Football Insider

Tottenham Hotspur will accept a suitable offer for Yves Bissouma in the coming days after a fall-out with Thomas Frank, sources have told Football Insider.

Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, senior correspondent Pete O’Rourke revealed what his sources have told him about the 28-year-old’s uncertain future in North London.

Both Everton and West Ham explored deals to sign Bissouma late in the transfer window, but neither club advanced their interest before the deadline and that leaves Bissouma well down the Spurs pecking order.

Frank left Bissouma out of Tottenham’s UEFA Super Cup squad last month after his repeated lateness for training, and sources have told Football Insider that Spurs will listen to suitable offers for the midfielder.

Football Insider revealed on 6 September that Bissouma could be on his way to the Saudi Pro League or Turkish SuperLig with both competitions’ transfer windows still open, and Spurs won’t stand in his way.

Sources have told Football Insider that the offer of regular first-team football could see Bissouma push for a move away, with the 28-year-old’s chances of a first-team return at Tottenham seen as slim at best.

Joao Palhinha impact puts paid to Bissouma’s Tottenham career

Signed to provide competition for Bissouma in defensive midfield at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Joao Palhinha has been described as “perfect” by Alan Shearer after becoming an immediate starter.

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Speaking on the new Inside Track podcast, O’Rourke stated that with Palhinha ahead of him in the pecking order and Frank happy to let him leave, Bissouma’s future looks set to lie away from Tottenham.

“[Bissouma] hasn’t made the best of impressions on Thomas Frank”, he told Football Insider.

“He’ll probably find it hard to get into that Tottenham midfield now, following the signing of [Joao] Palhinha.

“If a suitable offer was to come in for Bissouma, Tottenham would be willing to listen to that, and the player himself might be keen on a move away in search of regular first-team football.”

Tottenham to raise further funds after Daniel Levy dismissal

With less than a year left on his contract, the time is now for Tottenham to cash in on Bissouma and recoup at least some of the £25million fee they paid Brighton for the Mali international back in 2022.

Spurs are keen to raise funds and could agree a Tottenham Hotspur Stadium naming rights deal worth £20m per season, as the post-Daniel Levy era begins with a conscious effort to bring in new capital.

Selling Bissouma would certainly help with this as Tottenham look to transform aspects of the club such as their wage bill, and with Levy on his way out, it remains to be seen if Spurs will go big to bring in a new number eight.

Tottenham Hotspur’s hierarchy have heaped pressure on the club and themselves to succeed after their bombshell Daniel Levy decision last week.

Levy stepped down from his role at Tottenham after 24 years at the club, signalling a major reshuffle of the backroom staff at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Some pundits have suggested that Levy was “pushed” out of Tottenham, while others have warned of the impact that pushing out a chairman that grew the stature of the club might bring.

Levy’s savvy business acumen has grown the status of Tottenham since he joined in 2001, and the club is now classed amongst the country’s most successful sides without the trophies to match.

Tottenham must get this right

Jamie O’Hara spoke to Sky Sports and suggested that Tottenham are now in a position to chase success in the next five or six years.

While others have pointed out how Levy took Tottenham from a mid table position to competing for the Premier League and Champions League during his time in North London.

As the pile-on continues, Tottenham are setting themselves lofty expectations ahead of the post-Levy era, with Sky Sports’ Kaveh Solhekol suggesting that the club’s owner Joe Lewis believed the two trophies won by Spurs in Levy’s 25 years at the club wasn’t good enough.

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Solhekol suggested there’s no noise from Tottenham about a change of ownership structure but Levy’s replacement Vinai Venkatesham is certainly under pressure to bring “more wins more often.”

Given the growth of Tottenham under the leadership of Levy, executive chairman Venkatesham and new non-executive chairman Peter Charrington will be under pressure to quickly improve on field results whilst also carrying on the off-field business model that Levy installed so well.

