Football London

Arsenal could hamper Tottenham's bid to sign Mohammed Kudus with transfer business of their own. Thomas Frank's side are keen on signing an explosive forward this summer and have identified West Ham's Kudus as a potential target.

Reports on Saturday night suggested that Spurs lodged a £50million bid for Kudus but the Hammers rejected the offer. Tottenham are prepared to come back in with a second proposal for the Ghanaian, who has a £85m release clause in his current contract at the London Stadium.

Although Kudus has given his preference to Spurs, Chelsea remain in the running and have been 'in touch' with the player's camp over a potential summer move. However, the Blues may need to sell to be able to afford a move for Kudus, having just spent around £55m on Jamie Gittens.

Someone that could leave Chelsea to free up funds is Noni Madueke. According to Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal are preparing an opening bid for the 23-year-old England international after agreeing personal terms. Madueke is said to have agreed a five-year deal valid until June 2030.

Chelsea are anticipating a £50m bid from the Gunners for Madueke. Should that arrive and the Blues accept, they would make significant profit on the £30m they paid to sign him from PSV in January 2023.

Madueke's departure from Chelsea could therefore open the door for Enzo Maresca's side to accelerate their attempt to bring Kudus through the doors. Arsenal might then scupper Tottenham's hopes of signing the West Ham man - a move that would prove to be a hammerblow for new head coach Frank.

Tottenham explored a move for Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze but that has since been shelved. Spurs also baulked at Bournemouth's £70m asking price for Antoine Semenyo, who has since signed a new contract on the south coast.

Jack Grealish is among the others that has been linked with a move to north London. Elsewhere, Spurs want to strengthen at the back. Giorgio Scalvini of Atalanta and Genoa's Koni De Winter have been earmarked as potential options, as speculation continues to grow over Cristian Romero's future.

Tottenham fans want to be entertained. Mohammed Kudus will be looking to do exactly that if he is to make the move from West Ham over the coming weeks.

The Ghana international is a player of interest to Tottenham and a £50million bid is believed to have been rejected. The north London club will have to increase their offer and submit one that the Hammers deem acceptable if a player is to swap West Ham for Tottenham for the first time since 2011.

Immediately making his mark at the London Stadium following his £38million switch from Ajax in 2023, Kudus wowed in his debut season for the Hammers as he contributed 14 goals and nine assists in his playing time. His numbers did drop last campaign but Thomas Frank could potentially bring out the very best in him due to his excellent track record of helping his players hit another level altogether.

The hope will be that Frank can offer Tottenham supporters attacking and entertaining football, something that is very much in the club's DNA. Kudus certainly can entertain, which is something he mentioned immediately after joining West Ham from Ajax two years ago.

“I like to entertain the fans as I think that is what football is about, and my dribbling ability, strength and finishing also," he told West Ham's official website. "I’m just here to do my best to help the team. The fans should expect some entertainment!”

Dribbling has been a huge part of Kudus' game since making his professional debut. A nightmare for opponents due to his speed, direct running and skill, it is something the player has excelled in since his childhood.

“Yeah, I think it has always been one of my qualities and I think it started from my childhood club in Ghana, Strong Tower," he explained. "The coach there gave me the freedom as I was young then and it wasn't really about the results. It was just playing for the passion and for fun, so he just gave me the role to just any time I got the ball, to just try and take on as many men as I can so.

"Naturally, I've been built with this low centre of gravity to the ground, so it's easy for me to turn around. I've worked on that in the gym as well, since I've seen that is my strength, so I just keep building on it and that's the biggest things that helped me with my dribbling.”

Kudus would give Tottenham plenty of options if he is to sign on as he can play on either wing, as an attacking midfielder, behind the striker and even as a centre forward. While the majority of his football at West Ham has come from out wide, the Ghanaian likes to play centrally but he will play anywhere for his manager.

