Football London

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

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

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

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

Vuskovic spotted

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

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

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

Kulusevski steps up his fitness

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

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

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

Loanees return

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

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

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

Absent players

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

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

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

New training kit

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He added: "I need to be stronger.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tottenham will need to use the summer transfer window to start building a squad to help new head coach Thomas Frank compete on all fronts with the Champions League on the table this season.

The Dane will begin meeting his Spurs players on Saturday as some of them start returning for pre-season testing at Hotspur Way before hitting the pitches with the 51-year-old and his staff. Many of the international players will return to the Enfield training complex next week and that will give Frank more of a sense of which players he wants to keep and what areas of his squad need strengthening in the transfer market.

Technical director Johan Lange will need to get those deals across the line to build a squad capable of handling all four competitions including the world's toughest one with the Champions League. A couple of loans have been made permanent already for around £51million and some senior players have left the club on the expiry of their contracts. Japan international centre-back Kota Takai is set to join Spurs in the coming week in a £5million deal from Kawasaki Frontale.

There have also been ins and outs of Wayne Burnett's U21s squad, with the signing of Max McFadden announced on Friday evening, while Oliver Boast is set to join the U18s from Leeds United.

With all of that in mind, football.london has taken a closer look at all the transfers completed by Tottenham for their first team and U21s so far this summer, including one deal agreed two years ago that only officially went through this week.

Tottenham transfers (In):

Mathys Tel (Bayern Munich) - £29.8million

Kevin Danso (Lens) - £21million

Luka Vuskovic (Hajduk Split) - £12million

U21s

Max McFadden - Free agent

Tottenham transfers (Out):

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Marseille) - £17million

Timo Werner - End of loan

Fraser Forster - End of contract

Sergio Reguilon - End of contract

Alfie Whiteman - End of contract

U21s

Will Andiyapan - End of contract

Archie Baptiste - End of contract

Jahziah Linton - End of contract

Maxwell McKnight - End of contract

Max Robson - End of contract

Jaden Williams - End of contract

Elliot Krasniqi - - End of contract

Tottenham have snapped up 19-year-old midfielder Max McFadden to add some firepower to their U21 development squad.

The teenager scored 11 goals and registered 10 assists in 55 appearances for Leeds United's U18s and U21s in the past couple of seasons and in the last campaign played in his natural attacking midfield role but also up front and even on one occasion as a centre-back. However, his three-year spell at Leeds, having moved from Colchester United in 2022, came to an end this week with his release from the club.

That may well have been because a move to Spurs was in the offing as he was unveiled on Friday evening as a new development squad player to fit into Wayne Burnett's squad. McFadden has signed a contract until 2027 and played 61 minutes against Spurs last season in a 3-0 victory for Leeds at Hotspur Way.

On his unveiling, McFadden posted on Instagram: "Happy to have joined this amazing club @spursofficial. Can’t wait for this next chapter to begin. COYS"

The midfielder is following in the footsteps of £40million Europa League winner Archie Gray in making the switch from Leeds to north London and McFadden is expected to be joined at Tottenham this month by an even younger academy product from the promoted side. Oliver Boast, just 16, is set to join Spurs this summer having scored 10 goals in 20 matches for Leeds' U18s last season.

Tottenham have yet to announce any new signings this summer.

Mathys Tel has made his move from Bayern Munich permanent, having been on loan with Spurs for the second half of last season, while Kevin Danso's loan move was also turned into a permanent deal, as per the terms of the contract.

football.london reported last week that Tottenham had agreed a deal to sign Kota Takai from J.League team Kawasaki Frontale, but that transfer has not been made official by the club as yet, meaning there are no new faces in the building at Hotspur Way right now. Apart from the very new face of head coach Thomas Frank, of course.

The Spurs players will be filtering back to the training ground from today onwards, with pre-season training under the new boss beginning.

