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Ange Postecoglou receives first job offer since Tottenham sacking

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Just a week after getting sacked by Tottenham, Ange Postecoglou is reportedly in talks to make a swift return to the dugout.

Last Friday, Spurs announced that Postecoglou had been relieved of his duties after two seasons in north London, a decision that has divided players, fans and pundits.

The Australian ended Tottenham’s 17-year trophy drought by beating Manchester United in the Europa League final, thereby securing their return to the Champions League.

However, their Premier League campaign was a disaster, suffering a record 22 defeats and finishing 17th in the table, only ahead of the three relegated sides.

Though Postecoglou assured supporters that ‘season three is better than season two’, Daniel Levy make the call to axe him and hire Thomas Frank from Brentford.

Unsurprisingly, Postecoglou’s attractive brand of football and ability to win silverware has made him an attractive target for many clubs around the world and one has already approached him.

According to The Athletic, Saudi Pro League side Al Ahli have made contact with the 59-year-old as they weigh up whether to replace current head coach Matthias Jaissle.

Popular with the fans, Jaissle guided Al Ahli, one of the four Saudi clubs owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), to the AFC Champions League title last season.

But the young German has just a year left on his contract and has turned down multiple offers to extend it having been tipped to return to Europe, amid links with West Ham and RB Leipzig.

It is said ‘talks are moving quickly with Postecoglou’, while Xavi, out of work since being sacked by Barcelona over a year ago, is also a contender for the job.

Whoever Al Ahli appoint will get to work with a squad featuring several notable ex-Premier League stars including Riyad Mahrez, Roberto Firmino and England striker Ivan Toney.

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Postecoglou is of course no stranger to managing in Asia following spells in Australia and Japan, as well as the Australia national team.

Meanwhile, Brentford are on the hunt to find Frank’s replacement. The Bees had hoped to appoint Justin Cochrane, a member of Frank’s coaching staff, but he had also moved to Tottenham.

They could still hire from within with set-piece coach Keith Andrews the new favourite for the job, while Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna and even Postecoglou are among the frontrunners.

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Bryan Mbeumo makes decision over Manchester United transfer after £70m Spurs bid

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Bryan Mbeumo still prefers a transfer to Manchester United after Tottenham launched a £70 million offer for the Brentford forward, according to reports.

United are intent on strengthening Ruben Amorim’s attacking options ahead of the new season and completed their £62.5 million deal to sign Matheus Cunha from Wolves this week.

A new striker is also on United’s wanted list for the summer window and they have already been dealt a blow this month as Liam Delap turned down a £30m move to Old Trafford in favour of joining Chelsea.

United have also been in advanced talks to sign Mbeumo but so far they have been unable to reach an agreement with Brentford over a fee for the Cameroon international.

It’s understood that United’s initial offer for Mbeumo worth £55m after add-ons was rejected by Brentford last week.

The Mirror are now reporting that Spurs have entered the running to sign Mbeumo following Thomas Frank’s arrival at the north London club this week and a £70m bid worth £65m plus £5m in add-ons has been submitted to Brentford.

Spurs could also have an advantage with Frank having worked extensively alongside Mbeumo at Brentford for the past six seasons.

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But Sky Sports report that Mbeumo would still prefer a move to United having already given an indication at the start of this month that Old Trafford is his first-choice destination.

The report adds that Tottenham are not completely out of the running with Mbeumo ‘more intrigued’ by a move to Spurs after their decision to replace Ange Postecoglou with Frank.

It’s understood that Brentford have been holding out for at least £60m for the 25-year-old, who scored 20 goals in the Premier League this season.

Spurs, meanwhile, are considering a move for Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo as an alternative option to Mbeumo.

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Tottenham begin talks to hijack transfer of £60m Man Utd target

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Tottenham have held initial discussions to sign Manchester United target Bryan Mbeumo following the appointment of Thomas Frank, according to reports.

