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Thomas Frank insists Tottenham captain Heung-min Son will have a "very good role" at the club next season despite transfer speculation over his future.

Son has been at Spurs for a decade and in May became the first captain of the club to lift a European trophy for 41 years with the Europa League triumph.

There have been suggestions that both Spurs and Son are ready to part ways, allowing the player to go out on a high after ending a long trophy drought, and MLS side LAFC have been heavily credited with interest.

No deal is considered imminent, though, with Spurs in Asia and reportedly at risk of losing money should the South Korean superstar not feature.

And Frank has given no indications that his captain could leave this summer.

"I think first and foremost, Son's legacy here is remarkable," Frank told Men In Blazers. "He's been a fantastic player for Tottenham, he is a fantastic player for Tottenham.

"I see a player that that can play a very good role here next season. He's come in, very good mindset, trained very hard, pushed the players. So I'm excited about it."

Tottenham could have James Maddison and Dominic Solanke back for their pre-season clash with Arsenal in Hong Kong.

Spurs have flown out for the start of their tour, which will also take them to South Korea for a fixture against Newcastle in Seoul on Sunday.

First though it is a north London derby as Thomas Frank looks for an improved showing from his side.

Spurs played twice in a day on Saturday but did not win either match, drawing 2-2 in a friendly with Wycombe at the training ground before being held to a goalless draw by Luton later in the day.

Maddison has not yet played a part in the pre-season fixtures after suffering a serious knee injury at the end of last season, but he has returned to full training and could feature against the Gunners.

With Spurs expected to be cautious over his return to action, minutes off the bench appear more likely than a start.

Solanke started in the win over Reading earlier this month but a minor ankle injury kept him out last weekend. That was believed to be precautionary.

Mohammed Kudus has impressed in pre-season so far and could potentially be given a more central role. With Maddison not yet at full fitness, Dejan Kulusevski still injured and Mikey Moore not on the tour, Frank is somewhat short of No10 options.

There are no such problems in wide areas, with Mathys Tel, Heung-min Son, Wilson Odobert and Brennan Johnson among those pushing to start.

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Transfer news LIVE: Arsenal Eze bid; Isak Liverpool snag; Chelsea Rogers dream; Man Utd

Record-breaking summer window to step up another gear

Top targets: Alexander Isak, Eberechi Eze, and Morgan Rogers

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The madness of this summer’s transfer window continues, with Premier League clubs left, right, and centre willing to spend big in a pursuit for success this season. Arsenal, who finished second in the division last term, have just landed Viktor Gyokeres for an initial £64million, and he has been given Thierry Henry’s iconic No14 shirt number as he settles in to his new surroundings in north London. Now, Mikel Arteta wants to continue his lavish spending spree, targeting Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze.

As for Arsenal’s north London rivals, Tottenham were dealt a serious blow late on Saturday when Morgan Gibbs-White did a stunning U-turn to sign a new contract at Nottingham Forest, having previously agreed on a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Spurs are also interested in Joao Palhinha, who has been a target for Manchester United in the past. Ruben Amorim’s side are in the market for a striker, considering the likes of Benjamin Sesko, Nicolas Jackson and Ollie Watkins.

Also on the striker market is Alexander Isak - who wants to leave Newcastle - and Liverpool are circling, preparing a massive bid to add the Swede to striking ranks that already contain Hugo Ekitike, who was signed from Eintracht Frankfurt last week. Chelsea are focusing on deals for two Dutchmen - RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons and Ajax’s Jorrel Hato. Follow the latest transfer news, gossip and rumours live below!

Latest transfer news headlines

Big week for Sesko

This coming week will be important in the world of Benjamin Sesko.

The Slovenian looks set to depart RB Leipzig, and Fabrizio Romano reports that Newcastle are in hot pursuit, ready to offer a big contract and approach Leipzig formally to begin negotiations.

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West Ham pushing Paqueta out the door

Another West Ham update? What is going on!

The Hammers are reportedly looking to sell Lucas Paqueta this summer, according to the Daily Mail.

Apparently, the east Londoners would take €35million to land him.

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West Ham after Piccoli

Another target for West Ham is Roberto Piccoli, Calciomercato reports.