“Of course, we all know my versatility for the past years, but I think the position I've played most spots from my actions are from the central areas, but it’s the team that's above everyone else so the position the coach feels is best for me to help the team, of course, I will give my 100 per cent best," he explained. "Everything that I've played in did my best is from like, an attacking position, from the midfield.”

Luka Vuskovic's Tottenham career is now up and running after taking part in his first day of training at Hotspur Way. Spurs supporters have had to bide their time to see the talented Croat wear club colours following his time on loan with Radomiak Radom and Westerlo over the past two seasons.

It was back in September 2023 when Tottenham struck an agreement with Hajduk Split for the defender's services amid interest from other top European clubs. As he was only 16 years of age at the time, it was confirmed that he would link up with Tottenham in 2025 due to FIFA rules.

Firstly heading to Polish side Radomiak Radom in January 2024, the 18-year-old demonstrated that he is more than just a talented defender after also contributing with three goals in his 14 appearances for the Ekstraklasa side. Vuskovic would once again display his goalscoring prowess in the 2024/25 season, this time scoring seven goals in 36 games for Belgian side Westerlo.

Thomas Frank and Tottenham appear to have a very good player on their hands and he could prove to be a huge weapon for them when it comes to set pieces. During his season in Belgium with Westerlo, Vuskovic was a teammate of Alfie Devine following the Tottenham midfielder's late loan switch to the club.

It meant Devine would get another year of regular first-team experience under his belt and Vuskovic would also play alongside someone who could be able to fill him in on anything Tottenham. Following their season together at Het Kuipje, it came as no surprise to see Devine and Vuskovic together at Spurs' Hotspur Way base on the first day of pre-season training on Saturday.

The duo were amongst the returning loan players to make their way back to the club, with Yang Min-hyeok, Jamie Donley, Bryan Gil and Alejo Veliz just some of the others. Tottenham have since given everyone a glimpse of the first day back at training after uploading a short video to their official website, thus resulting in fans going on Vuskovic watch and noting the sheer size of him.

In the video, the Croatian youngster could be seen undergoing some tests to begin with before joining Devine and Dane Scarlett in a training exercise in the gym. As the players were split into small groups as part of the first day back, it made sense for Vuskovic to be alongside a familiar face as he looks to quickly adapt to his new surroundings.

Devine will no doubt be a key person in the opening weeks of Vuskovic's Tottenham career in his quest to settle in and immediately make a mark in Frank's Tottenham team. This time last year, Archie Gray was going through his very first day as a Tottenham player following his big-money move from Leeds United.

The versatile player entered the building alongside Scarlett, someone who he had played alongside for England Under-20s previously. It no doubt helped make it a smooth transition for Gray and Vuskovic will be hoping for the same after moving to a brand new country.

Quite whether Devine and Vuskovic are still at the club beyond the summer transfer window remains to be seen as Tottenham may decide that loan moves are best for their development right now. Chances will be there for them to get some minutes in pre-season and how they fare both home and abroad may play a part in Frank's final decision.

Tottenham fans are desperate to see Vuskovic in action for the very first time, starting against Reading on Saturday, July 19. Before that game comes around, the ex-Hajduk Split man will step up his pre-season training and use the time to get to know his new Tottenham teammates, with Devine set to be an instrumental figure for him during that period.

Thomas Frank has named Matt Wells and Stuart Lewis as part of his new-look coaching staff at Tottenham, football.london understands.

The new Spurs head coach has been speaking to candidates in recent weeks as he puts together the coaching set-up that he believes can deliver his brand of football while also providing experience for the busy season ahead with Champions League returning to the north London outfit.

Frank brought Justin Cochrane and Chris Haslam with him from Brentford as first team assistant coach and head of performance/first team assistant coach respectively, along with Joe Newton as first team coach analyst. Former Manchester United and Arsenal coach Andreas Georgson, who previously worked from Frank at Brentford, has also arrived as first team assistant coach with an expertise in set pieces, both attacking and defensive.

