Football London

In the space of five days, Tottenham have loaned out five of their top academy talents to teams across the Football League and Scotland which poses a number of questions with 12 players at the least expected to head out of the door.

football.londonreported earlier this week that after Thomas Frank had assessed his squad in recent weeks, including on the summer tour to Hong Kong and South Korea, he had given the green light to a group of young players being made available for loan in the shape of Luka Vuskovic, Jamie Donley, Will Lankshear, George Abbott, Yang Min-hyeok, Tyrese Hall, Alfie Devine and Dane Scarlett, to get them regular minutes to hasten their development.

Donley and Abbott completed their moves to Stoke City and Wycombe Wanderers respectively on Wednesday, Lankshear made the switch to Oxford United on Tuesday and development squad player Hall went to Notts County the day before. All four clubs have a good relationship with Spurs and took players from the north London outfit last season.

That quartet of moves follow on from the loan of Mikey Moore, long considered the most exciting talent in the academy at that age group, to Rangers, while Ashley Phillips went to Stoke earlier in the summer and fellow centre-back Alfie Dorrington also returned to his loan club from last season with the move back to Aberdeen. Damola Ajayi also went out to Doncaster Rovers early in the summer. On top of that was the £1million permanent deal for goalkeeper Josh Keeley to leave for Luton Town with Spurs inserting a sell-on clause.

All of that means that 13 talented young players from Tottenham will be playing their football elsewhere this season. The Premier League club send out plenty of youngsters each season on loan but it feels this time like there's been a huge push to get many out in one go.

In some cases players just simply are not seen as being able to reach the level required to play for Spurs, in others it's about getting the youngsters regular minutes for development to ensure they do have a chance at Tottenham going forward while for some the club's transfer plans simply block their immediate chances.

That looks to be the case with Vuskovic. football.londonreported his week that as well as a new number 10, Frank wants another senior central defender ready for Champions League football as first choice centre-backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven played just 26 and 22 games last season in a 60-match campaign while Radu Dragusin is still on his way back from his cruciate ligament injury.

With Kevin Danso and Ben Davies used ahead of Vuskovic mostly on the tour and summer arrival Kota Takai available once he has recovered from planta fascia, although his position will also be assessed late in the window, Spurs want Vuskovic to get regular minutes to ensure he continues to learn his trade defensively before throwing him into Premier League and Champions League football. Interested clubs looking for an option to sign the teenage Croatian permanently have been told in no uncertain terms that it needs to simply be a straight loan.

It's not a good look though for Tottenham to be palming off so many of their young players, either in terms of not creating space for talent to come through into their bloated squad or if there is a feeling that the academy is not producing the level of player that can compete in the Premier League.

Back in 2020, Jose Mourinho complained that Spurs did not have the required level of academy players to dip in to and use in the over-18 age group and instead the brightest talents were 16-year-olds like Dane Scarlett and Alfie Devine. There is a certain irony that half a decade on and those two players are yet to break through properly into the first team and are set to head out on loan yet again with only two years left on their contracts, meaning a big decision lies ahead.

football.london understands Devine in particular has a lot of interest from clubs both in the Championship as well as the Eredivisie in the Netherlands.

There is also Tottenham's club-trained issue in the Champions League which means so many youth departures could leave them short for their return to that competition. In essence, Spurs' inability to develop senior academy products for their squad over recent years, with third choice goalkeeper Brandon Austin the only one, means that Frank will have to rely on the 21 non-club trained players he can register in their squad. Three spots that would have been used on academy-built talent will lie empty.

Players like Donley, Lankshear, Scarlett and Devine would not have needed to be registered and could have been used from a B list of academy players but Frank will not have that option as they head out on loan.

Lankshear told football.london of his immediate future out in Hong Kong said: "Who knows? Let’s see what this season brings. I sort of do as I’m told but I feel ready. I feel really fit and strong. I’ve scored in pre-season. Whatever I’m told I am ready to do."

Frank will have to leave senior players out of that Champions League squad as they will not all fit in, particularly with a new advanced playmaker and central defender eyed up to come through the door.

Frank's opinions on young players are certainly to be trusted though. He has a history of coaching such players, including his time spent managing the Danish FA's international youth sides and he knows when youngsters are ready or not, having helped develop, among others, former Spurs stars Christian Eriksen and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg as well as Christian Norgaard, now at Arsenal.

However, the exodus of young Spurs players in that 18-21 age group does leave questions over exactly how many players Stuart Lewis will have to work with in his newly-created role of first team academy transition coach.

Tottenham's technical director Johan Lange said last month: "We want players of all ages to have that development mindset, strengthening even more the bond between the first team and academy is something we've worked on for a number years, and with this hire of Stuart coming in this new role, we believe it'll be even stronger in the years to come, because we have some very exciting young players that will come through and push in the upcoming years, and they need that special attention to bridge that big gap that is to go from academy football to the Premier League."