Mbeumo had attracted interest from several Premier League clubs but appeared to have his heart set on a move to United this summer.

Brentford knocked back an initial offer from the Red Devils worth an initial fee of £45million, but Ruben Amorim’s side are expected to come back with a second offer closer to the Bees’ £60m valuation.

United are eager to sign the forward who netted 20 Premier League goals last season and bring him to Old Trafford alongside Matheus Cunha to boost their attacking options.

However, they may well have to act swiftly to complete a deal, with Sky Sports reporting that Tottenham have held talks with Brentford over a deal for Mbeumo.

Spurs appointed former Brentford manager Frank as their head coach on Thursday and the Dane is keen to bring some of his former players with him to north London.

The report adds that Mbeumo is said to be more keen to consider a move to Tottenham following the appointment of Frank.

Frank brought Mbeumo to Brentford from French club Troyes in 2019, with the Cameroon international spending two seasons in the Championship before helping the Bees get promoted to the top-flight.

The 25-year-old enjoyed his best season in a Brentford shirt last season and has 70 goals in 242 total appearances for the club.

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Spurs may struggle to compete with United when it comes to wages, however, with Amorim’s side willing to pay Mbeumo a whopping £200,000-a-week.

Reports earlier in the week suggested Tottenham may only be able offer £130,000-a-week.

However, they may hope that the allure of Champions League football could give them a potential edge over United.

Tottenham still hold a long-standing interest in Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, who is also admired by United.

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Thomas Frank confirmed as new Tottenham manager with four coaches joining him

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Thomas Frank has been confirmed as the new Tottenham Hotspur manager, signing a three-year contract in north London.

The Dane has been in charge of Brentford for seven years but has moved across London to replace Ange Postecoglou.

A club statement read: ‘We are delighted to announce the appointment of Thomas Frank as our new Head Coach on a contract that runs until 2028.

‘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.’

After a brilliant time in charge of Brentford, the Bees posted a statement which read: ‘We can confirm that after seven years in charge, Thomas Frank has left Brentford to take up the head coach role at Tottenham Hotspur.

‘He will be joined by assistant first-team coach Justin Cochrane, head of first-team performance Chris Haslam, and first-team analyst Joe Newton.

‘Everyone connected with Brentford would like to thank Thomas for the incredible impact he has had on the club’s history.’

Tottenham also confirmed that Andreas Georgson will join as first team assistant coach from Manchester United.

Tottenham confirmed earlier on Thursday that Mile Jedinak, Nick Montgomery and Sergio Raimundo had all left their roles as assistant coaches with the club.

It is just the 51-year-old’s third post in charge of a club, having managed Brondby from 2013-16 before taking charge at Brentford in 2018.

He guided the Bees up from the Championship and has established them as a Premier League force, despite losing key players at regular intervals.

Prior to being in charge of Brondby Frank managed Denmark age group sides from Under-16 up to Under-19.

Frank comes in at a fascinating juncture for Spurs as they return to the Champions League next season thanks to winning the Europa League at the end of the last campaign.

Postecoglou lifted the trophy after beating Manchester United 1-0 in Bilbao but was dismissed soon after due to a woeful Premier League campaign.

Spurs finished the season 17th in the table having won just 38 points in a campaign so bad that a European trophy could not save the Australian’s job.

A statement from Spurs read: ‘We are extremely grateful to Ange for his commitment and contribution during his two years at the Club. Ange will always be remembered as only the third manager in our history to deliver a European trophy, alongside legendary figures Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw.

‘However, the Board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the Club for a change to take place.’

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Man Utd beat Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea to sign highly-rated Southampton prospect

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Manchester United have reached an agreement to sign teenager Harley Emsden-James from Southampton, beating a string of Premier League rivals to his signature.

The Red Devils have done a deal worth £1m for the 16-year-old talent, although they will go on to pay add-ons and Southampton have negotiated a 20 per cent sell on clause.

