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While most of the speculation surrounding Tottenham over recent weeks has been about potential attacking additions that the club are eyeing, it has now been revealed that Thomas Frank is also exploring reinforcements to their backline.

Tottenham have finally agreed a deal to sign Mohammed Kudus from West Ham, but Spurs fans will want to see a lot more activity from their club in the coming weeks.

If Tottenham do manage to complete Kudus, it would end their search for a top-class attacker, which has seen Spurs explore moves for Bryan Mbeumo, Antonine Semenyo and Eberechi Eze this summer.

It was reported last week that Thomas Frank is prioritising signing a winger and a central midfielder this summer, but it turns out that he is also keen on reinforcing another area of the pitch.

Tottenham want to add a left-back to their squad

The Athletic have now confirmed that a high-profile wide player is indeed at the top of the North Londoners’ wishlist for the summer.

However, they make it clear that signing a winger will not be the end of Tottenham’s business this summer, revealing that Frank’s men are exploring the possibility of adding another full-back to their squad.

The outlet asserts that left-back is seen as an obvious area where Spurs could do with more depth ahead of their return to Champions League action during the upcoming season.

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That makes sense when one considers that Destiny Udogie is the only natural left-back in the Tottenham squad at the moment following the departure of Sergio Reguilon, with Ben Davies being used primarily as a centre-back for club and country over the past few years.

Who are the full-backs Spurs are looking at?

Over recent weeks, it has been widely reported that Spurs are considering re-signing Kyle Walker-Peters, who is available on a free transfer after his contract with Southampton ran out.

However, Tottenham face heavy competition for Walker-Peters, who is wanted by several clubs across the Premier League.

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a number of players since the summer transfer window opened, but none of them have the ability to fix one of the club’s biggest problems.

Nothing else matters when your team wins the Europa League, but up to that point, last season was a total nightmare for Tottenham supporters. Spurs recorded a 17th-place finish, their worst ever in Premier League history.

The defence was certainly at fault for much of the torrid campaign. Injuries to key players saw Tottenham line up with a back two of Archie Gray and Radu Dragusin, while four different goalkeepers made appearances in the league, including Fraser Forster.

However, things were far from ideal up the other end of the pitch. Tottenham recorded their lowest tally for goals scored in the Premier League since the 2019/20 season and 10 fewer than Ange Postecoglou’s first season in charge.

Away matches were particularly challenging, as Spurs 1.53 goals per match, compared with 1.84 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham need a prolific goalscorer this transfer window

There is nothing wrong with goals being spread out across a team, rather than one player bagging them all. However, the number of goals scored by Tottenham’s star attackers last season leaves much to be desired. Brennan Johnson was top scorer in the league and he only netted 11 times.

What is particularly worrying is Dominic Solanke as a lone striker. He is a forward with many abilities, but based on last season, being clinical is not one of them. Scoring nine goals in a league campaign is simply not good enough, no matter what else he is bringing to the table.

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Say what you will about his lack of support, but the 27-year-old missed more big chances than he scored. Also, his expected goals figure of 10.97, which was superior to his actual tally, shows he underperformed in front of goal.

Bryan Mbeumo is the only player to have been linked with Tottenham who has an exceptional goal record. This is frustrating, considering a lack of attacking threats is clearly an issue in the current Tottenham first-team squad.

Spurs have agreed a £55m fee to sign Mohammed Kudus, and he is a good player, but he is arguably not the full answer to Tottenham’s goal problems.

Spurs still have not replaced Harry Kane

Directly replacing Harry Kane is a non-starter because Spurs will not find a player with his skillset. Not only does the England captain score goals for fun, but he is also able to drop deep and play tremendous long balls. His level of vision and intelligence would come at too high a price to the Spurs board.

However, Tottenham could be looking to sign an out-and-out striker who will consistently deliver in front of goal. A player who will bang in around 20 league goals per season would be the ideal signing. He does not need to be perfect in every other area; he just needs to have that end product.

