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Tottenham boss Thomas Frank says the club "did everything" to bring Antoine Semenyo to Spurs before he joined Manchester City from Bournemouth this month.

Frank believes the failed pursuit of Semenyo shows the Lewis family, whose trust have a majority shareholding in Spurs, are "very committed" to the project, as he defended the club's transfer strategy.

Spurs have only brought in Conor Gallagher and Souza so far in this window, despite their need to bring in a left-sided forward increasing, with injuries to Mohammed Kudus and Richarlison and the sale of Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace.

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Spurs were one of many Premier League clubs that were in for Semenyo at Bournemouth in this transfer window before he joined Man City in a £64m deal.

Tottenham tried to sign the Ghana international in the summer before he signed a new Cherries deal.

Semenyo scored a match-winning goal for Bournemouth against Spurs earlier this month before he left for City, and Frank will be hoping he does not hurt his side again on Sunday as Tottenham host Man City, live on Sky Sports.

Missing out on Semenyo this month, combined with a lack of transfer activity, has seen the club's hierarchy come under criticism from fans, but Frank has backed their approach.

Asked if there is a chance Spurs may not sign any more players before Monday's 7pm deadline, Frank replied: "The club work relentlessly to try to do the best they can to try to improve the squad, especially Johan (Lange), Fabio (Paritici) and Vinai (Venkatesham), and all the people behind them.

"I mean it, we can't be too obsessed with short-term fixes that don't help with the long term, because if we don't do that, then all the hard work we put in now can be limited for the future.

"And that's not that we don't badly want short-term success. I can promise that the Lewis family is super committed to this project; they want to do everything.

"And I will go against my rule, hopefully only once, that there's no doubt it was clear that the club wanted to sign Semenyo.

"They did everything - I think that's a clear signal that the Lewis family is very committed. That's a big signing with finances and all that.

"So that's the quality of players we're looking for to improve the squad, and if we can't find that, then it's definitely better to take the right decisions.

"Not just saying we're just getting quality players going forward because we all know it's not that easy, and I'm sure, for whatever reason, we are not able to get another player or players in this window, then for the summer it's a big summer ahead, and I'm not in doubt we'll see big improvements there."

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The top stories and transfer rumours from Friday's newspapers...

PREMIER LEAGUE

Tottenham are exploring a move for former Aston Villa winger Moussa Diaby as they look to boost their attacking options before the January transfer deadline - The Independent

Tottenham Hotspur are one of a number of clubs weighing up the availability of Raheem Sterling as a free agent - Daily Mail

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Arsenal are exploring a possible summer move for Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez - Daily Mail

Axel Disasi is close to joining West Ham on loan from Chelsea - Fabrizio Romano

Newcastle are still hopeful of signing a defender during the final days of the window - Daily Mail

Nottingham Forest have had further offers turned down for Crystal Palace striker Jean-Phillipe Mateta - Daily Mail

Arsenal left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko is set to fly to Amsterdam to join Ajax on a permanent deal - Fabrizio Romano

The FA has written to Crystal Palace and Macclesfield to stop the Premier League side from handing their share of FA Cup gate receipts to the non-League club - The Times

Werder Bremen have approached Hjalmar Ekdal from Burnley over a potential transfer - Fabrizio Romano

England is in a commanding position to secure a fifth Champions League place for the 2026/27 campaign by finishing in the top two of this season's UEFA's coefficient table.

England sits comfortably on top following the conclusion of the Champions League and Europa League league phases, with Portugal just ahead of Germany in second.

UEFA's coefficient table measures how each country's clubs perform across the three European competitions.

The top two at the end of the campaign are awarded extra Champions League places, known as European Performance Spots.

What do we know about the Champions League knockouts?

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England secured one of the spots last season, along with Spain.

Newcastle were the Premier League club to benefit as their fifth-placed finish took them into this season's Champions League.

Here is why a repeat now looks likely for 2026/27.