The centre-back has played up to Under-18 level for the Saints, despite only turning 16 in March this year.

There was plenty of competition for the England youth international, with Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham all tracking the youngster.

Manchester United have won the race, though, continuing their recent ploy to snap up the most promising young talent in the country.

The Red Devils have not only been able to do this from much smaller clubs, but also poaching talent from those of rival stature.

Chido Obi and Ayden Heaven both arrived from Arsenal in the last year and have made their debuts in the Manchester United first team.

It is very unlikely Emsden James will follow them into the first team in the near future, instead heading into the Under-18 team at Manchester United when he arrives.

It would have been more than that if it were not for a season-disrupting injury and he is likely to be regularly involved next season.

Speaking out on why he left the Gunners for a move to Old Trafford, he said: ‘The opportunities that the young players have got here in the past.

‘I think United had the most minutes given to teenagers last season [2023/24]. That convinced me to come here.

‘And the people and the fans here are quite loving, and I felt that when I was playing. They’re so supportive.’

Director of football Jason Wilcox has been credited for bringing in a number of talented prospects and Ruben Amorim thanked him for Heaven’s arrival.

‘I think once again Jason Wilcox is doing a great job bringing Ayden,’ Amorim told MUTV in May.

‘I think these types of players are what we need. He showed a lot of quality and character after the big injury. We want these types of players.’

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Tottenham, Aston Villa and Newcastle in race to sign £25m Man Utd star on loan

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Tottenham, Aston Villa and Newcastle United are in the running to sign Jadon Sancho from Manchester United in the summer transfer window, according to reports.

Chelsea confirmed on Wednesday that they are not taking up their £25 million permanent option to sign Sancho following his season-long stint at Stamford Bridge and have paid a £5m penalty fee to send him back to United.

Sancho’s future is now uncertain as it’s understood that Ruben Amorim has no plans to integrate the 25-year-old into his squad for United’s pre-season campaign.

According to The Sun, Sancho has already attracted interest from three Premier League clubs with Spurs, Villa and Newcastle all keeping tabs on the winger’s situation at Old Trafford.

It’s claimed that Villa will aim to secure a loan deal but United are looking for a permanent sale this summer.

Chelsea, who is on a £300,000-a-week deal with United, had the option to sign Sancho permanently for a £25m fee but could not reach an agreement with the winger over personal terms.

Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund have all but ruled out the prospect of re-signing Sancho this summer.

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Dortmund signed Sancho from Manchester City for £8m in 2017 and the winger enjoyed the best seasons of his career with the Bundesliga club before his £73m move to United in 2021.

Sancho has been linked with a return to Dortmund this summer but the German club’s sporting director, Sebastian Kehl, says the club have other priorities.

‘Of course, contact with Jadon is always there, in some way, because we have a very long history,’ Kehl told Ruhr Nachrichten.

‘But that’s not an issue for us right now. We have other priorities at the moment, and that’s why the Sancho issue may have been more talked about in the media than internally.’

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Alexis Mac Allister says he would love ‘world-class’ Tottenham star at Liverpool

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Alexis Mac Allister has picked out Tottenham defender Cristian Romero as the one Argentina player he would ‘love’ to have at Liverpool next season.

Liverpool have set out their stall at the start of the summer transfer window, determined not to rest on their laurels having won the Premier League title in Arne Slot’s first year at the helm.

After losing Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid, the Reds wasted little time in wrapping up the signing of Jeremie Frimpong, 24, with the right wing-back arriving from Bayer Leverkusen for a fee of £29.5million.

The English champions followed this up by bringing in back-up for Alisson with the addition of 20-year-old goalkeeper Armin Pecsi from Hungarian outfit Puskas Akademia.

After weeks of speculation, the Merseyside giants are now confident of capturing Florian Wirtz, 22, having reached a verbal agreement – worth up to £126.9million – with Leverkusen for the Germany attacking midfielder.