There were so many matches last season when Tottenham desperately needed someone who could change the game. Kane often came up with a goal when all hope seemed lost, and that is exactly what Thomas Frank needs.

Arsenal could be about to land Viktor Gyokeres and that should be a transfer wake-up call for Tottenham to realise the exact type of player they so badly need.

Tottenham Hotspur are one of four Premier League clubs who remain keen on landing Tyler Dibling, according to a new update, but the winger is no closer to exiting Southampton.

When the Saints’ relegation from the top flight was confirmed, many would have expected Dibling to be quickly snapped up by one of the Premier League’s big-hitters.

However, that has not happened so far, partly because of the huge fee that the South Coast club are demanding for the teenager. Southampton were said to value Dibling at a huge £100m.

Tyler Dibling was said to be at the top of Tottenham’s wishlist earlier this summer, but the Lilywhites seem to have turned their attention to other attackers since.

It remains to be seen if they will go back in for the England youth international, but they are not likely to have a free run at him if they do.

Tottenham are one of four Premier League clubs circling Tyler Dibling

Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg has taken to social media to reveal that Southampton have not received any concrete offer for the winger so far this summer.

However, there have been many enquiries, according to the journalist, who names Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Nottingham Forest and Man United as the four clubs keen on landing Dibling.

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Plettenberg adds that despite dropping down to the Championship, the Saints are continuing to demand around €55m–€65m (£47.3m-£56m) for the 19-year-old.

Considering Tottenham wanted to haggle Southampton down from £100m to £45m, the new price tag seems far more doable for the North London club.

Tottenham have reportedly changed their transfer policy this summer

It was claimed by The Daily Mail’s Sami Mokbel last week that Tottenham are prioritising signing experienced players this summer, which marks a departure from their policy of signing young guns with potential over the last two years.

That might explain why Spurs have agreed a £55m deal for Mohammed Kudus over the younger and more inexperienced Dibling, who would have perhaps been preferred by Ange Postecoglou.

However, one cannot rule out the prospect of Tottenham testing the waters with an offer for Dibling later in the window if he is still at St Mary’s.

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with Brentford’s Yoane Wissa this season and while he is a proven player in the Premier League, securing him would come at a cost.

Despite being the Europa League winners, Tottenham have been struggling to bring players to the club. Fortunately, according to the latest reports, Spurs and West Ham have finally agreed on a deal for Mohammed Kudus, but the Lilywhites might not be done there.

Apparently, Tottenham have been given renewed hope of signing Bryan Mbeumo. However, it was previously reported that Mbeumo wanted to join Manchester United. Even if there is any chance of a deal, it looks to be a long way off.

Tottenham are now weighing up a move for Yoane Wissa. This could have a more positive outcome, because the Brentford forward is reportedly open to a move. However, would Spurs be right to risk losing out on their other transfer targets to bring Wissa to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium?

Tottenham should put all their resources into signing Yoane Wissa

Signing a player who is both familiar with working under Thomas Frank and a provider of goals and assists would be advantageous, but it still seems unlikely that Spurs will sign Mbeumo.

However, Wissa also meets this criteria. Last season, he matched Mbeumo’s goal tally of 20 in all competitions and while he registered fewer assists, he also made fewer appearances.

Better still, Yoane Wissa only has one year remaining on his Brentford contract, so there is potential for a deal to be done for Tottenham.

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Brentford want £50m for Wissa, which may seem like a lot considering his days at the club appear numbered. However, he would still be a cheaper option than both Mbeumo and Kudus.

Going straight in at Brentford’s asking price might not be the smartest move, but Spurs should not wait around. Wissa stepped up and replaced Ivan Toney, and he would be good value for money at £50m.

Spurs should certainly not be afraid of going in at £40m in order to secure his services, and then re-evaluating from there.