Assessing Daniel Levy’s impact at Tottenham

When Levy took over at Tottenham in 2001 the club had finished tenth in the 2000-01 season, finishing below Leeds United, Ipswich Town, Sunderland, Charlton Athletic and Southampton.

Fast-forward 25 years and Levy as Tottenham amongst the consensus “big six” in England alongside both Manchester clubs, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.

During that time Spurs won their first trophy in nine years, the 2008 League Cup, and finished third twice, coming second in the Premier League on one occasion too.

Levy signed off as Tottenham chairman with a Europa League title as well, and while fans rejoice at his departure, it is worth remembering the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

The now-former Spurs chief regularly attracted criticism among fans and pundits over the years for the club failing to capitalise on key situations.

Levy was often seen as the reason Tottenham came close to successes without the end result, whether in transfer chases or pushes for silverware, but how much he was actually the issue or a shield for Lewis and his family is less clear.

What is clear is that now he has been removed from the equation, against his will or not, he can no longer take the blame if familiar failings are repeated, so the pressure is now on the new regime, as well as the Lewis family, like it hasn’t been for a long time.

Yves Bissouma will still be allowed to leave Tottenham Hotspur with several countries’ transfer windows still open, sources have told Football Insider.

Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, senior correspondent Pete O’Rourke revealed what his sources have said about Spurs’ attempts to offload Bissouma this summer.

Football Insider revealed on 25 August that West Ham were ready to launch a formal bid for Bissouma in the final days of the window, but fleeting interest from the Irons and Everton failed to develop further.

Bissouma has “burnt his bridges” at Tottenham after a rapid breakdown in his relationship with Thomas Frank since the latter’s arrival in North London, with the Mali midfielder frequently being late for taining.

Frank dropped Bissouma altogether from Spurs’ squad to face PSG in the UEFA Super Cup and he is yet to feature this season, with sources telling Football Insider that Bissouma could soon leave the club.

With the Turkish SuperLig and Saudi Pro League‘s transfer windows still open until 12 and 23 September respectively, Football Insider sources have said that Tottenham won’t stand in Bissouma’s way if clubs from either competition come in for him.

Yves Bissouma marked for Tottenham exit by Thomas Frank

Football Insider revealed at the start of August that Bissouma was “highly likely” to leave Tottenham even before he was dropped from their Super Cup squad, with Frank now very well stocked in midfield.

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Speaking on the new Inside Track podcast, O’Rourke stated that with Bissouma’s timekeeping putting paid to his chances of a good first impression under Frank, the path is clear for him to be moved on.

“There would be potential for Bissouma to be moved on before the Saudi Arabia and Turkey [transfer] windows close, that is expected”, he told Football Insider.

“He’s out of favour under Thomas Frank and was dropped from their UEFA Super Cup squad, due to being late for various meetings and training.

“He hasn’t made the best of impressions on Thomas Frank, and he’ll probably find it hard to get into that Tottenham midfield.”

Premier League outcasts like Bissouma ripe for Saudi Arabia switch

Football Insider revealed on Friday that Emi Martinez will turn down offers from Saudi Pro League and Turkish sides after his desire to leave Aston Villa was made public, but he arguably has his pick of clubs.

Bissouma doesn’thave that luxury, however, and the two leagues’ transfer windows still being open for over a week gives the Spurs outcast and several other out-of-favour Premier League stars an exit route.

Exclusive: Tottenham well placed to agree £20m-a-year naming rights deal

Tottenham are well placed to agree a £20million-a-year stadium naming rights deal after securing a return to the Champions League, sources have told Football Insider.

Spurs booked their place in the elite European competition after beating Manchester United in the Europa League final in May.

Tottenham remain in talks over a stadium naming rights deal after failing to reach an agreement since the state-of-the-art facility opened in 2019.

It is believed former chairman Daniel Levy was holding out for more than £20million, having turned down offers between £10-15million a year.

