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Spurs play out a 1-1 draw against Newcastle United as the Premier League season edges ever closer.

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Tottenham Hotspur concluded their pre-season trip to Asia with a 1-1 draw against Premier League rivals Newcastle United in South Korea.

There was a real bite to the affair after the tame meeting with Arsenal last week with aggressive challenges and plenty of intrigue for supporters. Brennan Johnson opened the scoring for Spurs after the fourth minute with Harvey Barnes levelling the score shortly before the break.

It was all about Son Heung-min in what is set to be his final game for the club and he was given an emotional goodbye. Here’s how the Tottenham Hotspur players rated.

Tottenham Hotspur player ratings

GK: Antonin Kinsky, 7

The January signing can certainly stake a claim for the starting berth this season with another good pre-season showing. He’ll be frustrated to have seen the Harvey Barnes shot go past him into the near post, but that was a rocket of an effort.

LB: Ben Davies, 6

Easy to see why Tottenham Hotspur extended his contract this summer as Davies can be a vital squad player. Looked a little out of his depth when run at by Anthony Gordon at times.

CB: Kevin Danso, 7

Won the ball high up ahead of the goal, which deserves plaudits. Another made to look a little worried by some of Gordon’s more dangerous moments.

CB: Cristian Romero, 6

Hasn’t quite looked at the pace so far in pre-season. Looked confused after Joelinton found a free header in the 23rd minute and needed his skin saving by Pedro Porro after a mistimed slide tackle on Bruno Guimaraes, which led to a coming together with the Magpies man. Subbed at the break.

RB: Pedro Porro, 8

Looks to have a huge role to play in the team under Frank. Always had his head up looking to release a teammate with a long ball. Was caught out of position for the Harvey Barnes goal but his good work much outweighed any errors.

CM: Rodrigo Bentancur, 7

Has looked better as the weeks have gone by in pre-season. Finding influence by dropping down almost into the back four when building out from the back and looking to progress things.

CM: Archie Gray, 8

A good watch today. Grew into the first half and made some nice runs with the ball at his feet. Looked a little like a deer in the headlights at times when back in midfield but there was an excitement to his performance too. Frank can unleash a new version of the 19-year-old this season.

Thomas Frank breathes new life into centre midfielder

CM: Pape Matar Sarr, 9

Looks reborn under Thomas Frank with another industrious performance. Getting himself in the right place at the right time for good opportunities and could be among the goals this season. A big presence in both breaking up Newcastle United attacks and as the engine room spearheading Spurs moves.

LW: Son Heung-min, 7

Clearly desperate to get a goal in his final outing but wasn’t to be the case today. A hugely emotional day for the winger, who was in tears as he was taken off in the second half. What a servant.

ST: Mathys Tel, 8

Tel’s performance will be remembered for an awful shot when one on one with Nick Pope in the first half. That was too casual and, perhaps a little cocky. That aside, there was a lot to love about Tel today as he caused problems. Moved freely across the front line and looked to provide an option as a through ball.

RW: Brennan Johnson, 8

Was helped by a hefty deflection on his shot to see it sail past Nick Pope. Put in some important defensive work too in a confident showing.

SUB: Lucas Bergvall, 7

Should have perhaps done better when pouncing onto a loose ball won by Bissouma, his tame shot causing no problems for Nick Pope.

SUB: Micky Van de Ven, 8

Only afforded a short time on the pitch but looked a bit better than he did against Arsenal with some decisive interventions.

SUB: Djed Spence, 8

Spurs looked blessed for options at right back this season with a good Spence showing following a confident Porro outing. The 24-year-old is a real fighter.

SUB: Richarlison, 5

Got involved but his most memorable moments were a squandered offside chance and a yellow card for a pull back on Nick Pope.

SUB: Yves Bissouma, 6

Pictured in tears during a training session this weekend but looking raring to go when he came on. Took no time to get a yellow card for a late challenge on William Osula, which was poorly timed. Struck one poor pass to waste an attacking move but a tackle high up the pitch to tee up Bergvall for a shot was a better moment.

SUB: James Maddison, 8

Busied himself off the bench and looked to make things happen. Sometimes found himself in a more advanced position than Richarlison. Picked up another knock late on and had his head in his hands in a really worrying moment.