From Ange Postecoglou's staff, Nick Montgomery, Sergio Raimundo and Mile Jedinak departed the club last month while goalkeeping coach Rob Burch is not expected to be part of Frank's set-up. Ex-Liverpool and USA goalkeeping coach Fabian Otte is set to replace him within the new-look staff.

football.london understands that the highly-rated Wells will remain as part of Frank's set-up, having risen to the position of senior assistant coach under Postecoglou. The 36-year-old, grandson of the legendary Tottenham double-winner Cliff Jones, has been tipped to become the next Spurs coach to follow in the footsteps of Chris Davies and Ryan Mason and become a manager in the Football League, but for now he will bring his experience to Frank's staff.

Wells and Cochrane are also believed to be friends with plenty of mutual respect after their years together as coaches in the club's academy.

football.london previously reported that U18s coach Lewis, who has picked up three trophies in as many years at Spurs, was also among those internal candidates in consideration for a spot in the new head coach's staff and the 37-year-old is now expected to make his first step up into senior coaching with a role in Frank's team. Spurs have begun advertising for a new U18s lead coach.

Various Tottenham players returned to Hotspur Way on Saturday to begin their testing and work with the sports science staff and they will take to the pitches with the coaching staff in the days ahead. The club's international stars will return in stages over the next seven days while those first teamers who took part in the U21 and U19 European Championships, such as Archie Gray who won the competition with England, Mathys Tel, Wilson Odobert and Mikey Moore will all be given longer off if they choose to take it ahead of a busy new season.

Pre-season training has started for a large group of Tottenham players. Saturday saw Spurs' non-international players return to Hotspur Way as they prepare for the 2025/26 campaign.

It is once again the start of a new era in N17 following the club's decision to part with Ange Postecoglou and replace him with Thomas Frank after his stellar work at Brentford. The Dane was present at the club's training base to meet his players for the first time.

As ever, the first day of training was about various tests with the sports science staff after a good period away to rest and recuperate after a long 2024/25 season. Things will very soon start to step up as Frank looks to get his football philosophy across ahead of the team's first pre-season friendly against Reading on Saturday, July 19.

Here are five things we spotted in Tottenham's video of the first day of pre-season training at Hotspur Way:

Vuskovic spotted

It's not far off two years ago since Tottenham reached an agreement with Hajduk Split for the signing of highly-rated defender Luka Vuskovic. Always going to join up with Spurs in 2025 as he was 16 at the time of agreeing a move to north London, the Croat has wowed over the past couple of seasons during loan spells with Radomiak Radom and Westerlo.

Last spotted in Tottenham gear in September 2023, Spurs fans got the chance to finally see Vuskovic in Tottenham training kit on Saturday as he joined up with his teammates for the very first time. The 18-year-old underwent a number of tests on his first day at Hotspur Way and it came as no surprise to see him alongside Alfie Devine following their time together at Westerlo.

Vuskovic will now be looking to make a big impression on the training pitch as he bids to force his way into Frank's starting XI.

Kulusevski steps up his fitness

The end of the 2024/25 season proved to be bittersweet for Dejan Kulusevski as he missed Tottenham's Europa League triumph due to injury. A knee issue sustained against Crystal Palace in the middle of May unfortunately ruled him out of action and it resulted in him undergoing surgery on the injury.

Kulusevski was present at Hotspur Way with the rest of his Tottenham teammates as he stepped up his fitness ahead of the new season. It is not clear yet when the Swede will be back but Frank will no doubt provide a fresh update when he speaks to the media during pre-season.

The Sweden international could be seen on the treatment table in one part of the club's training video and towards the end of it he was in the gym stretching. Radu Dragusin, who missed the second half of last season through injury, was also there for the first day of training as so was Lucas Bergvall.

Loanees return

Frank and his coaching staff had a large number of players to work with at the club's training base on Saturday even though Tottenham's international players were missing. Guglielmo Vicario, Antonin Kinsky, Brandon Austin, Djed Spence, Dane Scarlett, Dominic Solanke, Dragusin, Bergvall and Kulusevski were the first-team players spotted at Hotspur Way on the first day of training.

