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year transfer rule with £27m move on the cards

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Tottenham could break nine-year transfer rule with £27m move on the cards - Football London
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Tottenham Hotspur will break a golden transfer rule for the first time in almost a decade if they opt to buy Joao Palhinha permanently next summer.

The Portuguese veteran arrived in north London earlier this month in a loan move from Bayern Munich, as Spurs look to pick up the pieces after a lacklustre Premier League season. The Lilywhites finished a dismal 17th last term under Ange Postecoglou, although Australian did end the club's wait for a trophy by securing the Europa League title.

After an impressive seven-year stint with Brentford, Thomas Frank made the shock move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer to succeed Postecoglou, and very little time has been wasted in making improvements to the squad which he inherited.

As well as signing the likes of Mohammed Kudus, Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso on permanent deals, Frank has been boosted by the arrival of Palhinha on a season-long loan, with a £27million option to buy next summer. And should Spurs opt to activate the clause, it will come as the first time in nine years that they will have paid a transfer fee for an outfield player over the age of 30.

He will be on the verge of 31 by the time next season's summer window reopens. Fernando Llorente was the last outfielder that Spurs paid a transfer fee for, signing the striker from Swansea City in a £12.1m move in the summer of 2017 at the age of 32.

Unfortunately, the move came back to bite the Lilywhites in major fashion, with Llorente managing just two Premier League goals from 36 appearances before he was moved on to Napoli in a free transfer in 2019. Thankfully for Palhinha, there will be very little pressure on the star scoring goals given his role predominantly as a defensive midfielder.

With a stellar resume with the likes of Sporting CP, Fulham and Bayern, Palhinha arrives in north London with an impressive wealth of accolades, having won a Primeira Liga title, three Taca de Ligas and a Bundesliga crown. At international level, he has also been capped 34 times for Portugal, scooping the Nations League with the country earlier this year.

Palhinha made his official debut for Spurs during Saturday's Premier League opener against newly-promoted Burnley on home soil, entering the fray as an 80th-minute substitute for Lucas Bergvall to see out a comfortable 3-0 win. Richarlison opened the scoring for the Lilywhites just 10 minutes into the clash, meeting Kudus' whipped cross from the right in the centre of the box to volley the ball home past Martin Dubravka.

The Brazilian doubled his tally for the day 15 minutes into the second half in audacious fashion, connecting with another Kudus cross with an overhead kick before wheeling off in celebration. Brennan Johnson sealed the deal for the home side six minutes later, with Pape Matar Sarr assisting with a through ball.

Despite spirits running high within the Spurs camp, Frank will understand the task his side faces when they travel to the Etihad Stadium next week to face a rejuvenated Manchester City squad.

Daniel Levy sent brutal transfer message as Tottenham come under scrutiny

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Six Premier League clubs have spent more than Tottenham Hotspur in the summer transfer window so far.

Spurs have brought in four new signings, with Mathys Tel turning his loan move into a permanent deal following the end of last season, Kota Takai arrving for £5 million, Mohammed Kudus coming in for £55m and Joao Palhinha signing a season-long loan deal from Bayern Munich.

With the season getting under way on Saturday, with Spurs taking on Burnley at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, there is expected to be more incoming business done in N17.

Eberechi Eze and Savinho have both been linked with moves to north London, from Crystal Palace and Manchester City respectively, with football.london reporting earlier this week that "Tottenham will try to tie up a deal for both players in the days ahead to ensure a major double dose of quality for Frank's squad and a much-needed increase in transfer spending to the sums splashed out by their rivals."

Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal have all splashed out more than Tottenham so far this summer, as have newcomers Sunderland, which is perhaps more of a surprise.

However, if Tottenham are to snare both Eze and Savinho in the coming days, the spending could see them surpass every team above them bar Liverpool.

And that will marry up with what Aston Villa boss Unai Emery said in an interview before the start of the season.

Talking to TNT Sports, before the broadcaster's big opening match of the season between Villa and Newcastle, Emery namechecked Tottenham, perhaps randomly, when discussing Villa's finances.

The former Arsenal boss could have mentioned his former employers or even Chelsea, but chose to speak about Spurs and their spending power in what is a brutal message to chairman Daniel Levy to continue that spending for new head coach Thomas Frank.

Emery said: "I always accept that we have not got the power of the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham with the money they are spending, but we are very happy with how we are building with our capacity and achieving our objectives - three years being in Europe."