Wissa has improved since joining Brentford under Thomas Frank

While Kudus has not had his finest season, Wissa is at the top of his game right now. His Premier League goal contribution statistics have improved each year and at 28 years old, he may well be in the prime of his career. Now would be a great time to add him to the Tottenham first-team squad.

He may not be cheap, but he is affordable, and Spurs would be getting a forward who can play anywhere across the frontline.

The question should not be about whether Tottenham should sign Wissa, but how they can ensure he continues to play his football under Thomas Frank next season.

Thomas Frank has given each member of his coaching staff a clearly defined role so that they know what aspect of the side they are in charge of, and the Tottenham boss has given a detailed explanation of what those roles are.

There are some stark differences between Frank and his predecessor, Ange Postecoglou, not least the fact that the Dane is more pragmatic and tactically versatile than the Australian.

It appears that another big change is in the role definition that the new Spurs head coach has offered to his staff.

Postecoglou explained that he hired his assistants based on their fit with his vision and it was well documented that all aspects of play were integrated under the Australian and it was more of a combined effort by the whole staff.

However, it turns out that Frank is a much bigger believer in assigning one area that each of his assistants is solely responsible for.

Thomas Frank explains what each of his Tottenham coaches will work on

Thomas Frank’s full coaching staff was finalised by Tottenham earlier this week and the 51-year-old has now revealed to the supporters what each of them will be tasked with.

The Dane explained how responsibilities such as defensive and offensive organisation, player development, and assessing physical metrics of the players will be split among his assistants.

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When asked what roles his staff will be doing individually, Frank told Tottenham’s official channel: “Let’s start with the three assistant coaches.

“Justin Cochrane, who came from Brentford and worked with me before, he’ll be in charge of the offensive part of the game and then some training planning and get that smooth and running.

“Then we’ve got Andreas Georgson from Man United, but also worked with him previously in Brentford. He will be the assistant coach but the main focus on set pieces, of restarts and some culture.

“Then we will have Matt Wells, who will be responsible for the defensive part of the game and also contributing to training. I think that the way they split the roles I think is really good and covers all the abilities we would like to have.

“Then we have added Cameron Campbell, who is the individual coach and big on how we develop the players.

“That was a big wish from both Johan [Lange] and I, it was something we talked about that we thought was crucial and I think not many clubs have actually nailed that. We tried in the past, I tried in the past, so hopefully we can take it to the next level.

“Then we’ve got Fabian Otte in as a goalkeeper coach. Really excited about him coming in, great experience in terms of working with some of the best goalkeepers in the world and hopefully they can help push the goalkeepers.

“And then finally, Chris Haslam, who is the head of performance first-team coach, which is, of course, the physical part of the football training and all that but also the link to everything. So I think we’ve got a very exciting group together.”

Frank explains the idea behind clearly defined roles for his coaches

Frank was asked about his decision to split coaching responsibilities for different aspects of the team’s performance, and he explained that it was done so that his staff would have clarity on exactly what they must be striving towards each day.

When asked if this is usually how he goes about assembling his staff, the new Tottenham boss responded: “Yeah, it is. I believe it’s very important to have a combination between clear role descriptions for the coaches so they know what they’re in charge of. So it’s not like, ‘okay what are we doing today?’

“So they know their roles, they know what they need to execute, they know what they need to be on top of, but also they need to be able to all help each other and help but make sure that their most important thing is the training out there is world-class.

“So we need to be with quality, intensity and focus, so that’s the main bit. So I think clarity is important for everyone.”

It appears that Tottenham Hotspur may be reigniting their interest in Yoane Wissa, and by doing so, could hand Manchester United a major blow in their pursuit of Bryan Mbeumo.

Over the last few weeks, it has been widely reported that Mbeumo‘s number one choice is to join Man United, which is why Tottenham have now admitted defeat in their pursuit of the 25-year-old.

In fact, Mbeumo himself has allegedly told Thomas Frank that he only wants to join Man United, and the Lilywhites have seemingly turned their attention to other alternatives.

