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Tottenham Hotspur are monitoring the situation of a young South American centre-back as Marseille step up their interest in the player’s services.

Over the last week, Tottenham have mainly been linked with attacking players, and one can understand why that is the case, given that the Lilywhites need to replace Heung-min Son and the injured James Maddison.

However, Spurs may also need reinforcements at the back, particularly given reports that Luka Vuskovic is expected to be loaned out this summer.

It has now been claimed that a 21-year-old centre-back, who is making waves in Belgian football, is on Tottenham’s wishlist.

Tottenham are keeping an eye on Club Brugge star Joel Ordonez

TBR Football have now revealed that Club Brugge’s Joel Ordonez has admirers at Tottenham Hotspur.

The 21-year-old has emerged as one of the best young centre-backs in the Belgian top flight since joining Brugge two years ago, and it is revealed that several Premier League clubs have made contact over their availability over the last 12 months.

One of those is Tottenham, who are ‘kept informed’ of Ordonez’s situation as Marseille step up their efforts to land the youngster.

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Liverpool, Chelsea, and Aston Villa are also monitoring the Ecuador international’s situation, with intermediaries informing these clubs that they have to make a move very soon if they want to land the youngster, as he is edging closer to a switch to Marseille.

Why Thomas Frank may want to sign another centre-back

Even if Vuskovic leaves, that will leave Frank with five full-time options at centre-back (Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Radu Dragusin, Kevin Danso, and Kota Takai) plus Ben Davies.

However, the injury records of Romero and Van de Ven are very concerning, and Tottenham will need a big squad to cope with the rigours of Champions League football.

We also know that Frank is no stranger to employing three at the back, which is why one would not be surprised if the Lilywhites sign another centre-back before the window slams shut.

Wayne Rooney and Danny Murphy have handed glowing praise to Thomas Frank after his first competitive Tottenham match in the UEFA Super Cup final.

Football is finally back, and for Tottenham Hotspur fans, the opening fixture brought a mixture of emotions as they watched their side in competitive action for the first time under Thomas Frank.

The clash against Paris Saint-Germain unfolded in two distinct phases, with Tottenham looking composed and confident for the first eighty minutes, offering supporters a glimpse of the exciting football that could define the season ahead.

However, the final ten minutes served as a sobering reminder of the work still to be done, as Spurs let a two-goal lead slip before losing the final on penalties.

Danny Murphy praises Thomas Frank and Tottenham after PSG clash

But there is still plenty to take encouragement from, according to Wayne Rooney and Danny Murphy, who both lauded Thomas Frank’s debut performance as Tottenham manager.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Murphy highlighted the progress already evident in the side and the optimism that comes with it.

He also claimed that Tottenham were bound to improve after last season’s struggles, stating that there is a lot to look forward to.

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He said: “I mean let us be honest, they cannot not improve after the last season… I think there is a lot to look forward to. They have got better competition for places, some of the young players they have got whom we know are good have had a bit more experience now and they still have a few weeks left in the window”.

Wayne Rooney tips Tottenham to challenge for Europe

Rooney also echoed this sentiment, pointing out that Tottenham looked more balanced across the pitch in the PSG match, before confidently predicting that they could push for European football this season.

“I think the balance of the team looks a lot better even just from ninety minutes watching them play, the balance of the team looks much better.

“So I think if they keep that balance and keep players fit then I think they will certainly be challenging for Europe,” Rooney said.

Troy Deeney does not believe Tottenham Hotspur have reinforced their squad sufficiently this summer, and he admits that he fears for Thomas Frank as the Lilywhites embark on a Champions League adventure.

Frank has said that he wants Tottenham to be competitive in all four competitions, but most Spurs fans would agree that Dane has not been sufficiently backed in the transfer window so far.

With the new season fast approaching, Tottenham Hotspur fans are getting impatient with the lack of new signings, with a humbling at the hands of Bayern Munich last week exposing the side’s weaknesses.

Frank has admitted that Spurs are not done strengthening their squad this summer, and Deeney believes that the North Londoners require major reinforcements across the pitch.

Troy Deeney feels Tottenham’s squad has too many holes

Tottenham will be back in Europe’s premier club competition after a two-year absence, and they will enter the tournament as the holders of the Europa League.

Guglielmo Vicario has said that Spurs can surprise teams in the Champions League, but Deeny is not convinced that they have the required quality to go toe-to-toe with the best sides on the continent.

The former Watford striker told talkSPORT: “I think it’s a really difficult time for Spurs – can this team compete in the Champions League?

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“You look at the two centre-halves, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, if they’re fit and available, that’s solid. That’s very, very good. But are they fit and available enough?