There are of course other talented young players who will remain at the club and Frank will take a look at them in the weeks and months ahead.

Spurs are back in the UEFA Youth League, which mirrors the Champions League fixtures in the group stages. Eighteen-year-old midfield starlet Callum Olusesi, is at this moment expected to be staying to be a leading figure for the north London club in that competition against Europe's best young prospects, which begins next month and is for players born on or after January 1, 2007.

All eyes at Tottenham are also on 16-year-old wonderkid Luca Williams-Barnett, who lit up the U18s level last season and has been playing regularly for Wayne Burnett's U21s so far this summer. Another 16-year-old in centre-back Jun'ai Byfield was taken on the tour by Frank after impressing in training with the first team and coming off the bench in the senior friendly at Luton along with Olusesi, Rio Kyerematen, James Rowsell and Reiss-Alexander Russell-Denny.

Tottenham supporters desperately want new faces during this transfer window but such is the paradox of football fandom they also want to see young players getting their chance, even though one desire often blocks the other. It seems to be the case though that this summer both are areas of concern.

Radu Dragusin has admitted that he has "enjoyed" his journey in working his way back to full fitness from a serious injury and said it has "changed me in a good way". The Romanian international sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his right knee during Spurs' Europa League victory over Elfsborg in late January.

Dragusin has not featured for the club since and he unfortunately had to watch on from the stands for the team's Europa League final win over Manchester United. The player continues to put in the hard work behind the scenes to get back to full fitness and he knows the importance of having a positive mindset when it comes to making a comeback from such a cruel setback.

"During my injury, I was on crutches, my knee was really stiff because of the surgery, obviously," he said in an interview with SPURSPLAY. "It was a long process until I got my full, normal walking, let's say, and after that, things really was a positive journey. I can say I enjoyed this journey, because if you don't, it's really hard to get back to the levels you were.

"So, yeah, it was a big change for me. It was a change that I had to learn to live with it, to train with it. I think it changed me in a good way, because it gave me another perspective that I can view everything in football. We have to have a positive mindset, you have to embrace this injury, even though it's the worst part of the game, you need to learn and find a way that can make you happy and enjoy the process. And I think I found that way.

"All the staff, all the players here have been really helpful to not get distance from them. I feel like they really helped me. Like you say, also the fans have been incredible online and everyone who meeting me on the street are telling me 'we can't wait for you to come back' and that really helped."

Dragusin may not have been part of Thomas Frank's Tottenham squad for the pre-season tour of Asia but he has been fully involved at Hotspur Way in team meetings as they plan for the new campaign.

"I'm part of the meetings. I've been to all the meetings with the squad, for the tactical meetings and for everything that he and the staff tries to build with us," he admitted. "And I think that was really important, also for me to understand the way he wants to play, the principles, the tactics that he wants to implement.

"I can't wait to be back. I've been working hard on and off the pitch with the medical and the fitness staff. Once I'm fully fit, I can't wait to be back with the boys and then be back for the matches also."

We are just over a fortnight away from Tottenham getting their 2025/26 Premier League campaign up and running with a home encounter against Burnley. Thomas Frank will be looking to get off to the best possible start as Spurs boss after departing Brentford in June to replace Ange Postecoglou at the helm.

Tottenham have made some moves in the transfer market for the Dane so far this summer but plenty more still needs to be done ahead of the big kick-off in the Premier League. football.london understands that a new No.10 and senior centre-back are on the club's shopping list as they look to provide Frank with the best possible squad to attack the new season.

It won't just be incomings on the agenda as permanent moves and loan exits look set to come to fruition before the transfer window closes for business. With a lot still needing to be done to Tottenham's squad, we have taken a look at what Spurs' squad could look like for the new term, who could exit and the alternative options in certain positions.

Goalkeeper: Guglielmo Vicario, Antonin Kinsky, Brandon Austin, Luca Gunter

There has been quite a bit of movement in the goalkeeping department this summer with Fraser Forster, Alfie Whiteman and Josh Keeley all departing for good. Tottenham are still well stocked there despite the three exits as Luca Gunter can act as fourth choice unless he is to depart on loan.

Right-back: Pedro Porro, Djed Spence

Pedro Porro is Tottenham's first-choice right-back but he has Djed Spence pushing him for his role in the team when the former England Under-21 international is not utilised at left-back. Archie Gray demonstrated last season and the previous campaign at Leeds that he can play as a right-back.

Centre-back: Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso, Radu Dragusin, Kota Takai, New centre-back

Tottenham have centre-back options galore right now but we could see some comings and goings in the position over the next few weeks. Frank wants to bring in another centre-back with a good level of experience after Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven missed a chunk of football through injury over the past few seasons.