According to reports over recent days, Spurs are now locking in talks with West Ham over a deal for Mohammed Kudus, but it turns out that the North Londoners could also make another move that could end Man United’s chance of landing Mbeumo.

How Tottenham could ensure Manchester United do not sign Bryan Mbeumo

It is now being reported by a number of sources that the Lilywhites are stepping up their pursuit of Wissa.

This includes Sky Sports’ Lyall Thomas, who says that Tottenham have been tracking the DR Congo international since January and continue to be interested in him.

The journalist says that Spurs are currently exploring the conditions to land the 28-year-old, and if they were to strike a deal, that could have a devastating effect on United’s transfer plans.

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The Sky reporter explains that Brentford would be unlikely to sell both Wissa and Mbeumo this summer. If the Lilywhites were thus able to sign the 28-year-old, it would make the Red Devils’ pursuit of the Cameroonian even harder than it is currently proving to be.

How far along are Tottenham in their pursuit of Wissa?

However, Spurs fans should not be getting carried away just yet as Lyall Thomas says that the North Londoners are yet to open formal talks with the Bees regarding Wissa.

He explains that Wissa would be available for much less than the £65m the West London club want for Mbeumo, as the former Lorient man has just a year left on his contract.

There has been an interesting development amidst Tottenham’s negotiations with West Ham United for Mohammed Kudus, as the Hammers have now identified a rumoured Spurs target as their preferred replacement for the Ghana international.

Tottenham and West Ham still have some differences to iron out in their negotiations over Mohammed Kudus, with the add-ons offered by the North London club not being to their rivals’ liking.

The Hammers are reportedly frustrated at the unrealistic add-ons that Spurs have proposed for Kudus, who is now back in pre-season training with Graham Potter’s men.

Amidst the standoff between the two clubs, it emerged on Sunday that Tottenham had expressed an interest in signing Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman.

West Ham want to replace Mohammed Kudus with Ademola Lookman

According to a new report in Sky Sports Switzerland, the East London club are now turning their attention to Lookman.

The outlet claims that Potter’s side have identified the 27-year-old as their top choice to replace Kudus if he departs the club.

The report says that West Ham view the Atalanta star as a ‘priority’ signing if the Ghanaian departs the London Stadium, but Atletico Madrid have also expressed an interest in the former Everton man.

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It is revealed that Atalanta are holding out for €60m (£51.7m) for Lookman and are hoping that the sale of Kudus would equip the Premier League side to meet their asking price for the versatile attacker.

Is Tottenham’s interest in Lookman aimed at putting pressure on West Ham?

It may not be a coincidence that reports of Tottenham Hotspur’s interest in Lookman have emerged over recent days, just as their negotiations with West Ham over Kudus have hit a few roadblocks.

That might be Daniel Levy’s strategy of turning up the pressure on the Hammers and forcing them to drop their demands for Kudus.

The Tottenham U21 side were taught a harsh lesson about the challenges of football at the senior level as they were thrashed 5-2 by a League Two side in their first pre-season friendly of the summer.

The Thomas Frank era at Tottenham Hotspur is now underway, and the fans are eagerly waiting to watch the Dane’s Spurs side in action for the first time.

Spurs are less than 10 days away from their first pre-season friendly against Reading and the supporters will be keeping a keen eye on that fixture to see the tactical set-up that Frank employs.

In the meantime, the academy youngsters have already been in action, with Wayne Burnett’s side taking to the field against League Two side Bromley at Hayes Lane on Tuesday, and it was not far from the ideal start to the summer.

Bromley stun Tottenham U21s with a sensational comeback

Tottenham’s youngsters had a positive start to the game, with midfielder Reiss Russell-Denny giving them the lead from the spot before Tyrese Hall doubled their lead after latching onto a long ball from goalkeeper Luca Gunter.

However, there were worrying signs before the break as the home side started dictating proceedings and Soul Kader reduced the deficit just before the interval.

