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Mohammed Kudus has admitted that Tottenham Hotspur struggled in two main aspects of their game against Bournemouth, with the winger taking the blame for one of those failings.

The mood surrounding Spurs was very positive coming into Saturday’s game, as not only had they won their first two Premier League matches of the season, but the club had also announced a new signing less than 24 hours before the game.

Xavi Simons received a rousing ovation when he was presented to Spurs fans ahead of kick-off against the Cherries, and the atmosphere in the stadium was electric at the start of the game.

However, the away side managed to silence the home fans quickly and dominated proceedings. Bournemouth could have won the game much more comfortably if they had been more clinical in front of goal, with the Lilywhites having no answers to Andoni Iraola’s men.

Mohammed Kudus admits Tottenham’s forwards had an off day

Thomas Frank admitted after the game that Spurs struggled to cope with second balls, even though they knew Bournemouth would look to play in-behind them.

That is something Kudus seconded, confessing that Tottenham could not deal with the Cherries’ direct approach. The winger also admitted that the attackers, including himself, also had an off day.

Kudus told Tottenham’s official channel: “We know they are a very tough team to play against and a bit of a different kind of game, with long balls in behind and winning second balls.

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“The game was more about winning the dual and the challenges, we knew they were coming to play against us like that.

“I don’t think we created enough today, including myself, as forward players. We could have created a lot more, but I don’t think we created enough chances. We learn from games like this and focus on the next game after the international break.”

Was this performance a necessary reality check or a concerning sign for Spurs?

The positive spin on what was an extremely poor performance is that it serves as a necessary reality check for Thomas Frank.

It exposed the shortcomings of having a workmanlike midfield, and the Dane and his coaching staff would learn from these missteps.

However, the slightly more alarming lens on this would be that this performance was as bad as any we have seen at home for a long time, with Tottenham registering just one shot on target through the entire 90 minutes.

While these kinds of displays from Frank’s Brentford side were brushed off, he will not get that same luxury at Spurs.

Tottenham Hotspur were completely lacking in creativity and enterprise against Bournemouth, but Thomas Frank has insisted that he is very confident about one thing despite his side’s struggles against the Cherries.

The afternoon began very positively for Spurs, with the new signing Xavi Simons being presented to the home fans ahead of kick-off.

It is fair to say that Tottenham could certainly have done with the help of Simons against Bournemouth as they hardly created any chances of note until late on, and registered just one shot on target.

The new Spurs number seven would not have been particularly impressed with what he saw from his new teammates, and Spurs fans will be thanking their stars that his signing was completed before this horrid performance.

Thomas Frank admits Tottenham’s attackers struggled against Bournemouth

The workmanlike midfield three of Joao Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Sarr struggled to progress the ball, with their limitations being exposed.

While the Lilywhites did look marginally better when Lucas Bergvall came on, the performance showed just why desperate Frank was to sign an attacking midfielder.

That Tottenham boss was bullish that his side would not defend as badly as they did against Bournemouth too many times, and he also conceded that his forward players had off-days.

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When asked if the performance was proof that Tottenham need to add another creative player to their squad, the Dane responded (via Football.London): “It’s fair to say we didn’t defend as well as we should have and we have done in the first three games. That, I am quite confident we will come back to defend well again, but that could have helped massively.

“The creativity, yes, that’s why we signed Simons to have an extra offensive player, but I also think on the day, with all due respect to our offensive players, none of them hit a high level, and that happens sometimes. I’m very aware. I don’t want to say it’s okay, but it’s natural.”

Tottenham are expected to add to their attack

It has been widely reported that Spurs want to add another winger to their squad before the window slams shut, and on the back of that performance, it is easy to understand why.

Kudus had an off day, and Johnson on the other flank is simply not going to provide penetration or go past his man in one-v-one situations.

Thomas Frank has said that he was not shocked at how Tottenham played against Bournemouth, but admitted that he did expect his side to do some things much better than they did.

The mood surrounding Spurs was very positive heading into this afternoon’s game at a packed Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Xavi Simons got a rousing reception from Spurs fans ahead of kick-off, with an expectant crowd hoping to see Tottenham turn on the style and make it three wins in three.

Yet, what they saw was Andoni Iraola’s men put their foot on Spurs’ throat right from kick-off and never relent for the whole game as the home side struggled to string passes together.

