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Tottenham Hotspur could offload one of their most experienced players to a Premier League rival in order to make room for a Thomas Frank target.

With the January window fast approaching, the speculation on Tottenham’s transfer targets has gone into hyperdrive.

Several outlets continue to suggest that Spurs want to add a top-class number nine to their squad in January, and they could turn to a player that Thomas Frank knows well.

Tottenham have been mooted as the front-runners to bring Ivan Toney back to the Premier League, 18 months on from the striker’s switch from Brentford to Al-Ahli.

Tottenham could cash in on Richarlison and land Ivan Toney

A report in ESPN has claimed that a significant portion of the £100m equity pumped into Tottenham by ENIC will be diverted into the club’s January transfer kitty.

One of the players that the Lilywhites could use those funds to sign is Toney, with the Spurs head coach said to be keen on reuniting with the 29-year-old at N17.

It is claimed that Everton are also interested in the former Brentford star, but Tottenham could sell Richarlison back to the Merseyside club to make room for Toney in their squad.

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Chances of Toney returning to the Premier League played down

While this update from ESPN may excite Spurs fans, many other sources have played down the chances of Tottenham being able to land the England international in January.

This includes journalist Ben Jocobs, who revealed that Toney is unlikely to leave Al-Ahli in January despite being the subject of enquiries from English clubs.

An experienced coach has reacted angrily to claims that Thomas Frank’s position at Tottenham Hotspur is under threat.

Several pundits have raised serious question marks over Frank’s fit for Tottenham, criticising the Dane’s negative tactics.

The 52-year-old has been making a lot of changes to his starting eleven and formation over recent weeks, and some reports indicate that the Tottenham players are frustrated by Frank’s tinkering.

Some sources have even claimed Spurs have already started eyeing potential replacements for the former Brentford boss, but one pundit feels that is ridiculous.

Coach says Thomas Frank is doing best with the resources at Tottenham

Danish coach Glen Riddersholm, who has managed Denmark U17s, FC Midtjylland and served as an assistant coach at Norwich City, has blasted suggestions that Frank should fear for his job.

He claimed that the 52-year-old has done an ‘excellent’ job at N17, claiming that Spurs’ struggles are down to the shortcomings of their squad.

Riddersholm told Tipsbladet (as relayed by Sport Witness): “I think it is completely ridiculous that Thomas Frank should fear for his job. I think he is doing a fantastic job.

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“Everyone who is close to Tottenham and follows it from a distance knows that what he has done so far has been excellent. You can only play with the cards you are dealt, and I think there are obvious shortcomings in the squad he is coaching.”

Frank is confident he will get time at Spurs

Reports have indicated that the Tottenham board will not take any hasty decisions on Frank, and they view it as a long-term project.

It was even claimed by journalist Dean Jones that Spurs are planning to show the kind of faith in Frank that Arsenal did in Mikel Arteta during his early struggles.

Tottenham Hotspur have a clear favourite in mind to replace the under-fire Guglielmo Vicario as their number one.

Vicario has been the centre of a storm over the last week after being booed by Tottenham fans during their 2-0 defeat to Fulham.

Thomas Frank has insisted that Vicario will remain his number one, but reports suggest that the 29-year-old may be on his way back to Italy.

Inter Milan are keeping tabs on the Spurs goalkeeper’s situation, and it has even been claimed by some sources that Vicario himself is keen on a move to the San Siro.

Tottenham identify Aston Villa star Emi Martinez as Guglielmo Vicario replacement

It is now being reported by Gazzetta dello Sport that Spurs have already begun looking for replacements for the former Empoli man, amidst Inter Milan’s overtures.

The report claims that Emi Martinez has now emerged as the North London club’s ‘favourite target’.

The Argentine, who was close to joining Man United last summer, may become the subject of interest from Tottenham in the upcoming transfer windows.

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However, Martinez only penned a new deal at Villa Park last year, with his contract running until 2029.