Sources say Tottenham are now in a stronger position to command around £20million a year following their return to the Champions League.

Tottenham could agree multiple deals after talks revealed

Tottenham are in talks to agree multiple commercial deals after hiring Altius8 agency to help transform the club’s revenues this summer.

The agency, which was founded by former Man United executives, is led by Victoria Timpson, who left Old Trafford as part of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s cost-cutting measures last summer.

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Spurs have performed extremely well commercially in recent years as they continue to cash in on opportunities at their 62,850-capacity stadium.

The north London giants’ latest accounts for 2023-24 revealed their turnover fell from £549.6million in 2022-23 to £528.2million, but that was driven by a significant drop in Uefa prize money.

Meanwhile, Tottenham’s commercial revenue increased from £227.7million to £255.2million across the same period.

A return to the Champions League will ensure more eyes are on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with investors considering taking on the naming rights for the facility.

Thomas Frank’s side will play Villarreal, Copenhagen, Slavia Prague and Borussia Dortmund at home in the league phase of the competition, while they will face Bodo/Glimt, Monaco, PSG and Eintracht Frankfurt on the road.

Tottenham agree last-ditch Randal Kolo Muani deal

In terms of transfer activity, Frank has strengthened his squad throughout the summer window.

Tottenham agreed to sign Randal Kolo Muani on a season-long loan deal from PSG on deadline day (1 September).

The France international spent the second half of last season on loan at Juventus, where he registered 10 goals and three assists in 22 appearances.

Tottenham Hotspur announced the shock departure of chairman Daniel Levy, following 24 years at the club.

Levy was a controversial figure at Tottenham with many fans feeling he held the club back in the transfer window.

This was particularly apparent when Arsenal hijacked Tottenham’s transfer for Eberechi Eze, a move which angered fans and left pundits like Jamie Redknapp to wonder about Levy’s “over negotiating.”

Levy will leave club having helped to make them a financial powerhouse in the footballing world thanks to the commercial revenue generated from Tottenham’s new stadium renovation.

Jamie O’Hara backs Tottenham in new era

During Levy’s time at Spurs, the club only won two trophies, the 2008 League Cup and the 2024 Europa League.

Following his departure, Jamie O’Hara spoke to Sky Sports News [September 5] to discuss Tottenham’s future, post-Levy: “This is the first hurdle [Levy leaving] in the future of what Tottenham will look like in five or six years.”

O’Hara added: “Everyone makes fun of how there’s NFL there [at Tottenham’s stadium], Formula One, Beyonce and all of that turning up, that’s an unbelieveable thing that they’ve managed to get.

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“Anyone would want to be a part of that, anyone would want to own it [the club], I don’t think the Lewis family want to sell it, I think they might want investment, and I think there might be some big investment potentially on the horizon,” he continued.

“Now I think Tottenham are primed and in a position, with the facilities that they have, that they want to go to the next level.

“Can they win Premier titles? Can they win Champions League titles? Can they be that football club that can compete?

“Because under Daniel Levy, when they were in those key moments where there is the opportunity to push on, on the pitch, to sign big players or to go to the next level, it hasn’t happened,” O’Hara finished.

Tottenham must make the final step in the post-Daniel Levy era

Football Insider verdict

Under Levy and Mauricio Pochettino Tottenham had their most successful period in their recent history in the Premier League and Champions League.

Pochettino led the club to a second placed finish in 2016-17, having been involved in an enthralling title race with Leicester City the season before, yet ultimately finishing third that season.

In 2018/19, Tottenham finished runners-up to Liverpool in the Champions League, one of the club’s best achievements in recent times.

While Levy wasn’t popular for his transfer approach, he delivered some memorable moments for Spurs fans, and now his era is behind them, Tottenham have to kick on and start winning consistent major trophies to make it all worth it.

Tottenham are in talks with two interested parties about a takeover deal amid Daniel Levy’s shock exit, sources have told Football Insider.