Why Thomas Frank shouted at Bergvall, Eberechi Eze and the powerful person sat next to Daniel Levy

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"Yes! A good bottle of wine!" Thomas Frank shouted back as a journalist asked the new Tottenham head coach as he was leaving the press conference room if he would be enjoying some red wine after a victory on his home debut.

The 51-year-old had earned that glass or two or three of his go-to drink after a good win. The 3-0 victory in his first Premier League game as the man in the home dugout at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium had shown enough to send the majority of the 61,077 crowd home happy.

All three Spurs goals were well executed, but none more so than the sensational scissors kick that Richarlison produced on the hour mark. It was so good that there were further roars and gasps as the fans watched the two replays on the big screens in the aftermath.

It wasn't the perfect performance but it was the perfect result and the perfect way to introduce Frank to his new home after he admitted the day before that he would have some butterflies in his stomach when stepping out into the huge ground.

This game was always going to provide more of an insight into what life would be like under the Dane than the match against PSG. People know that Frank's Brentford side could regularly shock the big boys, it was going to be more instructional to see how he operated as the dominant favourites in a game.

Bearing in mind he had to do so on Saturday without a playmaker and with many players feeling the effects of that huge effort in the heat on Wednesday evening, against a team that conceded just 16 goals in 46 Championships matches last season, the result was just what he needed and the pressing, energy and finishing was good from his team.

"Perfect start or dream start we all know we need to follow up on it. Today I will just enjoy it and I hope the players, the club and the fans enjoy it because that is important," Frank told football.london. "I think overall it was a good performance, not through the roof. A good performance against a difficult opponent. It’s never easy in the Premier League we know that and after the very short turnaround against PSG.

"No complaints. If there are two days, three days, four days, one day (between games) I will make sure I do everything I can to get the team ready. But just a reminder that PSG are playing tomorrow night and we play today.

"I think City a few years ago also played Saturday instead of Sunday. I don’t know who decides that but the ones who decide that maybe need to think a little bit about the players. But big positive is that our medical department and performance department did a top job to make sure the players were ready to go. I think we had eight starters again so that I am happy with."

Frank and his team did it all in front of the returning Daniel Levy. The chairman had missed the UEFA Super Cup game as he was helping his daughter settle into her new university in the USA along with the rest of the family.

He returned on the day there was a small protest opposite the club shop from a handful of supporters. It was protesting the lack of transfer activity but the timing on the first day of the Premier League season with people excited to see what Frank's debut would be like, plus the window still being open and speculation surrounding the club's transfer attempts, perhaps all lent itself to a low turnout compared to the big, eye-catching protest last season.

Back inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Levy had a very powerful person sat alongside him in the director's box.

It was Vivienne Lewis, who sits on the board of Tavistock Group, the investment organisation that has among its portfolio the English National Investment Company, which Tottenham fans will know better by its acronym ENIC.

Levy's son Josh Levy is a co-Chief Executive Officer of Tavistock. Vivienne Lewis is a senior managing director, as is her brother Charles. They are both the children of former Tottenham owner Joe Lewis.

Vivienne Lewis has attended numerous Tottenham matches over the years and is known to many as "Viv". Those who have spoken to her inside the stadium say she is down to earth and a fun presence.

It's worth noting that when it comes to who owns Spurs, ENIC own 86.91% of the club's shares. Levy and his family are potential beneficiaries of discretionary trusts which own 29.88% of that, while another discretionary trust of which certain members of Joe Lewis's family are potential beneficiaries ultimately owns the other 70.12%.

So it's interesting that his daughter Vivienne's presence at Saturday's game comes at a time when investment is expected this summer, with a number of people within Spurs tipping ENIC to provide a hefty injection of capital, with some suggestions it could be as much as £120million.

Spurs are trying to spend some money on Eberechi Eze. They currently remain in talks with Crystal Palace over the 27-year-old England international.

Levy and Palace co-owner and chairman Steve Parish are two men who do not give an inch when it comes to negotiations so any discussions were always going to be a drawn-out affair. It was never going to be Eze like Sunday morning.

The Eagles know Spurs are particularly desperate for a playmaker since James Maddison's ACL injury, while Tottenham know that the south London side cannot afford to miss out on the £60million-plus that the midfielder would bring into the club with just 22 months remaining on his contract.

They have seen Marc Guehi's value almost halve in the seven months since Spurs made an approach for the centre-back in January and now he is in the final 10 months of his contract and could potentially walk away in the summer for nothing if a deal is not done for him, with Liverpool interested.

Spare a thought for Palace boss Oliver Glasner. The Austrian is said to be seething at the possibility of losing all three of Michael Olise, Eze and Guehi within 12 months. The Eagles are reportedly lining up Leicester's Bilal El Khannouss as a replacement if Eze does depart to Tottenham.

