earlier this week regarding a move for Frank and his backroom staff, with a deal eventually worth around £10m being struck between the two clubs. The 51-year-old has signed a three-year deal with Spurs.

"We are delighted to announce the appointment of Thomas Frank as our new Head Coach on a contract that runs until 2028," Spurs said in a statement.

"Thomas has extensive experience in English football having joined Brentford in 2016 - since becoming one of the longest-serving current managers in the Premier League. During his time at Brentford he transformed the Club, moving them up from the Championship to an established Premier League side, consistently and significantly outperforming expectations for an extended period of time.

"In Thomas we are appointing one of the most progressive and innovative head coaches within the game. He has a proven track record in player and squad development and we look forward to him leading the team as we prepare for the season ahead."

The new Spurs boss will be joined by his assistant at Brentford Justin Cochrane. The Bees were keen to hold onto Cochrane, who has a reputation as one of the game's most promising coaches. But he - along with Chris Haslam and Joe Newton - will swap west for north in the capital.

Chris Haslam and Joe Newton also form part of Frank's backroom staff, while Andreas Georgson has joined the club from Manchester United.

Frank already knows his first few games as Tottenham boss. His side will take on North London rivals Arsenal in a Hong Kong friendly at the end of July ahead of a further friendly with German giants Bayern Munich. Spurs are then in UEFA Super Cup action on August 13 as they take on Champions League winners PSG in Italy.

It has also been suggested that Frank already has a few potential transfer targets in mind. Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo has been eyed, while Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo is reportedly a target.

Frank moves across London after an impressive six-and-a-half years with Brentford. He was appointed in October 2018 following a spell as assistant to Dean Smith.

He led the Bees to the Championship play-off final but lost 2-1 to Fulham. Brentford went a step further the following campaign as they beat Swansea at Wembley to earn promotion to the Premier League for the first time.

Brentford have established them in the top flight since then having finished 13th, 9th, 16th and tenth in each of their four Premier League seasons. Frank will no doubt be aiming to continue that progress with Spurs as he attempts to get the North London side back on track following a dismal campaign.

Spurs finished 17th in the Premier League last term having lost 22 of their league games. But they still managed to earn a spot back in the Champions League by winning the Europa League against Manchester United in Bilbao.

Is Thomas Frank a good appointment for Tottenham? Share your thoughts in the comments below

In the meantime, Brentford now have a decision over the man they want to replace Frank. His assistant Cochrane was reportedly under consideration before ultimately reaching an agreement to remain part of Frank's staff.

Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna is also among the candidates to move to West London following an impressive spell at Portman Road. In the meantime, it has also been suggested that former Spurs boss Postecoglou is immediately going to be targeted by another Premier League club.

Thomas Frank will become the new Tottenham manager after Spurs finally struck an agreement with Brentford for the Dane to replace Ange Postecoglou in the club's dugout

Tottenham have reached an agreement with Brentford to make Thomas Frank their next head coach.

Spurs quickly set their sights on Frank after Ange Postecoglou was sacked last week – only 16 days after he secured Europa League success – and made an official approach to Brentford on Monday.

Discussions between Tottenham and Brentford initially centred on Frank’s current terms at the west London club, which were set to run until the summer of 2027 and contained a release clause in the region of £10million.

Further talks were required over which backroom staff Frank would take to Spurs but, after days of negotiations, a deal was struck with Brentford on Thursday.

Highly-rated Brentford first-team coach Justin Cochrane will follow Frank to Tottenham and in the process return to the club where he started his coaching journey.

London-born Cochrane has been part of Frank’s backroom staff since 2022, after he initially developed as a coach in Spurs’ youth-team before a spell at Manchester United.

Frank will take over a Spurs side which won the Europa League last month but finished 17th in the Premier League.

Poor domestic form during the 2024-25 season accounted for Postecoglou’s job as the Spurs board were forced to make “one of the toughest decisions” they have had to make in dismissing the head coach who ended a 17-year trophy drought.

Frank will be teaming up again with Spurs technical director Johan Lange, who shared an office with him when they worked together at Danish club Lyngby.

Lange has been leading Tottenham's search to appoint a successor to Postecoglou, and will oversee the club's transfer business this summer alongside Fabio Paratici, who is acting as a consultant to Spurs and will return to club in a full-time role once his worldwide football ban has been lifted.