The numbers were boosted by the return of the club's loan players after time away during the 2024/25 season. The returning loanees were: Yang Min-hyeok, Jamie Donley, Will Lankshear, Ashely Phillips, Josh Keeley, George Abbott, Alejo Veliz, Bryan Gil, Devine and Vuskovic.

The aforementioned players will be wanting to catch the eye of the new boss this summer before decisions are made over whether they will be part of his first-team squad or not.

Absent players

It will be a staggered return to pre-season training for the Tottenham squad as many of them played international football at the end of last term. The internationals usually have a few more days off compared to those who went straight on their summer break, with the likes of Mathys Tel, Wilson Odobert, Archie Gray and Mikey Moore set to have slightly longer off this time after playing tournament football until the end of June.

The international players not spotted in the training video released on Saturday were: Kevin Danso, Son Heung-min, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Destiny Udogie, Cristian Romero, Brennan Johnson, Pedro Porro, Manor Solomon, Pape Matar Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur, Ben Davies, Micky van de Ven, Tel, Gray, Odobert and Moore.

Porro was in fact back at Hotspur Way in his Spurs training kit on Friday as he posted a picture to his Instagram Stories from inside the club gym. James Maddison, who didn't represent England in June, was another player not spotted amongst the returning players, although he has been back at the club's base during the summer and did in fact meet new boss Frank and gave him an update on his injury.

New training kit

The start of a new season means Tottenham will be wearing brand new Nike kits in the 2025/26 season. The club have already released their latest home and away designs but supporters will probably have to wait until August to see the new third kit for the very first time.

Tottenham players were decked out in their brand new training wear on Saturday on their first day back at Hotspur Way. This season's training top is predominantly grey with navy blue sleeves and a touch of white on the shoulders.

PSG's continued progress at the Club World Cup as they beat Bayern Munich to reach the semi-finals might just hand Tottenham Hotspur a little glimmer of hope ahead of their match next month.

The Ligue 1 side came out on top with a 2-0 victory against the Bundesliga champions in Atlanta thanks to a 78th minute goal from Desire Doue and then sealed the win with an added time strike from Ousmane Dembele. That late goal came after red cards for Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernandez.

The game was overshadowed by a serious-looking ankle injury at the end of the first half to Bayern's Jamal Musiala, which left players from both sides looking distraught at the nature of it.

PSG's victory means the Champions League winners will now face Real Madrid in the semi-finals at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Wednesday, (8pm kick-off UK time).

A victory against Xabi Alonso's side would take Luis Enrique's team through to the final of the competition on Sunday July 13, again at the MetLife Stadium, against either Chelsea or Fluminese.

So how does all of this affect Tottenham? Well Thomas Frank's first competitive match at the helm of the north London side will be the UEFA Super Cup final, which pits the Europa League winners against the Champions League victors in Udine on Wednesday August 13.

Tottenham supporters are fearing the game in the knowledge that PSG are such a great, quality-packed side. It will be the first test for the Frank era at the club and it will be against the best around.

So there is a reason why Spurs will want their opponents to continue to be successful in the Club World Cup and reach that final on July 13. It's because the way FIFA rules work after tournaments is that players must have at least three weeks off before returning to their clubs.

That mean that if PSG reach the final then those three weeks of holidays, if they take the bare minimum, would ensure the French club's players only return to pre-season training from August 4 or 5 onwards.

Enrique might decide to give them more time after a longer than normal and gruelling season with so many matches and another such campaign ahead.

Even if the players don't take that extra time then that would leave just nine days to get sharp for the game against Tottenham in Italy. It's a tiny sliver of an advantage for Tottenham, who will be sharper by that stage and match fit after five pre-season matches around the world.

Yes, they will be up against the best side in the game right now but the north London outfit and their fanbase will take anything ahead of that big match in Udine.

Tottenham Hotspur have had a £50million bid for West Ham United star Mohammed Kudus rejected, according to reports. The Ghanian international is said to be prioritising a cross-London switch to the north of capital with personal terms not expected to be an issue.

