Football London

The Thomas Frank era at Tottenham Hotspur is about to begin.

The former Brentford boss has been working with his new Spurs players in pre-season at Hotspur Way for the last week and a half and although some players are yet to return, he will get a proper look at them in a match scenario soon enough.

Mohammed Kudus has arrived at the club and has been working alongside his new teammates, with the likes of Kota Takai - a £5million signing from Kawasaki Frontale - and Luke Vuskovic also getting to know new teammates.

Archie Gray, Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert are yet to return, given their involvement in the European U21 Championships, but will be back at Hotspur Way soon enough and then flying out to Asia for a pre-season tour of Hong Kong and South Korea.

Before that, though, Spurs have two pre-season games in the UK, while aftewards they have the big UEFA Super Cup clash with Paris Saint-Germain to look forward to before the Premier League campaign gets under way.

Frank will be keen to see how his players adapt to his way of thinking, following Ange Postecoglou's departure and pre-season fixtures begin this weekend with the players that he has at his disposal.

Here we take a look at the full rundown of matches before the league season kicks off.

Tottenham pre-season fixtures

Saturday, July 19: Reading vs Tottenham - Select Car Leasing Stadium, 3pm

Saturday, July 26: Luton Town vs Tottenham - Kenilworth Road, 3pm

Thursday, July 31: Tottenham vs Arsenal - Kai Tak Stadium, Hong Kong, 12.30pm

Sunday, August 3: Tottenham vs Newcastle - Seoul World Cup Stadium, 12pm

Thursday, August 7: Bayern Munich vs Tottenham - Allianz Arena, 5.30pm

Wednesday, August 13: Tottenham vs PSG - UEFA Super Cup, Stadio Friuli, Udine, 8pm

League One side Reading are Tottenham's first opponents when they get their pre-season fixtures under way on Saturday. It is set to be a busy period for Thomas Frank and his players as they have two domestic games and four games abroad before they begin their Premier League campaign with a home encounter against Burnley.

Reading are first up for the Lilywhites on Saturday, July 19, before they travel to Kenilworth Road to face Luton Town the following weekend. Spurs then head off to Asia to play Arsenal in Hong Kong and Newcastle United in South Korea prior to a pre-season showdown against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.

Tottenham's first competitive game of 2025/26 takes place on Wednesday, August 13 when they go head-to-head with Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup final in Udine, Italy. Following the appointment of a new head coach and arrival of some new players, Tottenham will certainly have a different look about them.

Ahead of this weekend's game against Reading, we have taken a look at five things that supporters need to look out for at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

Vuskovic and Takai debut

Frank's Tottenham team at Reading is sure to contain a few debutants following the club's business in the transfer market. Almost two years on from agreeing a deal with Hajduk Split for Luka Vuskovic, the talented centre-back could potentially make his Spurs bow in Berkshire.

The Croat has made a huge impression over the past two seasons and he looks set to be a big player for Tottenham in the years ahead. Then there is Kota Takai, who recently joined from Japanese side Kawasaki Frontale in a £5million move.

Spurs have plenty of centre-backs on the books at present but the youngster will be intent on making his case for a starting spot with whatever minutes come his way in pre-season. Saturday should also see Mohammed Kudus make his Tottenham debut following his £55milliion move from West Ham.

The Ghana international can play in a number of different roles in the final third and it will be interesting to see where Frank plays him to begin with.

Gibbs-White wait

The wait for Morgan Gibbs-White to become a Tottenham player goes on. Looking set to wrap up a deal for the Nottingham Forest ace last Friday with a medical lined up after matching his £60million release clause, the East Midlands club have since pulled the brakes on a transfer exit for their main man and right now the transfer remains in limbo.

Even if a move is to go through over the coming days, it would almost certainly be too late for him to feature in the Reading match as he will have had next to no time with his new teammates. If the transfer is finalised, it would be nice to have Gibbs-White at the Select Car Leasing Stadium so he can be with his new teammates and get a look at his new side on the pitch.