There is also Radu Dragusin currently working his way back to fitness from the cruciate ligament injury he sustained at the end of January. football.london reported this week that Luka Vuskovic was among a group of young players made available for loan.

Kota Takai, who is currently suffering with plantar fascia, is part of the first-team squad but his situation will be assessed later in the window. Ben Davies and Gray can also play at centre-back if needed.

Left-back: Destiny Udogie, Ben Davies

Destiny Udogie is currently out injured but Frank told football.london on the club's tour of Asia that he is currently not looking for another full-back. Spence will be the player leading the race to start there in Udogie's absence, with Davies someone who can be selected there as well.

Central midfield: Joao Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur, Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray, Pape Matar Sarr, Yves Bissouma

Tottenham have bolstered their midfield options with Joao Palhinha joining on a season-long loan deal from Bayern Munich. The Portugal international could be the man to finally help Tottenham solve the troublesome No.6 issue that has proved problematic in recent seasons.

Yves Bissouma could potentially move on in what remains of the window due to the fact he is in the final year of his contract, with George Abbott one of the youngsters set to leave so he can get even more first-team experience under his belt.

Right-wing: Mohammed Kudus, Brennan Johnson

Mohammed Kudus will be in the driving seat for the right-wing position after completing a big-money move from West Ham this summer. The Ghana international has really impressed in pre-season so far and he could prove to be an excellent signing.

Europa League final goalscorer Brennan Johnson will be fighting it out with Kudus for a place in the Tottenham team. Wilson Odobert and Dejan Kulusevski are further options for Frank on the right but Yang Min-hyeok looks set to depart on loan again.

Attacking midfield: James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, New No.10

Tottenham were already rather light in the No.10 position before James Maddison picked up another knee injury in Sunday's pre-season friendly against Newcastle United. Tottenham do want to bring in a new No.10 this summer and it very much has to be a priority for the club as they look to start the new season in top form.

It is not clear yet when Kulusevski will be back in action as he himself suffered a knee injury in May that ruled him out of the Europa League final. Even though Tottenham are short on numbers there right now, Jamie Donley will be playing his football for Stoke City on loan next season and Alfie Devine is another player on course to exit on a temporary basis.

Left-wing: Mathys Tel, Wilson Odobert, Manor Solomon

Frank will be hoping to find his long-term successor to Son Heung-min in the weeks ahead as the Spurs captain closes in on his move to LAFC. He appears to have taken quite a shine to Odobert and Mathys Tel is another player who can start there for Tottenham after showing glimpses of his quality last season.

Manor Solomon, providing he still remains a Tottenham player after the closure of the transfer window, could be another choice for Frank on the left flank. Kudus, Johnson and Richarlison are also capable of playing there and so is Bryan Gil, although Tottenham do need to move the Spaniard on due to his contract status.

Striker: Dominic Solanke, Richarlison

Dominic Solanke and Richarlison will be Frank's two options upfront when it comes to leading the line for Tottenham. The hope will be that Richarlison can steer clear of injury after three injury-hit seasons in N17 since moving from Everton in 2022.

Tottenham's long-standing issue at the base of their midfield could now be a thing of the past. Dearly lacking a player to sit in front of the backline, provide a protective shield and win the ball, Thomas Frank's team may have solved the problem with a very shrewd move in the transfer market.

Sunday evening saw the club confirm the signing of Joao Palhinha on a season-long loan deal from Bayern Munich. Tottenham also have the option in their agreement with the German club to sign him on a permanent basis next summer if they so wish.

The loan deal for Palhinha is a move away from Tottenham's usual transfer strategy considering his age, but it could prove to be an outstanding piece of business if he can replicate the form he displayed in his two years with Fulham. The holding midfielder earned rave reviews at Craven Cottage with his performances in the middle of the park and it's not hard to see why when you take a look at his numbers (via PremierLeague.com).

In his first season in west London, Palhinha made a total of 148 tackles, 48 more than any other player in the top flight, and he competed in the second-most duels (487), winning 59.1% of them. He also won 64.3% of his 112 aerial duels.

In the 2023/24 campaign, Palhinha made 152 tackles and that saw him top the charts once again in England's top flight. Across those two seasons combined, Palhinha made 300 tackles and the player closest to him on the list was Moises Caicedo on 191.

Speaking in his first interview as a Tottenham player, the ex-Sporting CP man outlined what he will bring to the team and his love for a tackle. "I think my type of game, it belongs to the Premier League," outlined Palhinha to Tottenham's official website.

"I've always said that I really enjoyed the two seasons that I had at Fulham, it was a dream come true and probably one of the best memories I have in my football career belonged to the Premier League. I really enjoyed playing against top teams, also against Tottenham in that moment and now I can be part of this, such a great club.