SUB: Wilson Odobert, 7

His usual self, full of running in his cameo but not a serious goal threat. Slotted a good ball through to Yang late on.

SUB: Yang Min-Hyeok, 8

Perhaps imagined the cheers of the stadium in his home nation too early when sprinting down on goal following that Odobert ball, unable to convert. Managed to pinch the ball of Tino Livramento late on too.

SUBS: Luka Vuskovic, N/A

In other news, Son has already approved of 'fantastic' £68m potential Tottenham replacement - opinion.

Hayden Hackney is a man in demand this summer after an impressive season for Middlesbrough last time out.

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Tottenham Hotspur could still win the transfer race for Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney, despite the Championship club having accepted a £20 million offer from Ipswich Town.

The highly-rated 23-year-old has been linked with several Premier League clubs this summer following an impressive 2024/25 campaign in the Championship. Hackney picked up five goals and three assists from defensive midfield across 43 second tier outings.

Spurs are in the market for reinforcements in midfield, particularly for a player who can sit in front of defence. Pape Matar Sarr was impressive against Arsenal but Frank appears to be unwilling to rely on Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma to fill the other role.

Tottenham Hotspur given hope in pursuit of Hayden Hackney

Former Fulham man Joao Palhinha is reportedly on his way from Bayern Munich and will strengthen options in midfield. However, Spurs could also look to a more long-term solution by snapping up Hackney.

Manchester United, Crystal Palace and West Ham have all also been linked with the player, who helped the England under-31 side to Euros triumph this summer. Hackney is a product of the Boro academy and has never left the club, apart from a brief loan stay at Scunthorpe United.

It had been reported last week that Ipswich Town had struck a deal with Middlesbrough but that came with the warning that Hackney may choose to wait for a Premier League club to formalise their interest before joining a Championship rival. GIVEMESPORT now claims that Spurs could be that club.

Middlesbrough midfielder stalls on Ipswich Town transfer

Hackney is said to be ‘considering’ waiting for a move to Tottenham Hotspur with the Europa League winners giving ‘indications’ that they will make an offer. It’s added that Hackney is determined to be more than a ‘squad player’ when leaving Middlesbrough, which would leave Frank having to promise game time if he hopes to persuade the player to move to London rather than Portman Road.

The Sun had claimed that Crystal Palace were preparing a £27 million swoop for Hackney and Middlesbrough teammate Rav van den Berg earlier this month. The Eagles have cultivated a reputation as the go-to Premier League club for Championship stars wanting to make the step up a division and follow in the footsteps of Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton.

Sky Sports had reported that Everton also held serious interest in the rising star. Brentford, Fulham and West Ham were all also said to be monitoring Hackney, alongside clubs in Europe that included Porto, Stuttgart and Bayer Leverkusen.

In other news, Tottenham should sign Premier League star with 5 Champions League goals to replace Heung-min Son.

Son Heung-min labelled the Premier League winger as ‘fantastic’ after he netted against Spurs.

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Tottenham Hotspur stalwart Son Heung-min has confirmed his decision to leave the Premier League club this summer and the outfit must now look for a replacement. Luckily, the South Korea international has already given his stamp of approval to one possible target.

Thomas Frank has bolstered his attacking options with the arrival of Mohammed Kudus from West Ham for £55 million while the loan of Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich has been made permanent. Spurs had been courting Nottingham Forest man Morgan Gibbs-White but that deal has since gone to the dogs with the attacking midfielder signing a new contract at The City Ground.

Interest in Gibbs-White would indicate that Tottenham Hotspur are not done with their shopping for reinforcements and the departure of Son has added more pressure to that. While the 33-year-old was not at his most prolific last season, he did still contribute 11 goals and 12 assists in all competitions.

Tottenham Hotspur must replace Son Heung-min

Spurs must move to replace Son with a player already proven in the Premier League. The club has so long turned to the winger for his experience and reliability, so a rising star or risky transfer could be considered unwise.

Instead, Tottenham Hotspur should look to hijack transfer rumours suggesting that Arsenal are weighing up a move for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze. The England international, who already has 34 goals in 146 Premier League appearances, offers the pace and directness that could replace Son.

The Standard claims that Eze has a £68 million release clause in his current contract at Selhurst Park, but that it will expire on August 15. That’s just £8 million more than the fee offered for Gibbs-White earlier in the window, which suggests that Spurs have those funds in the bank.

