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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.

As expected, Tottenham Hotspur have made significant changes to their medical department at the start of the Thomas Frank era, with two members of staff, who were hired just last summer, being let go by the Lilywhites.

Earlier this week, it was reported by The Athletic’s Jay Harris that Nick Stubbings had left Brentford to join as the new head of Tottenham’s medical department.

Stubbings became the fifth member of staff to follow Frank from the Bees to North London, following Justin Cochrane, Chris Haslam, Joe Newton and Tom Perryman.

Stubbings’ arrival inevitably meant that there was going to be one or two departures from Tottenham Hotspur, and that has now been confirmed by a reliable source.

Alasdair Gold confirms two members of staff have left Tottenham

Football.London’s Alasdair Gold has now revealed that Spurs’ director of performance services Adam Brett, and head of sports science Nick Davies have both left the club after just one year.

Brett arrived last summer after almost a decade at Brighton, while Davies joined Spurs from West Ham, but their roles came under scrutiny in the review that Tottenham conducted of their medical department.

The review was instigated by the club’s terrible injury crisis last season, with question marks being raised about how the rehabilitation of certain players was managed, with the likes of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven seemingly being rushed back too early.

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Davies was brought in last summer to replace Tottenham’s former head of medicine and sports science, Geoff Scott, who left his role after 20 years at the club.

Nick Davies has already found a new employer

Despite question marks over Davies’ role in Tottenham’s injury crisis last season, he will not have to wait for a new job, with Gold stating that he could move to Everton.

This has also been backed up by Tottenham insider Paul O’Keefe, who claims that Spurs’ former head of sports science has already joined the Merseyside club.

O’Keefe revealed that Davies had worked together with Moyes at West Ham before his move to North London, with the pair set to link up once again at the Toffees.

Fabrizio Romano has now weighed in on the rumours backing Tottenham Hotspur to push forward with a move to sign Burnley centre-back Maxime Esteve.

Esteve has had an exceptional first season in English football after moving to Burnley last summer, playing a key role in the club’s promotion back to the top flight.

It did not take long for the Frenchman to catch the eye of the Tottenham Hotspur recruitment department, with reports first emerging back in December of last year that Spurs were eyeing a move for Esteve.

There were even suggestions that Tottenham had made an offer for Esteve on deadline day in January, and the 23-year-old is once again being linked with a move to N17 at the start of the Thomas Frank era.

Have Tottenham made an approach for Maxime Esteve?

On Tuesday, a report from L’Equipe claimed that Spurs had opened talks with Burnley over a deal for Esteve, who was alleged to be valued at €35m (£30m).

However, Fabrizio Romano has now taken to social media to pour cold water on these rumours, insisting that the Clarets have not received any approaches from Spurs for the centre-back.

He confirmed that the former Montpellier man is on the radar of a few Premier League sides, Spurs are not one of them as they are currently focused on other targets.

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Romano wrote: ‘Maxime Esteve, attracting interest from several clubs this summer but no approaches/talks with Tottenham so far. Spurs are currently focused on different targets at this stage.’

Esteve idolises Spurs great and loves one current Tottenham player

If Tottenham were to make a move for the Burnley man this summer, there is one thing that could work massively in the Lilywhites’ favour: the Clarets defender has a soft spot for the North London club.

We know this because just a few months ago Esteve admitted that he idolised Gareth Bale when he watched the Premier League growing up.

Tottenham Hotspur are expected to make a significant step towards landing Mohammed Kudus over the next few days after seeing their first few offers sent back by West Ham United.

Tottenham have had three different offers turned down by West Ham for Kudus, as the London Stadium hierarchy are said to be displeased with the unrealistic nature of the add-ons proposed by Spurs.

It was revealed by GiveMeSport a few days ago that the Hammers are frustrated that Spurs are not taking their valuation of Kudus seriously.

As the two clubs work towards finding a solution to their impasse, Kudus reported to pre-season training at West Ham this week.

Tottenham will launch a new offer for Mohammed Kudus this week

The Daily Mail have now revealed that since their previous bid was turned down by West Ham a few days ago, no new offer has been forthcoming from the Lilywhites.

However, that is about to change very soon as Tottenham Hotspur are now expected to launch an improved bid for the Ghanaian before the end of the week.

After East London rejected Spurs’ previous offer, they were hoping that Chelsea would step in with a bigger bid.

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However, the 24-year-old has made it clear that he wants to complete a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

The outlet backs up what we have heard from other sources over recent weeks by stating that Spurs are hoping that around £60-£65m will be enough for them to secure Kudus’ services.

Spurs are in a strong negotiating position over Kudus

This assertion by The Mail about Kudus’ transfer preference has been backed up by several sources, including Fabrizio Romano, who has revealed that Kudus has already said ‘yes’ to Spurs.