Another Premier League goalkeeper is on Spurs’ sights

This report from Gazzetta comes just a couple of days after reports in the British media suggested that another Premier League shot-stopper is on Tottenham Hotspur’s radar.

TEAMtalk claimed that Brighton’s Bart Verbruggen is on Spurs’ wishlist, with Thomas Frank’s men said to have been impressed by the Seagulls shot-stopper’s performances at the Amex Stadium.

However, the same update revealed that Chelsea also have a long-standing interest in Verbruggen, while the Dutchman was also the subject of enquiries by Bayern Munich in the summer.

It has been reported that events over recent days may have caused one Tottenham Hotspur star to seriously evaluate his future at N17.

The relationship between Spurs fans and the players has been worsening this season, mainly due to the team’s struggles at home.

Some players, such as Pedro Porro, have gotten into arguments with Tottenham fans on social media.

However, the man who has borne the brunt is Guglielmo Vicario, who was booed and mocked by Spurs fans after his mistake against Fulham last week.

Booing may be the last straw for Guglielmo Vicario at Tottenham

It has emerged over recent days that Inter Milan are plotting a move for the Spurs number one next summer.

In fact, some reports from Italy have even claimed that Vicario is open to joining Inter and that his agent has opened dialogue with the Serie A club.

A new report from Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness) has now suggested that the jeers from the Tottenham Hotspur fans may have been the reason why the 29-year-old is now considering an exit from North London.

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Gazzetta state: “Those jeers, however, risk becoming the last straw in a cup that has gradually filled up for the national team goalkeeper, one that is now making him seriously consider whether his future is better away from London, perhaps in Serie A and perhaps at Inter, who are starting to wink at him.

“However, the newspaper adds: ‘…in the eyes of Tottenham fans, Vicario is no longer a pillar. He has three years left on his contract with Tottenham, but it’s impossible not to wonder whether Spurs is still the best place for him, for his development. Especially if, from being an idol, you suddenly find yourself booed by your own fans.”

Thomas Frank has dismissed Vicario transfer rumours

There have been rumours that Tottenham could replace Vicario with Brighton’s Bart Verbruggen, having been impressed by the Dutchman’s performances this season.

However, despite his mistake against Fulham, Frank has dismissed the idea of Tottenham signing a new number one, making it clear that he has full faith in the Italian.

Tottenham Hotspur are outperforming all their Premier League rivals in a key attacking metric, but that may not exactly be good news for Spurs.

The biggest worry among Tottenham Hotspur fans this season has been the team’s inability to create chances consistently.

Spurs have posted several of the worst xG scores of any Premier League side this season, including their lowest ever record of just 0.05 in their 1-0 loss at home to Chelsea last month.

Tottenham are not performing well in the expected points table, which suggests that the club’s current league position of 11th actually flatters them.

Tottenham are the biggest xG overperformers in the Premier League

Despite struggling to create chances on a regular basis, Spurs have had no problem scoring goals, having found the back of the net 23 times in their 14 matches this season.

Only Arsenal, Man City, Chelsea and Brighton have scored more goals than the Lilywhites this season.

WhoScored have now revealed that Tottenham have outperformed their xG by +6.46 this season, which is the largest margin of any club across the Premier League.

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Should Spurs be concerned about their low xG?

Some people would see Tottenham’s outperformance of xG as a concern, as they would expect it to revert to the mean and for the goals to dry up.

However, outperforming xG may actually be a feature, not a bug, of Thomas Frank’s system. Sky Sports’ Lyall Thomas has pointed out that Brentford also outperformed their xG under the Danish coach.

Tottenham Hotspur now know the latest date by which they will have to release two of their players who will be involved in the African Cup of Nations.

Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr will soon link up with their national teams for the African Cup of Nations, which gets underway on December 21.

Bissouma and Sarr will both miss a minimum of three matches, but could miss as many as seven if either Mali or Senegal go all the way until the final on January 18.

It has now been confirmed when the two players will be jetting off to Morocco for the biggest tournament in the African footballing calendar.

Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma will be released by Tottenham soon

Although Mali’s first fixture is only on 22nd December and Senegal’s is on the 23rd of this month, the duo would have to be released much earlier.

This is according to Fabrizio Romano, who has shared what FIFA have decided about the release date of the players competing in AFCON.

World football’s governing body has confirmed that clubs need to release players by Monday, 15 December, at the latest, and that they would mediate any disputes between club and country regarding the release date.

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What games will Sarr and Bissouma miss for Spurs?

Bissouma is still on the mend from his knee injury, and it is currently unknown whether the midfielder will be fit to take part in the AFCON.

Sarr will undoubtedly be a big loss for Spurs, and should he leave on the latest possible date of 15 December, he will play no part in the following three fixtures:

The 23-year-old could also miss Tottenham’s away clashes against Sunderland and Bournemouth, and their home against West Ham and Borussia Dortmund if Senegal make it to the final.

Ian Wright disagrees with Gary Neville’s confident prediction for Tottenham’s clash against Brentford.

Thomas Frank, who spent seven years at Brentford, will take on his former side for the first time since swapping the Gtech Community Stadium for North London in the summer.

He is going through a tough spell at Spurs, with the atmosphere at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium turning toxic of late, which is why he will be desperate for three points tomorrow.

While one pundit believes that Spurs will finally get their first home win since the opening day of the season, Wright disagrees for an interesting reason.

Gary Neville and Ian Wright disagree on Tottenham v Brentford

In the latest episode of The Overlap, Neville was very confident that we would see Spurs finally get three points in front of their own fans. He said: “2-1 Tottenham. Tottenham are winning that. I’m confident.”

However, Wright pointed out that some Brentford players will be especially motivated to prove a point to Frank, given that he did not take many of them with him to Spurs.

The former Arsenal forward responded: “I think Brentford gets something simply because of who it is. You’ve got to factor that in.

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“It’s their old manager. He didn’t take a couple of the players whom he promised that ‘I’m going to take you if I get to Tottenham. I’ll take you’. He didn’t take them. I’m going 2-1 Brentford.”

Frank will know Brentford’s strengths and weaknesses inside out

While Wright’s point about the Brentford players wanting to prove a point to Frank is fair, the Tottenham head coach will also know all the strengths and weaknesses of the Bees players.

He is thus very well equipped to come up with a tactical plan that could hurt the West London side.

However, the 52-year-old and his players will know that Tottenham have to start the game on the front foot or they risk the fans turning against them.

Opta’s Supercomputer has revised its prediction on where Tottenham Hotspur will finish this season following the club’s 2-2 draw against Newcastle.

Spurs showed great character to fight back twice from behind to salvage a point at St James’ Park.

This is despite the turmoil surrounding the club over recent weeks and the extremely contentious penalty that Newcastle were awarded in the 86th minute.

Thomas Frank lavished praise on Cristian Romero for a captain’s performance against the Magpies, and he will be hoping that the result is the start of a turnaround in form for the North London side.

Opta predicts where Tottenham will finish this season

Ahead of their trip to the North East, Opta’s algorithm had Spurs finishing in 12th place this season.

However, Opta’s supercomputer has now revised its prediction, with the Lilywhites moving up one place to 11th in their predicted table, with an expected 51.55 points.

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What would be considered a successful season for Spurs?

Even though Tottenham finished 17th last season, there was a specific set of circumstances, including injuries and the Europa League focus, that led to that artificial position.

It is unlikely that finishing 11th will be deemed acceptable at the North London club this season.

Thomas Frank has made an interesting admission about what Tottenham Hotspur need from a leadership perspective without Heung-min Son.

Cristian Romero delivered a real captain’s performance at Newcastle, being flawless defensively and stepping up with two crucial goals to help Spurs salvage a point.

After the game, Thomas Frank lavished praise on Romero for inspiring his teammates to a well-deserved draw.

The Tottenham boss suggested that irrespective of the tactics or principles, it is sometimes about individuals stepping up in key moments as the Argentine did at St James’ Park.

