Football Insider

Kyle Walker-Peters has finally signed for a new club after weeks of speculation linking him with a move back to Tottenham Hotspur.

Southampton’s record-breakingly quick relegation last season coincided with Walker-Peters‘ contract heading for its eventual expiry last month, and he had been an in-demand free agent for three weeks.

Spurs were one of the leading candidates to sign Walker-Peters after his exit from the club in 2020, and Mick Brown told Football Insider that Thomas Frank was pushing Tottenham to complete a deal for him.

Walker-Peters’ versatility and proven Premier League quality were seen as ideal as Tottenham bolster their squad ahead of next season’s Champions League, but the 28-year-old will be heading elsewhere after a move to Spurs collapsed.

West Ham announce Kyle Walker-Peters signing

Walker-Peters had looked set to leave the Premier League behind altogether, only for his proposed move to Besiktas to collapse and put the likes of Everton on high alert as he re-entered the free agent market.

However, the full-back wasn’t without a club for much longer after West Ham United swooped in to agree a deal with Walker-Peters last weekend, and soon confirmed his signing on a two-year contract.

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Walker-Peters will provide competition for the likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka after the Hammers released both Vladimir Coufal and Aaron Cresswell last month, and Dominic Solanke joined in on the reaction.

Posting on his Instagram story (20 July), Solanke shared Walker-Peters’ announcement post at West Ham, accompanied by two white ‘love heart’ emojis.

Tottenham forced to move on after missing Walker-Peters transfer

Football Insider Verdict

Walker-Peters’ arrival comes hot on the heels of West Ham signing El Hadji Malick Diouf from Slavia Prague, showing a clear intent by Graham Potter to make the most of utilising wing-backs next season.

Tottenham’s only headline arrival of the summer so far has also involved West Ham in the form of their £55million deal for Mohammed Kudus, but it remains to be seen how he’ll fit into Frank’s new setup.

Brighton loanee Mark O’Mahony should have been sent off during Reading’s pre-season clash against Tottenham, according to Keith Hackett.

The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider that the 20-year-old striker, on loan with the Royals, was lucky to still be on the pitch during the 2-0 defeat on Saturday, 19 July.

Thomas Frank’s reign got off to the best start, beating the League One outfit thanks to goals from Will Lankshear and Luka Vuskovic, with Mohammed Kudus also being handed his debut.

Joining from West Ham on a £55million deal this summer [BBC Sport], the Ghanaian was quick off the mark, assisting the second goal of the game to open his account in Spurs colours.

Pedro Porro hit with heavy challenge in Tottenham win

While he was able to continue playing until a host of changes at the half-time break, Porro was on the wrong end of a heavy challenge from O’Mahony, one that got both sets of fans talking on social media.

The loanee only received a yellow card for his lunging tackle on the Spanish full-back, and Hackett believes that referee Farai Hallam could face punishment for failing to act.

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Luckily for the new manager, there were no injury concerns after full-time, but there remains a question mark over why O’Mahony was not sent off despite it being a pre-season friendly.

Referee misses red-card challenge in pre-season friendly

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former referee said: “Referees are reminded at their annual conferences that there are no such things as friendly matches.

“They have to apply the laws in accordance with the game. In my day, it was very different. It’d be a nod and a wink to the sidelines, and that player would be taken off for another player.

“The FA are quite clear that there are no friendlies. Yellow and red cards issued in friendlies form part of the sanction process, with fines and punishments.

“Even referees at grassroots level, those who do not report incidents in the usual manner, to what is effectively the FA’s system, are in line to face a suspension.

“That is a red card. He’s off his feet, slid in, and he’s done the player. It’s serious foul play and should have received a red card. If we look at the referee, it’s in a difficult area where the offender’s body has covered the challenge.

“This is why we have assistant referees, and why they have that title. There should have been intervention, because for me, it’s a red card.”

Tottenham stars including James Maddison were quick to respond to Djed Spence’s light-hearted message following the club’s opening pre-season win.

Thomas Frank took charge of his first match as Spurs manager as the team ran out 2-0 winners against Reading, thanks to goals from Will Lankshear and Luka Vuskovic.

Summer signing Mohamed Kudus also made his debut and impressed during his first outing in a Tottenham shirt.