Tottenham confirmed Levy has stepped down as the club’s executive chairman after spending 24 years in the role, with Peter Charrington appointed non-executive chairman.

Spurs insisted there will be no changes to the ownership of the club, while Levy will remain part of ENIC, which owns an 86.91 per cent stake at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

However, an industry insider has revealed their understanding is talks have been ongoing in the background with two parties interested in securing a takeover deal.

One of those potential investors is believed to be a Qatar-based consortium spearheaded by former Newcastle United chief Amanda Staveley, while the other is an American group.

Tottenham could agree £5bn takeover deal

Tottenham have been trying to secure new investment over the past couple of years as they look to compete towards the top of the Premier League table again.

Alongside Staveley and Qatari investors, US-based MSP Sports Capital are among the parties to have been linked with the north London giants in recent months.

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Football Insider revealed on 5 June Tottenham were edging closer to a takeover deal, which would value the club at £5billion.

However, sources have now indicated Levy might not have been on board with a full sale and wanted to continue running Spurs before his exit was confirmed on Thursday (4 September).

Levy and members of his family own a 29.88 per cent stake in ENIC, with Joe Lewis’s family trust holding the remaining 70.12 per cent.

Tottenham stadium opportunities accelerating takeover talks

It is believed the opportunities created by Tottenham’s new stadium are a key factor behind the takeover interest.

While Levy has been a controversial figure among Tottenham fans, he leaves the club in a strong financial position following his departure.

Spurs’ latest published accounts for 2023-24 revealed their turnover fell from £549.6million in 2022-23 to £528.2million, but their commercial revenue increased from £227.7million to £255.2million across the same period.

Alongside Charrington, Vinai Venkatesham will now steer the ship after he was appointed as the club’s CEO in April.

Meanwhile, Thomas Frank has picked up six points from his opening three Premier League matches in charge of the club, having replaced Ange Postecoglou in June.

‘I didn’t love it’ – Ex-Southampton CEO reveals what Daniel Levy and Tottenham were really like to deal with

Martin Semmens has revealed that he found former Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy difficult to deal with when he was the Chief Executive Officer at Southampton.

On Thursday, 4 September, Levy stepped down from his role at Spurs after spending 24 years in North London.

In his final full season at Tottenham, the Premier League outfit won the Europa League under former boss Ange Postecoglou.

Meanwhile, Thomas Frank has enjoyed a largely strong start in the dugout, although Spurs lost 1-0 to Bournemouth on Saturday, 30 August.

Martin Semmens reveals what negotiating with Daniel Levy was like

In Levy’s final summer transfer window at the helm, Tottenham signed Xavi Simons and acquired other high-profile players such as Mohammed Kudus and Joao Palhinha.

Meanwhile, speaking live on talkSPORT on Friday, 5 September, ex-Southampton CEO Semmens opened up on what Levy was like to negotiate with: “I had my run-ins with him on transfers. Difficult negotiator. I didn’t love it, doesn’t mean he’s bad at it.

“I had a much better time selling to Alex’s (Ferguson) Man United because they would spend more money.

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“Difficult to deal with, not always warm and easy in doing transactions, but that’s not a bad thing.”

Semmens continued: “The one that we struggled on was the (Pierre-Emile) Hojberg transfer. He had one year left on his contract.

“A lot of conversation goes on about driving that price down, and we were not going to put up with that, and that caused some friction.

“But can you blame him for trying to drive down the price? It’s the business, no.”

Daniel Levy has left Tottenham in a strong position

Football Insider verdict

Many Tottenham supporters were pleased by the news that Levy left the North London club on 5 September, and there were several protests against him last season.

Spurs’ Europa League triumph in May marked their first trophy in 17 years, meaning that Levy’s decision to sack Postecoglou was unpopular with many fans, even though the Australian led them to a poor Premier League campaign.