How does the coefficient table work?

Each nation is awarded points based on the performance of their clubs in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.

Their points totals are then divided by the number of clubs they have competing in European competition, with nations ranked in the table by their average scores.

Wins are worth two coefficient points, draws are worth one, and defeats are worth none.

Additionally, bonus points are awarded according to finishing positions in the league phase tables, and progress through each knockout round.

The bonus points are far higher in the Champions League compared to the other two competitions.

The team finishing top of the Champions League phase table earns 12 bonus points, compared to six for the team finishing top of the Europa League league phase table, and four for the team finishing top of the Conference League league phase table.

The weight given to the Champions League over the Europa League and Conference League helps to explain why the top European leagues typically get the extra places, given they have more clubs competing in Europe's elite competition.

It also helps to explain why England is in such a strong position this season, with five of its six teams having finished in the top eight places of the Champions League league phase table.

Coefficient table as it stands

With five of its six clubs finishing in the Champions League top eight, and Aston Villa finishing second in the Europa League, England has strengthened its standing at the top of the coefficient table, with an average score roughly 25 per cent higher than Portugal.

England is the only nation with all of its teams still active ahead in European competition, with Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace facing knockout phase play-offs in the Europa League and Conference League respectively along with Newcastle in the Champions League.

The number of clubs still competing is a plus point for England, although other leagues could actually benefit from having more sides in the play-offs, given the extra games provide additional opportunities for nations to accrue coefficient points.

With so much European football still to come this season, England are not yet mathematically assured of a top-two finish in the coefficient table. Their place in last season's top two was not confirmed until April.

However, Opta believe it's already a done deal.

Their expected points model gives England a 100 per cent chance of achieving a top-two finish.

Which Premier League club could profit?

A potential extra Champions League spot is good news for a string of clubs given only five points currently separate Manchester United in fourth, on 38 points, and Sunderland in 11th, on 33 points.

As it stands, Chelsea sit fifth, on 37 points, just ahead of Liverpool on 36 points.

According to Opta, the current top three, Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa, have 100 per cent, 99 per cent and 98.9 per cent chances of finishing in the top five respectively.

Chelsea are given a 64 per cent chance, with Liverpool on 57.6 per cent and Manchester United on 44.9 per cent, despite currently sitting ahead of Chelsea and Liverpool in the table.

Newcastle, last season's fifth-placed finishers, are deemed next-likely, but their probability of a top-five finish is rated by Opta at just 11.7 per cent, ahead of Fulham, who rank as the most likely of the other contenders on 5.9 per cent.

Good Morning Transfers and The Transfer Show are back on Sky Sports News for the January transfer window - and you can watch right here.

Sky Sports News reporters give you all the latest updates on deals going on throughout the January transfer window and debate the potential big moves. Just click or tap the video at the top of the page.

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Looking for dedicated news about your club? Bookmark your Premier League club's page here for live updates and transfer developments.

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The league phase of the Champions League reached a thrilling conclusion with 18 simultaneous games and a total of 61 goals, including one by Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin.

Leaders Arsenal maintained their perfect record with a 3-2 victory over Kairat Almaty. Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City also clinched top-eight finishes to go straight into the last 16.

Here's a look at some of the key themes from the league phase and what we know about the impending knockout stages.

Champions League league phase final table

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Premier League clubs dominate

The final standings underline the strength of the Premier League.

Five of the top eight are English clubs, while no other nation has more than one.

Germany, Spain and Portugal have a representative each in Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Sporting.

Newcastle are the only English side to have missed out on a top-eight finish but go into the knockout phase play-offs as one of the seeded sides, having finished 12th, meaning they will face one of two unseeded teams in Qarabag or Monaco.

Since the introduction of the league phase format last season, the Premier League has had a combined eight top-eight finishes. It's more than twice as many as any other league, with Spain's La Liga next on three.