Meanwhile, Spence came off the bench in the second half and continues to push Pedro Porro for a starting place ahead of the new season.

Spence enjoyed a strong campaign for Tottenham last term, turning his career around after several underwhelming loan spells and limited opportunities.

Popular within the dressing room, he shared a comical post after the match that drew plenty of reactions from teammates, with Maddison among those engaging with the message.

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Tottenham stars react after fan confuses Djed Spence with Destiny Udogie

Spence found the funny side after a young fan mistook him for teammate Destiny Udogie, poking fun at the mix-up with a tongue-in-cheek post on social media.

Following the full-time whistle against Reading, Spence posted a picture of himself with Udogie’s face was posted over his own, referencing the earlier confusion. He captioned it: “45 mins in the legs” with a laughing emoji, showing he was able to laugh it off.

Several players responded to the post with similar humour, with Pedro Porro, Dominic Solanke and Udogie himself all commenting with laughing emojis. Maddison also got involved, liking the post and commenting: “You’re an idiot” with a laughing emoji, keeping the mood light.

Spence has steadily grown into a fan favourite at Spurs after an impressive season last term, featuring at both right-back and left-back.

He racked up 35 appearances, scoring twice and providing three assists. His performances, as well as his personality, have clearly made him a valuable figure both on the pitch and in the dressing room.

Tottenham still expected to complete Morgan Gibbs-White signing

Despite pre-season already underway, Spurs remain in the market for further additions, with Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White still a priority target.

Football Insider revealed that Tottenham are still expected to sign Gibbs-White after the club triggered his release clause.

However, progress has slowed as Nottingham Forest accused Tottenham of an illegal approach due to not giving permission for talks, causing negotiations to stall.

However, despite the lack of communication between the clubs at present, there remains a strong belief that the deal will still go through, and only a matter of time before it’s finalised.

Thomas Frank has been warned to deliver as Tottenham Hotspur manager or ‘suffer the consequences quickly’.

Frank ended a seven-year tenure as Brentford manager this summer to take over from Ange Postecoglou in North London — despite the Australian ending Tottenham‘s trophy drought by delivering the Europa League title last season.

During his time with the Bees, Frank guided the club to promotion via the playoffs in 2021 and quickly established them as a steady Premier League outfit, while he lost just 108 of his 317 games in charge.

Frank also helped develop a host of players at the Gtech Community Stadium, with Christian Norgaard and Bryan Mbeumo earning big moves to Arsenal and Man United, respectively, this summer, while Yoane Wissa also has a lot of admirers.

Thomas Frank warned about increased Tottenham pressure

Postecoglou losing his job after winning the Europa League and delivering Champions League football shows just how brutal life can be at a club like Spurs.

Daniel Levy wastes no time on sentiment and if he feels standards have slipped too far — and to be fair, a 17th-place Premier League finish is unacceptable for a club of Tottenham’s standing — he will pull the trigger.

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Indeed, former Aston Villa and Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino has warned that Frank could meet an ugly end at Tottenham if he fails to quickly adjust to the increased pressure put upon him.

“He’s under pressure in many different ways, because he has to prove he is capable of managing a club where the expectation is at a higher level,” Cascarino told talkSPORT (20 July).

“He’s done incredible for Brentford, the club has been very stable. There’s been a lot of change, they’ve sold players and moved players on, but they’ve still kept Premier League status and he’s part of that.

“He’s obviously got a great team together on the coaching side and now, he’s got do something a little bit different. He’s got to challenge for Champions League spots, got to be fighting for cup competitions, and put an exciting team together in an incredible stadium that’s sold out every week. There’s a lot of expectation when you move.

“I’ve moved as a player to bigger clubs and it is more pressure on you to deliver, and if you don’t, you suffer the consequences. And you know, you suffer them quickly.”

Son Heung-min set for showdown Spurs talks

Frank will be busy trying to bring in his ideal players as he looks to make the best start as Spurs manager and already, he’s been backed with the signing of Mohammed Kudus — while Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel have made their loans permanent.

However, one major area of concern is over the future of Son Heung-min.

Son is a Spurs legend, having registered 173 goals and 101 assists in 454 appearances across all competitions since joining from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015.

However, the South Korea international recently turned 33 and suffered a dip in form last season, failing to hit double-figure goals in the league for the first time since his debut Spurs campaign. 10 goals overall is his worst return since that same 2015/16 season.