However, the former chairman cannot be criticised for the fact that the North Londoners won a European trophy and qualified for the Champions League in his final full season at the helm.

Furthermore, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is one of the best venues in the Premier League, while Frank is an exciting boss to have in the dugout.

Consequently, while Levy was a controversial figure, history could judge his exploits kindly.

Daniel Levy left the Tottenham fans in disbelief with the shock bombshell that he would be stepping down from his role as chairman at the club.

Levy was a controversial figure among the Tottenham fanbase with the 63-year-old making the club into a financial powerhouse but also bringing limited success during his time as chairman.

Pundits took aim at Levy after Arsenal hijacked Tottenham’s transfer for Eberechi Eze this summer, and Spurs fans also vented their frustrations at the chairman.

This summer Levy helped get deals across the line for Xavi Simons, Mohammed Kudus, Joao Palhinha and Randal Kolo Muani in what proved to be his last summer transfer window.

Simon Jordan backs Daniel Levy

Levy’s departure shocked many, and has left a lot of people wondering whether his departure signals the start of wider changes at the club.

Speaking on talkSPORT’s breakfast programme [September 5], Simon Jordan backed Levy’s achievements: “I would say, probably, Joe Lewis, the Lewis family have probably pushed Daniel, the judgement is interesting.

“Whether they want to get some new money in the business, whether they’re selling the business, and Daniel may be being moved out of the way to achieve both outcomes.

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“It’s an interesting characterisation that the Lewis family are now putting out, that they’re suggesting that they want a new level of success which then positions them with some new currency with the fans,” Jordan continued.

“I imagine the business was run by Daniel under their directions and their ambitions were probably very different, to fund the football club in a different way.

“So it’s now interesting that they’re positioning themselves in pursuit of success because that gives them extra currency with the fans and makes this look like a new era and Daniel as part of the past and the reasons why they didn’t get success.

“I think the legacy for Daniel has to be that he’s bought a brilliant football club, with a real opportunity, and those that are revelling in the fact that Daniel’s gone, be careful what you wish for.

“We’ll see what the future looks like, because it won’t be a wonderful thing if every single football club that we have in this country is owned by Middle Eastern or American businesses,” Jones finished.

Tottenham have to find success under new leadership

Football Insider verdict

A summer of minor upheaval has transformed into a summer of drastic change at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Frank replaced Ange Postecoglou who win the club’s first trophy since 2008, and Levy now departs leading to a new investor having to come into the club and ride the wave of their recent successes.

Tottenham have been left behind their other big six rivals in terms of trophies in, with all of their rivals having won at least two Premier League titles while they sit on none.

The pressure is undoubtedly on Frank and the new investors to deliver proper sustained success to the white side of North London in the coming seasons.

‘The real reason’ – Matt Le Tissier drops huge Daniel Levy verdict after Tottenham bombshell

There will be a lot of fans celebrating this evening as Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy leaves his role at the club after 24 years.

That’s according to ex-Southampton and England forward Matt Le Tissier, who exclusively spoke to Football Insider.

Levy came under fire from pundits for his lack of clinical execution in the transfer window as Tottenham’s move for Eberechi Eze was hijacked by North London rivals Arsenal.

The club signed Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons, Joao Palhinha, and Randal Kolo Muani a summer window that proved to be Levy’s last.

Matt Le Tissier lifts the lid on Daniel Levy depature

This article contains exclusive comment from former Southampton and England striker Matt Le Tissier.

Levy has been a key figure in the growth of Tottenham as a club, helping to facilitate the club’s new stadium and the financial growth that came with the renovation.

The major mark against Levy, despite his business acumen, was the club’s lack of trophies under the 63-year-old’s leadership.

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Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Le Tissier spoke about Levy’s Tottenham exit: “Only Daniel will know the real reason, maybe it’s that he’s just had enough.