Spurs also want to add Savinho to their ranks, a player Frank believes can light up their attack.

It's a mouth-watering prospect for the Dane and all Spurs fans to think of a trio of dribblers in the 21-year-old Brazilian, Eze and Mohammed Kudus behind a striker. All three can switch positions in an instant and their ability in one-vs-one situations would add the magic on top of the solid structure Frank is trying to build within the club.

Add to that a clinical goalscoring wide man like Brennan Johnson and prospects like Wilson Odobert, Mathys Tel, who got a great ovation when he warmed up and when he came on after his tough few days, and Mikey Moore, who grabbed an assist on his debut for Rangers, and you've got a great set of wide options for the season with Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison to come back eventually.

Guardiola is not desperate to lose Savinho, knowing the remarkable potential of the player, but his press conference on Friday hinted at the suggestion that the winger has indicated a desire to join Tottenham.

The City boss also remembered eventually that the Brazilian has an injury and will miss the next couple of weeks. Back just in time for the end of the window and Savinho responded by posting a photo of himself in the gym.

Frank would not speak about Eze when asked specifically about him but did say about further transfers: "We are definitely in the market. I said it before, Daniel and Johan [Lange] and Vinai [Venkatesham] are working relentlessly to try to do their best to improve the squad, but we only want to improve the squad if we can get players in that can improve the squad. [Otherwise] I want to keep it like it is."

In the meantime, Frank got some good performances out of the squad he currently has on Saturday.

Kudus put in a home debut shift that thrilled the fans with two pinpoint crosses for Richarlison, who had deftly moved away from his defender with great movement.

Kudus is going to bamboozle a lot of defenders this season. He can fade out of games for a spell but when he's running at the opposition, he's like a Tasmanian Devil, whirling and spinning away from them with that lower body strength.

The key to his success will be the end product, with two assists out of the gate a great start, and his defensive work to please Frank. One such tracking run back to help out Romero brought a big cheer from the crowd and applause from Frank.

Ahead of him Richarlison was superb, as he was against PSG. This is what the Brazilian can do when he's fully fit and happy. He's in a good place right now as a doting father to his two-month old son alongside his partner and he looks in the best shape he's been in for a long time.

His hold-up play once again was tidy and strong, always finding space. His first goal was an accomplished finish and it was only the brilliance of his second strike that made the opener look easy. His strength on the ball also helped bring about Tottenham's third goal for Brennan Johnson.

The Wales international showed with that first touch and deft finish that even on the left, where he hasn't really played regularly since doing so for Nottingham Forest in the Championship, he is a goal threat.

For Richarlison, he now needs to prove that this isn't just another temporary respite from the injuries.

"Fantastic he is scoring. The first one is definitely easier to score without being easy, but I have a striker that takes those two chances and helps us win the game," Frank told football.london.

"He deserves a lot of praise. He was very good against PSG and today he was exceptional, with his work-rate, driving the team, link-up play, hold-up play, just dominating and then the two finishes.

"So happy on his behalf and again performance department, medical department did a top job to build him. I think a few of you know he was not involved in the first friendly because we had to build him.

"That will be continuous and something we need to look at throughout the season. It is only the second game of the season, there is a long way to go but very positive with him. Second goal 17 passes in the team I have been told, every player touched the ball and finished with two top actions.

"First from Mohammed Kudus and then second an exceptional finish by Richarlison. I’m a little disappointed that so early we have goal of the season, but must be a contender."

Frank had also selected a young midfield trio with 19-year-olds Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall starting with 22-year-old Pape Matar Sarr.

Sarr just looks like he's going to continue to thrive under Frank, who has taken a huge shine to the Senegal international, as Ange Postecoglou did in his first summer.

Sarr has a bit of everything about him. He can defend, tackle and anticipate and he can also fly forward, thread a ball through and score goals. His engine is ridiculous and he covered 11.1km on the day, more than any other Spurs player.

Tottenham's third goal came because Sarr sensed the opportunity to surge on to the ball at Richarlison's feet and then hit a perfectly-weighted through ball into Johnson's run so the former Forest man didn't have to break his stride.

You might have missed, although it was hard to miss, Sarr slapping the hell out of Richarlison's head after the Brazilian scored. The duo are good friends and constantly play fighting.

Gray played well in the anchor-man role, getting better and better as the match wore on. The teenager was tidy in his play, confident on the ball and kept making great breaks forward that a playmaker midfielder would have found. Gray made five ball recoveries and two clearances during his 71 minutes on the pitch and he spent 75% of his time running for 6.6km of his 8.8km covered.