"I'm a player with a lot of hunger to win tackles, as you know. It's one of my main focuses in the game, to try to help my team-mates without the ball to recover as soon as possible and of course when we have the ball, try to play simple, to try to give the team the best options. If I need to choose a word to describe me, it’s going to be a 'hungry' player for sure."

He added: "The crowd motivates me as well. I think the moment, in my case, when I make a tackle and I feel the crowd pushing me, I don't have words for this because it's what gives me a lot of power and it’s really special here in the Premier League from the crowds. I just want to experience in our stadium the people pushing me and my team-mates in each tackle we make."

The addition of a top quality No.6 in Palhinha could potentially make all the difference to the Tottenham team and elevate them to the very next level. Yves Bissouma has not proved to be the answer there and Rodrigo Bentancur is better when he has a license to move upfield as was the case in Antonio Conte's team when Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg would be the player sat deepest.

Johnny Cardoso appeared that he may be the long-term solution to the issue due to the agreement Tottenham struck with Real Betis 12 months ago in the deal that involved Giovani Lo Celso returning to his former club. However, Cardoso instead headed for Atletico Madrid this summer after excelling for Betis as a No.6.

Palhinha's ability to take on the role and immediately solve it for Tottenham could be there for all to see on Thursday evening if he is to make his Spurs bow against parent club Bayern Munich in the friendly between the sides at the Allianz Arena. If not, it may be in Wednesday's UEFA Super Cup final if he is handed a starting spot in the team's showdown against Paris Saint-Germain in Udine, Italy.

Palhinha looks to be a terrific piece of business by the football club and it could well prove to be a gamechanger if he can replicate what he did at Fulham in a Spurs shirt.

Tottenham have reportedly launched a bid to sign Real Madrid star Rodrygo with Son Heung-min set to leave the club this summer. The Loc Blancos star has repeatedly been linked with a move away from the Santiago Bernabéu, with Arsenal also among the clubs said to be monitoring his status.

The Brazil international, who looks set to leave the Spanish capital, has been linked with a number of clubs in the Premier League. Rodrygo has fallen down the pecking order under new manager Xabi Alonso.

Arsenal and Liverpool had emerged as interested parties, but they now appear to be focusing on completing other deals - leaving Tottenham free to make a potential swoop.

According to Spanish newspaper Marca, Los Blancos have received enquiries from several clubs seeking information about his price tag. Agents close to Spurs are said to have already submitted an initial proposal to Real and are now 'awaiting a response'

With Son set to join MLS side Los Angeles FC after Spurs’ pre-season clash in South Korea, Thomas Frank will be eager to find a replacement. However, their reported interest in Rodrygo is complicated by competition from Chelsea, despite the Blues already signing Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens and reported interest in Xavi Simons.

The report adds that their strategy is to continue offloading players while making signings without restraint.

Marc Guiu and Nicolas Jackson are expected to depart, and Rodrygo is reputedly seen as a reinforcement who could elevate the team further following the momentum gained from their Club World Cup win over PSG.

As for Arsenal, their focus has shifted to Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze. football.london understands that Eze remains a key target before the transfer window closes, with discussions already held with the player’s camp. The Palace talisman is said to be keen on the move, and personal terms are not believed to be an issue

Currently, Spurs have Mathys Tel and Mohammed Kudus available in that position. Frank was recently asked about the dilemma he faces in that position, and his response offered insight into how he plans to utilise certain players.

"I think first and foremost, I think it’s important that we have some depth in the squad," he said in a press conference last week. "Richarlison, I see him more as a striker that can also play to the side.

"Mathys Tel is a winger but can also play as a striker. We need different skillsets. "Some of them have ball carrying skills, some of them are very good at pressing players, so that's it."

Thomas Frank has the small matter of trying to find his perfect Son Heung-min replacement in his new-look Tottenham team. The South Korean bid farewell to his Spurs teammates on Sunday after their pre-season friendly against Newcastle United ahead of his upcoming transfer to MLS side LAFC.

Son has been a major player for the Lilywhites since joining from Bayer Leverkusen 10 years ago and Tottenham have quite the task on their hands trying to find an alternative. It would appear that a new left-winger is not something they will be targeting in the transfer market, however.

football.london understands that the club are looking for a No.10 and a new senior centre-back in the transfer window to bolster Frank's squad. So who are the options on the left available to the Dane in his squad at present? football.london takes a look below.

Wilson Odobert

football.london reported on Tuesday that Frank has taken a big shine to Wilson Odobert in their short time together so far. The Frenchman started on the left in last week's 1-0 win over Arsenal and he caused Ben White some problems with his running down the wing.