A chance for the loanees

Frank currently has a lot of players to work with at Tottenham after the return of the club's loan stars for the beginning of pre-season training. Quite whether some of them remain part of his plans for the new season remains to be seen.

Jamie Donley caught the eye for Leyton Orient last season and Spurs fans are desperate to see one of their own in action. Alfie Devine will be determined to make his case after time in Belgium with Westerlo, while wingers Manor Solomon and Yang Min-hyeok will be fighting it out in for a spot amongst Frank's talented attackers.

George Abbott should hopefully get some more pre-season minutes after an excellent season with Notts County and Ashley Phillips will be keeping his fingers crossed that he can catch the eye of his new head coach as he bids to finally make his first Tottenham senior appearance.

Midfield pairing

Frank used a number of different systems at Brentford last campaign and it's not clear yet what his formation of choice will be at Tottenham. Many will be expecting him to go with 4-2-3-1 given that's what he mainly used at Brentford in 2024/25 and Spurs have a number of players who could thrive in that setup.

If it is to be 4-2-3-1, all eyes will be on his midfield pairing as he has options galore at his disposal. Rodrigo Bentancur and Lucas Bergvall will probably be leading the way to start the new season, unless of course a new midfielder is brought in to address the troublesome No.6 role.

Yves Bissouma, Archie Gray, Pape Matar Sarr, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are all further options in midfield for the new term.

Maddison fitness

Maddison unfortunately missed out on Tottenham's Europa League final success back in May due to a knee injury sustained in the semi-finals against Bodo/Glimt. Tottenham's No.10 has been putting in the work to get back to full fitness as he bids to cement his place in the Spurs XI under Frank.

Maddison has been spotted back on the training pitch with a ball at his feet and his current fitness levels should become clear in the next few days. Whether he is to be part of the squad at Reading or not, to see him back on the grass using a football is a big positive.

Tottenham Hotspur have engaged the services of a commercial advisory firm created by four former Manchester United executives.

Former CEO of United’s alliances and partnerships, Victoria Timpson, along with other former executives at the Old Trafford club, including Ali Edge, Tom Liston-Jones and United’s former commercial director Florence Lafaye have joined forces to found Altius8 with the backing of global consulting giant Teneo, who have invested in the start-up.

Spurs have become the first clients of Altius8 as the club looks to ramp up its commercial activity to raise revenues to allow the club to continue to invest sustainably in the on-pitch affairs to better equip them to challenge for honours on a regular basis.

The executives running Altius8, some of who were impacted by the jobs cull implemented by United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, have enormous industry experience and had played a part in some of the club’s biggest commercial deals in recent years, such as the front-of-shirt partnerships with TeamViewer and Snapdragon.

The decision to bring on board an external firm is designed to aid and support the existing commercial structure at Tottenham, with the aim being to try and raise revenues across the sponsorship inventory in a similar way that was achieved at Manchester United, where commercial revenues year-on-year despite the club’s prolonged lack of competitive success.

One of the main pieces of sponsorship inventory that Altius8’s 20-strong team will look to support on will be the sale of stadium naming rights for the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, something that has been available since the venue was built in 2019 but where Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has not been able to nail down the kind of value he feels it is worthy of.

Through tapping into additional industry expertise, and with a team that has pre-existing knowledge of the Premier League commercial landscape and strong relationships with global brands, it is hoped that the club will be able to grow commercial revenue significantly.

Spurs aren’t the first club to bring on board external support for the commercial team, with Everton having engaged the services of US company Elevate Sports Ventures back in late 2022 as they started the process of seeking a stadium naming rights partner for their new 52,888-seater stadium on the banks of the River Mersey, which is now known as the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

We are now only three days away from seeing Thomas Frank's Tottenham team for the very first time. After returning to pre-season training at Hotspur Way at the beginning of the month, Spurs play their first pre-season friendly against Reading on Saturday.