The 24-year-old reportedly has an £85m release clause for Premier League clubs which is only active in the first 10 days of July, with Kudus' current deal set to expire in 2028. The report from The Athletic claims that the Europa League holders are keen to add to their forward options this summer, despite making Mathys Tel's loan move from Bayern Munich permanent.

Thomas Frank hoped to reunite with Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo but their beaten Europa League opponents, Manchester United, are said to be the frontrunners to sign Kudus.

The Danish head coach will be looking to make an immediate mark on the squad he has inherited from Ange Postecoglou as they look to move past their poor campaign that resulted in a 17th-place finish in the Premier League.

The outlet adds that talks will continue between the two London clubs after Spurs' initial £50m effort was rebuffed.

During the final part of the season under new head coach Graham Potter, Kudus showcased his versatility as he spoke openly about transitioning into a striking position.

"In three games I have played four different positions, which is a plus, but it is also very difficult," he told Sky Sports.

"When you play in a certain position for a long period of time, it becomes natural.

"The movements are natural. But being versatile is good for the coach, especially with the injuries. I can play a number of positions and I don't mind that and I don't mind doing a job for the team to get the three points.

"I'm still learning in other roles and I'm trying to help the team.

"With the new manager, it's about what is expected of me depending on the position I am playing. It's very different playing wide to playing as a second striker or even as the striker.

"I need to be able to switch my mind quickly to be able to adapt to whatever position I'm in. It's something I need to work on and improve on."

He added: "I need to be stronger.

"I'm playing against big, strong central defenders. I have to be strong to protect the ball. Obviously, they are bigger than me, but I definitely can do a job there for the team.

"I just have to learn more movements and learn how I can help the team better.

"But I am a strong player too. It's definitely a challenge but I am good for it and a challenge I relish."

Tottenham players returned to Hotspur Way on Saturday to begin Thomas Frank's first pre-season at the north London club.

While many of the club's international players are set to return to the Enfield training complex next week, the first group of Spurs players were back on Saturday to begin their testing with the sports science staff and have their introductions to new head coach Thomas Frank and his staff.

Among those shown by the club heading back through the doors were Dominic Solanke, Lucas Bergvall, Guglielmo Vicario, Dejan Kulusevski, Yang Min-hyeok, Dane Scarlett, Djed Spence, Antonin Kinsky and Brandon Austin while other young players who were out on loan last season returned on Saturday such as Jamie Donley, Alfie Devine, Josh Keeley, George Abbott and Will Lankshear.

Bryan Gil, who has become something of a forgotten man at Tottenham following a series of loans away from the club, was also back at Hotspur Way following a season at Girona that was ended prematurely by knee surgery as well as young Argentine striker Alejo Veliz, with both players linked with moves away from the club this summer.

Spence, when asked if he was happy to be back as he walked into the training ground, said: "Of course, most definitely." His fellow full-back Pedro Porro posted images of himself inside the Hotspur Way gym on Friday showing his dedication to getting back into match shape as quickly as possible. The 25-year-old Spaniard was one of the few players not to suffer a single injury across last season and ended up playing 51 matches and 4,130 minutes of football for the club on the way to that Europa League triumph and another 503 for his country.

Radu Dragusin has already met Frank while doing rehabilitation work following his cruciate ligament injury as has James Maddison with his knee injury.

Other international players will return to Hotspur Way in stages over the course of the next week, while those first teamers at the U21 and U19 European Championships, which stretched later into last month, in Archie Gray who won the competition with England, Mathys Tel, Wilson Odobert and Mikey Moore will all be given longer to rest if they choose to take it ahead of a busy new season.

The pre-season fixture programme under Frank begins with a match away against Reading on July 19. A trip to Luton comes on July 26 before the tour to Hong Kong and South Korea with games in Asia against Arsenal and Newcastle.