“Then you’ve got Radu Dragusin, who is already injured, and Kevin Danso. He’s done nothing wrong, but he was going to Wolves last year. Let’s call it as it is. He was going to Wolves for a reason. If you had to play those two in the Champions League game, I think you’re in trouble.

“The full-backs are questionable. Where’s Djed Spence going to play? Is he going to be your number one? Is Pedro Poro going to be your number one right-back?

“I’m not sure. The goalkeeper, I’m definitely not sure on, personally. And what’s going to happen with Richarlison? Because it was thought he was leaving.”

Deeney is worried for Thomas Frank

The pundit suggested that Frank would have expected the Tottenham hierarchy to deliver more this summer when he walked through the door.

The 51-year-old made a habit of getting the best from what he had at Brentford, and Deeney believes that he will have to do the same at Spurs.

The pundit added: “It must be really difficult for Thomas Frank, because he can’t move anyone out because no one wants to buy these players because of their injury records – a lot of Spurs players were injured last year – 13 at one point.

“And because they can’t get the players out, he can’t get the people that he wants in, so he’s probably going to have to work with what he’s got.”

Glenn Hoddle has insisted that Tottenham Hotspur were the much better side in the UEFA Super Cup final, and has explained why Spurs fans should be optimistic about their side’s chances in the Champions League on the back of that performance.

Tottenham’s results against the bigger sides were generally very poor under Ange Postecoglou, and the Australian was often criticised for not adapting his style of play when coming up against top teams.

We have already seen that things will be very different under Thomas Frank, who has a history of tweaking his tactics based on the strengths and weaknesses of the opponent.

That is what he did against PSG, with the Lilywhites setting up in a 3-5-2 formation and nullifying the Ligue 1 giants’ attacking threat for the vast majority of the encounter.

Glenn Hoddle says Tottenham can take a lot of belief from their performance against PSG

While Spurs ultimately failed to get their hands on the trophy, Hoddle was impressed by the fact that the North Londoners were dominant against the European champions for the majority of the encounter.

He insisted that Thomas Frank has found the template to use when his side comes up against top teams in the Champions League, especially away from home.

Speaking on TNT Sports (13/08/25), the Tottenham legend said: “They more than held their own, they were the better team by far. I think Luis Enrique actually sort of apologised in a way when he went up to Thomas Frank at the end there.

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“For me, when they analyse the performance, that will give them so much belief going into the Champions League. Playing against this great side that have won the Champions League, ‘we went toe-to-toe and more and over 90 minutes we were the better team’.

“The substitutions made the difference, but at the end of the day, they have got a Champions League to play and I think that’s a template. The way they played there, don’t be surprised if they play Liverpool, if they play Manchester City, if they play Arsenal – that’s a template to play in the Champions League and maybe away from home.

“That is something they will really grasp. They will look at that and analyse and say ‘we were the better team’. So that’s a template now to go on the front foot and go toe-to-toe with these teams. That is a massive performance from Tottenham tonight from a manager’s point of view.

“Yes, it’s emotional and disappointing because you are 2-0 up with 10 minutes to go and you’ve lost the trophy, but at the end of the day I think it’s a real positive night for Tottenham.”

Thomas Frank now has to show another string to his bow against Burnley

There was a lot to like about Tottenham’s performance from Udine, and Spurs fans can be relatively confident after this display that their side will be hard to score against when they come up against the top sides.

However, the Tottenham head coach’s defensive organisational skills have never been in doubt. If anything, some of Frank’s critics have accused him of being too defensive.

Despite Tottenham losing the UEFA Super Cup in a heartbreaking fashion to Paris Saint-Germain, Joao Palhinha saw enough evidence to suggest that the Lilywhites can achieve ‘big things’ this season.

Palhinha made his competitive debut for Spurs at Udine as one of two midfield pivots, along with Rodrigo Bentancur, in front of a back five.

One can certainly see from his disciplined and combative display just why Thomas Frank was over the moon to bring Palhinha through the door, with the Portuguese international proving to be an impenetrable wall ahead of the Tottenham backline.

In fact, it was only after his substitution that PSG got some joy going forward, with both of the Ligue 1 giants’ goals coming in the dying stages of the encounter.

Joao Palhinha insists this is just the beginning of his Tottenham journey

As one would expect, the Spurs players looked distraught at letting the Super Cup slip in the manner that they did, but Palhinha was upbeat about the side’s performance after the full-time whistle.

The midfielder insisted that Tottenham Hotspur have all the tools necessary to achieve big things and is confident that they will show it again in the future.

After his side lost on penalties, the 30-year-old said (via Hayters TV): “I think it’s the beginning of a journey together… Tottenham is a great club and has all the conditions to achieve big things. It showed in the past, and for sure it will show again in the future.