Thomas Frank admits he expected more from Tottenham players

It was the first major setback for the Dane after an extremely positive start to his Tottenham tenure. His side were completely outplayed from start to finish and could have lost a lot heavier if the Cherries had been clinical in front of goal.

Frank admitted that he was not surprised by how Bournemouth performed but confessed that he expected Tottenham to handle the balls in-behind much better.

When asked if he was shocked by the performance and result, the Spurs boss told Sky Sports: “Not a shock if I’m honest, but not what I expected. I hoped for more. We played against a good Bournemouth team. I don’t think we handled the balls behind and the second ball game very well for whatever reason.

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“They play behind as soon as they can and have willing runners. A few passes and they play the ball behind. That’s difficult to play against.

“In football, it goes so quick. We can still find good bits, but overall, it’s not a good performance. I think we looked very strong in three games but it’s about being consistent and doing that throughout the season.”

A reality check for Frank and his coaching staff

It has been all roses so far for the new Tottenham boss, with Frank even admitting last week that he is falling in love with Spurs already.

The inconsistency that his players showed against Bournemouth and the fact that they were greeted with boos at half-time by an impatient fan base would have served as a reality check for Frank on the type of challenge he will face at N17.

Tottenham Hotspur may have sealed the deal on Xavi Simons, but there is still plenty of work to be done before the transfer window concludes on Monday night.

There is a good feeling around Tottenham Hotspur after yesterday’s exciting announcement. Spurs confirmed the signing of Xavi Simons, with the Dutch international signing a five-year contract with the option to extend by a further two years.

This is an exceptional signing and one which makes up for the failed signings of Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze. However, Tottenham’s business in the transfer market should be far from over, considering the current state of the Tottenham first-team squad.

One or two positions still need filling and there are players who have no part to play that need to be shown the door.

Tottenham need to sign a left winger

This should be priority number one for Spurs as the end of the transfer window looms. Having Mathys Tel as the only natural left-wing option in the team is not good enough. The attacking midfield problem may have been resolved, but if this one is not, there will be a lot of criticism aimed at Daniel Levy and the Tottenham board.

Savinho is still hoping to complete a move to Spurs and he would be another tremendous signing. Even if Tottenham are not able to bring him to North London, there needs to be an alternative lined up so a deadline-day deal can be completed.

Brennan Johnson should not be relied on to remain consistent every week on a less familiar side of the pitch, but he may well have to be at this rate.

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Manor Solomon needs moving on by Spurs

The future of Manor Solomon may be connected to whether Tottenham sign another left winger. After all, it would make no sense to get rid of Solomon, then fail to sign any further players in his position.

However, Solomon has not started for Spurs in so long, and it seems like a move would be the best outcome for both parties. Having said this, he was named in their Premier League matchday squad against Bournemouth.

Solomon has attracted interest from Everton, Leeds and Marseille this summer, although Everton have since signed Jack Grealish on loan. Still, perhaps Leeds United, the club which he called his own last season, might be willing to place a late bid to take the 26-year-old off Tottenham’s hands.

Bryan Gil must join Solomon in a Tottenham exit

It seems ironic to say that Spurs should sell another left winger when there is a clear shortage of quality in the position. However, Bryan Gil has never done anything noteworthy in a Tottenham shirt and his presence at the club serves no purpose.

In truth, he has turned out to be a terrible signing. Tottenham parted with Erik Lamela, as well as more than £20m, to secure Gil and he has failed to show that the price paid was worth it.

A recent report claimed Girona wanted to sign Gil from Spurs, but the La Liga side are only interested if Tottenham are willing to release the 24-year-old so he can join them on a free transfer. With just one year remaining on his contract, Spurs might as well let him go for free, as it means getting him off the wage list.

Yves Bissouma was supposed to leave Spurs

A few days ago, Yves Bissouma was set to join Galatasaray from Tottenham. However, it seems Galatasaray have pulled out of a deal for Bissouma, as they have concerns over the player’s immediate availability due to his fitness.

There is certainly no longer a place for Yves Bissouma in the Tottenham first-team. Joao Palhinha will start as the club’s most defensive-minded midfielder, while Archie Gray could be preferred as a second choice. This means it would be useful for Spurs to sell him and collect a transfer fee before he becomes a free agent next summer.