Odobert showed glimpses of his quality last season but his debut campaign at Tottenham was plagued by injury. The youngster will be hoping to make a real impact this term and his place in Frank's starting XI could become clear very soon with the UEFA Super Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain eight days away.

Mathys Tel

Mathys Tel certainly gives Frank options due to his ability to play from the left flank and also as a striker. Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the Arsenal game, Frank admitted that Tel "is a winger but can also play as a striker".

That is a big indication that Tel will be mainly used from the left once Frank has all his striker options available to him.

Richarlison

Whereas Frank sees Tel as a winger who can play as a striker, it is the other way around when it comes to Richarlison. Speaking at his pre-match press conference last week about his options out wide, Frank stated: "Richarlison, I see him more as a striker that can also play to the side."

Richarlison may well play second fiddle to Dominic Solanke this season but he is a very good option to bring off the bench when required. He also displayed in the Europa League final that he can have a huge impact from out wide, although we may not see too much of him there if Frank's comments are anything to go by.

Brennan Johnson

Brennan Johnson predominantly plays from the right but Mohammed Kudus' move to the club could possibly see him shift over to the other side. The 24-year-old has experience of operating from the left and he may add to that this season if he's not going to be used in his strongest position.

Mohammed Kudus

Kudus has made a real impression in his first few games for Tottenham since making the move from West Ham. He has been a major threat from the right and the hope will be that is the case when it comes to the new Premier League season.

Kudus can play from the left if required but it makes sense to keep him on the opposite side of the pitch given the impact he makes from there.

Manor Solomon

It is not clear yet what the future holds for Manor Solomon at Tottenham after a standout season on loan at Leeds United. The winger was not part of the squad for the summer tour of Asia due to injury and he will want to return ASAP to make his case to the new head coach.

All will become clear in the weeks ahead.

Yang Min-hyeok

Yang Min-hyeok is on course to head out on loan again to help his development after time on loan at QPR in the second half of last season. The South Korean can play as a left-winger but he may have to bide his time for that to be the case at Tottenham with another temporary switch in the offing.

Bryan Gil

It has just not worked out for Bryan Gil at Tottenham and you would imagine a permanent exit comes to fruition this summer. The Spaniard is currently working his way back to fitness from injury and was not part of the squad for the tour of Asia.

Brennan Johnson has settled one debate about that night in Bilbao once and for all and has admitted he wants to improve one area in his game in particular.

The 24-year-old was Tottenham's top scorer last season with 18 goals, including five in the Europa League and the most famous of them all came in the final at the Estadio de San Mamés in May.

Ask any Spurs fan and they can play it over and over in their mind whenever they close their eyes. Richarlison picks out Rodrigo Bentancur's run down the left-hand side of the Manchester United penalty area and the Uruguayan plays it back to Pape Matar Sarr.

The Senegal international takes one touch and swings the ball into the six-yard where Johnson has made a great run. The ball hits him and bounces against Luke Shaw's arm and back towards the net. The Spurs man reacts quicker than anyone else and the ball spins inside the post and over the line.

Only did the Wales international actually get the last touch? 99 of the seemingly 100 angles shown of the goal make it look like he didn't quite get to it, but there is one angle that appears to show the ball spin in a different direction as if one of the studs on Johnson's boot brushes it.

When interviewed on the pitch after the game by the club, Johnson was vague or modest when speaking about that winning goal, saying simply that it didn't matter how it went in or who scored it.

Tottenham fans will sing 'Johnson again' regardless and in doing so will think of that night and that moment, but football.london just needed to know for our own peace of mind.

So Brennan, did you actually touch the ball before it crept inside Andre Onana's left-hand post? Be honest now.

"Yeah!" he said with certainty and a laugh. So that's it settled. Case closed. It was indeed Johnson again, ole ole ole.

Even the player has to pinch himself sometimes when he thinks about that night in northern Spain when Spurs ended 17 years of hurt.

"Still if I see a video back or pictures of it, it doesn’t feel real because it was such a surreal moment at the time. It’s definitely weird to look back at it but it’s an amazing memory," said Johnson.

Then came the parade through the streets of N17 two days later with Johnson the star attraction, enjoying himself on his birthday a lot, let's say.

One particularly hilarious moment came as the team were heading off after lifting the trophy on stage in front of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Johnson grabbed the cup and kept coming back out, whipping up the crowd and swerving away from the poor security guard tasked with bringing the matchwinner back inside and ensuring the trophy wasn't damaged in the process.

Imagine your mate after a night out being particularly merry outside the local kebab shop grabbing a traffic cone and running around with it, only this was a Premier League footballer having the time of his life in front of 220,000 people and holding a priceless European trophy.

Johnson's slapstick routine went on for a good five minutes, the crowd loving it and Spurs staff looking more and more terrified the longer it went on. In the end two security guys had to haul him away as he waved back at the crowd, milking the roars of appreciation.