The Hammers are looking at the Italian forward, who plays for Cagliari, and could be available for around £26million.

Benfica are also rumoured to be interested in the striker.

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West Ham eye Schmid

West Ham are targeting Romano Schmid.

The Hammers want the Austrian attacking midfielder, who plies his trade at Werder Bremen.

The Guardian report that Schmid could be available for £13million, with Aston Villa and Fulham also interested in his services.

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Benfica pushing for Felix

Benfica are pushing for Joao Felix to return to the club, according to Sky Germany.

The Liga Portugal side want the Chelsea attacking midfielder back, but they face competition from Al-Nassr, according to Fabrizio Romano, who reports that the Saudi side have almost completed a deal for the Portuguese international.

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Fulham advance on Nelson

Fulham are in advanced talks to re-sign Reiss Nelson.

The Arsenal forward was on loan at the Cottagers last term, and Marco Silva is looking to bring him back west either on another loan with an option to buy, or a permanent deal, according to The Athletic.

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Everton near Fofana deal

Everton are closing in on a deal for Malick Fofana from Lyon.

L’Equipe have built on Fabrizio Romano’s earlier report that the Toffees were in for the Belgian, and they have offered £31.5million for him.

Lyon reportedly want £35m to sell.

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Liverpool hit Isak snag

Liverpool’s move for Alexander Isak could hit the rocks if the Reds are not able to sell a key player.

Luis Diaz is a wanted man, with Bayern Munich set to return with a second bid for the Colombian, who wants to leave Anfield.

The Germans bid £58.5million first time around, and will come back with another.

However, the Daily Express report that should the Reds not get their £80m that they deem Diaz to be worth, then their transfer kitty might not be as strong as they need it to be to land Isak, who will cost north of £120m.

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Chelsea close in on Simons

Xavi Simons is closing in on a move to Chelsea, according to Nico Schira.

The Italian journalist reports that the Dutchman could seal a €70million move from RB Leipzig, and sign a seven-year deal at Stamford Bridge.

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Chelsea to facilitate Sterling move

Chelsea could subsidise Raheem Sterling’s salary in order to push through a move to Fulham.

Sterling is out of the picture at Stamford Bridge and needs a transfer to guarantee game time. Marco Silva’s side, according to Football Transfers, hold an interest in the winger, who spent a short period on loan at Arsenal last term.

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Spurs had attempted to trigger the midfielder’s release clause earlier this month, but could not get the deal over the line.

Forest took issue with the situation, filing an official complaint with the Premier League about the nature of Spurs’ approach, which they considered illegal.

The saga has now been brought to an end, though, as the 24-year-old has committed his future to the Midlands club, extending his stay at the City Ground through 2028 in what the club has described as a ‘record deal’.

“The support from the fans, my teammates, and everyone around the club has been unbelievable. I believe in what we're building here – and with the backing of Mr Marinakis and the enormous ambition he has, I want to be part of making something special. I’m excited for what’s to come."

Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis described Gibbs-White as a ‘special’ player: "Morgan is a special player – not just in terms of talent, but character and mentality. He represents everything we want this football club to be: he is a winner, talented, ambitious, fearless, and proud.

“There was significant interest from various clubs, but we were determined to build our future with Morgan at the heart of it. I promised our fans we would not only compete, but grow stronger and stronger every season. Today is another big step in that journey."

Pape Matar Sarr, operating in an advanced midfield role, scored twice including a second half equaliser in an additional fixture designed to give players as many minutes as possible heading into the new season.

Though new head coach Thomas Frank was unable to call upon three senior players across both fixtures with Destiny Udogie, Rodrigo Bentancur and Dominic Solanke all absent.

That said, summer signing Mohammed Kudus was on show at Kenilworth Road and he came closest to breaking the deadlock in an otherwise dull first-half of the second friendly.

Played in by Mathys Tel - getting his first pre-season minutes after representing France at the U21 European Championships earlier in the summer - Kudus’ effort beat former Spurs keeper Josh Keeley but Christ Makosso got back to make an excellent goal-line clearance.