In fact, Romano added that the winger is not speaking with any other club apart from the North Londoners at the moment.

It didn’t take long for another Premier League club to reach out and talk to Ange Postecoglou after his shock Tottenham exit this summer.

Spurs fans are now excited at the start of the Frank era, but the overwhelming majority of the fan base still holds Postecoglou in very high regard after he broke the club’s 17-year trophy drought.

Some sources previously indicated that Postecoglou received interest from other clubs less than 24 hours after his sacking, which shows how in demand he is despite his sacking by Tottenham.

It was even alleged earlier this month that one unnamed Premier League club had explored a move for Postecoglou ahead of the 2025-26 season, and it turns out that the club may have been Brentford.

Brentford spoke to Ange Postecoglou after Tottenham sacking

The Athletic have now revealed that Brentford contacted the 59-year-old about the possibility of replacing Frank at the Gtech Community Stadium.

The report claims that the Bees seriously considered Postecoglou as an option and if the move had come to fruition, it would have been the first-ever case of a managerial job swap in the Premier League.

Brentford director of football Phil Giles even allegedly held informal discussions with the recently departed Tottenham Hotspur boss, but in the end, both parties agreed that moving forward was not the best option.

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Other candidates were also considered for the role by Giles, but in the end, he decided to promote Keith Andrews to the head coach role.

Postecoglou has also received offers from across the world

The former Spurs boss is no stranger to exploring new football cultures, having managed in Australia, Japan and Scotland in his career.

Last month, it was reported by The Telegraph that Postecoglou had emerged as a target for Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli, but those rumours have seemingly gone quiet.

Tottenham Hotspur are eyeing a move for a Juventus midfielder, who is keen to leave the Allianz Stadium, and they have considered using one of their players in a potential swap or part-exchange deal.

It has been widely reported that signing a central midfielder is one of Thomas Frank’s priorities this summer ahead of his first season in charge of Tottenham.

It turns out that they might turn their attention to a Serie A star, who the Lilywhites were credited with an interest during the last transfer window.

Back in January, it was reported that Tottenham explored the possibility of bringing Douglas Luiz back to England, and the North Londoners have just received some good news regarding the former Aston Villa star.

Tottenham have explored a swap deal for Douglas Luiz

TBR Football report that Luiz is keen to return to the Premier League, just a year after swapping Villa Park for Juventus.

Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United have both held talks with the Bianconeri regarding a deal for the 27-year-old.

It is alleged that the possibility of a swap deal has been discussed, with Yves Bissouma being one of the players offered to the Serie A giants.

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Luiz is now ‘anxious’ to return to England and he believes he still has a lot to offer in the Premier League after struggling for regular game time at the Allianz Stadium.

Other Premier League clubs also want Luiz

TBR Football say that the possibility of Villa looking to re-sign Luiz cannot be ruled out, although Unai Emery’s men have more pressing needs to address at the moment.

Everton, Fulham, Nottingham Forest and West Ham have also expressed an interest in signing the Brazil international this summer.

While Galatasaray and Saudi Pro League clubs are also monitoring the Juventus star, he has his eyes firmly set on a return to the Premier League.

Richarlison has been linked with a move away from Tottenham Hotspur and the decision on whether to keep or sell him is a no-brainer.

Three years have passed since Tottenham broke the bank by spending £60m on Richarlison. The transfer fee seemed excessive at the time, as the Brazilian was not the most prolific goalscorer.

He only scored 11 goals in 33 appearances during his final season at Everton and his top-scoring Premier League campaign was capped at 13 goals.

However, there was no question that Richarlison was a talented player. Indeed, he has shown this at Spurs, coming up with occasional moments of brilliance and always working hard for his team. The fact he is able to play up top or fill in on the left is an added bonus.

Despite this, Richarlison has never hit the heights he would have liked at Tottenham. He has struggled to establish himself as a first-choice player, and according to some reports, Thomas Frank is happy for Richarlison to leave Spurs.

Other sources are telling a different story and believe Frank wants to assess Richarlison in pre-season. The striker himself is said to be keen on remaining at Tottenham, as he has unfinished business in North London due to his many injuries.

Tottenham should sell Richarlison before he becomes worthless

Unfortunately for Richarlison, there is little use to Spurs in keeping him for another season. The length of his current contract is one key reason, because he will become a free agent in two years.

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In the past, Tottenham have made the mistake of holding onto some of their top players for too long, particularly during the Mauricio Pochettino era. The result was that they left the club for minimal transfer fees, meaning Spurs were restricted from spending large sums on their replacements.

Tottenham could pocket up to £20m for Richarlison and this could be used to help fund the signing of a younger player who is less prone to injuries and someone of Thomas Frank’s choosing.