Bromley’s Marcus Dinanga then stole the show in the second period, scoring four goals as the League Two outfit ran out 5-2 winners, leaving Burnett with plenty to mull over.

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Some notable absentees for Spurs Under-21s

Frank will have an extremely bloated squad to work with in pre-season, and one would imagine that not all the young players will make the trip to Asia with the first-team.

Some might have thus expected the likes of Jamie Donley, Luka Vuskovic, Alfie Devine, Yang Min-hyeok, George Abbott and others to be given opportunities for the U21s so that they can be assessed in a match scenario.

However, at the same time, Frank and his staff may have wanted to assess them closely for the first few weeks of pre-season before deciding on their futures.

What Tottenham fans feared the most now appears to be playing out, with a new report revealing that Spurs’ negotiations with West Ham United over Mohammed Kudus have stalled over the last few days.

Several sources have claimed that Kudus has already said yes to Tottenham, but the Lilywhites still have work to do to get a deal over the line.

Spurs have had three different offers turned down by West Ham for Kudus, who is now back in pre-season training with Graham Potter’s men.

It has emerged over recent days that West Ham are frustrated at the unrealistic add-ons Tottenham have proposed for Kudus, and a new update has suggested that very little progress is being made during the negotiations.

Tottenham’s move for Mohammed Kudus is at risk of stalling

TBR Football have now claimed that talks continued between the two London sides after Tottenham Hotspur’s third offer was turned down.

However, very little progress has been made in the negotiations over the last few days, with the two clubs refusing to budge on their stance.

Daniel Levy remains eager to sign Kudus for Thomas Frank, but a lot of work needs to be done before the 24-year-old can become a Tottenham player.

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The negotiations are now ‘stalling’ and the two sides are currently ‘struggling to make progress’, with the Hammers and Spurs a long way away from reaching an agreement.

The report claims that the Spurs chairman is willing to offer all cash with no add-ons, but his current offer is well under the £60m wanted by the East London club.

However, intermediaries are working hard to get a deal done, with Kudus being very keen to make the switch to N17.

Why Spurs fans should not worry about the Kudus deal just yet

While this update from TBR Football indicates that progress is not being made in the negotiations for the Ghanaian, other outlets have suggested that the deal is still on course to go through.

This morning, Spurs Web relayed a report from The Daily Mail, which claimed that the Lilywhites are expected to launch an improved offer for Kudus by the end of this week.

In the first few days of pre-season, Thomas Frank and his coaching staff put the Spurs squad’s fitness to the test by asking them to run one kilometre at pace, and one Tottenham youngster came out comfortably on top.

It has been claimed over recent weeks that Thomas Frank is not one to put the players through gruelling pre-season work, unlike some of his predecessors at Tottenham, namely Antonio Conte.

However, if Spurs players had believed those claims, they may have been in for a rude awakening in their first few days of pre-season.

In the video shared by the club, the players were seen doing a one-kilometre shuttle sprint, with many of them being completely shattered at the end of it.

George Abbott puts the Tottenham senior players to shame

Football.London’s Alasdair Gold reveals that the players had to complete the one kilometre within three minutes and 15 seconds, and it turned into a competition as they raced each other.

Gold explains that the staff at Hotspur Way were not the least bit surprised, as the youngster is well known to have a great engine.

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According to reports, Abbott will be allowed to leave on loan again this season if a suitable offer comes Tottenham’s way

Academy youngsters dominate, but Dominic Solanke shines

According to Gold, it was Dominic Solanke who finished second behind Abbott, which would not surprise Spurs fans, given how tirelessly the striker works off the ball.

The third and fourth spots were grabbed by two more young academy graduates, Jamie Donley and Alfie Devine, respectively.

Both Donley and Devine will be keen to catch the eye of Frank and his coaching staff, with the former potentially even trying to force himself into the Dane’s first-team plans after an outstanding season on loan at Leyton Orient.