It is the first of two domestic friendlies - with an away fixture at Luton Town to come next Saturday - before the team jet off to Hong Kong and South Korea for their summer tour. Frank now has his full Tottenham squad to work with and he and his coaching team will have been getting their football philosophy across to the playing squad in their time together on the training pitch.

The Dane made a huge impact during his time at Brentford and it will be fascinating to see just what he achieves during his time at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. During the 2024/25 campaign, Frank mainly utilised a 4-2-3-1 setup and that could be his formation of choice at Spurs.

It is one that should suit Tottenham down to the ground due to their plethora of attacking options. A number of Spurs players are certainly no strangers to the formation either after playing in it in the past.

The hope will be that Dominic Solanke can flourish in his role up front as there were a number of games last campaign when he was feeding off scraps with not a lot of chances coming his way at times. The addition of Mohammed Kudus should certainly help him and the same will go for Morgan Gibbs-White providing his £60million move from Nottingham Forest goes through.

The one thing you cannot say about Frank is that he is restricted to just the one formation and one style of play. The 51-year-old set his team up in a number of different ways last season, with 4-3-3 one he used on nine separate occasions.

Again, this is another system that suits Tottenham down to the ground as they have the players to line up with three in attack and they also have choice when it comes to midfield. Rodrigo Bentancur and Lucas Bergvall may perhaps be the two players in the driving seat for a place in a 4-2-3-1 formation but then there are players such as Archie Gray, Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison to consider if it is to be a midfield three.

Frank tailored his tactics at Brentford depending on their opponent and they also played in 4-4-2, 3-4-3, 5-3-2 and 3-5-2 setups last season. Tottenham may have the one main formation under their new head coach but it would not be a shock if they change from time to time depending on who they are playing.

Saturday's friendly at Reading may well drop a big hint over Frank's preferred formation in his Tottenham blueprint but it may not prove to be the final one. It may be a case of deploying different systems over the course of the upcoming friendlies before deciding on the best one that suits the players at his disposal.

One thing for certain is that all Spurs fans are looking forward to Saturday at Reading to get their first glimpse of what the future could hold for Frank's Tottenham team.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy says they were never going to rush their decision over where the club's iconic Bill Nicholson Gates would be relocated after 10 years in storage.

The black and gold wrought iron gates stood in front of the old White Hart Lane stadium for decades and became synonymous with Spurs' legendary manager thanks to a photograph taken by Peter Robinson in the 1970s. The gates were placed into storage in 2015, ahead of the demolition of the old ground and the construction of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Nicholson was a key player in Arthur Rowe’s 1950/51 title-winning side before becoming the club’s most decorated manager with that league and FA Cup double in 1961 and led Spurs to become the first British side to win a European trophy with the Cup Winner's Cup triumph in 1963.

Fans, players and staff would follow in Nicholson's footsteps through the gates on the way to White Hart Lane over the subsequent years and after a decade in storage, Spurs believe they have found the most appropriate location to relocate the gates. They will be placed within PAXTON17, between the ticket office and historic buildings at the north of the stadium.

The gates are set to be installed there ahead of the first Premier League match of the season against Burnley on Saturday August 16.

"The Bill Nicholson Gates are such a significant part of our club’s heritage and I am extremely proud they will be returning home this summer," said Levy. "We were never going to rush into a decision as to where they should be reinstated, given the huge amount of works that have taken place in the area over recent years.

"We have undertaken a carefully-planned process, working with our architects, construction partners and Fan Advisory Board, and I believe we have found a fitting solution. We look forward to welcoming fans back to the stadium for the coming season - as well as Bill’s family members and former players - to see the gates and feel that close connection between our club and its rich history."

Tottenham face Reading in their first pre-season fixture on Saturday. Thomas Frank's side head to the Leasing.com Stadium to take on the League One outfit, as preparations continue for the 2025/26 campaign.

It'll be Spurs' first fixture since the 4-1 defeat against Brighton on the final day of last season and supporters will be hoping for a vast improvement from their side this term, despite winning the Europa League.