“That was ultimately a choice from the club," he told Voetbal Zone. "We, as players, have little to say about that.

"Of course, he is the first coach in a long time who has won a trophy has had success at Spurs. So if you look at it that way, it is of course a strange choice.

“It is a choice from the club about which we have little to say, so we will see what happens now. Of course, we see some rumours about the Brentford head coach [Frank], who it will probably be. So yes, a choice from the club about which we have little to say.

“I think many of the players got along with [Postecoglou] well. And of course, what I say, he is the first coach who has brought success to Spurs in a long time.

Liverpool are embarking on what is shaping up to be a busy summer transfer window and star midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has now sent a transfer wish to Reds manager Arne Slot

Alexis Mac Allister has urged Liverpool to sign Tottenham's Cristian Romero. Mac Allister is currently away on international duty with Argentina, with Romero one of his team-mates with La Albiceleste.

Together, the duo have helped their country win two successive Copa Americas and the 2022 World Cup. Mac Allister has also starred in Liverpool's Premier League title win, while Romero helped Tottenham to lift the Europa League.

That ended a 17-year trophy drought for Spurs, who are set to undergo major changes this summer. The man who led them to winning the Europa League, Ange Postecoglou, has been sacked.

Brentford boss Thomas Frank is expected to replace the Australian. Meanwhile, Liverpool are also embarking on a busy summer window, with Arne Slot keen to ensure his side retain their place at the top of English football.

They have already been active in the transfer market, with Jeremie Frimpong having arrived while Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez are expected to join him. And Mac Allister has now urged a fourth move, singling out Romero.

In an eyebrow-raising endorsement, Mac Allister also revealed that he rates the 27-year-old as being the best defender in the world. Such a rating would place him higher than Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk.

Mac Allister said after Argentina's draw with Colombia on Tuesday night: “Oh, Cuti [Romero]. He’s a player I love. The way he speaks and plays.

"Sometimes you feel like he’s too much because he makes everything so easy. He gives me confidence. For me, he’s been the best centre-back in the world for several years.”

Aside from winning the Europa League, it was a miserable season for Spurs, who finished 17th in the Premier League table. That led to suggestions that Romero could move on in the summer window.

But after lifting the Europa League trophy, booking their place in next season's Champions League, Romero appeared to hint that he is happy with life in the capital city.

In a post on social media, he wrote: “We achieved what we wanted this season as a group, and that's what matters. And….My name is part of the history of this beautiful club.

“I want to thank you all for the love and support every day despite everything, but I have no doubt that staying together led us to success. We must continue, this is the path.

"We are the champions of Europe. As a family from start to finish, we deserved this title. No one trusted us and here we are, closing a great season. Thank you all for the love."

Daniel Levy told to make Ange Postecoglou Tottenham sacking U-turn in desperate plea

Tottenham are set to appoint Thomas Frank as their new manager after chairman Daniel Levy decided to sack Ange Postecoglou following the club's Europa League triumph

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has been urged to swallow his pride and reverse the decision to sack Ange Postecoglou. The Australian was dismissed as Spurs boss on Friday, but The Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Nick Reece, believes Levy will come to regret his choice.

The Australian has lots of supporters at Spurs after ending the club’s 17-year wait for a trophy by winning the Europa League with a 1-0 win over Manchester United in Bilbao. But he was sacked due to Tottenham’s dreadful league form, with the club finishing 17th in the Premier League after suffering 22 defeats.

Postecoglou is set to be replaced by Brentford boss Thomas Frank, but Levy has faced plenty of backlash, with Micky van de Ven among calling the decision “strange”. Spurs have entered talks with Brentford, who could be owed £10million in compensation for Frank, but the Mayor of Postecoglou’s home city has desperately called for a re-think.

“On behalf of the people of Melbourne, and Premier League fans around the world, I call on Tottenham Hotspur FC to reconsider its decision to sack coach Ange Postecoglou,” Reece wrote in a statement on Instagram.

"In @cityofmelbourne we have followed Ange’s career closely for decades. He began his junior and senior career in Melbourne as a player and later coach at @southmelbournefc in the 1980s.

"Never underestimate Ange’s determination to win, and his ability to carry teams to greatness. We have seen this time again over his career. This year Tottenham made history by winning the Europa League trophy – its first such win in 17 years. We will see with further trophies follow if Ange is given the chance.