Son has been linked with moves to the Saudi Pro League and MLS this summer but despite having just one year left on his contract, Football Insider transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke believes the club sees more value in keeping him around to help with their Champions League campaign.

“With just one year left on his contract, there’s more value in keeping him for a Champions League and Premier League campaign rather than selling him now,” said O’Rourke.

“You don’t really want to lose that type of player and what Sonny can offer you.

“It’s a situation where, if he goes to the club and says ‘Look, I want to leave now, I’m ready to go, it’s been fantastic, the time is now’, the club go ‘Okay, brilliant, let’s maximise the deal and get as much as we can for you now’.

“At the same time, if the club have spoken to him and say ‘Look, you’re staying for another year’ and everyone’s agreed, in my opinion that’s the best solution.“

Tottenham Hotspur fans will still be nervously awaiting news regarding the future of Cristian Romero.

The Argentine World Cup-winner is a key member of the Spurs starting XI, making 124 appearances across all competitions since joining from Atalanta in 2021.

Romero suffered terribly from injury last season and managed just 18 Premier League appearances, which undoubtedly played a part in Spurs slipping to a miserable 17th-place finish.

However, he did manage to play seven times in their run to the Europa League title, including managing the full 90 minutes in six of their seven knockout matches.

Stuart Pearce makes Cristian Romero Real Madrid claim

Romero has been linked with Real Madrid for some time now and while city rivals Atletico have cooled their interest, Los Blancos remain on alert.

Former Nottingham Forest and England defender Stuart Pearce is in no way surprised by Real Madrid‘s interest in the 27-year-old, who he compares to current Galactico centre-back Antonio Rudiger — who arrived at the Bernabeu from Chelsea in 2022.

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“I don’t see that interest as a surprise. They took Antonio Rudiger, and Rudiger has a similar outlook on defending, which is old school,” Pearce told BoyleSports (via the Express, 17 July).

“I think if you ask strikers who they don’t want to play against, they’d probably throw his name into the mix

“That’s because of what he does and how he defends, so I can see Cristian Romero to Real Madrid being a decent move.”

Tottenham cannot afford to lose Cristian Romero

Football Insider verdict

But there’s new optimism that things will improve under new boss Thomas Frank, especially following the signing of Mohammed Kudus from West Ham — as well as making Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso’s loans permanent.

The Lilywhites have a return to the Champions League to look forward to and with that in mind, they can ill afford to lose any of their key players.

Romero has two years left to run on his current deal, meaning Spurs can demand a sizeable fee for the player — who has a market value of €50million according to Transfermarkt.

But even at that amount or more, it would be hard for Spurs to find a replacement who can slot into the current squad as well as Romero.

And Frank will likely want to keep the team’s existing leaders around as he adjusts to life in North London.

The pull of Real Madrid can often feel inevitable, but Tottenham must do all they can to keep hold of Romero.

Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven endured a lack of game time last season, thanks to injury struggles.

The Netherlands international was able to make just 13 Premier League appearances for a Spurs outfit who missed his services and landed a disappointing 17th-place finish.

However, Van de Ven made himself a Tottenham hero when he produced a stunning goal-line clearance in their Europa League final victory over Manchester United.

The 24-year-old will hope to have a positive impact in the Champions League under new boss Thomas Frank next term.

Van de Ven reacts as Noa Lang joins Napoli

After qualifying for the Champions League via their Europa League triumph, Tottenham could meet Serie A winners Napoli in the competition next season.

Former Spurs boss Antonio Conte has bolstered his ranks with the Italian giants this summer, including the high-profile addition of ex-Manchester City superstar Kevin De Bruyne.

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Meanwhile, Napoli signed winger Noa Lang from Dutch side PSV Eindhoven, as Conte continues to strengthen his attack.

The Serie A giants revealed Lang’s signature via Instagram on Thursday, 17 July: “Noa is proud to be one of us!”

Van de Ven liked the post, showing that he approves of his Netherlands teammate’s latest move.

Van de Ven set to benefit from Frank management at Tottenham

Football Insider verdict

Former Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou will be fondly remembered by the Spurs faithful for guiding the North Londoners to Europa League glory.

However, the Australian’s second and final season in charge of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium side was largely turbulent, thanks to their poor performances in the Premier League.