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“I share the dressing room with top players, as well as we have a top coach who’s a great human being, and I think we have all the conditions together to achieve big things; we just need to be together and keep fighting.”

Tottenham are going to be hard to score against this season

While it will take a while for Spurs fans to recover from the nature of that defeat, there were undoubtedly huge positives to take from that game.

It is now evident that under Frank, Tottenham are going to be hard to score against, especially with someone like Joao Palhinha mopping up in front of the backline.

Tottenham’s defensive organisation has been excellent across pre-season, barring the clash against Bayern Munich, and there is no doubt that Frank won the tactical battle with Luis Enrique last night.

Guglielmo Vicario had admitted that it is gut-wrenching to lose the UEFA Super Cup in the manner that Tottenham Hotspur did, but insisted that the Lilywhites got their game plan right against Paris Saint-Germain.

Ahead of the game, Frank admitted that the only thing that is important in a final is to win, and in that respect, Spurs failed, with the Parisians emerging victorious on penalties.

However, most Tottenham fans will come away from that performance very optimistic about what the season has in store, with the Premier League side getting the better of the European champions for large parts of the encounter.

Every player who started for Spurs put in a massive shift, and a senior Spurs star has now confessed that the result is a bitter pill to swallow.

Guglielmo Vicario confesses defeat against PSG is ‘difficult to accept’ for Tottenham

Vicario has now remarked that he is proud of the display that he and his teammates delivered in his home town of Udine and claimed that there are positives to take from the performance.

However, the Italy international admitted that it was not a happy homecoming for him, given how Tottenham Hotspur were punished late on despite being in complete control of the game.

Vicario told Sky Sport Italia: “Unfortunately, this is football and it is very difficult to accept, especially as I think we did well tonight and they punished us with two situations. It is objectively tough to lose on penalties.

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“I think we did what we set out to do, from start to finish. We were close, but it was not enough. I think we had the right approach. I am proud of these lads because at the end of the day, starting with the idea of playing in a certain way and seeing that through, it ought to give us strength going forward.”

Vicario says Thomas Frank had the right game plan

The 28-year-old revealed that the players had worked on the system in training in the days leading up to the clash and did exactly what was demanded of them.

Despite the result not going their way, the Spurs number one said that it was evident that the Lilywhites had the right tactical approach to stop the European champions.

The goalkeeper added: “We followed to the letter what Thomas had asked us to do and what we tested in training. It had objectively worked, because we knew PSG struggled on set plays, and we hurt them twice in those situations, and we were dangerous in other opportunities.

“Of course, PSG have quality, and you need a bit of luck in football. It’s a learning experience, and we take it going forward.”

Gary Lineker believes Tottenham could be set for a dramatic rise under Thomas Frank this season, but Alan Shearer is far from convinced the club will climb as high as his fellow pundit expects.

Of course, Thomas Frank will be looking to improve on Tottenham Hotspur’s abysmal Premier League campaign last term, which saw them finish in 17th place.

That poor finish saw Ange Postecoglou lose his job, with Frank now handed the opportunity to get Tottenham back to the top, where they feel they belong.

The season is set to kick off this week, with Spurs facing Burnley in their Premier League opener at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Alan Shearer questions Gary Lineker’s bold Tottenham prediction

Speaking ahead of the season opener, Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards all shared their views on where Spurs could finish this campaign under Frank.

On ‘The Rest Is Football’ podcast, Lineker expressed optimism over Tottenham’s chances, suggesting they could push into Europe.

He said: “I’d sense an improvement will happen this season. I think they’ll be well organised, probably play slightly differently to they did under big Ange. Big improvement incoming, I think the European spots are what I’m gonna go for.”

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Shearer, however, was quick to question the claim. He responded: “Do you? That far, do you? That’s a big ask to go from 17th to qualifying for Europe, isn’t it? In terms of getting in the top six, isn’t it? It’s a big one. I see them obviously improving, but I do not see that much improvement. I’ve got them like Man United, seven, eight, nine, something like that.”

Richards then joined the conversation, stating: “Yeah, top six for me, Spurs, top six,” prompting Shearer to reply with surprise: “Really?” Lineker closed the exchange with a laugh: “You’ve got a lot of teams in the top six, Micah.”

Tottenham’s ambitions still do not match Daniel Levy’s words

Daniel Levy stated that his aim for Tottenham is for them to win the Premier League and the Champions League, in an interview this summer.

However, the club chairman’s spending this transfer window has not reflected those ambitions, with the rest of the big six currently outspending Tottenham despite the Lilywhites finishing the lowest of the six.

However, with the window still open, reports claim that Tottenham are still looking to bolster their squad further, with Savinho and Eberechi Eze now on their list.