Bergvall played mostly in front of the other two midfielders as a number 10 but struggled to find space with Burnley's low block.

The Swede's better moments came when he came back into his own half and drifted past a string of players on a couple of occasions.

At the end of one such run he did not release the ball to Kudus down the right and instead turned inside and played a safe pass that did eventually end with the ball played into the box to Dominic Solanke to turn and shoot just wide.

Frank went mad though at Bergvall in the moment he didn't take the obvious pass to Kudus, bellowing at him with hand gestures from the dugout just 10ft or so away, and kept talking to him about it in the aftermath of the moment. When the teenager was taken off five minutes later, the Dane appeared to still be explaining it to him albeit in an arm-around-the-shoulder way.

It's those moments that such a young player will learn from, about making the right decisions at the right times.

Frank was pleased with Bergvall's display as well as his two team-mates.

"I’m very happy. Pape I have praised so much, so I will not say so much about him today. I will give the praise a little bit to others," the Spurs head coach told football.london. "Archie Gray did well. Fine first half, really grew into it in the second half and as a reminder to myself and everyone else young players take a little bit of time.

"It can’t be that we put them out there and suddenly they are exceptional. That demands incredible, incredible, incredible talents. Normal, very, very good talents, which I think Archie is and Bergvall is, demands some time, so happy with his performance. Lucas overall was very good as well. Top actions from both players."

When asked about Gray in the number six role, the Dane added: "We need to be aware of not putting players in different positions. I think he's a player that is a flexible player.

"He can definitely play the centre-back and the right-back, but I think he is more natural as a midfielder. But he can play all three positions. I like his dynamism, he’s covering a lot of ground, he’s good in duels. Good in the pressure and great to carry the ball forward as well."

One midfielder who was missing on Sunday despite Frank saying he would be in the squad was Yves Bissouma.

"Unfortunately he got injured in training yesterday, so very unfortunate," he said. "An injury we [will] look into how much it is."

That could mean we have seen the last of the Mali international in a Tottenham shirt if the club can find a new home for a player who has 10 months left on his contract and has frustrated all three of the managers he has worked for in N17 in as many years.

Tottenham need to get players out of the door at the same time as they bring them in. Manor Solomon is set to return to full training soon but Spurs already had plenty of wingers before looking to add another in Savinho. There would be no room for the Israel international, particularly in that troublesome Champions League squad.

Frank wants Luka Vuskovic to head out on loan to get the regular football he needs to develop but despite plenty of interest in the Croatian, particularly from Hamburg, the club might look to wait until they get another centre-back through the door or at least get Kota Takai back from injury.

Dane Scarlett has not yet moved and it could be that at this stage with a first team breakthrough looking unlikely Tottenham may look for a permanent move for a young striker with two years left on his contract, if a suitable loan deal is not available.

Bryan Gil has not even been given a number at the club in the new squad list as Spurs seek to arrange his exit.

All Tottenham fans' eyes though will be on any incoming movement. If Spurs can find a breakthrough in the talks with Palace over Eze then that transfer could suddenly move quickly with some reports suggesting the England man might not play at Chelsea on Sunday amid the discussions.

With Savinho, again it's about putting in a bid that makes City feel it is the right time to part company with the young Brazil international even though he arrived just a year ago. Spurs' reported first attempt was not at that level and if they want to get him in before the north Londoners make the trip to the Etihad Stadium next weekend then they will have to move fast.

Pep Guardiola will want a replacement, with reports of Rodrygo being the one, although the Spaniard has also made no secret of City's need to move on players.

For Tottenham, Eze's arrival would be a huge boost. To get Savinho as well would be the biggest show of ambition in a transfer window at Spurs in a long, long time, to be completely Frank.

Tottenham have perfect welcome gift for Eberechi Eze after Crystal Palace transfer development

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Tottenham fans could soon get their transfer wish with a deal for Eberechi Eze a real possibility. Amid the desperate need for the club to bring in some much-needed reinforcements for Thomas Frank, the potential arrival of the England international would be a real statement by the club in the transfer market.

Eze has been tipped for a move away from Crystal Palace this summer after excelling at Selhurst Park in recent seasons. Arsenal were heavily linked with the 27-year-old but Ethan Nwaneri's new contract at the Emirates Stadium meant that Eze was never a pressing priority for them in the transfer market.