Next on Liverpool’s list of priorities is strengthening at left-back and Milos Kerkez finds himself at the top of the club’s wishlist in this position on the back of an eye-catching season in the Premier League with Bournemouth.

And while Slot and Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes are said to be satisfied with their current options at centre-back, Mac Allister has got fans talking with some comments he made while away on international duty.

Asked which of his international team-mates he would want at Liverpool, Mac Allister, without hesitation, replied: Oh, Cuti [Romero].

‘He’s a player that 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.’

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The Liverpool midfielder also took the opportunity to praise his club captain, saying, ‘[Virgil] van Dijk, with his height, already commands a lot of respect.’

Mac Allister’s glowing assessment of Romero come just weeks after Alejandro Garnacho made very similar remarks about the Tottenham and Argentina centre-half.

‘We know Cuti, he’s the best centre-back in the world,’ the Manchester United winger told ESPN Argentina.

‘He deserves it, congratulations to him [on winning the Europa League.’

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Son Heung-min casts doubt over Tottenham future with response to Spurs exit link

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Son Heung-min has refused to rule out the prospect of leaving Tottenham this summer.

The 32-year-old has just finished his tenth season at Spurs and captained the team to their first trophy in 17 years as they beat Manchester United in the Europa League final.

In January, Spurs exercised the option to extend Son’s contract for another year which keeps him tied to the club until the summer of 2026.

However, Son has attracted major interest from the Saudi Pro League and it has been reported that Spurs would entertain a lucrative offer for the South Korea captain.

Speaking after South Korea’s 4-0 win against Kuwait on Tuesday which secured their place at the 2026 World Cup, Son cast doubt over his future at Tottenham.

When asked if he will stay at Spurs for another season, Son replied: ‘For now, I think it’s right to wait rather than say anything here since my contract remains.

‘Many people, including reporters and fans, are very curious. Rather than thinking about the future, I think it’s better to wait and see what happens in my current position.

‘No matter where I am, I’m still a player who has always done my best and worked hard, so I think I should do well.’

Son, who was hampered by a foot injury towards the end of the campaign, was also asked about Spurs’ season and finally ending the club’s trophy drought.

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‘I think I’ve accomplished everything I’ve done while playing the football I wanted to,’ Son said.

‘Football is about winning and only winners are remembered. Despite the difficult season, it was a really happy season for me because I experienced the trophy that I’ve been chasing since I was young.

‘It was a year where I wanted to do better. I was so happy to be able to share that moment with so many people who cheered me on.

‘I haven’t been in good condition many times, but I think I’ll be able to prepare for the new season in really good condition.’

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Ben Foster explains why Bryan Mbeumo could reject Man Utd transfer

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Ben Foster has warned Manchester United that Bryan Mbeumo could turn them down in favour of a move to Tottenham if he has genuine ambitions of becoming a ‘better footballer’ and ‘being a part of something’.

Mbeumo enjoyed an outstanding individual season with Brentford last term, notching 20 goals and seven assists to help the club to a tenth-placed finish in the Premier League.

But speculation is mounting that Mbeumo could be set for a big-money summer transfer away from the Gtech Community Stadium after six years with the Bees, as both United and Spurs – the two Europa League finalists – battle it out for his services.

United have held advanced talks with both Mbeumo’s camp and Brentford over a proposed switch to Old Trafford – and the Cameroon international is reportedly keen to swap south London for Manchester.

The latest of the Red Devils’ two bids for Mbeumo is understood to be worth in the region of £60m, with the forward in line to make in excess of £200,000-a-week at the Theatre of Dreams.

However, United may not have it all their way this summer given Thomas Frank has told Daniel Levy he would like Mbeumo to come with him from Brentford if, as expected, he replaces Ange Postecoglou as Tottenham’s new head coach.

‘It’s not exactly a rock and a hard place, is it?!’ ex-United and England goalkeeper Foster said of Mbeumo’s two potential options on Fozcast – The Ben Foster Podcast.