Postecoglou’s biggest shortcoming was that he did not divert from his ultra-attacking style of play, which proved costly in the top flight.

Under the 59-year-old’s stewardship, Tottenham conceded 65 goals in the Premier League, showing that they were concentrating too much on attack.

Meanwhile, Frank’s former club, Brentford, were significantly more savvy in defence, enjoying a positive goal difference alongside their 10th-place finish.

The North London outfit will hope that Frank can improve them in all areas, but the Dane will be eager to ensure that Tottenham boast a stronger defence than they did under Postecoglou.

Consequently, Van de Ven will benefit from the former Brentford manager’s stewardship.

Leeds United’s attempts to sign Manor Solomon could soon be at an end this summer after his return to Tottenham Hotspur.

Solomon‘s impact while on loan at Elland Road last season saw the tenth and last of his Championship goals come on the final day against Plymouth Argyle, sealing the 2-1 victory which won Leeds the title.

Daniel Farke‘s side racked up 100 points and their 95th goal as a result of that injury-time winner from Solomon, but the Israel international’s season-long loan from Tottenham is yet to be made permanent.

Leeds farewelled Solomon and fellow loanee Joe Rothwell on 1 July with the latter since completing a transfer to Rangers, as Farke and 49ers Enterprises press on with efforts to bring Solomon back to Elland Road.

Solomon reports for Tottenham training in new Leeds transfer blow

Former Leeds and England goalkeeper Paul Robinson told Football Insider that Leeds are desperate to agree a transfer fee with Tottenham for Solomon this summer, but they’ve been unsuccessful so far.

Leeds are yet to bring in any new faces out wide other than Sweden left-back Gabriel Gudmundsson, leaving Dan James, Willy Gnonto, Largie Ramazani and Jack Harrison as their only options on the wings.

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Farke would still be eager to pursue a deal for Solomon if permitted by Tottenham, but Solomon has posted an update on social media which suggests that his full focus is on Spurs for next season.

Solomon posted on his Instagram story (14 July) from Tottenham’s training ground, with the simple message of; “Back to work”, as well as a ‘back’, or ‘return’ emoji.

Tottenham to delay decision on summer Solomon transfer

Football Insider Verdict

Solomon was one of Ange Postecoglou’s very first signings at Spurs and arrived on a free transfer in July 2023, but he’s yet to add to his six first-team appearances after an injury-hit first season at Tottenham.

Postecoglou’s sacking and Thomas Frank’s arrival gives Solomon the chance of a fresh start in after an impressive campaign in the second tier, and the 25-year-old will be hoping to impress his new manager.

Son Heung-min is set to have crunch talks with new Tottenham boss Thomas Frank about his future with the North London side.

The South Korea star has been an outstanding servant for Spurs since joining from Bayer Leverkusen back in 2015, and helped his club win the Europa League last season.

However, the 33-year-old was below his previous standards last term, scoring just seven goals in 30 Premier League outings.

Meanwhile, Tottenham have signed fellow winger Mohammed Kudus, which could pave the way for Son’s exit amid speculation regarding his future.

Son has ‘earned the right’ to decide Tottenham destiny

Son’s Tottenham contract expires next summer, meaning that the current transfer window presents the North Londoners with their last opportunity to cash in on the winger.

Meanwhile, after Spurs finished just 17th in the Premier League last campaign, Frank must compile a squad who is capable of performing significantly better in the top flight alongside their Champions League duties.

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Responding to a question about Son’s future via football.london‘s live Tottenham blog on Sunday, 13 July, Alasdair Gold said: “It might be that it’s too early for that conversation to have been had yet.

“From Frank’s side, you would think he would want to look at Son up close in action before making up his mind on the current level of a player who has done so much for Spurs and the Premier League.

“For me, the decision should be Son’s. If he wants to stay after 10 years at the club and see out his contract, then he’s earned that right, but if he wants to make a move, then that avenue needs to be explored.”

Spurs should be keen to retain Son for one more season

Football Insider verdict

As alluded to by Gold, Son should be handed the opportunity to decide his Tottenham future, having been a key player for the North London side for a decade.

Spurs appear unlikely to stand in the South Korea international’s way if he decides to part company with them, while the 33-year-old is not as clinical in the Premier League as he used to be.