So what does he actually remember from a birthday that he understandably celebrated like no other? Again comes that laugh.

"I remember a lot. For me it opened my eyes to how big the club is," he said. "Obviously we know about Tottenham and you experience it from the stadium, how it is sold out every week.

"When you do these parades and you keep going further away, but no one is going anywhere. You get more and more people. It really opens your eyes to how big the fanbase is. Just enjoying it with the team, everyone being there. The energy was so high. It was a really special day. It was my birthday as well."

Johnson is in a bubbly mood and understandably so because he's in a good place now. His strength of character dragged his Tottenham season out of the depths of social media abuse that became so horrendous he limited comments and then eventually took down his Instagram account for a while.

He didn't let it beat him though. It became his fuel and propelled him on a long run of goals in consecutive games for club and country. He would end the season as the club's top scorer and cap it all off with that goal in Bilbao when he wrote his name in the history books.

"That season was like a rollercoaster to be honest. So many different emotions. It taught me so much about football," explained Johnson. "Not just on the pitch but off it. How you spend your spare time and who you spend it with. How you get on with your team, speaking to people. It takes a while to find a balance.

"I wouldn’t have last season any different than it was. I learnt a lot. I improved a lot. Won as a team, lost a lot of games as well. In terms of things that you get in football, I don’t think this season will be like last season. Ups and down, how much I learned. Really important season for my development."

He added: "Now I’m much more relaxed about how I see things. I know what I want to do and how I want to be as an individual. In terms of dealing with other things outside of football, I know who I like to spend my time with and the people around me. I just work hard and if it happens, it happens."

The Ange Postecoglou system suited Johnson like a glove and he kept profiting over and over again from his runs to the back post or the six-yard box that the Australian got his coaches to drill into him.

Now though Johnson has a new head coach in Thomas Frank so it's time to prove himself once again.

"It was a different tactic from most teams but it definitely suited me. He was the manager who brought me in and he was very much key to me scoring a lot of goals," said Johnson. "Now it’s different. It’s a new look at how we are going to play and it’s one I’m also very excited about.

"I can also be very important to the team. Of course I have good memories of the last two seasons but I'm really excited to get going now and for the season to start."

What will also help the attacker is that Frank tried to sign him from Nottingham Forest in the summer he ended up at Tottenham, so the Dane clearly rates him and knows exactly how he wants to use him.

"It’s nice to finally work with him. He was always someone who impressed me even though I never played under him," said the Wales international. "Even though we played for different teams, I think a lot of people could respect how Brentford played and how hard they were to beat. The quality they had in attacking areas.

"They had great players. A lot of that was down to him because when he took over they were a lot worse off. He took them to become an established Premier League team. It shows what kind of development he can do and we are all very excited."

One aspect of Johnson's game that has come in for criticism is the struggle he can have with beating his man down the wing. He has pace to burn and great technique but often will not open his legs and really fly at the defender.

When asked what he wants to improve, he admits that it is a side of the game he must improve on.

"I’m all about my final product. There are a lot of things I want to do. On the ball I want to be better in 1v1 dribbling situations, that is something I look back at least season and I was always trying to improve on and I think I did towards the end of the last season," he said.

"Directness. More of a forward-thinking mentality from me and of course scoring goals. I scored a lot off one touch. I’m trying to improve my left foot, (shooting) off the dribble. I always look back at how I did last season and there are a lot of positives to take forward. Now it’s about trying to get an overall better game and I’m working on it."

On Sunday in Seoul on the pre-season tour, Johnson showed his value in the Frank era with a confident low strike from the edge of the Newcastle box. As well as working with the new head coach, one of the Dane's highly-rated coaches has returned to Spurs.

Justin Cochrane was an academy coach at Tottenham for years before leaving for a job in the England youth system. He would later work in Manchester United's academy and then make the move into senior football by linking up with Frank at Brentford.

The 43-year-old is now also part of Thomas Tuchel's England set-up and when the chance came to come back to Spurs, he leapt at it.

Cochrane works with the attacking players and Johnson is relishing his training sessions and lessons.

"It’s been really good. Justin is a great coach. His drills that he does are super realistic to games. He is really good at working on finishes that people do. It feels like it is almost instinct," he explained.

"He practices getting the contact right. A lot of finishing, dribbling, movement which I think is really important. We have such good attacking options and it’s nice to learn off the people you are with and see how they like to score and taking bits from everyone. Justin has been really good so far."

Among those attacking options, Johnson has new competition this season in the shape of Mohammed Kudus, who made the £55million move from West Ham.

The Ghana international is a very different player to the Wales international. Kudus is all about beating his man in one-vs-ones but needs to improve his end product. If Frank and Cochrane can help both players improve their different weaknesses then they could become a lethal dual threat, either used in combination or as a one-two punch.