The only consolation of keeping Bissouma is that, as Tottenham compete in four different competitions, he would add depth to the squad. However, if he is to remain in North London, he must sort out his behaviour off the pitch because he surely cannot afford another round of disciplinary action.

Tottenham could use one more centre-back

Other than Kevin Danso, Tottenham do not have any other tried and tested centre-halves who can offer anywhere near the level of their two main men at the back. Quantity is not really an issue, but Spurs should look to bring in one more defender.

Ben Davies is getting on a bit and while Radu Dragusin clearly did not fit into Ange Postecoglou’s system, his Tottenham performances have been absolutely shocking for the most part.

Tottenham Hotspur suffered their first defeat of the Premier League campaign on Saturday, falling 0-1 to Bournemouth at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after a dismal performance from Thomas Frank’s men. Evanilson’s early strike proved decisive as Spurs never found a way back into the game.

The so-called ‘pre-international break curse’ continues to haunt Tottenham. Not since October 2023 have they won their final fixture before a break, and this one followed the same script.

Heading into the clash, Spurs were joint table toppers after wins over Burnley and Manchester City, but this display was a world away from either of those performances. Bournemouth arrived with aggression, a clear plan, and they bullied Tottenham physically throughout.

Thomas Frank named an unchanged XI from the side that dismantled Pep Guardiola’s City last week. Dominic Solanke was left out of the squad entirely, with Manor Solomon taking a place on the bench, though the Israeli winger remained unused.

First half: Tottenham 0-1 Bournemouth

Before kick-off, new signing Xavi Simons was unveiled to the home crowd, drawing a warm welcome. Sadly for those in attendance, that was the last thing to cheer for quite some time.

Tottenham had the first opening when Brennan Johnson slipped Pape Matar Sarr into the box, but his low cross was dealt with comfortably. Bournemouth, however, wasted no time in punishing Spurs.

Just four minutes in, Marcos Senesi split the Spurs defence with a clever ball into Evanilson. The Brazilian’s strike deflected off Cristian Romero and looped beyond Guglielmo Vicario to silence the stadium.

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Evanilson might have doubled his tally only moments later when Antoine Semenyo outpaced Pedro Porro and teed him up on the edge of the box, only for the forward to drag wide.

David Brooks then caused havoc. First, he picked out Semenyo with the outside of his boot, but the chance went begging. Then he tried a cheeky free-kick from range, which Vicario pushed away.

Micky van de Ven produced a crucial sliding block to deny Marcus Tavernier, while Evanilson continued to wrestle with the Dutch centre back but found no joy against his recovery pace.

Second half: Tottenham 0-1 Bournemouth

Surely, Spurs could only improve after such a dire opening half. Frank resisted changes, though, and the pattern remained the same.

Two minutes after the restart, Senesi once again found Semenyo, whose thunderous strike forced Vicario into another sharp save.

The Cherries’ best chance came around the 50th minute in a sequence of absolute chaos. Evanilson was denied at point-blank range by Vicario, Brooks smacked the rebound off the bar, and there were shouts for a penalty when Mohammed Kudus caught Senesi, but the referee waved play on.

It was the freshly substituted Lucas Bergvall who eventually gave the fans something to cheer about in the 69th minute: Spurs’ first shot on target of the game, though his effort was tame.

There was a brief scare when Romero went down, and Destiny Udogie was ready to come on. The substitution did happen, but instead Udogie replaced Porro, with Spence shifting across to right-back. That switch pushed Djed Spence to right-back, and suddenly, Kudus saw more of the ball. Still, Spurs struggled to break into the Bournemouth penalty area.

On one rare occasion when Spurs did get into the box, Udogie’s deflected cut-back fell for Wilson Odobert to attempt a volley, but he skied the shot.

It was only after Bournemouth had dropped deeper, probably after being instructed by Iraola, when Spurs were finally a bit more involved. However, the game was already in stoppage time.

Mathys Tel came close with a well-struck volley from a Spence cross, flashing just wide of the far post from distance. But there would be no late rescue act as Spurs slumped to their first defeat of the season, finishing with an xG of just 0.17 to Bournemouth’s 1.45.

FT: TOTTENHAM 0-1 BOURNEMOUTH

Spurs Web man of the match: Guglielmo Vicario

What’s next for Spurs?

It doesn’t take a tactical genius to identify the problems. Spurs were physically second best across the pitch, bullied in duels, and bereft of creativity. For all Frank’s early success without a traditional number 10, this was the kind of game that screamed out for one. Surely, Xavi Simons, might have been wondering how he could have helped.