Son praises ‘fantastic’ Eberechi Eze

Eze scored against Tottenham Hotspur in north London in March 2024, striking a brilliant free-kick past Guglielmo Vicario and into the top corner. The Eagles would eventually lose that match 3-1, with Son on the scoresheet, but the South Korean praised Eze’s ‘fantastic’ effort after full time.

It looks likely that Spurs would have to compete with Arsenal for any potential transfer interest in Eze. The Standard adds that Arsenal are ‘aware’ of the release clause in Eze’s deal and that there is serious interest.

The Gunners could need to sell before they buy at this stage in the window, having already brought in several marquee signings. That could give Tottenham Hotspur the advantage in any potential hijack, should the club be able to move straight away.

In other news, Joao Palhinha to Tottenham medical update emerges as Spurs exit completed.

All the latest news and transfer rumours surrounding Tottenham as they step up their summer efforts.

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Tottenham are now looking to press on in the summer transfer window after kicking off their Asia pre-season tour with a statement win over North London rivals Arsenal. Thomas Frank will be pleased with what he saw from his side, with Pape Matar Sarr scoring the decisive goal - and some goal it was.

Tottenham have been pretty quiet in the summer transfer window so far, but Mohammed Kudus has been snapped up, and Joao Palhinha is inbound on a loan deal from Bayern Munich. Here we round up all the latest news and transfer rumours surrounding the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Palhinha latest

Joao Palhinha is Tottenham bound as part of a season-long loan deal that will give Spurs the chance to secure a full purchase in the future. Palhinha has struggled for game time at Bayern since his move from Fulham last year, and he will now return to the Premier League.

According to BILD, Palhinha is already in the process of completing his medical, and he has done the first part of his medical in Munich, with cameras catching the midfielder at Bayern’s training ground. He will finish his medical elsewhere, but it’s unclear whether he will meet his new side on their pre-season tour in Asia.

Moore completes move

Mikey Moore has completed his season-long loan deal to Rangers, with Tottenham granting the 17-year-old a chance to get regular football during the coming campaign. There is no option to buy in the deal, with Tottenham still holding firm belief that Moore will become a top player.

Moore told Rangers’ club website: “As soon as I heard Rangers were interested and wanted me to come, it was a massive opportunity for me. I’m excited to be here and hopefully I can show the fans and everyone what I can do.

“I’ve always loved Rangers as a club. My family have always loved them. I think with the new boss and the way that we play, it’s a great place to be at the minute. There is massive history at the club. I wanted to come to a place where you need to win every week. At this club you need to go out and beat the team that you’re up against every single week. That’s what is expected of you. I want to play under that sort of pressure."

Sarr praised

Tottenham boss Frank was full of praise for Sarr after his screamer against Arsenal on Thursday. He told SpursPlay: “It’s so far the goal of the season!” he told us. “It was great. I know he won Player of the Match and, for me, he was Player of the Match. He took it (the goal) so well and so quickly, saw David Raya was too far out of his goal and put it away.

“By the way, I think Pape has been amazing. I really like how he has played and performed in the last four weeks, training and in games. He’s building, and his all-round game today... top.”

All the latest news and transfer rumours surrounding Tottenham after their big win over Arsenal.

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Tottenham are now stepping up their summer transfer efforts after stepping up their preparations on the pitch on Thursday. Spurs defeated Arsenal in Hong Kong in their first friendly against top tier opposition, and Thomas Frank will delighted with what he saw, with Pape Matar Sarr scoring a sizzling winner.

Spurs have been pretty quiet in the summer transfer window so far, snapping up Mohammed Kudus but doing little more. That will change in the coming days and weeks, and with that in mind, we have rounded up all the latest news and transfer rumours surrounding the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Palhinha incoming

Tottenham are closing in on the signing of Bayern Munich holding midfielder Joao Palhinha, who is set to return to the Premier League after a year away. Palhinha has struggled for game time since his big-money move from Fulham to Bayern.

Fabrizio Romano has posted of Tottenham’s bid on X: “João Palhinha to Tottenham, here we go! Final green light arrived right now from Bayern. Exclusive detail: loan deal includes €30m buy option clause for #THFC, not mandatory. Salary covered by Spurs, Bayern said yes and Palhinha will now travel for medical tests.”