"Great player. I’ve been really impressed with him since he came in," said Johnson. "Really nice guy as well. Last season there were quite a few games where I don’t think we even had 11 first-team players.

"Getting as much quality as we can is important and it is what we need because we are in the Champions League and want to go far in all competitions. It wasn’t just a one-off thing. We want to be in the Champions League every year. We need the quality and depth in the squad. We are getting there. Hopefully we can stay fit this season and it gives us the best chance to compete in all competitions."

Kudus was meant to be part of a double signing last month along with Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White only for that £60million transfer to collapse with the England midfielder signing a new contract at the Midlands club despite wanting to leave for Spurs.

So did Johnson speak to his former team-mate and friend throughout the transfer saga that lasted a couple of weeks?

"I haven’t because I knew his phone would be all over the place. I didn’t want to put more pressure on to him or anything," he said. "Morgan is a great guy. We got on really well and I wish him all the best."

There is about to be one big transfer out of Tottenham and that is the club captain Son Heung-min, who will join Major League Soccer outfit LAFC after 10 years in north London.

Johnson is a good friend of the skipper and when he scored that goal against Newcastle in Seoul, knowing it was Son's final game, he used the South Korean's trademark goal celebration.

It's not the first time Johnson has used something of the 33-year-old's. In the final game of last season against Brighton, he was spotted wearing a pair of Son's boots which bore the Spurs legend's name on the side, only he had scribbled 'John' above the 'Son' to make them his own. The Wales international explained how that all came about.

"I remember when he first showed me the picture that he was getting his own shoe and this was last year, a long time before they came out and I said to him ‘can I have some? He said that he would sort me out," he remembered.

"Then they came out in April or May. I went into training one day and the boots were there. Me and him. I love Sonny. He is a great guy, great personality. I really liked the shoes. They were cool, he is my friend. So I just wore them.

"I knew that he created them. It was his design. It was white red and blue. It matched the kit really well. I said I would wear them one time and then I did in the last game."

On writing his name on them, he added: "It was his idea. I said about doing it and he said you should try it. I probably won't wear them again. If he gets a new boot in the future I will."

Now Son is on his way to the USA, his legacy is there for all to see at Tottenham, having won a Premier League Golden Boot, a Puskas Award and led the team to that Europa League trophy as captain. For Johnson, he represented the opportunity to not only make a new friend but also learn so much.

"I learned loads of things. How he is as a person. How professional he is. Also so much on the pitch. He is a great player so it is impossible to learn everything he does. He does it at such a high level," he said.

"His career speaks for itself. How amazing a player he is. Just little things that I can do. He speaks to me a lot. He likes to tell me bits of advice on how I can become better and little things to help me.

"I’m a right-footed player who played on the right a lot last season. You know he is both-footed. He helped me with little techniques on how to improve my left foot and be better at that.

"He is an amazing character and personality. A world-class player. I don’t think there would be anybody who would say that they wouldn’t want to play with him because of how much of an amazing player and personality he is."

Johan Lange may know exactly where to go to give Thomas Frank what he needs to complete his Tottenham Hotspur squad for the 2025/26 season.

Spurs' transfer business has been moderate this summer, in comparison to some of their Premier League rivals, with four signings made so far.

One of those - Mathys Tel - was already at the club following a half-season loan last year, a deal that was turned permanent this summer.

Kota Takai, Mohammed Kudus and Joao Palhinha - on loan from Bayern Munich - have joined him at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

But there are two more signings - at least - that Frank wants to make, football.london understands.

football.london understands that Tottenham are confident they will have the funds to carry out their transfer plans this summer, with Frank prioritising both a central attacking playmaker - as evidenced by the approach and subsequent failure to sign Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest - and another centre-back with a good level of experience to bolster the Dane's options in the backline.

The move to sign a centre-back may come as a surprise, given the number of players Spurs have in that position already.

Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are the undoubted first choice duo, while Kevin Danso, Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies make up other senior options. Takai's move adds to that total, while Luka Vuskovic is also on the books, although football.london understands Tottenham are open to letting the Croatian leave on loan this summer.

However, injuries to Romero and van de Ven last season left Ange Postecoglou very light in that department, with Archie Gray often having to fill in. That aligned with Dragusin, who is on his way back from a cruciate ligament injury and it may some time before the Romanian gets back to full fitness and sharpness when he is able to return to full training.

With Spurs looking for a No.10 and a new centre-back, they could complete a double swoop at one club in particular, to sign two players they have been linked heavily with in the past, although it will cost them.

That club is Crystal Palace.

Marc Guehi has long been linked with a move to north London, with Spurs long-term admirers of the England international. Spurs even made an offer to sign the 25-year-old during the January transfer window, but that was knocked back by the Eagles.