There is going to be several personnel changes in the Tottenham squad compared to the one that was named against the Seagulls. Indeed, £55million signing Mohammed Kudus is expected to be included.

Kudus arrived from West Ham last week and he is set to make his Spurs debut, while 18-year-old Luka Vuskovic could feature for the first time, two years on since agreeing a £12m move to north London.

Elsewhere, James Maddison might be back in contention after missing the final weeks of last season with a knee problem. The former Leicester City midfielder has been working hard to return to full fitness.

Cristian Romero and Lucas Bergvall were among the other first-team players not to feature against Brighton, and both could be involved against Reading after being spotted back on the grass.

Apart from those at Tottenham right now, who would help complete a 'dream' squad to tackle the Royals in their opening pre-season game? Well, there are two players that would fit that bill, that's for sure.

The first one is Morgan Gibbs-White. Spurs attempted to sign the 25-year-old last week and made an approach which triggered the £60million release clause in the midfielder's contract at Nottingham Forest.

However, Forest claimed that an illegal approach was made and believe the confidential nature of that clause was breached. Reports have since emerged that Spurs lodged a bid worth the exact amount needed to trigger it.

It has caused a legal matter to emerge between Tottenham and Forest, though there is some confidence that a deal for Gibbs-White is going to get done. Whether it's sealed for Saturday's trip to Reading is unclear.

Second of all, Adam Wharton would be part of Tottenham's 'dream' squad for Reading. The 21-year-old has been earmarked as a potential summer addition after impressing at Crystal Palace over the last 18 months.

Tottenham are not expected to be put off signing Wharton for £100m and that is a deal that could happen, despite Palace's high asking price. He would be a sensational coup for Frank and Spurs, should it go through.

If Gibbs-White and Wharton were to arrive, Tottenham would need sell players. Son Heung-min is one that has been linked with a move but he should be kept for some much-needed experience in the dressing room.

Therefore Manor Solomon and Bryan Gil should be the two wide players that move on. Solomon spent last season loan at Leeds United and the Whites want to sign him on a permanent deal, with a £12m fee touted.

As for Gil, it has not worked out for the Spaniard during his time in north London and Spurs should cash in, with Celta Vigo interested in the 24-year-old, who spent last season on loan at La Liga side Girona.

Another player to leave - and this is a controversial one - is Yves Bissouma. The Mali international was an integral part of Ange Postecoglou's side at Tottenham but he attracted interest from elsewhere this summer.

Fenerbahce and Juventus are among those keen on signing Bissouma and it could be the right time for Spurs to cash in and get some money back for the ex-Brighton man, especially as two midfielders are being signed.

Tottenham remain keen on signing Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest because of how important he can become to Thomas Frank's team.

Spurs are currently entangled in a messy situation in trying to sign the 25-year-old after triggering his £60million release clause only for Forest to claim an illegal approach was made and that the confidential nature of that clause was breached with suggestions Spurs submitted a bid worth the exact amount required to trigger it.

Forest have been trying for months to tie Gibbs-White down to a big new contract to make him the club's highest earner, in exchange for removing the clause or at least including a renegotiated one, but the midfielder has refused thus far to enter into any talks over a deal that has only two years remaining.

The transfer saga has now become a legal matter between the two clubs although Forest are not believed to have officially complained to the Premier League as of yet. There is no communication between the clubs at the moment.

If Spurs can eventually get Gibbs-White through the door then it solves a number of issues for the north London club and Frank. Here are three that we can immediately see.

Claims of words not action

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy made some big claims in his recent club interview about the Europa League win after sacking Ange Postecoglou to appoint Frank.

"We’ve won a European trophy, but it’s not enough. It’s what we haven’t done that is more important. We need to win the league. We want to win the Premier League, we want to win the Champions League. We want to win," he said.

With that big statement Spurs needed to show that they truly meant those declarations and that it wasn't just words to calm the fans.

The £60million move for Gibbs-White, hot on the heels of the £55million signing of Mohammed Kudus and the £5million capture of Kota Takai would show that there's some real intent there to create a quality squad ready for the Champions League. The first two transfers especially would be seen as statement ones.