But the supporters are keen to see some new faces arrive at the club. Spurs will have the Champions League to worry about in 2025/26, as well as the Premier League and FA Cup and Carabao Cup after their heroics in Bilbao in winning the Europa League under former boss Ange Postecoglou.

Tottenham have been linked with a number of players, but there are no concrete deals ready to be completed, which could be down to a number of reasons. Here football.london takes a look at those signings which could be made.

Mohammed Kudus

The West Ham forward looks to be the one Spurs are going after to bolster their attack for the 2025/26 season. Kudus had a quiet last campaign as West Ham struggled in the Premier League, but his talent is clear.

The Ghanaian can play anywhere across the front line and even in the No.10 role although he is best on the right-hand side of the attack.

If he came in he could play in any of the three spots behind main striker Dominic Solanke. He might have some making up to do with his new teammates, however, having been sent off in the derby last season after hitting both Micky van de Ven and Pape Matar Sarr in the face!

Kudus has an £85million release clause in place for the first ten days of July, but it is understood the Hammers may well be open to selling for around £60million to ease their financial concerns.

Kyle Walker-Peters

This, in theory, should be an easy deal to get over the line.

The former Tottenham player is now a free agent following the end of his contract with relegated Southampton and is looking for a new club.

Spurs have an issue when it comes to UEFA competition, with only one club-trained player on the books in the shape of Brandon Austin. They should have four, per UEFA rules and if they do not their Champions League squad size must reduce accordingly.

Walker-Peters came through the Spurs academy and is therefore club trained. Spurs need added strength in depth at full-back and this would appear to be a no-brainer.

Christian Norgaard

The Brentford midfielder looks set to join Arsenal, with a deal seemingly all-but agreed. But what if Tottenham made a late move to hijack the deal?

Spurs need another No.6 and with Thomas Frank now in place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, he could well hold sway over his countryman to make the move to the white half of north London instead.

At £10million rising to £15million, it is a reasonably cheap deal, albeit for a 31-year-old, but it would be quite something if Spurs swooped in and stole him away from Arsenal.

Pedro Porro has shown why he's arguably the fittest player at Tottenham Hotspur after turning up at the club's training ground early ahead of pre-season training.

In a Spurs season packed with injuries to his team-mates, the 25-year-old Spaniard was one of the few players not to suffer a single one across the last campaign and he ended up playing 51 matches and a remarkable 4,130 minutes of football for the club on the way to that Europa League triumph and another 503 for his country after returning to the international set-up.

His former boss Ange Postecoglou told football.london about the right-back: "He's played more than anyone else this year, he's been unbelievable for us, not just in his durability which has been important because with so many players going down, we've needed at least a few to be durable like he has, but also the quality he's shown.

"[His playmaking ability is] really important and it's something we're continually working on to get him on the ball in more key areas and also work on his positioning a little bit as well. He does have such quality with his ability to hit the longer pass, but also the quality of his crosses, every time he puts the ball in the box, whether that's a set piece or just a cross in general, it causes oppositions problems."

It looks like Porro is preparing his body for another big season under a new head coach at Spurs in the shape of Thomas Frank.

Although the Tottenham players are due to start returning to Hotspur Way on Saturday, with the internationals like Porro due in next week, the Spaniard was already back at the training ground in Enfield on Friday. He posted an image of himself smiling inside the club's gym with the caption: "The champ is here! Glad to be back @spursofficial."

Porro told football.london earlier this year about some of the work that goes into creating the amazing engine he has within to keep running up and down the flank for 90-plus minutes.

"I train at the club but I also do my own work outside the club, recovery work, prevention of injury," he said.

"It's okay because I work with the physio in the gym. The people outside don't understand this situation, they say Pedro you have to rest, you haven't rested. For me and Deki, we've played full minutes this season, this is normal, this is football. Too many games, but I'm ready. If the gaffer asks 'are you ready?', I say 'yeah, no problem'. Everything for the team, for the fans and for the club, it's the most important thing for me."

It looks like Frank will benefit from a super-fit Porro himself this season and the Spaniard appears to be ready and raring to go.