Wissa interest

Tottenham are said to be interested in a move for Brentford forward Yoane Wissa, who is likely to end up being available this summer. According to the Daily Telegraph, Wissa is being eyed by Frank, who needs another striker to compete with Dominic Solanke heading into the new season.

Wissa has made it clear he wants to leave Brentford after netting 19 Premier League goals last season. The forward has been training alone and even skipped training altogether on Thursday as he looks to send a message to the Bees that he wants to follow Bryan Mbeumo out of the club.

Frank pleased with Arsenal win

Frank was delighted with what he saw from his men in Hong Kong on Thursday. He told SpursPlay: “A 1-0 score against Arsenal is an absolutely beautiful score! Yes, it is a friendly, but it’s also a very competitive match. I said before the game that games against Arsenal are never ‘friendly’. It means everything.

“I have to give respect to both teams for their competitiveness in the game. It was very competitive. I was extremely happy with our first half, that first half was completely even. In many ways I loved the way the team performed, and throughout the game the defensive structure was top.

“In the second half, I thought we defended a little too much, but there were some tired bodies on the pitch and sometimes the nature of the game when you are 1-0 up, the other team is pushing a bit more. Some of the defensive principles, and high pressure, especially in the first half, were really good, the mid-block, where everyone defends together and the lower, and the emergency defending, especially at the end, was top class.

“The desire was good. We talk about that clean sheet mentality. It’s a big thing we need to add to the team. Of course, we need to play forward, play brave, aggressive, offensive, but we need the other bit if we want to win enough football matches.”

Pape Matar Sarr wins the pre-season clash with rivals Arsenal for Tottenham Hotspur.

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Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank tasted victory in his first north London derby meeting against Arsenal as the two Premier League rivals battled it out in Hong Kong.

The former Brentford boss has a moment of Pape Matar Sarr inspiration to thank for the win, the midfielder’s goal the difference in the 1-0 win. Sarr pinched the ball off the feet of Myles Lewis-Skelly shortly before half time and rocketed a shot from distance over the head of David Raya in the Gunners’ goal.

There were certainly plenty of positives to take from the Spurs showing. Here’s how the Tottenham Hotspur players rated.

Tottenham Hotspur player ratings

GK: Guglielmo Vicario, 7

Clean sheet in the bag and not having to do too much work. A little rushed at times with the ball at his feet.

LB: Pedro Porro, 8

A busy evening in Hong Kong. Almost saw a corner kick curl past David Raya and looks to have an important role to play in the Thomas Frank transition.

CB: Cristian Romero, 6

Looked a little off the pace today. Some decisive interventions but those came with errors, one of those being a weak header under a long ball that Declan Rice almost capitalised on. Nothing major to worry about nonetheless.

CB: Micky Van de Ven, 5

Also looking slightly rusty at times. Van de Ven had a headed chance in the second half which was arguably an easier one to convert that Richarlison’s miss in the first 45 minutes. In the Premier League, you can’t waste those.

RB: Djed Spence, 9

Really good today. Looked comfortable with whatever Arsenal threw at him and picked out a couple of nice through balls. Spurs’ best player.

CM: Rodrigo Bentancur, 7

His usual self, picking the ball up in front of the defence. Solid if not spectacular. Joao Palhinha would likely be an upgrade here.

CM: Pape Matar Sarr, 8

Good stuff. Got an important toe in after 11 minutes to make breaking up a promising Arsenal counter look easy. Pinched the ball well again just before his goal, which he fired over David Raya from an extraordinary distance. That’s not easy to do.

CM: Lucas Bergvall, 7

Too bitty a game for Bergvall’s talent to be in full force. The midfielder does carry the ball forwards well and puts a shift in.

LW: Wilson Odobert, 7

Did cause Ben White problems with his pace and started the match brightly. Could carry more of a goal threat.

Mohammed Kudus impresses again at Spurs

ST: Richarlison, 4

Frustrating. It’s always hard to fault the Brazilian’s passion but he’s not the one to lead the line for Thomas Frank. Richarlison somehow headed over from practically standing on the goal line in the first half, although that miss is perhaps not quite as bad as social media will have you believe given that the ball cannoned onto his noggin from the crossbar. Needs to be finding the back of the net in these types of matches.