‘It’s like five-star and six-star [hotel]… am I going for a swimming pool in my room or having to just go to the top floor for the swimming pool? It’s still pretty nice!

‘If you want to be part of something that’s going to make you probably a better footballer, work hard and be part of a team, then go to Spurs with Thomas Frank.’

Tottenham have a significant bargaining chip that United cannot offer this summer after beating the Red Devils in the Europa League final to secure Champions League qualification next season.

But Foster believes Mbeumo could still be tempted by the Red Devils should he base his decision on financial gain rather than purely footballing matters.

He added: ‘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… but with their record in the last couple of years, failure is kind of just part of what they do… then you’d just go to Manchester United.’

Discussions are expected to rumble on between Spurs and Frank over the coming days, with Brentford in line to make around £10m in compensation should the Dane depart.

According to Foster, Frank should be ready to be a far more subservient manager should he agree to work under Levy at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

‘My big problem with Thomas Frank going to Spurs is nothing to do with Thomas Frank, it’s Daniel Levy,’ Foster warned the Brentford head coach.

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‘It works fantastically at Brentford with Thomas Frank. Same as it is at Brighton, whoever the manager is, it works fantastically.

‘He is the manager of that football club. He runs it, he knows who is coming in and going out, they’ve got systems, back-up systems, players in the pipeline, the scouting system looks to be fantastic.

‘But if you go to Spurs, you don’t get a say in any of that. He doesn’t get to do any of that, he doesn’t get to control it. Daniel Levy is the guy that controls all of that.

‘He will get very little say so he won’t be the manager at Spurs that he is at Brentford.’

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Man Utd, Liverpool and Tottenham battling it out for Bournemouth standout

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There is a three-way battle on between Manchester United, Tottenham and Liverpool for a player who enjoyed an eye-catching season in the Premier League last time round.

Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo scored 11 Premier League goals and 13 in all competitions as he continued to impress for the Cherries.

The 25-year-old signed from Bristol City in January 2023 and has been gradually improving on the step up to the top flight.

His performances have been good enough to attract some heavyweight attention, with Bournemouth now facing a battle to keep hold of the Ghana international.

Sky Sports report that Tottenham and Manchester United are both showing an interest in Semenyo, while he was already believed to be on Liverpool’s list of targets.

The report states that the forward’s preference is a move to a Champions League club, which will leave Manchester United at a disadvantage, but the Red Devils retain significant pulling power, despite their disastrous last season.

Spurs and United are also scrapping it out for the signature of Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo and whichever club wins that race will have an impact on Semenyo’s future.

Manchester United are more focussed on the Bees star than the Cherries forward and it is unlikely they would move for Semenyo if they are successful in snapping up Mbeumo.

Any club wanting to sign Semenyo this summer will have to spend big, with Bournemouth keen to keep hold of a player they paid £10m for.

The Sun reported in March that the Cherries would ask for £75m from any interested party.

Semenyo had a trial with Spurs as a teenager, as he did at Arsenal, Crystal Palace and Fulham, all of which were unsuccessful before he was eventually given a chance by Bristol City.

He used those disappointments as motivation, telling Football Focus last year: ‘As a 15- or 16-year-old, you don’t know how to cope with your emotions – being so high, being so upset all the time.

‘I did have a lot of doubts but I had positive parents. They always told me life’s not always going to be roses.

‘They are all experiences that you have to go through. But it’s definitely helped me and motivated me to this day.’

Bournemouth have already sold Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid this summer for £50m and Milos Kerkez is expected to leave for Liverpool for around £40m.

The significant departures mean the Cherries will not have to sell and will not want to lose any further players from Andoni Iraola’s starting XI.

Their impressive season under the Spaniard was well observed, though, with Illya Zabarnyi another player targeted for a big move.

Champions League winners PSG are keen on the Ukrainian defender, who Bournemouth signed from Dynamo Kiev in 2023.

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