No one in white demanded the ball and looked like they wanted to create chances. That takes us to the fact that there might have been complacency today, with a few players perhaps assuming their position is safe and secure. Richarlison was incredible when Solanke was on the bench and he had to fight for a starting spot. But in the one game where Spurs didn’t have Solanke as an option, Richarlison dropped a stinker.

The only player who can really hold his head high is Guglielmo Vicario, who made 5 crucial saves. Without him, the scoreline could have been a lot uglier.

Now comes the 2-week international break (whether we like it or not) before Spurs head to East London to face West Ham on 13 September.

Tottenham Hotspur have learned their Carabao Cup third round opponents and the tie could provide some youth players with the opportunity to gain first-team experience.

Tottenham will play Doncaster Rovers in their first Carabao Cup fixture of the season. Spurs have the home advantage and will be delighted by the draw, which has seen them come up against League One opposition.

However, Doncaster should not be underestimated, particularly after their start to the season. The Donny are eighth in the league and are doing well in the League Cup. They thrashed Middlesbrough 4-0 away from home in the first round and saw off Accrington Stanley on Tuesday.

Regardless, Thomas Frank is likely to name a few young players in his squad. Here are five players who could be given the opportunity to display their talent against Doncaster.

Callum Olusesi could be given another chance for Tottenham

Callum Olusesi made his Tottenham Hotspur debut last season, appearing against Hoffenheim in the Europa League. However, he was only afforded a few minutes in stoppage time.

Olusesi almost got an assist against Luton Town when he made another brief cameo in pre-season. Since he has already been selected by Thomas Frank, it is likely the Dane could be given another opportunity.

The 18-year-old deserves another opportunity. He has done well for the U21s team, bagging five goals in 11 Premier League 2 appearances last season.

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Tynan Thompson was electric against Wycombe Wanderers

Tynan Thompson made a surprise appearance off the bench against Wycombe and he looked the real deal. Thompson assisted Pape Matar Sarr just three minutes after entering the field of play and this came just days after he found the back of the net for the U21s team against Leyton Orient.

Unfortunately, Thompson has not appeared for the first-team since, but the Carabao Cup tie could provide him with another chance to show what he can do. At the rate Tottenham are going with limited incoming transfers, Thompson might even become a more regular first-team consideration if he impresses. The lack of options on the left wing really is concerning.

It would be a huge step up for the 17-year-old, but he looks a fine player. Thompson even scored twice against Bristol Rovers on Tuesday in the EFL Trophy.

Oliver Irow could make his Spurs debut in the Carabao Cup

Oliver Irow joined Tottenham as an under-8s player, but at 19 years old, he has yet to make his senior debut. Irow is capable of playing as a centre forward or on the wing. Therefore, he could look to take advantage of either Dane Scarlett’s current injury or Tottenham’s lack of options on the left wing.

Irow scored six Premier League 2 goals in 18 appearances last season, but he is already showing signs of beating this record. He has scored three goals in two matches this season and also got an assist in the EFL Trophy.

Luca Williams-Barnett will be hoping to leave the Tottenham bench

Barely a month after his 16th birthday, Luca Williams-Barnett was named in the Tottenham first-team squad which travelled to Istanbul to take on Galatasaray in the Europa League. The youngster would go on to be named in the matchday squad a further three times, but he is yet to make his Spurs debut.

Williams-Barnett bagged 19 goals and nine assists in the U18s Premier League last season and he is doing just fine after being promoted to the U21s team. He has a goal and assist after two Premier League 2 matches and also got a goal and assist against Bristol Rovers in the EFL Trophy. In fact, he assisted Thompson’s first score of the game.

Yusuf Akhamrich will fancy his Spurs chances

Winger Yusuf Akhamrich is yet another goalscorer from Tottenham’s recent EFL Trophy fixture and he too made an appearance in pre-season against Wycombe Wanderers.

The 19-year-old has a goal contribution in all three Spurs U21s matches this season. Therefore, he could be looking at a better campaign than last time out, when he scored five goals and registered one assist across 23 matches in Premier League 2 and the EFL Trophy.

Akhamrich is a fascinating player, as while he often plays high up the pitch, he can also play as a left-back. This could work in his favour, as he looks to be handed his first competitive senior appearance by Frank.