The Gunners' decision not to launch a move for Eze certainly benefits Tottenham and it could now be in N17 where the ex-QPR man plays his football over the coming years. Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri reported on Saturday that the versatile player is expected to be left out of Crystal Palace's squad for Sunday's Premier League game at Chelsea with talks for his replacement already on.

The man to replace Eze at the Eagles could be Bilal el Khannouss of Leicester City. The Athletic's David Ornstein has claimed that Palace have approached the Championship club to explore a move for the youngster.

If he does sign on the dotted line, Eze could be a huge signing for Tottenham. One thing for sure is that he will prove a very popular name on the back of supporters' shirts.

So what Tottenham squad number could he be given? Eze will not be able to take on the No.10 shirt he currently wears for Palace as James Maddison is in possession of that number for Tottenham.

The Greenwich-born player did also wear No.25 for the Eagles in his first season at Selhurst Park after making the move from QPR. That number is also not available at Tottenham as new signing Kota Takai has taken it on for the new term.

Perhaps the perfect welcome gift for Eze at Tottenham would be the No.7 shirt. The number is currently free after Son Heung-min ended his ten years at the club earlier this month to join MLS side LAFC.

Given what the South Korean contributed to Tottenham in his decade in north London, all Spurs fans will want the number to go to the ideal player. Many will no doubt agree that Eze should be the recipient of shirt and the hope will be that he can go on and make a huge name for himself in N17 just as Son did.

If it isn't to be the No.7 shirt for Eze, the No.18 shirt may appeal to him after previously having it on England duty during the 2022/23 season.

Arsenal have already scouted world class winger amid Eberechi Eze to Tottenham update

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Tottenham Hotspur look to have taken the lead in the transfer race for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze this summer, amid interest from Arsenal.

A long-term injury to attacking midfielder James Maddison means that the club have turned to Eze as a potential replacement for the England man. It’s been reported that Spurs are now stepping up their interest in Eze , with the Palace star expected to be left out of the squad for their Premier League opener against Chelsea.

Eze was one of the targets for Arsenal this window, but the club are currently concentrating on outgoings . Spurs’ move means that once they are ready to potentially turn to some more incomings, Arsenal will have to move onto other targets.

One of the names who has been linked is AC Milan star Rafael Leao. Acquiring the Portugal international will be a challenge , with Milan said to have put an asking price of £86.2 million on his head.

Arsenal had a chance to watch Leao up close during pre-season when they took on Milan in Singapore. He played 79 minutes of the game, where he played as the main striker for Milan. He also wore the captain’s armband for the club .

Bukayo Saka ’s goal was the difference between the two sides over 90 minutes. Milan did however come out as 6-5 winners in the subsequent penalty shootout.

Leao has proven that he can be world class in both Serie A and the Champions League. In 44 games in all competitions last season, he scored 11 goals and provided the same number of assists from the left wing.

That’s exactly what Arsenal need when looking for reinforcements in the position. If they can bring a player who will add further to their goalscoring then it could take them closer to the Premier League title.

Rodrygo to Arsenal blockbuster transfer chance as Tottenham close in on Eberechi Eze deal

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Eberechi Eze seems set to sign for Tottenham Hotspur rather than Arsenal before this summer transfer window ends.

The player's involvement for Crystal Palace in their opening match of the Premier League season against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge appears to be in doubt. Spurs seem to have identified Eze as their top transfer target to replace the injured James Maddison this season.

Arsenal no longer have as pressing a need for another attacking midfielder after Ethan Nwaneri signed a new long-term contract with the club. Their current focus is on offloading players rather than making further additions to their squad.

One of those to go could be Leandro Trossard. Aston Villa are one Premier League club credited with an interest in him.

The Belgium international is in the final 12 months of his contract and has an improved offer from the club. That, though, is the only offer on the table despite links away.

Trossard would need replacing should any move materialise, as it would leave the team short out wide on the left. That is where Rodrygo could come in.

Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso hardly played the Brazil international during their Club World Cup campaign. He also featured only as a second-half substitute for Vinicius Junior in their only pre-season friendly last week.

Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham are all credited with an interest in the forward. The former are focusing on Alexander Isak, however, with the latter in for Eze and Manchester City winger Savinho.

Two Tottenham transfers will give Daniel Levy last laugh over Marinakis and Nottingham Forest

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Tottenham could be about to complete a double transfer masterstroke that likely wouldn't have been possible had they not missed out on the signing of Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White.

In the wake of reaching an agreement for Mohammed Kudus to join from West Ham United, attention swiftly turned onto Gibbs-White with a medical even being scheduled for his proposed arrival. However, Forest put a spanner in those plans as they were of the belief an illegal approach had been made.