But should Tottenham fail to land those targets, then Frank would need to punch above his weight as he did during his time at Brentford.

Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of Eberechi Eze has been gathering steam over the last few hours, and Fabrizio Romano has now revealed what the Crystal Palace star has just done amidst an impending offer from Spurs.

It was reported by Tottenham insider Paul O’Keefe on Thursday morning morning that Spurs are preparing their opening offer for Eze following their talks with Crystal Palace.

According to an update from talkSPORT earlier on Thursday, Tottenham are hoping to land Eze for around £55m, but it is unclear how such an offer would go down with Palace.

The same update explained that the Lilywhites are not keen on activating the attacking midfielder’s £68m release clause, which expires tomorrow, but added that the Eagles may still hold out for the full value.

Eberechi Eze wants to join Tottenham Hotspur

Fabrizio Romano has now revealed on his YouTube channel that the England international has made it clear to the Selhurst Park hierarchy that he wants to join Spurs.

He confirms that the North London club are now preparing their opening offer for the 27-year-old and are prepared to enter into negotiations with Palace.

Romano adds that a move for Eze does not affect Spurs’ pursuit of Savinho, which is still very much on, but Thomas Frank’s men would have to stump up more than €60m (£51.6m) to land the Man City star.

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Tottenham know what it will take to land Eze

It was reported by TEAMtalk a couple of days ago that Spurs have a clear understanding of Crystal Palace’s demands for Eze after holding week-long talks with the Eagles.

If Tottenham are now pushing ahead with a move for the former QPR man, that means that they believe that a deal is within their means.

However, given how the Morgan Gibbs-White saga turned out earlier this summer, Spurs fans will be wary of celebrating until Eze is pictured holding up a Tottenham shirt.

Cristian Romero admits that it was hard to lose the UEFA Super Cup final in the manner that Tottenham Hotspur did, but he made a promise to Spurs fans ahead of the new season.

While Spurs went into the final in Udine as massive underdogs, they will be wondering how they managed to lose that game, given the position they got themselves into.

For 85 minutes, the North London side managed to keep PSG at arm’s length and had a comfortable 2-0 lead going into the final five minutes of normal time.

However, the French giants fought their way with two quickfire goals to level the game, before emerging victorious on penalties.

Cristian Romero insists Tottenham are stronger for the experience

Romero was confirmed as the new Spurs captain the day before the final, and he led the side out at Bluenergy Stadium as he and his teammates delivered a heroic display.

The centre-back admitted that it hurts to throw away the game towards the end in the manner that Spurs did, but insisted that they will be stronger for this experience, and vowed that the team will fight to be back in stages as big as this one.

The Tottenham captain wrote: “It hurts to lose like this, no doubt, but it will make us stronger as a team. We’ll work and fight to relive these moments together. Thankful to all the fans for the incredible support on the road today. See you at home on Saturday, family @SpursOfficial.”

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A lesson for Tottenham but plenty of positives to take

Before the game, Thomas Frank insisted that the Super Cup clash was only about winning, rather than a game he was looking to take any lessons from.

While that was the right attitude from the Dane, who tactically got the better of his opposite number, Luis Enrique, there is no doubt that he will take valuable lessons from that clash, now that the dust is settling.

One of those is the fact that he can count on these players to show tactical discipline and execute the game plan he envisions, even against the best sides in the world, which bodes well for Tottenham going into the new season.

Amidst suggestions that an opening offer is on the way from Tottenham Hotspur for Eberechi Eze, a new report has shed light on how much the Lilywhites are willing to pay for the Crystal Palace star this summer.

Over the past few days, several sources have suggested that Tottenham have leapfrogged Arsenal in the race for Eze.

According to reports, Spurs now understand exactly what it will take to land Eze following their talks with the Eagles over the last week.

Earlier on Thursday morning, Tottenham insider Paul O’Keefe revealed that Spurs are ready to make an opening offer for Eze as they step up their pursuit of the England international.

Tottenham are hoping to sign Eberechi Eze for less than his release clause

According to a new report in talkSPORT, the North Londoners prefer not to trigger the 27-year-old’s £68m release clause, which is valid until Friday evening.

The outlet claims that Tottenham value Eze at closer to the £55m they paid to sign Mohammed Kudus from West Ham earlier this summer.

It is unclear if Palace will entertain any offer below the attacking midfielder’s release clause valuation even after it expires.

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However, the report adds that Spurs remain optimistic that a deal can be struck for the former QPR man and have made Oliver Glasner’s men aware that they plan to try.

Eze would be expensive in more ways than one

The Crystal Palace star would not only require a huge transfer outlay but would also command big wages at Tottenham.

Eze currently earns £100,000 per week at Selhurst Park, making him one of the South London club’s highest earners.