Tottenham fans will love what former Spurs assistant manager Jesus Perez has posted on social media, with the Spaniard catching up with two Tottenham legends.

Spurs fans are still getting used to the post-Heung-min Son era after the forward departed for Los Angeles FC after 10 years at the club.

The 33-year-old has already shown his quality for the MLS side, with Son netting his first goal for LAFC last weekend with a brilliant free-kick.

The South Korean has also made a huge mark off the pitch, with Son’s LAFC shirt becoming the best-selling jersey of any athlete across the globe.

Jesus Perez reunites with two Tottenham legends in USA

One factor that would have made it easier for Son to integrate into the city and his new team is the presence of a familiar face at LAFC.

Tottenham legend Hugo Lloris made the switch to the Californian side 18 months ago and continues to serve as their number one.

This week, the two former Spurs captains caught up with Perez, whom they worked for five-and-a-half years at Hotspur Way.

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Perez, who served as Mauricio Pochettino’s right-hand man at Spurs, and continues to work with the Argentine as his assistant for the United States national team, posted a picture with Lloris and Son, along with the caption: “#SpursFreinds”

This picture will make some Spurs fans emotional

This image will rekindle some special memories for Spurs fans, with the Mauricio Pochettino era being among the most enjoyable times many have experienced over the past few decades.

Not only were Tottenham playing some unbelievable football on the pitch, but there was a sense of togetherness to it, with the players, staff and fans connecting in a way we have not seen before or since at Spurs.

Journalist Graeme Bailey has explained what Daniel Levy did to ensure Fabio Paratici returns to Tottenham in an official capacity, and explains what the Spurs chairman thinks about the team he is assembling at the club.

The former Juventus director has continued working as a consultant for Spurs since being forced to step down from his role as the North London club’s managing director of football back in 2023.

It is an open secret that Paratici has been playing a key role in Tottenham’s transfer business this summer, alongside the likes of Johan Lange.

It was reported by GiveMeSport a couple of days ago that Paratici will rejoin Spurs in an official role at the end of the current transfer window.

What Daniel Levy thinks of Fabio Paratici ahead of Tottenham return

Graeme Bailey has now explained that the Tottenham chairman views Paratici as one of the best footballing minds in Europe and was dead set on bringing him back to N17.

According to the journalist, the Spurs supremo is excited about the team he is assembling at Tottenham, which includes Paratici, Lange, new CEO Vinai Venkatesham and of course, head coach Thomas Frank.

Bailey told TBR Football: “Daniel Levy was never in doubt he would get Fabio Paratici back at the club; he has never had a closer relationship with anyone in football.

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“He was very close to joining AC Milan at one point, but as we revealed earlier in the year, Levy was not willing to let him go. We revealed that Levy felt that Paratici had ‘unfinished business’ in north London and that has rung true with the Italian, who Levy firmly believes is one of the most knowledgeable footballing minds in Europe.

“Levy believes that his footballing team, led by CEO Vinai Venkatesham and Paratici, is as good as anything in the Premier League. With Johan Lange and Thomas Frank too, Spurs could not be happier.”

What will become of Johan Lange if Paratici returns?

Spurs fans are over the moon with the news of Paratici’s return, which is not surprising, given the track record the Italian had in the transfer market.

However, the big question is whether Lange will continue as technical director if Paratici returns, especially given that the 53-year-old previously held the role of Tottenham’s managing director.

Thomas Frank has revealed that he tries to be honest in his conversations with Tottenham’s transfer targets and has explained the kind of characters he wants to add to the Spurs squad.

Following the addition of Xavi Simons, Tottenham’s summer business now looks more than decent, with the club managing to acquire three players who have strengthened their starting eleven.

Defeat to Bournemouth earlier on Saturday will however have many fans hoping that Simons is not their last piece of business before the window closes.

Spurs have their head coach to thank for being able to get these deals over the line, with Simons revealing that his conversation with Frank convinced him about a move to Tottenham.

That was the same thing said last week by Joao Palhinha, who admitted that Frank was the number one factor behind his Spurs switch.

Thomas Frank admits he is honest with Tottenham’s transfer targets

The Dane has now explained that while his role is to sell the Tottenham Hotspur project, he prefers being direct and honest in his conversations with transfer targets rather than painting too rosy a picture.