After no real updates for a number of weeks, the transfer saga ended abruptly as Forest announced that the 25-year-old had agreed terms on a new contract with it described as "a statement of intent from our owner Evangelos Marinakis".

Alongside likely receiving a pay rise, the supposed release clause in his previous deal was surely either removed or increased significantly.

Just when it looked as though Tottenham were starting to flex their muscles by sanctioning two huge transfers in 48 hours, reality intervened. There was also seemingly no alternative to Gibbs-White as Spurs have not yet signed a similar player with Joao Palhinha the only recent arrival.

However, Tottenham are now being very active in the transfer window with Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze and Savinho of Manchester City being pursued in separate deals likely to cost a combined £140million.

Most would have preferred both attackers to be in ahead of their UEFA Super Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain and Premier League opener at home to Burnley, but as long as the duo are in Thomas Frank's squad on Tuesday, September 2, it is unlikely that will overly matter.

Talks for both are ongoing with Tottenham pushing hard for Eze in particular as Palace have now identified Bilal El Khannouss as a potential replacement with it possible the attacking midfielder misses the clash against Chelsea.

Savinho meanwhile, has been keeping busy away from the pitch with Pep Guardiola revealing he has an injury that will keep him out for the next few weeks.

The pair would add a new element to the Spurs attack but could actually find breaking into the team difficult following top displays from Richarlison, Pape Sarr and Kudus against Burnley on Saturday afternoon.

The injury to James Maddison was really unfortunate but it has at the very least allowed Tottenham to make a move for a very exciting attacking midfielder. Had Gibbs-White joined - though more of a No.8 - he could have covered in that role but him not arriving has allowed Eze to be pursued.

It is very possible Savinho would still have been targeted had Gibbs-White joined but the latter staying at the City Ground has seen funds remain available.

Tottenham are now in a position to sign the 21-year-old and Eze in a blockbuster transfer swoop and if all goes well, maybe Spurs will be thanking 'Mr Marinakis' for his 'statement of intent'.

Every word Thomas Frank said on Eberechi Eze and what disappointed him about Richarlison wonder goal

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Thomas Frank had plenty of positive things to say after Tottenham Hotspur opened their Premier League season with a 3-0 win against Burnley on Saturday afternoon.

Spurs opened the scoring just 10 minutes into the encounter at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when Mohammed Kudus worked his way down the right before picking out Richarlison in the box with a low cross and the Brazilian hooked home the ball into the bottom left corner.

After a quiet spell either side of the break from the home side, Richarlison doubled his tally with a wonderful scissors kick from Kudus' cross which drew gasps from the crowd each time it was replayed on the big screen.

Brennan Johnson then put the game beyond doubt and made it 3-0 to the north London side not long after. Richarlison held the ball up and Pape Matar Sarr took it on and played a pass through to the Wales international. Johnson took it into his stride and flicked a deft finish past Martin Dubravka.

Our Spurs correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those putting the questions to Frank after the game as he was asked about Richarlison, his young midfield and those links to Eberechi Eze. Scroll down for a full transcript from the press conference at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Was that the perfect way to start, three goals and a clean sheet?

Yeah probably. Perfect start or dream start we all know we need to follow up on it. Today I will just enjoy it and I hope the players, the club and the fans enjoy it because that is important.

I think overall it was a good performance, not through the roof. A good performance against a difficult opponent. It’s never easy in the Premier League we know that and after the very short turnaround against PSG.

No complaints. If there are two days, three days, four days, one day (between games) I will make sure I do everything I can to get the team ready. But just a reminder that PSG are playing tomorrow night and we play today. Anthony and I spoke about that, I think City a few years ago also played Saturday instead of Sunday. I don’t know who decides that but the ones who decide that maybe need to think a little bit about the players.

But big positive our medical department and performance department did a top job to make sure the players were ready to go. I think we had eight starters again so that I am happy with.

And Richarlison with two great finishes?

Fantastic he is scoring. The first one is definitely easier to score without being easy, but I have a striker that takes those two chances and helps us win the game. He deserves a lot of praise. He was very good against PSG and today he was exceptional, with his work-rate, driving the team, link-up play, hold-up play, just dominating and then the two finishes. So happy on his behalf and again performance department, medical department did a top job to build him. I think a few of you know he was not involved in the first friendly because we had to build him.

That will be continuous and something we need to look at throughout the season. It is only the second game of the season, there is a long way to go but very positive with him. Second goal 17 passes in the team I have been told, every player touched the ball and finished with two top actions. First from Mohammed Kudus and then second an exceptional finish by Richarlison. I’m a little disappointed that so early we have goal of the season, but must be a contender.