RW: Mohammed Kudus, 8

Again, a lot to love from the former West Ham man. Spurs’ best threat on the flanks and can turn defence into attack in seconds. Not able to provide a huge goal threat but always a headache for Myles Lewis-Skelly.

SUB: Mathys Tel, 7

Didn’t have too much time to make an impact but one really good moment as he ran at the Spurs defence and then put a plum of a cross onto the head of Van de Ven, which he should have scored.

SUB: Son Heung-min, 5

There were a couple of moments when the South Korea international led a Spurs break but didn’t have the dynamism he has done over the years. Needs to find his fire again.

SUBS: Kevin Danso, Brennan Johnson, Ben Davies, Yves Bissouma, James Maddison, Archie Gray - N/A

In other news, Tottenham battle Newcastle United for Marc Guehi alternative who wants move as new contract offer submitted.

Viktor Gyokeres gets a short run out as Arsenal are beaten by rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

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Arsenal fell to a 1-0 defeat in a north London derby clash with Tottenham Hotspur during pre-season, nearly 6,000 miles away from the big smoke. Viktor Gyokeres was handed his first minutes for the Gunners but there was little to be too excited about from the tame meeting.

It was a first half Pape Matar Sarr goal that separated the two sides. The midfielder pinched the ball from the toes of Myles Lewis-Skelly and fired home over the head of David Raya from distance.

There were shouts for a foul and VAR may have overturned that strike but Mikel Arteta’s side did little to really deserve to win the game in Hong Kong. Here’s how the Arsenal players rated.

Arsenal player ratings

GK: David Raya, 5

Known for taking a risk when playing out from the back and paid the price for that, putting Lewis-Skelly in an unenviable position ahead of the Sarr goal, even if there are strong shouts that VAR would have overruled that for a foul. A couple hair-raising moments from corners that threatened to squirm past him too.

LB: Myles Lewis-Skelly, 7

One of the players with the biggest impact on the game today. It looks as if the 18-year-old is going to be given more and more license to come inside and roam through midfield. That was an asset at times against Spurs, but can also leave the Gunners susceptible to the break.

CB: William Saliba, 8

Looked confident. It’s important that Arsenal tie him down to that new contract and end Real Madrid interest. Charged forwards from centre-back at times and showed the vision to find some nice attacking passes.

CB: Jakub Kiwior, 7

Pretty quiet outing at centre-back alongside Saliba. In contrast to the Frenchman, his more ambitious passing sometimes lacked accuracy.

RB: Ben White, 8

A bit of a slow start to the game but grew and grew as the game went on. Once he had settled, felt more comfortable getting past Saka and on the overlap, where he was dangerous. Intervened well when having to back track too.

CM: Martin Odegaard, 7

The player who started the fixture the brightest. Plenty of zip in midfield as he went about his box-to-box work. Did fade slightly as the fixture went on.

CM: Declan Rice, 6

Not quite his usual self. This match was a slow-starter and the type of game that Rice could have gripped by the scruff of the neck. Still busy in the centre of the park.

CM: Christian Norgaard, 7

Looks comfortable in an Arsenal shirt already. That could be a very clever, simple signing from Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta. Provides another aerial threat from set plays too.

LW: Gabriel Martinelli, 7

Got himself into some dangerous positions. Arsenal looked to him to get on the end of long balls with Kai Havertz dropping short. Prodded one over with his toe in the second half but never really looked close to going in.

ST: Kai Havertz, 6

The feel was that Havertz was playing somewhat of a placeholder role waiting for Gyokeres to be introduced. His best work came when dropping back slightly to allow wingers to move inside and when laying off the ball for Martinelli’s chance that was prodded over.

RW: Bukayo Saka, 7

Plenty of hustle and bustle but not quite his usual threat. Spurs players often resulted to simply clattering into the England international with his pace posing a threat. Some nice link-up play with White on that flank.

Viktor Gyokeres handed first Arsenal minutes

SUB: Leandro Trossard, N/A

Hobbled off shortly after coming on with an injury worry.

SUB: Martin Zubimendi, 8

Made an immediate impact. The new signing’s first touch was to control and then fire a dangerous dropping volley towards the Tottenham Hotspur goal. Will surely start more matches than he finds himself on the bench for.