When asked what he tells players before they sign, Thomas Frank said (via Football.London): “When I speak to them, I’m pretty direct and honest in how I see the player. Of course I want to sell the Tottenham project, but I’m always direct in terms of how I see their role and what we hopefully can make them to become.

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“Also, that it will be a fantastic journey, but also there can be ups and downs in that journey, and there are bits they need to work on.”

Frank admits that he wants humble characters who would work hard for the team, but he pointed out that it does not mean that they come without an ego.

When asked if top-class players come with a big ego, the Spurs head coach responded: “100%. They need to. We all have the ego, we can’t live without the ego. None of us would have been in this room, being in the position you guys are in, I am, without the ego pushing us a bit. I think that’s hugely important, but I think it’s important it is not controlling you in many ways.

“I always use that attitude as confident but humble. You need to be confident about your own abilities but humble about the team, humble about your role, humble that every single day you need to put the hard work in. But when you step on the pitch, when I step in here, you need to look confident. But when I am not humble [enough] to do all the hard work, forget it.”

Frank admits Tottenham do their homework on players’ personalities

During his time at Brentford, the 51-year-old became known for his ‘no-d**kheads’ policy (Guardian), but he confessed that he tries to understand players’ personalities before writing them off as bad apples.

The Tottenham boss also revealed that the club uses a lot of references to make thorough background checks on their transfer targets.

When asked how difficult or easy it is to spot a player with a bad attitude, Frank responded: “I’ve met a few over the years. I think it is important to try and understand the player. I think it is so easy to say ‘Oh he doesn’t have enough’ or ‘He has too much’. It’s the easiest way.

“It’s my job, together with the other coaches to maximise their potential. To maximise their potential I need to get to know them and try to get into them.

“We take massive references. Massive. We’re big on it. On any player done in the past and we’ll do it the same. Of course, there are some players who are like ten out of ten, perfect.

“Others are not ten out of ten but they can’t be too low, of course. But then you think with our culture, it will work anyway.”

Sol Campbell took a lot of stick after betraying Tottenham Hotspur by joining Arsenal and he has revealed how he thinks Eberechi Eze will be treated when his new club play Spurs.

Frustration has turned to jubilation at Tottenham Hotspur, following the news that Xavi Simons will sign for Spurs. The 22-year-old midfielder bagged 22 goals and 24 assists in 78 appearances for RB Leipzig and could rival Mohammed Kudus as the club’s signing of the summer.

However, despite his obvious quality, Simons was not the first attacking midfielder Tottenham made an attempt to sign during the current transfer window. Eze was said to be close to a Spurs move and the only issue was minor details about the structure of the deal.

Fast forward a day and it was revealed that Tottenham faced the threat of an Arsenal hijack for Eze. In the end, Eze chose Arsenal over Spurs, meaning the London club had to continue their search for a new midfielder.

Sol Campbell does not believe Tottenham supporters will send Eberechi Eze abuse

Sol Campbell loves to bring up how much he has suffered at the hands of Tottenham supporters, despite consistently being the instigator. Campbell trolled Spurs in a Google Pixel advert at the beginning of the year and this is just one of many things he has done to get on the wrong side of the Lilywhites.

The former Tottenham captain has once again brought up the troubles he faced after making the switch to Arsenal, while speaking about Eze. Campbell does not believe Eze will face the same level of abuse he did, despite his controversial decision to turn Spurs down at the last minute.

Campbell told Paddy Power: “I’m sure he [Eze] will get some stick, but it won’t compare to what I got when I returned to Spurs as an Arsenal player. That wouldn’t be allowed to happen these days.

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“What happened back then has been shut down and no-one wants to talk about it anymore. I still get abuse now and it will never stop.

“You could see what the move meant for Eze. It felt like he was home when he walked out at the stadium. He was an Arsenal fan as a kid and started his career there.

“This is his club and when Arsenal came in, that was that. It feels like a reunion.”

Spurs have recovered well from Eze snub

No Eze, no problem! Tottenham have signed a much younger midfielder who has experience playing in the Champions League. On top of this, he will cost Tottenham less money than what Arsenal paid to sign Eze.

Simons bagged 10 goals and seven assists in the Bundesliga last season and is just as good a player as Eze, with a much higher ceiling. Many have enjoyed taunting and mocking Spurs for their failed negotiations, but they are the true winners in the end.