Harry Kane's Bayern Munich are the hosts on August 7 before Frank's first competitive encounter at the north London club arrives on August 13 with the UEFA Super Cup final against Champions League winners PSG in Udine. There is little time to recover as just a few days later the Premier League season kicks off with Scott Parker's Burnley the visitors to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

While Kawasaki Frontale have not confirmed exactly that Kota Takai is about to sign for Tottenham Hotspur their goodbye video to the young defender certainly made it clear without saying so.

The J.League club had been silent about his destination simply announcing that the 20-year-old would be playing his last game for the club on Saturday ahead of a switch to an "overseas club". The Japan international centre-back's £5million move to Tottenham has been in the offing for a couple of weeks and first he had to finish off his time at Kawasaki which came with 2-1 victory against high-flyers Kashima Antlers.

After the victory, Takai came back out through a guard of honour from his team-mates before making a speech to the sold-out crowd inside the Todoroki Stadium.

Just before that speech the screens around the stadium showed a farewell video to the young defender with a compilation of his best moments from his time at a club that he joined as a seven-year-old child before rising to play 81 times at a senior level as well as becoming a Japan international.

Eagle-eyed supporters noticed a little hint though to his unconfirmed transfer destination within the video with the Tottenham motto "To Dare Is To Do" shown clearly in Japanese lettering, to the closest possible version of the phrase in his native tongue, which roughly comes out to 'No Success Without Challenge'.

Takai will now travel to the Premier League club to seal his switch and join up with Thomas Frank and his new Spurs team-mates for pre-season training and then a tour back to Asia with the games against Arsenal and Newcastle in Hong Kong and South Korea later this month.

Kota Takai will now complete the formalities of his £5million transfer to Tottenham Hotspur after saying farewell to the Kawasaki Frontale supporters on Saturday.

It had been announced ahead of the J.League match against Kashima Antlers that it would be the 20-year-old Japan international's final game for the club before he would make the switch to an "overseas club". That ensured a sold-out stadium as the centre-back played the full encounter and helped secure a 2-1 victory against the high-flying visitors.

After the game, Takai's team-mates formed a guard of honour for him as he re-emerged from the tunnel, all either high-fiving the defender or slapping him on the back of the head. He then walked out alone across the pitch to the centre circle. The youngster then stood there as a video tribute to him was played on the big screens inside the Todoroki Stadium ahead of his move to join up with Thomas Frank's team.

The video compilation showed highlights from across his 81 games at the club, in which he scored four goals and one assist. Takai played a big role in Kawasaki winning the Japanese Super Cup last year and was named the J.League's Young Player of the Year.

Takai also got plenty of experience in the AFC Champions League as an integral part of the Kawasaki side that reached the final in May. He made his senior Japan debut just after his 20th birthday and has appeared in four World Cup qualifiers so far, which would have been more in a squad mainly made up of players plying their trade in Europe but for an adductor injury suffered in October last year.

The video to the supporters showed him as a child as he joined Kawasaki's youth set-up as a seven-year-old and after another package of highlights it ended with the moving image of a shooting star above the stadium to presumably signify his Premier League move. The video also contained the Tottenham motto 'To Dare Is To Do' in Japanese.

Takai was then handed the microphone and launched into a near three-minute speech that brought applause from his team-mates and the fans and ended with him bowing to all corners of the stadium. The supporters then sang as he walked around the pitch and waved to and applauded them all.

Freelance football editor and former Goal.com Japan chief editor and DAZN news Japan chief editor Tasuku Okawa, a J.League expert, told football.london last month about the young defender. He said: "Takai has a calm, almost nonchalant personality. He doesn't get overly tense or emotional, which might actually help him on the mental side. He gives off the impression of someone who won't be overwhelmed by the big stage and could handle it with composure."

That certainly seemed to be the case with what looked like an emotional ceremony for the fans and his team-mates but the soon-to-be Tottenham defender appeared to take it all in his stride before posing for photos with his family. He will now make his way to north London to like up with Frank and his Spurs team-mates after completing his transfer.