SUB: Viktor Gyokeres, 7

A shame not to see the Sweden international handed more minutes, but there’s plenty of time for that. Immediately charged after corner kicks and went on to exhibit some nice hold up play. Arsenal look better with an out-and-out striker up top.

SUB: Max Dowman, 8

There’s no need to be getting ahead of ourselves with the 15-year-old, but his impact when brought on was clear to see. His first action was to leather a volley towards the goal following an Arsenal corner, which hit a wall of Spurs players. Happy to take his time with the ball and looked like the man to make something happen late on. An exciting talent.

SUB: Cristhian Mosquera, 8

Arsenal fans didn’t get to see too much of the promising 21-year-old but he looked to speed up proceedings when receiving the ball with Arsenal 1-0 down. Got his head to a late corner but unable to get a clear flick-on.

SUB: Reiss Nelson, N/A

SUB: Mikel Merino, N/A

In other news, Arsenal sent asking price for next transfer target as rivals consider midfielder bid.

Burnley have agreed a new contract with a defender who had been linked with Premier League rivals.

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Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace have had any pursuit of Burnley centre-back Maxime Esteve this summer made significantly more difficult with news that the player has signed a contract extension at Turf Moor.

The 23-year-old made 46 appearances for the Clarets last season as Scott Parker’s men lost just two league matches and conceded just 16 goals. Esteve has never played in the Premier League and is set to be a key member of the Burnley squad next season.

Having turned heads in the second tier, the defender had been linked with a move to clubs that could offer him European football. Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace were frequently linked with the Burnley Express namechecking those teams as suitors when reporting on the new deal.

Spurs and Crystal Palace linked with Frenchman

Spurs have already made the loan of Kevin Danso permanent but, with question marks over the future of Cristian Romero, remain in the market for a centre-back. Thomas Frank also has teenager Luka Vuskovic as an option with the youngster impressing so far in pre-season.

Meanwhile, Crystal Palace are still expected to have to fight to hold onto Marc Guehi, whose deal expires next season. Should the England international depart, the Eagles will have a hole that needs filling at the heart of defence.

However, it now appears impossible that Esteve will be that man. The Frenchman has put pen to paper on a new five-year deal with the club despite having already signed an extension in September 2024.

The defender said: “I’m very happy to sign another deal, to me this Club is so special. When I came here, straight away I thought it was special, my family felt it too. It’s the best decision to stay at Burnley, for my progression and to play in the Premier League. This Club - with the Gaffer, with my teammates - is the best place to be. I’m proud to sign a new deal.”

Maxime Esteve signs new Burnley contract

Football Insider had reported that Burnley were willing to listen to offers around the £50 million mark for Esteve, who cost the club £12.5 million. Speaking about the defender last season, Burnley boss Scott Parker said: “I’ve been really impressed with Maxi.

“First and foremost he’s a great kid and an unbelievable professional. Just his general aura about him and his humility about the boy and his professionalism, just everything about him is a top, top boy and of course you see his quality as well.

“Again he probably fits into that bracket of having a lot of work needing to be done, there’s loads of improving and fine-turning, but he’s someone that is humble and willing to improve. For sure we’ve got an exceptional player in Maxi and we’re going to work tirelessly with him to keep nudging him along. But he’s been brilliant for us since I’ve been here.”

In other news, Club 'optimistic' about signing 'exciting' Tottenham player after Thomas Frank vow.

Thomas Frank is getting used to his new role at Tottenham ahead of the new season

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Thomas Frank knew he had a job to do when he arrived as new Tottenham Hotspur boss earlier this summer following the dismissal of Ange Postecoglou.

Spurs had just endured their worst-ever Premier League finish but followed that up with ending a 17-year trophy drought with victory over Manchester United in the Europa League final. The club, therefore, entered an unprecedented summer.

The arrival of Frank meant the Dane was able to assess the existing squad with a fresh pair of eyes to see which players would be compatible with remaining under his stewardship.

Additions have been made, notably Mohammed Kudus in addition to Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso joining permanently, but not as much business has been done yet as would have been liked. Spurs were dealt a major blow when their supposedly agreed transfer for Morgan Gibbs-White fell through at the eleventh hour. Now, Gibbs-White has signed a new deal with Nottingham Forest and Spurs have been forced to consider other options.