However, his rich experience and dressing room presence will help former Brentford boss Frank settle into his new surroundings at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Son’s attacking decline was epitomised by the fact that he notched fewer goal contributions across all competitions last term than he did in the 2023/24 Premier League season.

But Son still presents himself as an ideal rotation option, and Spurs require plenty of squad depth as they look to enjoy a successful Champions League campaign.

James Maddison could face a battle to keep his place at Tottenham Hotspur after their recent transfer activity this summer.

Spurs are undergoing a summer of change ahead of their return to the Champions League, with Ange Postecoglou sacked in the wake of their Europa League victory and Thomas Frank hired to replace him.

Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel‘s loans from Lens and Bayern Munich respectively were made permanent either side of Frank’s arrival on 12 June, and Luka Vuskovic also arrived from Hajduk Split on 1 July.

Tottenham’s first statement signing of the summer came on 10 July in the form of Mohammed Kudus’ £55million move from West Ham, and Frank isn’t done yet as he aims to strengthen in attacking midfield.

A £60m bid for Morgan Gibbs-White was submitted hot on the heels of Kudus’ arrival in North London, and that could be bad news for Spurs’ current number 10 despite Gibbs-White‘s transfer hitting a snag.

Maddison meets Van de Ven with Tottenham place under threat

Tottenham‘s players returned for pre-season training in the first week of July as Frank looks to put his stamp on things at Spurs, and one of last season’s top scorers is already in a fight to keep his place.

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Maddison’s position in the team could be taken by Gibbs-White if he completes a move to Tottenham in spite of a threat of legal action by Nottingham Forest, despite his 12 goals and 11 assists last season.

The 28-year-old was never at the forefront of Postecoglou’s plans at Spurs, but Maddison wasn’t letting the potential of being replaced phase him as he shared a post on Instagram story on Sunday (14 July).

Alongside defender Micky van de Ven, Maddison said: “Spot of lunch with my big Dutch mate”.

Frank’s Tottenham taking shape amid Maddison uncertainty

Unlike Maddison, Van de Ven’s place in Frank‘s starting XI is likely assured at Tottenham after his injuries limited the Dutchman to just 22 appearances and played a big part in derailing Spurs’ last campaign.

Maddison is still one of Tottenham’s vice-captains alongside Cristian Romero, and given the uncertainty over both Romero and Son Heung-min’s futures, the England playmaker could yet be elevated further.

Morgan Gibbs-White’s move to Tottenham Hotspur is in jeopardy and he has now reacted to team mate Chris Wood’s latest post.

Gibbs-White has been left in limbo over whether a move to Spurs will go ahead following Nottingham Forest’s stance that they will take legal action against the North London club.

Tottenham could face punishment over their approach for the 25-year-old, with either a transfer ban or a hefty fine a potential penalty.

The saga comes following Mohammed Kudus’ move to Spurs from West Ham and Anthony Elanga’s departure from Forest to join Newcastle.

Wood posts amid Gibbs-White uncertainty

Chris Wood was also a pivotal player for Forest last season in their excellent season, which contributed in the club qualifying for Europe for the first time in 30 years.

Wood spearheaded that success with 20 goals in 40 appearances across al competitions.

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The New Zealand striker has been taking a break away from football and he shared his holiday pictures with his Instagram followers, which was liked by Gibbs-White.

Club’s need resolution to focus on transfer plans

Football Insider Verdict

Both club’s will want a swift resolution to this transfer saga to be able to focus on other transfer targets.

This is an unwanted distraction as both club’s have plenty of transfer business to be pursuing.

Gibbs-White was key in midfield for Forest last season, linking defence and attack, and contributing with goals and assists.

Losing the former Wolves star from their midfield would leave a big hole for Nuno Espirito Santo to fill, having already lost Elanga.

Fellow winger Callum Hudson-Odoi also only has a year left on his contract, so Santo needs to know whether Gibbs-White is staying or going.

It has therefore been a busy start for Forest’s new Global Head of Football, Edu who is overseeing all football related functions.

For Frank, Gibbs-White would add creativity and flair to his Spurs side, but the Dane cannot afford to wait long to know whether the England international is joining him in North London.

If a deal for Gibbs-White does not happen, Frank may revisit his interest in Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze who has a £68m release clause in his contract.