Tottenham had Antonin Kinsky to thank for not falling behind early in the second half as the substitute goalkeeper was equal to a volley from Nahki Wells. At the other end, Kudus almost forced a winner with his final touch of the game but the hosts managed to scramble the ball clear.

A raft of changes from both sides in the final 15 minutes resulted in the game become rather disjointed, although Will Lankshear - who scored in the win over Reading last week - spurned a great chance to win it for Spurs right at the end but rolled his effort wide of the post.

Ultimately for the north London outfit, the result and performance was never going to be of massive importance as Frank achieved his goal of getting more minutes into the legs of several first-team players as well as handing more youngsters an opportunity.

Spurs head to Hong Kong next week for their pre-season summer tour of Asia, facing Arsenal on Thursday before travelling to South Korea to play Newcastle on August 3.

Frank’s side will conclude their pre-season on August 7 in Germany as they take on Bayern Munich and Harry Kane before their campaign officially gets underway with the UEFA Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain at in Udine on August 13.

Tottenham began their pre-season campaign with a 2-0 win over Reading last Saturday as summer signing Mohammed Kudus made his first appearance following the move from West Ham.

Though before Spurs head to Hong Kong next week for their pre-season summer tour of Asia, they have two more friendlies in the UK against League One opposition.

Spurs will play Wycombe in a behind-closed-doors game at the training ground, before a game away at Luton a few hours later.

The club have said “both fixtures will be contested by the first-team squad, with players divided into two groups to compete in the respective games”.

Meanwhile Frank added: "We wanted an extra game in our schedule to give as many players as many match minutes as possible, in order to put them in the best position, physically.

"We will play two even, strong teams and they will play between 60 and 75 minutes, maybe more. By the end of Saturday, 22 players will have played a lot of match minutes and they will be in a very good place before we go on tour.”

As a result, every Spurs player available for selection is likely to get a run out across the two games. James Maddison, Radu Dragusin, and Dejan Kulusevski are not expected to feature due to injuries sustained last season.

Tottenham return to action this afternoon with their third pre-season friendly of the summer - and second of the day - as they face Luton Town at Kenilworth Road. Spurs tied up a behind-closed-doors meeting with Wycombe Wanderers just over two hours before kicking off against the Hatters after Thomas Frank made the unorthodox decision to hold two friendlies in one day.

After the morning’s affair ended in a 2-2 draw, a fresh Spurs squad will have a go at the Hatters and look to get back to winning ways. Luton being a Premier League side is not a particularly distant memory - they were relegated after finishing 18th in 2023-24, just over one year ago. They have since suffered a dreaded double-relegation, though, and this friendly will now serve as a warmup for a League One campaign.

Tottenham came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw with Wycombe Wanderers in a behind-closed-doors friendly at Hotspur Way.

Richarlison, Wilson Odobert and Brandon Austin were certainly among the beneficiaries as they were handed their first minutes of pre-season. However, Tottenham suffered a setback before kick-off when Rodrigo Bentancur was pulled from the matchday squad due to illness.

The hosts started the stronger of the two sides and it was no surprise when Pape Matar Sarr broke the deadlock inside 15 minutes. The Senegal international - operating as the most advanced midfielder - pounced to score the rebound after Mikki van Sas had parried Odobert’s powerful effort.

Spurs had further chances to increase their lead as captain Heung-min Son, Pedro Porro and Richarlison all went close.

Wycombe, who had barely offered a threat going forward in the opening half hour, found themselves level against the run of play when Armando Junior Quitirna’s effort took a wicked deflection which deceived Brandon Austin.

It was a moment to forget for the Spurs goalkeeper as while taking the deflection into account, he allowed the ball to squirm through his legs and into the back of the net.

That said, there was nothing Austin could do about Quitirna’s second of the day.

Daniel Udoh did well to hold the ball up for the visitors and he squared for Quitirna who produced a thumping finish to put the League One side ahead early in the second half.

Cristian Romero could count himself lucky to avoid a red card after catching a Wycombe player in the face with his elbow before Porro saw a deflected effort hit the crossbar as Spurs chased an equaliser.

Tynan Thompson was one of several Tottenham youngsters to feature in the second half and he certainly caught the eye. First claiming an assist for Sarr to ram home the equaliser before dragging an effort just wide in the closing stages.