It would also be the start of backing Frank with players that he needs and wants and that will ease the problem of supporters unhappy with the efforts in the transfer window.

A mobile playmaker

Frank has wanted Gibbs-White for years and had wanted to bring him to Brentford from Wolves seasons ago. The Dane sees the England international as the perfect kind of mobile playmaker for his system with his creativity and work rate.

James Maddison has made an impact at Tottenham over the past two seasons but he is coming back from a knee injury and his playing style is more about bursts of energy and impact, blended with quality, rather than being a constant mobile presence on the pitch.

Dejan Kulusevski, who is working his way back after knee surgery, is another playmaker option if Frank does not see him as a right winger.

Gibbs-White will provide constant movement and breaking between the lines as a No.10 or able to play in a deeper central role alongside an anchorman. If Frank fears there is not enough mobility in the advanced playmaker role at Tottenham then Gibbs-White will solve that.

Solanke service

If Gibbs-White comes in alongside Kudus then one problem likely to be solved is the lack of service into striker Dominic Solanke.

Spurs signed the 27-year-old striker from Bournemouth last summer for £60million and he enjoyed a solid debut season with 24 goal involvements from 45 matches despite missing a couple of months with a knee injury. That haul came despite a distinct lack of service in many games during the season, especially in the second half of the campaign, with the striker running himself into the ground for the team.

Tottenham struggled for creativity at times last season, especially against teams with a low block, and Gibbs-White, should he arrive, will provide a major dose of quality into the team with his playmaking alongside Kudus' dribbling ability.

Kota Takai has now received his work permit and has been able to begin training with his Tottenham team-mates, football.london understands.

Spurs sealed the £5million deal for the 20-year-old Japan international a week ago from Kawasaki Frontale and have been waiting since for the work permit. Without that, the centre-back has been unable to train and get to work as part of new head coach Thomas Frank's era at the club.

However, football.london understands that Takai received his work permit on Tuesday morning and was finally able to take part in training sessions with his team-mates.

The Yokohama-born defender had agreed a deal with Spurs that will run until 2030. He made his first team debut for Kawasaki in April 2022 in an 8-0 victory over Guangzhou in the AFC Champions League. He went on to earn the J.League’s Best Young Player award while making a total of 81 senior appearances in all competitions, scoring four goals, and he helped his team to the 2025 AFC Champions League final.

On the international stage, Takai has made four senior appearances so far for Japan in World Cup qualifying fixtures and in 2024 helped his country to win the AFC Under-23 Asian Cup. He also represented his country at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, reaching the quarter-finals of the tournament.

In his first interview with the club, Takai said he was looking forward to the challenge ahead ahead after quickly heading over from Japan, having said goodbye to the Kawasaki fans in an emotional ceremony within a sold-out stadium following their 2-1 win against Kashima Antlers.

"I played in the match with Kawasaki Frontale in the J.League on Saturday and I got on the plane the next day and I'm here today, now," he said. "Having arrived in London I'm full of excitement."

On where he can play at the back, the young defender confirmed that versatility that will serve him well under Frank: "My position is centre-back. I can play either side - right or left.

"I was born in Kanagawa, Japan. I've always played football since my childhood. The reason why I love football is because as a team we can improve our skills together."

He added: "I've always watched the Premier League a lot, since I was little. At Spurs, my first aim is to be on the pitch for a match and do my best."

Despite a quiet start to the summer transfer window, Tottenham have sprung into action in recent days as Thomas Frank’s transfer plans begin to take shape.

The Dane was appointed as the new head coach last month, following the departure of Ange Postecoglou. Despite Spurs’ famous Europa League triumph over Manchester United in May, a change in the dugout was deemed necessary after a below-par Premier League campaign.

Spurs have made their loan moves for Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel permanent, while youngster Luka Vuskovic has officially joined after a deal was agreed back in 2023. They have also completed a big-money move for West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus - and are not done yet.