Thomas Frank may consider creative in-house solution to Gibbs-White problem

Gibbs-White was set to arrive at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for a £60million fee to play in the No.10. Reports by TBR Football suggest that Frank may be considering using teenage midfielder Lucas Bergvall in the role instead. TBR source Football.London in stating that the Swedish international was spotted playing there in training.

Bergvall was utilised as a central midfielder in a strong debut campaign for Spurs but it is not beyond the question that he could be moulded by Frank, who has a reputation of improving young players. He was seen operating in a more advanced role in an 11 v 11 match in training in Hong Kong, where the Lilywhites will soon face their north London rivals Arsenal on Thursday.

Dejan Kulusevski is still some way from recovering from knee surgery he underwent in May, while James Maddison has only just returned from an injury lay-off and may not yet be fully fit. Therefore, it will be interesting to see if Bergvall is given the chance to start in the 10 in the derby.

Who else could Spurs sign in place of Gibbs-White later in the window?

While in-house options will certainly be considered, it is still likely that Spurs target another signing in creative midfield before the summer transfer window is up. The belief is that they may have a four-man shortlist after losing out on Gibbs-White, also as per TBR Football.

One man they may decide to target is Liverpool ace Harvey Elliott, who may be available for around £50m this summer after shining at the U21 Euros. The 22-year-old looks primed and ready to take the next step in his career and would relish the chance to fight for a starting role at Spurs.

In addition, Aston Villa academy graduate Jacob Ramsey has been linked after seeing his development stall with the West Midlands outfit. A change of scenery could be what the 24-year-old needs to become the player many believe he can be.

Other players Spurs may make a move for include Alejandro Garnacho and James McAtee. Both young stars are surplus to requirements at their respective Manchester clubs and may be available for a bargain price this summer. It will make interesting viewing to see who starts in the No.10 role for Spurs come the start of the new Premier League season in just over two weeks’ time.

Spurs take on Arsenal in pre-season action on Thursday afternoon at the Kai Tak Stadium.

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Tottenham Hotspur continue their pre-season preparations with a perhaps not-so-friendly meeting with north London rivals Arsenal in Hong Kong on Thursday afternoon.

Even though not officially a competitive match, it marks Thomas Frank’s first north London derby in charge of Spurs having arrived at the club from Brentford to replace Ange Postecoglou this summer. The main focus is on getting vital minutes under the belt of first team stars but, given the historic rivalry, it’s a friendly meeting that will come with an extra bite.

Spurs are unbeaten in pre-season outings so far this summer. Frank’s side beat League One outfit Reading 2-0 at the Select Car Leasing Stadium and followed up with a 2-2 draw against Wycombe Wanderers and a 0-0 run-out against Luton Town.

Thomas Frank praises Arsenal ahead of friendly

The meeting with Arsenal presents the first pre-season fixture against a Premier League side. The Gunners have been busy in the summer transfer window so far with several marquee signings arriving at the Emirates Stadium.

Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera and Kepa Arrizabalaga were all snapped up early doors. Sporting CP bagsman Viktor Gyokeres is the latest head-turning acquisition and could see his first minutes in an Arsenal shirt against Spurs.

Speaking about Arsenal ahead of the friendly, Frank heaped praise on his rivals in quotes that Spurs supporters may not love. Franksaid: "It's a great challenge besides being our biggest rivals and the first north London derby outside the UK. They are also right now one of the best teams, I must say unfortunately, in the world, we also need to be honest.

"In that way it's going to be a big test, but it's more than a test as against Arsenal it's not only a friendly. Of course it's a game we will do everything we can to win."

Tottenham Hotspur transfer update

Tottenham Hotspur continue to work on transfer deals but have lacked the productivity of Arsenal. Mohammed Kudus is the only new marquee signing so far, arriving from West Ham for £55 million, with loan moves for Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso made permanent.

Speaking about transfers, Frank said: "We of course are out there in the market and we're aware where we maybe want to strengthen the squad in general. I'm happy with the squad and we've already done a top signing in Mohammed Kudus that is coming in and showing us his quality already. We've got a squad where there is a lot of talent in and quality but of course we're looking."

In other news, Tottenham 'preparing offer' for midfielder amid interest in Man Utd star.