You picked a young midfield, you must be happy with them?

I’m very happy. Pape I have praised so much, so I will not say so much about him today. I will give the praise a little bit to others. Archie Gray did well, I think. Fine first half, really grew into it in the second half and as a reminder to myself and everyone else young players take a little bit of time. It can’t be we put them out there and suddenly they are exceptional. That demands incredible, incredible, incredible talents. Normal, very, very good talents, which I think Archie is and Bergvall is, that demands some time, so happy with his performance. Lucas overall was very good as well. Top actions from both players.

What did you say to Richarlison when he came off?

Just very well done, really liked his performance, his work-rate and yeah, we’re looking after him.

What skills does Archie Gray possess to play the number six role?

We need to be aware of not putting players in different positions. I think he’s a player that is a flexible player. He can definitely play the centre-back and the right-back, but I think he is more natural as a midfielder. But he can play all three positions. I like his dynamic, he’s covering a lot of ground, he’s good in duels. Good in the pressure and great to carry the ball forward as well.”

Why was Yves Bissouma not in the squad?

Unfortunately he got injured in training yesterday so very unfortunate. An injury we [will] look into how much it is.

With Richarlison, is it being a World Cup year an extra motivation?

Yeah but I think before the season started I had an expectation that he would be an important part. That hasn’t changed. Of course we’re all very happy, he should be very happy today.

But again, we shouldn’t get carried away. It’s one game today. Happy. Enjoy it, 24 hours and move on. Then we prepare for City.

Were you always clear that you wanted Richarlison to stay?

Yeah, I think I always liked Richarlison. I always thought he was good when he played for Everton and when he came to Tottenham we know he struggled with some injuries. He was unlucky also. So we're very aware that we need to build him and protect him, because we can't say we just did as he played two games back-to-back.

He did well in both and then we're out of the woods, that we need to prove over a little bit longer time, but the first signs are good.

Is it the dream scenario to have him and Dominic Solanke pushing each other?

The dream scenario is to have two good strikers. We need that. We're hopefully playing more than 60 games this season, that'll be great as we'd have done something right and for that you need double positions. You need that.

With Richarlison, are you suggesting that to manage him he will be dropping out of the team sometimes?

I think it's fair to say that he hasn't played every game in the last three or four seasons because of injuries, so I think we need to be smart with him. What is the right answer to that? I don't know. That can be getting out earlier, that can be coming from the bench.

There can be various ways, there can be playing five games in a row, you know. We need to get to know him as well. That's the next thing. I don't know him, know him.

There was a nice moment when Mathys Tel was warming up, and the fans gave him a big show of support, what was your reaction to that?

Yeah, extremely happy with how the fans reacted towards Mathys. As I said yesterday, I think the true Tottenham fans, they are behind him and they showed it today.

Are you expecting some transfer business this week?

We are definitely in the market. I said it before, Daniel and Johan and Vinai are working relentlessly to try to do their best to improve the squad, but we only want to improve the squad if we can't get players in that can improve squad. I want to keep it like is.

Is there anything you can say about Eberechi Eze, as there's been a lot of talk over the past 12 to 24 hours about a deal edging closer for him?

I have that nice principle that I would like to speak about the players that are in-house and all the other speculations I don't want to speak too much about that.

Tottenham boss on Richarlison, Eberechi Eze and home win

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Thomas Frank press conference LIVE - Tottenham boss on Richarlison, Eberechi Eze and home win - Football London
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I’m very happy. Pape I have praised so much, so I will not say so much about him today. I will give the praise a little bit to others. Archie Gray did well, I think. Fine first half, really grew into it in the second half and as a reminder to myself and everyone else young players take a little bit of time. It can’t be we put them out there and suddenly they are exceptional. That demands incredible, incredible, incredible talents. Normal, very, very good talents, which I think Archie is and Bergvall is, that demands some time, so happy with his performance. Lucas overall was very good as well. Top actions from both players.

Yeah probably. Perfect start or dream start we all know we need to follow up on it. Today I will just enjoy it and I hope the players, the club and the fans enjoy it because that is important.

I think overall it was a good performance, not through the roof. A good performance against a difficult opponent. It’s never easy in the Premier League we know that and after the very short turnaround against PSG.

No complaints. If there are two days, three days, four days, one day (between games) I will make sure I do everything I can to get the team ready. But just a reminder that PSG are playing tomorrow night and we play today. Anthony and I spoke about that, I think City a few years ago also played Saturday instead of Sunday. I don’t know who decides that but the ones who decide that maybe need to think a little bit about the players.