Morgan Gibbs-White is undoubtedly the player Spurs are now pushing hardest to sign, with reports emerging last week that they had triggered his £60 million release clause. However, the move has since hit a stumbling block, with his current club consulting lawyers over an alleged illegal approach.

Where this saga will end is anyone’s guess, but reports suggest Spurs remain confident of landing the 25-year-old. It is seen as a temporary setback rather than a complete collapse.

Attention will then need to shift to the deeper midfield roles. Both Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur are entering the final year of their respective contracts, so Spurs must decide whether to cash in now or risk losing them for free next summer.

It seems unlikely both players will be allowed to leave, and it is Bissouma who appears more likely to depart, if rumours are to be believed. Should a sale materialise, Spurs would need to enter the market for a holding midfielder, with Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton undoubtedly the standout candidate.

Juventus’ Douglas Luiz and Bayern Munich’s Joao Palhinha have also been linked - both with valuable Premier League experience - but Wharton, just 21, boasts an extremely high ceiling. He would command a significant fee, but few would argue he isn’t worth it.

A new striker has also been discussed this summer, though any move would likely depend on outgoings. Richarlison has been linked with a departure and appears the most likely candidate to make way in that position.

In terms of replacements, Brentford’s Yoane Wissa has been mentioned in several reports, likely due to his connection with Frank. However, with Brentford already negotiating with Manchester United over Bryan Mbeumo, it remains unclear whether they would sanction another major exit from their forward line.

Spurs could also raise funds through further departures, with Manor Solomon among those expected to leave. The 25-year-old has just returned from a loan spell at Leeds United. Bryan Gil has also been heavily linked with a move away.

Son Heung-min’s future has also been the subject of speculation in recent months, and he too, is entering the final year of his contract. It is likely no decision will be made until he has spoken with the manager to clarify his role next season, although Spurs may prefer to cash in on the 33-year-old.

Dream transfer window scenario

IN : Morgan Gibbs-White, Adam Wharton, Yoane Wissa

Nottingham Forest are yet to complain to the Premier League about Tottenham's approach for Morgan Gibbs-White but it has become a legal matter between the clubs as the transfer limbo continues.

Spurs attempted to sign the 25-year-old last week and made an approach which triggered the £60million release clause in the midfielder's contract. However, Forest are claiming that an illegal approach was made and believe the confidential nature of that clause was breached with claims that Tottenham submitted a bid worth the exact amount required to trigger it.

football.london reported previously that Gibbs-White, who has long-term admirers in both Spurs and their head coach Thomas Frank, never actually left Nottingham to get to Hotspur Way for a planned medical on Friday as Forest's unhappiness and that of their owner Evangelos Marinakis was made very clear to the England international and all involved.

The player was not involved in Forest's 0-0 friendly draw at Chesterfield on Saturday because he was part of the group of international players who were not returning to training until this week. The midfielder duly returned to Forest's training ground on Monday morning as expected to report for pre-season.

Despite social media speculation that he was not at training on Tuesday, Gibbs-White is believed to have been at Forest's training ground and taken part in training as expected.

The situation has now become a legal matter between the two clubs and while Forest are not believed to have officially complained to the Premier League as of yet, the league will have a duty to look into any claims made about their clubs.

Forest are believed to have been trying for months to tie Gibbs-White down to a bumper new contract to make him one of the club's highest earner, in exchange for removing the release clause or at least including a renegotiated one, but the midfielder has not been keen to enter into any new talks over a deal that has only two years remaining.

Even if there is an expectation from many that a move will likely eventually happen, Forest are making it clear at this moment that the player is not for sale and there is uncertainty currently over exactly how it will get resolved with no communication between the clubs at this time other than the legal proceedings.

There is also no timeframe with legal ramifications to various aspects of it all, including the player's right to leave if the release clause was met, which could spark, if Gibbs-White wished, the avenue to seek a breach of contract.

It appears to be a situation that shows no sign of resolution any time soon.