Thomas Frank’s Tottenham continue their pre-season campaign today with an additional behind-closed-doors friendly against Wycombe Wanderers. The fixture was announced just two days ago, as Frank hopes to see as many of his players in action as possible ahead of the new Premier League campaign.

This will be the Lilywhites’ second outing of the summer, and they have a perfect record to protect after their campaign opened with a 2-0 win over Reading at the Select Car Leasing Stadium last week. Fans were treated to their first sight of Mohammed Kudus in Tottenham colours, and while the Ghanaian impressed on debut, the star of the day was the 18-year-old centre-back Luka Vuskovic, who both scored and assisted after his half-time introduction.

It is a packed day of pre-season action for Tottenham. They will be back in action just a couple of hours after the final whistle at Hotspur Way, as a second friendly of the day against Luton Town at Kenilworth Road kicks off at 3pm. Follow the game LIVE below with our dedicated match blog, featuring expert insight and analysis!

Pre-season block and final weeks of transfer window likely to determine how ready Spurs are to compete on multiple fronts

Crucial test: Thomas Frank has to ensure there is no repeat of Tottenham’s injury crisis

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A new season, a new man at the helm, and yet there was an obvious familiarity at the Tottenham training ground last week.

Thomas Frank sat down for his first press conference since taking charge and, like his predecessor Ange Postecoglou so often did, found himself talking about injuries.

How is James Maddison's recovery going? The midfielder is back in part-training. What about Dejan Kulusevski? He will miss the start of the season. And of particular interest: was the club doing something wrong last season to have so many injuries?

"It’s always difficult for me to look into what happened before me," Frank responded.

"Of course, we try to look into it and speak to people who were there last year and try to learn from it.

"We need to learn from last season. I have some ideas of what we can improve and do better. It should be possible to improve."

Per Premier Injuries, Tottenham had players out for a total of 193 matches last season, with 41 separate injuries. That was the second-worst record in the Premier League. Spurs were without their two first-choice centre-backs for nearly four months, and went into the Europa League final with their three most creative midfielders sidelined.

Tottenham had disastrous injury problems last season

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A summer overhaul of the medical department therefore came as no real surprise. Adam Brett and Nick Davies have departed, with Frank followed to Spurs by Chris Haslam, his head of athletic performance at Brentford. Tom Perryman and Nick Stubbings have also arrived as a strength and conditioning coach and medical lead.

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Frank spoke of his desire for Spurs to challenge on several fronts and these pre-season weeks are viewed as crucial. After the disastrous injury problems last term, there has been an emphasis on fitness in the summer sessions.

"Hopefully the way we train, building layers, building robustness into the players is going to be a big part and make the players more available through the season," Frank said.

There was also a nod to the importance of squad management. "Hopefully we can make good decisions... when to rotate and when to rest is a big thing as well.”

These were criticisms levelled at Postecoglou, with it argued that a stretched squad could not cope with the intensity of his playing style.

Frank will be more versatile tactically but still wants his side to be aggressive and brave. He will to an extent be learning on the job, with this the Dane's first season contending with such a congested fixture list.

Rotation will be key but the degree to which he can do so will be decided by this transfer window. With the added strain of a Champions League campaign, Frank needs a squad ready to compete on multiple fronts.

Mohammed Kudus is a positive signing and looked sharp in the pre-season win over Reading. The arrival of Luka Vuskovic, signed in 2023, also adds depth in defence.

There is still work to be done, though. A midfielder is sorely needed and the pursuit of Morgan Gibbs-White has come to a standstill. Speculation continues to surround Heung-min Son and Cristian Romero, with Frank particularly non-committal when asked about the South Korean's future.

"Right now, he’s here," was about as far as the Spurs boss was willing to go.

Daniel Levy spoke recently of the "need" to win the Premier League, insisting failure is "not an option". Those are easy words to say in an in-house media interview but the proof will come over the next five week in the transfer window.

A title challenge would be an unfair expectation to put on Spurs — Frank himself labelled it as an "aim for the future".

How distant that future is will become clearer by the end of the summer. By then, Frank will hope to be armed with a fitter, stronger squad.

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