Thomas Frank wants new Tottenham leaders to emerge

The Spurs boss has confessed that the Lilywhites lost a big leader when Son departed for LAFC in the summer.

However, he expects other senior members of his squad to step up and fill that vacuum.

When asked if Tottenham are missing Son’s quiet leadership, the Dane said (via The Standard): “Yeah, I don’t know. I would say he’s not here, so others need to step up.

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“It’s like when you miss a player for whatever reason, because leadership qualities are part of Sonny, bringing people together, also part of Sonny, whatever.

“The level they had, others will step up, others will shine a little bit more, because some of the players that were there before took the shine, if that makes sense.”

Frank is delighted that Heung-min Son is returning to Spurs next week

Tottenham have confirmed that Son will be a guest for their home match against Slavia Prague next Tuesday, which is the first time the former Spurs captain will return to North London since his summer departure.

Frank is pleased the 33-year-old is returning to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to celebrate his superb career at N17.

When asked if it would be fitting if Spurs could pick up a rare home win with Son in attendance next Tuesday, the Tottenham boss said: “That would be nice. No doubt about that.

“I’m so pleased for Sonny that he comes back and then really hopefully gets the well-deserved celebration for everything he’s done for this club. He was a character who was really good at bringing people together at this club.”

Tottenham Hotspur have the option to sign Joao Palhinha on a permanent basis at the end of the season, but ex-Portugal star Pedro Mendes has suggested he could join a different Premier League club.

Tottenham Hotspur supporters have been delighted with Joao Palhinha for much of this season, as the midfielder has impressed with his defensive contributions. He has also shown himself to be useful in other areas, registering four goals and three assists in all competitions.

However, Palhinha has faced some criticism due to how much of his game is based around winning the ball, rather than carrying it forward and starting attacking moves.

The 30 year old’s partnership with Rodrigo Bentancur has also been under scrutiny, with pundits and fans alike suggesting they do not work well together due to their attacking limitations.

Nuno Mendes backs Manchester United to sign Joao Palhinha

Palhinha has been benched twice since the international break in November and former Tottenham midfielder Nuno Mendes has indicated that Manchester United should attempt to sign him.

Speaking to Boyle Sports, as quoted by Metro, he said: “Palhinha at Man Utd? Well, why not?

“To be fair, I think Manuel Ugarte is more or less the same type of player as Palhinha, [but] Palhinha is an option if they want to replace him.

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“We are not sure what is going to happen to Casemiro, so I think it [Manchester United signing Palhinha] could work.

“Joao Palhinha is the typical Premier League number six, that defensive midfielder who just sweeps up everything in front of the defenders.”

Mendes has claimed Palhinha is struggling at Spurs, despite the many positive comments he has received. According to the former Premier League player, this is because of the club’s style of football.

“If you have a team that has a lot of possession, he’s a little bit out of his game, from my point of view,” Mendes continued.

“The players around him will shine more than him because, as you said, he just wins the ball, passes it away, tackles the ball, passes it. He’s fantastic at doing that role. He was fantastic at Fulham.

“At Bayern Munich, when you have 70% or 60% of ball possession most of the games, you don’t need to do that kind of job.

“Because normally teams play counter-attack or don’t have that type of possession against you, his strength is a little bit forgotten.

“He has more of the ball and he needs to be more involved in the game, and to be fair, it’s not his main strength.

“So probably that’s why he struggled at Bayern and at Spurs at the moment. I like what I saw in some games this year from him, but it’s different from Fulham.”

Palhinha is not the midfielder Tottenham fans want to see depart

There have been concerns raised about how effective Palhinha’s game will be if Thomas Frank attempts to be braver and more attacking-minded, but the Portugal international is still a very good player.

Most Tottenham supporters have been pleased with his performances this season and would be happy to see him signed on a permanent basis.

In contrast, Bentancur is under a lot of pressure due to his displays this season and if he was linked with a move away from North London, there would not be many complaints.