England set for fifth Champions League spot

One of the benefits of English teams performing so strongly in Europe is that the Premier League is now all but certain to repeat last season's feat of clinching a fifth Champions League spot by finishing in the top two of UEFA's coefficient table.

With five Premier League teams having gone straight into the Champions League last 16, and with all nine Premier League teams in Europe still alive in their respective competitions, England sits comfortably top of the table ahead of Germany.

Newcastle were the beneficiaries last season, clinching their place in this campaign's Champions League with a fifth-placed Premier League finish. Now the door is open for another side to take advantage as English teams continue to perform strongly on the continent.

When English teams can face each other

With Newcastle the only English club in the knockout phase play-offs, there is no prospect of an all-English play-off.

The earliest opportunity for two English sides to meet is in the last 16, when Newcastle could come up against Chelsea, although we will have to wait until the draw for the last 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals on February 27 for that.

The earliest opportunity for any other all-English meetings is in the quarter-finals, when Manchester City could meet Arsenal and Chelsea or Newcastle could meet Tottenham or Liverpool.

Extra fixtures for Newcastle

While five of the six Premier League sides will benefit from back-to-back free midweeks in February having gone straight into the last 16, Newcastle add two games to an already hectic schedule.

Eddie Howe's side will play their play-off first and second legs on February 17 or 18 and February 24 or 25, in between Premier League games away to Manchester City on February 21 and at home to Everton on February 28.

Arsenal can't face Bayern until the final

Arsenal's first-place finish gives them a number of advantages. As the No 1 seed, they can't play a seed higher than 15th in the last 16, a seed higher than seventh until the quarter-final, Liverpool or Tottenham until the semis, and they avoid Bayern Munich until the final.

In addition, they will benefit from a new rule this season that states that the top two league phase finishers will play their second legs at home throughout the whole competition.

Man City could face Real Madrid… again

Meetings between Manchester City and Real Madrid have become annual events in the Champions League. The two sides have faced each other in five consecutive seasons in the competition having already gone head-to-head in the league phase in December.

Now they could meet again in the last 16.

With Real Madrid having slipped into the play-off places, they will face either City or Sporting if they can get through their play-off tie against either Benfica or Bodo/Glimt.

Another meeting between Real Madrid would be good news for the neutral, if their previous knockout meetings are anything to go by. The last five two-legged ties have featured 40 goals, with Madrid advancing on three occasions and City on two.

Mourinho's Benfica rescued but big clubs to bow out

Incredible drama in Lisbon saw Jose Mourinho's Benfica clinch a play-off spot on goal difference thanks to a 98th-minute goal by goalkeeper Trubin against Real Madrid.

Remarkably, Benfica may now face Mourinho's former club in the play-offs, with the goal simultaneously knocking Real Madrid down to ninth.

But despite accusations of lack of jeopardy for the big clubs following the introduction of the league phase format last season, there were still some big beasts to fall this time around.

In fact, there are six European Cup wins among the clubs eliminated, with past winners Ajax, Marseille and PSV Eindhoven among the 12 clubs to bow out.

Napoli, Serie A winners last season, also went out having slumped to a 30th-placed league phase finish with their 3-2 loss to Chelsea, having won only two of their eight games under Antonio Conte.

Spain's Villarreal, two-time Champions League semi-finalists, went out even more meekly, failing to win a single game and taking a solitary point from their eight games as they finished second-bottom in 35th place.

When are the 2025/26 Champions League knockout stages?

Play-off draw: January 30, 2026

Knockout play-offs: February 17-18 and 24-25, 2026

Round of 16: March 10-11 and 17-18, 2026

Quarter-finals: April 7-8 and 14-15, 2026

Semi-finals: April 28-29 and May 5-6, 2026

Final: Saturday, May 30, 2026

Where is the Champions League final being held in 2026?

The 2025/26 Champions League final will take place in Budapest at the Puskas Arena on Saturday May 30.

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