"Don’t let Tottenham be known as the team that is allergic to silverware. Let Ange lead the players onto greatness in next year's Premier League campaign."

HAVE YOUR SAY! Was sacking Ange Postecoglou the right decision? Comment below.

Postecoglou himself knows that Levy will not U-turn on his decision and has already been linked with another Premier League club. “When I reflect on my time as manager of Tottenham Hotspur my overriding emotion is one of pride,” he said in a statement.

“The opportunity to lead one of England's historic football clubs and bring back the glory it deserves will live with me for a lifetime. Sharing that experience with all those who truly love this club and seeing the impact it had on them is something I will never forget.

“That night in Bilbao was the culmination of two years of hard work. dedication and unwavering belief in a dream. There were many challenges to overcome and plenty of noise that comes with trying to accomplish what many said was not possible.

“We have also laid foundations that mean this club should not have to wait 17 more years for their next success. I have enormous faith in this group of players and know there is much more potential and growth in them.”

Ange Postecoglou was sacked by Tottenham despite winning the Europa League after a disappointing Premier League season where the club finished 17th and a Spurs star has given their verdict

Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven has declared the decision to sack Ange Postecoglou 'a strange choice' when considering the side's Europa League success. The Australian coach was given his marching orders after two years in charge, just 16 days on from breaking Spurs' 17-year wait for a trophy.

Thomas Frank is expected to be named as Postecoglou's successor and could be appointed before the weekend. The Lilywhites are set to pay £10million to prise the Danish coach away from Brentford.

And one of Frank's early tasks will be to win over a squad who had a good relationship with Postecoglou. A number of Spurs players expressed how grateful they were to the former Celtic coach for helping them to success.

Van de Ven was coy over the prospect of Frank's arrival but admitted that the club's Premier League performances were unacceptable. The Dutch defender suggested that blame for that did not lie solely at Postecoglou's door however.

“That was ultimately a choice from the club," he told Voetbal Zone. "We, as players, have little to say about that.

"Of course, he is the first coach in a long time who has won a trophy has had success at Spurs. So if you look at it that way, it is of course a strange choice.

“It is a choice from the club about which we have little to say, so we will see what happens now. Of course, we see some rumours about the Brentford head coach [Frank], who it will probably be. So yes, a choice from the club about which we have little to say.

“I think many of the players got along with [Postecoglou] well. And of course, what I say, he is the first coach who has brought success to Spurs in a long time.

"That also shows that he has a certain quality. That also means that he has a winning mentality. 100 per cent.

"From that, you would of course say that it is strange that he was fired. What we have shown in the Premier League is, of course, unacceptable. That would, of course, have multiple factors, but that would not only have been the coach."

Van de Ven finished his 2024/25 season with a goalscoring display for the Netherlands. The Spurs star scored in the 92nd minute against Malta to round off an 8-0 victory in which Memphis Depay, Virgil van Dijk, Xavi Simons, Donyell Malen and Noa Lang all got on the scoresheet.

Thomas Frank could see some new signings at Totteham when he is appointed Spurs' successor to Ange Postecoglou, including a Brentford star and another Manchester United target

Tottenham are on course to have a deal wrapped up for Brentford's Thomas Frank. The Danish coach is set to be the man to succeed Europa League-winning boss Ange Postcoglou in north London but the changes aren't likely to stop there.

Frank is a coach rather than a manger and will be tasked with improving the squad at his disposal. But after the Lilywhites finished in 17th position, the 51-year-old will rarely have a stronger position to negotiate from over what he requires in the transfer market.

There will be key decisions to make over a number of players with the future of captain Son Heung-min a hot topic. But Tottenham technical director Johan Lange will be the figure heading up much of the recruitment, possibly alongside a returning Fabio Paratici.

With a return to Champions League football to manage in addition to the battles of the Premier League, the pressure will be on Frank to deliver on both fronts. And perhaps a new player or two can help boost Spurs' numbers and quality ahead of a better season.

Mirror Football takes a look at how Spurs could line up under Frank next term.

Guglielmo Vicario is set to remain the club's No.1 with the likes of January signing Antonin Kinsky to provide back-up. Goalkeepers Fraser Forster, 37, and Alfie Whiteman, 26, are both set to be released at the expiry of their contracts.