“Maybe it’s that his boss has turned around to him and said ‘no, it’s time to go’, and perhaps it may be that there were too many Spurs fans that lost confidence in him.

“I think that would be a little bit harsh, I think from a business perspective I think he’s done a superb job at Spurs, I think financially they’re in a really good position,” he continued.

“But, a lot of Spurs fans were unhappy at the lack of trophies under his tenure-ship, so you can understand both sides.

“I guess the real question is, is this going to be beneficial to the future of Spurs, and that depends on who takes over and how competent that person is.

“I’m sure, there’ll be a lot of Spurs fans celebrating this evening, but i’m sure there’s quite a few who are a little bit concerned about the direction of the club.

“But, they’ve got a very good manager in Thomas Frank, they’re making a lot of changes behind the scenes, and I think we need to give them time to see how those changes bed in and see where the club goes, so time will tell, as ever,” Le Tissier finished.

Thomas Frank finally gets the reinforcements he needs

Football Insider verdict

After Eze’s choice to join Arsenal over Tottenham, there was a cloud hanging over the white side of North London.

Frank was staring down the barrel of five healthy forwards to fit into three spots with the start of the club’s Champions League campaign fast approaching.

Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison will miss a large chunk of the season through injury, while Dominic Solanke has also recently picked up an injury as well.

Late in the window the purse strings were loosened and Simons joined for £51 million, while Kolo Muani joined on loan to bolster an attacking that had previously added Kudus for £60m earlier in the window.

As Frank looks to get back to work after the international break, the Dane will know he has renewed depth options in his front three.

Exclusive: Tottenham investor could be about to buy out Daniel Levy after confirmed news

Tottenham’s majority owner ENIC could agree a deal for a new investor to take on Daniel Levy’s shareholding in the company, sources have told Football Insider.

Tottenham confirmed Levy has stepped down as the club’s executive chairman after spending 24 years in the role, with Peter Charrington appointed non-executive chairman.

Spurs insisted there will be no changes to the ownership of the club, while Levy will remain part of ENIC, which owns an 86.91 per cent stake at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Levy and members of his family own a 29.88 per cent stake in ENIC, with Joe Lewis’s family trust holding the remaining 70.12 per cent.

Sources say ENIC could now look to bring in a new investor to take on Levy’s share in the British investment company, allowing for fresh investment to be pumped into the club.

Daniel Levy has proven unpopular figure among Tottenham fans

Tottenham have been trying to secure new investment over the past couple of years.

However, Spurs’ owners have faced issues securing their asking price, with widespread reports suggesting they want to sell a minority stake at a £3.75billion valuation.

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Qatari investors have been linked with a Tottenham takeover in the past, but it’s likely any such deal would only be for a complete buyout.

Alongside Charrington, Vinai Venkatesham will now steer the ship after he was appointed as the north London giants’ CEO in April.

While Levy has been a controversial figure among Tottenham fans, he leaves the club in a strong financial position following his departure.

Spurs’ latest published accounts for 2023-24 revealed their turnover fell from £549.6million in 2022-23 to £528.2million, but that was driven by a significant drop in Uefa prize money.

Meanwhile, Tottenham’s commercial revenue increased from £227.7million to £255.2million across the same period as they continue to cash in on opportunies at their 62,850-capacity stadium.

Tottenham trigger £180m signing spree after latest deals

Tottenham fans have been strong critics of ENIC as well as Levy since the company took over the club 25 years ago, with many questioning their owners’ ambitions.

Spurs spent more than £180million on new additions in the latest transfer window as Thomas Frank looks to help them compete higher up the Premier League table.

Mohammed Kudus was Tottenham’s most expensive signing of the summer, having secured a £55million deal with West Ham for his signature.

Meanwhile, Xavi Simons, Mathys Tel, Kevin Danso, Luka Vuskovic and Kota Takai have also joined on permanent deals, with Joao Palhinha and Randal Kolo Muani agreeing loan moves.