Eze is another for whom Spurs are admirers, although football.london reported early last month that it was highly unlikely the Lilywhites would make a move to sign him this summer. However, that was likely down to the plan to sign Gibbs-White.

Arsenal have been heavily linked with a move to sign Eze as their final transfer this summer, but they may wait until they get some players out of the door before they can complete a deal.

Spurs could swoop and sign Guehi at the same time in a move that would likely cost £117.5million with the defender valued at £50million and Eze having a £67.5million release clause before the Premier League season begins.

Palace would be loathe to lose two of their biggest stars in the same window, but Tottenham could sweeten the deal by offering Vuskovic to the Eagles on loan to get some much-needed game time.

Guehi and Eze would undoubtedly be excellent signings for Tottenham and would fill two priority positions for Frank as he looks to shape the his new squad in his image.

Jamie Donley is set to join Championship side Stoke City on a season-long loan deal, football.london understands. The Tottenham youngster will make the step up to the Championship after excelling for Leyton Orient in League One last season.

During his time across the capital, the 20-year-old contributed eight goals and 11 assists in his 52 games for Orient. Donley, as well as former Tottenham goalkeeper Josh Keeley, played an integral role in Richie Wellens' side climbing up the league table and into the play-offs come the end of the term.

Their season was to end in heartbreak, though, as Leyton Orient missed out on a place in the Championship following a 1-0 defeat against Charlton Athletic in the League One play-off final. Having returned to Hotspur Way this summer and featured in pre-season friendlies for Thomas Frank, Tottenham have elected to allow Donley to head out on loan again to aid his development.

The Northern Ireland international will now be playing his football for Stoke in the 2025/26 season, joining fellow Tottenham player Ashley Phillips at the bet365 Stadium for the campaign. The youngster's switch to Stoke will give him the opportunity to build up his experience at a higher level in his hope of becoming a Tottenham regular in the not too distant future.

The Potters, who finished 18th in the Championship table in the 2024/25 campaign, are targeting a big year under manager Mark Robins. Stoke have so far added players such as Phillips, Aaron Cresswell and Divin Mubama to their squad, with the acquisition of Donley set to give them a big boost in the final third.

Donley's Stoke City debut could potentially come this weekend when his new club host Derby County in a 3pm kick-off on Saturday. The player's loan move comes after fellow Tottenham starlet Will Lankshear made the move to Championship club Oxford United on a season-long loan deal on Tuesday morning.

Tyrese Hall will also be playing his football away from Spurs this season after joining League Two side Notts County on loan. football.london understands that Luka Vuskovic, George Abbott, Yang Min-hyeok, Alfie Devine and Dane Scarlett have all been made available for loan.

Joao Palhinha has been handed his dream Tottenham shirt number following his loan move to the club. The Portugal international joined Spurs on a season-long loan deal from Bayern Munich on Sunday evening after limited first-team football in his debut campaign in Bavaria.

At the time of the transfer announcement, Tottenham did not confirm a shirt number for their new signing for the 2025/26 season. That has now become clear with the experienced player becoming Tottenham's new No.6 ahead of his potential debut for the club in Thursday's pre-season friendly against parent club Bayern Munich.

The 30-year-old is a big fan of having the No.6 on his back if his shirt number history is anything to go by. Wearing No.66 for Sporting CP after breaking into the team, he then took on the No.60 shirt in his two years on loan at SC Braga before returning to Sporting and inheriting the No.6 jersey.

Palhinha then wore No.26 for Fulham and No.16 for Bayern Munich, with the player regularly sporting No.6 on international duty for Portugal.

“I try to choose always a number with a six – sometimes it’s not available but since I started my career, it was a number that I’ve had with me because of my family,” he told Tottenham's official website.

“It means a lot for me because of my grandfather… it’s the day that he left our family and since my grandfather died, if I have a look, a lot of important things in my life have happened on this day, with the number six. I can remember my first goal... everything that has been important in my career – not just the career, but in other things as well – most of the days have the number six.

“I’m a bit superstitious and I believe always that this number has an important meaning for me and my family and this is why I want to keep, if possible, the number with me on the shirt.”

The No.6 shirt at Tottenham became available after Radu Dragusin elected to change his number for the new campaign. The Romanian will now wear No.3 for Tottenham, the same number he wears for the Romania national team.

The centre-back has replaced Sergio Reguilon as the club's No.3 after the Spaniard departed Tottenham at the end of June following the conclusion of his contract in north London. Speaking to Tottenham's official website about his new shirt number, Dragusin said: "I feel like this number represents me.

"I have been wearing it in the national team since three years ago and I just feel it really represents who I am – someone who is always ready to give everything for the team. Now, I’m really proud to wear it in north London."