Richarlison is not available enough for Spurs

Richarlison’s injury struggles have already been mentioned and they are of great importance to Tottenham when considering the 28-year-old’s future. During his time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, he has missed a mindblowing 58 matches through injury, with 37 of those coming last season.

Richarlison is the type of player who needs a good run of games in order to build his consistency. He showed in the 2023/24 season that when he is fit for a good length of time, he can be quite the attacker. However, spells like this have been a rarity.

No matter how good a player is, there is little point in holding onto them when they are rarely fit enough to play.

Richarlison is not wrong for wanting to remain at Tottenham

Tottenham fans are not happy that Richarlison wants to stay at Spurs and this is understandable. However, the former Everton forward should be commended for his commitment.

He does not want to remain at the Lilywhites so he can collect a salary for doing nothing. Rather, he wants to stay free from injuries long enough to have an impact at the club.

Two seasons ago he scored 11 Premier League goals, which is better than Dominic Solanke’s record during the last campaign. He still believes that he has something to offer and that is perfectly acceptable.

However, Spurs ultimately hold the power over his future and they must make it clear that now is the time for him to move on.

Arsenal have now emerged as the outright frontrunners to sign Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze this summer, with Tottenham Hotspur slipping out of the race despite previous interest.

In the early stages of the summer window, Tottenham Hotspur were seen as favourites to sign Crystal Palace winger Eberechi Eze.

It was reported that Eze was keen on joining Spurs as he looked to spearhead the Thomas Frank revolution, with UEFA Champions League football on offer.

The Crystal Palace man has a £68 million release clause that is active this summer window, and some reports even claimed that Spurs could pay Eze’s clause in instalments this transfer window.

Arsenal move ahead of Tottenham in Eberechi Eze race

However, the transfer saga took a twist when reports emerged that Arsenal are considering a move for Eze too this window.

The Crystal Palace man, who impressed last term by scoring 14 goals and assisting 11 in all competitions, is said to now be on the radar of Arsenal, who view him as an alternative to Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, their primary target.

It has been reported that Eze is now keen to join the Gunners this summer, and Arsenal themselves are actively considering a move for the Englishman.

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Journalist reveals Spurs have given Arsenal a free run at Eze

Journalist Ben Jacobs, speaking to Betway, has now revealed who the frontrunner for Eze’s signature is and whether Spurs have a realistic chance of landing the Crystal Palace man as well.

He said: “Arsenal are the club to watch for Eberechi Eze, and they held talks over the weekend in which Eze and senior recruitment and football figures were present. Eze is keen on a move to Arsenal. So, if Arsenal choose to proceed, agreeing terms with the player will not be a problem.

“The only challenge is Arsenal view the £68 million release clause as not something at this stage they want to trigger, and therefore, there would be some negotiation needed with Crystal Palace.

“We’ll have to understand in the next week or two whether anything moves. If it does, I expect it to do so quite quickly because Arsenal consider their window to be really starting on July 1st, and they want to get moving now to get as many players in as they can before the preseason begins. So, Eze and Arsenal could move.

“From Tottenham’s point of view, they were never really there. Tottenham appreciate Eberechi Eze, but nothing more than that, and Spurs’ focus at the moment is on Mohammad Kudus.

“So, if Arsenal choose to proceed, they’re going to have a relatively clear run and they’re going to have player buy-in as well. Eze is seen by Arsenal as an attacking midfielder, not a left winger, even though he can play there, and that means that this is in addition to a left-wing signing, possibly a right winger arriving, and obviously a number nine as well.

“Arsenal could end up reshaping their entire front line and then whether it’s three or four will depend a lot on, I think, whether Arsenal can get Rodrygo, because if Rodrygo, who will hold talks about his future with Xabi Alonso after the Club World Cup, decides he wants to leave Real, Real are prepared to sanction an exit around £90 million, and Rodrygo’s a dream target for Arsenal.

“I think it would be feasible for Arsenal to do Rodrygo at £90 million if they only add one winger, and then the expectation would be Rodrygo’s the starting left winger.

“Perhaps it calls into question the future of Gabriel Martinelli, and then if needed, as he’s doing at Real Madrid, Rodrygo could periodically be used as Bukayo Saka cover on the right-hand side and that would allow Arsenal the versatility to put £90 million towards one player who can switch sides, be left-sided starter and right-sided cover. Kind of the opposite to what he is at Real Madrid.

“If they don’t go in that direction, or Rodrygo doesn’t become feasible, then you might be looking at that same £90 million number being put on a left winger and a right winger. And that’s where Noni Madueke could be one to watch.

“So, you’ll have a situation where Eze and Arsenal is concrete and developing, still a left winger and possibly a right winger, and certainly a number nine could all arrive. Andrea Berta wants to get as many of those names in as early as possible to settle Arsenal ahead of the new Premier League season.”