The Spurs backline will see Kevin Danso make his loan move permanent this summer after arriving amidst the club's injury nightmare midway through the season. Already there is some competition with talented stars such as Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Radu Dragusin at Frank's disposal.

With Dragusin still recovering from an ACL injury and Romero being linked to a possible exit for Atletico Madrid, perhaps there is room for another however. Spurs have already been linked to Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite, AS Roma defender Evan Ndicka and Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi.

If Spurs can take advantage of Guehi entering the final year of his contract with the Eagles, perhaps he his most likely to slip into a backline including Pedro Porro, Van de Ven and Destiny Udogie.

In midfield Frank will have talented youngsters to choose from in Lucas Bergvall and Pape Matar Sarr, while only one of older options Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur is likely to extend their stay via a new contract. The latter could help provide a base alongside Sarr if Spurs plan to stick with the players they have.

Adam Wharton and Eberechi Eze have both drawn interest from Tottenham but could prove difficult to prise away from Selhurst Park ahead of Oliver Glasner's side heading into Europe and being notoriously tough negotiators. With James Maddison already in the squad, Frank has an option to play in an advanced role and Dejan Kulusevski could also thrive in such a position.

Across Spurs' frontline a familiar face could arrive in the form of Bryan Mbeumo to provide plenty of goalscoring threat from the right side. Frank is said to have asked for the Cameroon international to follow him from Brentford.

On the opposite flank could be Son Heung-min but after securing his place as a Spurs legend by virtue of finally winning a trophy, he could find new competition. Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo is of interest to Tottenham and would appear to fit in with Frank's philosophies.

Up front, Dominic Solanke is the obvious option to lead the frontline. Son could provide some support in that position throughout the season, in addition to Richarlison but Solanke will be handed the responsibility.

Dream Tottenham XI: Vicario; Porro, Guehi, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bentancur, Sarr; Mbeumo, Kulusevski, Semenyo; Solanke.

Tottenham Hotspur sacked Ange Postecoglou after his second season in charge of the club and are pushing to appoint Brentford boss Thomas Frank as the new coach in the coming days

Tottenham are nearing an agreement with Brentford over Thomas Frank and could appoint the Bees boss as their new head coach in time for the weekend. Spurs quickly turned to Frank as their preferred candidate after sacking Ange Postecoglou last week.

The north Londoners parted ways with the Australian coach despite winning the Europa League after a sub-par 17th place finish in the Premier League. And Daniel Levy looks to have taken a change in tact by looking to appoint Frank, who is deemed as a more pragmatic option.

The move is set to cost Tottenham £10million but Frank could be confirmed as the club's new boss within the next 48 hours such is the positive feelings around negotiations, according to the BBC. There is will from both parties to get a deal finalised quickly.

It is said new Spurs chief Vinai Venkatesham, previously of Arsenal, has been a key figure in the process alongside Levy. Venkatesham only started work at the club just over a week ago.

And the positive talks are set to be tied up soon. Having said that, the £10m compensation cost could rise depending on how many members of backroom staff Frank looks to bring with him to north London.

One such figure Spurs already said to be in talks over is assistant Justin Cochrane. Discussions are underway over Frank's backroom team with Cochrane's arrival particularly apt after he started his coaching career with the Europa League winners.

Cochrane was previously touted as being in contention to succeed Frank at Brentford. Frank himself moved up from an assistant role under Dean Smith to take the job.

The 51-year-old Dane is already thinking about the new squad that awaits him and set out a task for his future employers. Frank would like to see Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo join him across London.

The Cameroon international, who scored 20 goals in 2024/25, is a target for Manchester United. The 25-year-old has already indicated his willingness to make the move to Old Trafford with a significant pay increase.

Brentford want to bring in £60m for the signature of their star, who has also drawn interest from Newcastle United. And perhaps Frank's exit could provide a complicating factor.

Ex-Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster reckons the forward will be better served following his coach across London.

"I would say that if you want to be part of something that's going to make you a better footballer and work hard and be part of a team, then go to Spurs with Thomas Frank," the ex-Wrexham shot-stopper said on his Fozcast podcast.

"If you are happy picking up your wages knowing that there's going to be an awful lot more pressure, a lot more eyes on you, a lot more judgement and failure is just part of what they do, then you'd go to Manchester United."