But big positive our medical department and performance department did a top job to make sure the players were ready to go. I think we had eight starters again so that I am happy with.

Fantastic he is scoring. The first one is definitely easier to score without being easy, but I have a striker that takes those two chances and helps us win the game. He deserves a lot of praise. He was very good against PSG and today he was exceptional, with his work-rate, driving the team, link-up play, hold-up play, just dominating and then the two finishes. So happy on his behalf and again performance department, medical department did a top job to build him. I think a few of you know he was not involved in the first friendly because we had to build him.

That will be continuous and something we need to look at throughout the season. It is only the second game of the season, there is a long way to go but very positive with him. Second goal 17 passes in the team I have been told, every player touched the ball and finished with two top actions. First from Mohammed Kudus and then second an exceptional finish by Richarlison. I’m a little disappointed that so early we have goal of the season, but must be a contender.

Richarlison magic, Kudus dangerous and Sarr superb

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Tottenham player ratings vs Burnley - Richarlison magic, Kudus dangerous and Sarr superb - Football London
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Thomas Frank made his home debut in the Tottenham Hotspur dugout with their Premier League opener against Burnley on Saturday afternoon and here are our Spurs player ratings after the 3-0 win.

The north London side were back in action against Scott Parker's promoted Clarets after their penalty shoot-out defeat to PSG in the UEFA Super Cup in Udine on Wednesday night. Frank made three changes from the side that drew 2-2 that night with Brennan Johnson, Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall coming in for Rodrigo Bentancur, Joao Palhinha and Kevin Danso.

Spurs opened the scoring just 10 minutes in when Mohammed Kudus did well down the right to pick out Richarlison in the box who hooked home his low cross into the bottom left corner.

The Brazilian doubled his tally with a brilliant scissors kick goal from Kudus' cross which drew gasps from the crowd when it was replayed on the big screen.

Brennan Johnson made it 3-0 to the hosts. There was more good work from Richarlison to hold the ball up and Pape Matar Sarr took it on and played a pass through to the Wales international. Johnson took it on and flicked a deft little touch past Martin Dubravka.

Here are our Spurs player ratings:

Guglielmo Vicario

Made a save from an awkward deflected Laurent shot in the first half. Didn't really have too much else to do other than make a tidy chest down from a high Van de Ven pass back. 6

Pedro Porro

A good all-round performance from the Spaniard down the right. 7

Cristian Romero

A couple of loose passes in the first half but the new skipper grew into the game and very little got past him. 7

Micky van de Ven

Made one great covering run in the first half. Always looked in control throughout and he's getting sharper and sharper. 8

Djed Spence

He's developing into an excellent left-back. Got up and down the flank well and showed some great touches, including one that set up a shot for him that was saved. 8

Archie Gray

A really solid start for the 19-year-old, tidy in everything he did in the number six role at the back of the midfield. Got a big hug from Frank when he came off and a slap on the chest. 7

Pape Matar Sarr

Really feels like he's going to thrive under Frank. A busy, clever performance, made a vital tackle in his own box before the hour mark to stop Burnley grabbing a leveller. Then grabbed an assist with the through ball to Johnson. 8

Mohammed Kudus

Picked out Richarlison for an early assist on his home debut with a low cross and then did so again with the ball for his second. Another strong display from the Ghana international with some good defensive work as well. 8

Lucas Bergvall

Had a chance within 25 seconds with a nice touch and sliding shot that Dubravka saved. Had some nice moments with touches and turns and dribbles and a couple of moments when he held the ball for too long, but overall a bright performance. 7

Brennan Johnson

A difficult time on the left with a lack of service and it's not a role that suits him naturally. Yet he still showed the movement required to run on to Sarr's pass and hit a deft touch past Dubravka to open his account for the season. 7

Richarlison

Hooked home a good finish just 10 minutes in to open his account for the season. Worked really hard with his pressing and had another effort saved early in the second half. Then came the moment that he'll be rightly posting across his Instagram for the week ahead as he executed a perfect scissors kick to score his second. 9

Subs

Rodrigo Bentancur

Made a good interception soon after coming on. Just looks a level above again these days. 7

Dominic Solanke

Sent a shot just wide after a good turn in the Burnley box. Needs the minutes to get sharper. 6

Joao Palhinha

Came on to shore things up in the final 15 minutes. 6

Wilson Odobert

Didn't really have any joy down the left before switching to the right. 5

Mathys Tel