Football London

The first international break of the 2025/26 season is underway. We may only be three games into the Premier League season but domestic football is now on pause until it resumes on Saturday, September 13.

Tottenham travel to West Ham for a 5.30pm kick-off upon their return to action as they attempt to make it three wins from their first four league fixtures under Thomas Frank. All eyes will be on the London Stadium as new signings Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani could be in line to make their debuts for Tottenham.

Ahead of his Spurs bow, Simons is now away on international duty with the Netherlands. The attacking midfielder, along with new club teammate Micky van de Ven, faces Poland and Lithuania in World Cup qualifiers.

Kolo Muani, on the other hand, is not part of Didier Deschamps' France squad for their games against Ukraine and Iceland. That in turn will give the player an opportunity to get down to work at Hotspur Way ahead of the West Ham fixture.

The vast majority of Frank's Tottenham squad have jetted off across the globe to play for their respective nations during the international break. However, some will be remaining behind at the club's training base after not getting the nod from their country.

Radu Dragusin, as expected, has not received a call-up for Romania duty as he works his way back to fitness from a long-term ACL injury. Frank mentioned ahead of last weekend's game against Bournemouth that the centre-back would be rejoining the team in training in seven to ten days, thus giving the centre-back a bit more time to top up his levels before linking up with his teammates again.

Kota Takai is one player who will be involved with the squad again following a plantar fascia foot problem. The Japan international, who is not in the national team squad for September's games, is to return to training this week, as mentioned by Frank in his press conference last Friday.

Dominic Solanke will also have a period of time to work on his fitness as he looks to return from an ankle issue ASAP. Frank is hopeful his striker will be back after the international break, with football.london reporting on Monday that the player has had an injection in his ankle to help settle it down.

Destiny Udogie did return off the bench in the Bournemouth defeat and he now has the chance to increase his fitness levels prior to his teammates returning from international duty as he is not part of the Italy squad. Others to miss out on call-ups include Antonin Kinsky, Brandon Austin, Yves Bissouma and Dane Scarlett.

Johan Lange has suggested that Tottenham's "bumps" in the transfer market turned out for the better for the club with the signing of Xavi Simons.

Spurs had a rollercoaster of a window with some high profile misses in the market. First they thought they had tied up a deal for Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest only for that to become a transfer saga that brought legal threats, a secret release clause that nobody seems fully sure whether it was truly met or not and two big Tottenham bids that ended up falling on deaf ears before a player who appeared set on joining the club signed a new deal out of nowhere.

A month later the north London club made a move for Eberechi Eze but when they finally agreed to Crystal Palace's terms it was too late as Arsenal had begun their approach and Eze, a boyhood Gunners fan and academy player, only had eyes on one destination.

Head coach Thomas Frank made it clear in the days after that he only wanted players at Spurs that wanted to be there.

Then a name on the club's wanted list suddenly became available. Chelsea were stalling on Xavi and Spurs struck. The 22-year-old was sold on the project after an impressive presentation by Frank, as well as a chat with international colleague Micky van de Ven. Unlike the drawn-out talks with Palace, the negotiations with RB Leipzig were swift and within 48 hours the player had undergone his medical and signed a big deal, the longest in Spurs' history of five years with an option for another two.

In a club interview this week, technical director Lange suggested that in signing £52million Xavi rather than the others, things had actually turned out for the better.

"I think when you go through a transfer period over a few months, for lots of clubs and also for ours, there were bumps along the way," said the Dane. "There's no doubt about that. But it's not so much if there are bumps along the way because inevitably that will happen. It's how you react to those challenges you are facing.

"In some aspects here, players that we would have liked to sign earlier in the window were not available and they were available later in the window. I think when we look back at the end of the window, the outcome has been fantastic for us."

He added: "As said, if you have a bump along the way, sometimes things can turn out for the better. When we had the conversation with Xavi, I saw his desire and determination to join our football club. It was fantastic for us, because what he has shown so far in his career, from a very, very young age, played together with some of the best players in the world when you really dig into his story.

"The impact he had at Eindhoven, the impact he had at Leipzig in the Bundesliga, and he’s still so young, so when you perform at this level and that age. So to bring him to our football club, to bring him into the Premier League, to bring him into a club which has a rich history of producing and seeing players with creativity and flair.

"I’m confident that he will be a great addition to the team and hopefully create a lot of fantastic moments for the fans and for all of us."

Lange added that the Netherlands international had also made a big impression on him and the staff.

"The important thing is when you sit with him and you talk about the project, and you see his eyes and desire to be the best version of himself, when we speak about reference from teammates and coaches from clubs, they’re just echoing that he’s a very serious athlete, who wants to train well and try to maximise his potential – that’s the most important thing," he said. "It’s been a pleasure getting to know him, and we’re looking forward to seeing his determination on a day-to-day basis."

Spurs also moved on transfer deadline day for Randal Kolo Muani to add some experience and firepower up front and on the wings if required.

"I think with Randal, first of all, I’m extremely pleased that we managed to get it over the line. Credit to everybody at the club for acting quickly when a player of that level becomes available," said Lange. "Randal is versatile, so he can play across the front line. He gives Thomas and his staff so many options across the front line, where most of our players can play more than one position.

"Again with Randal, coming in here, he’s a player we’ve followed a long, long time, very successful in the French national team a few years ago. He’s made his move to Paris, then in the last six months, he also played with success at Juve. He’s played at the World Cup, played Champions League and played for big clubs, so we are very, very pleased and excited that he’s here. He will be another great addition to the squad for the season."

Thomas Frank always faced a difficult decision when it came to picking his Tottenham squad for this season's edition of the Champions League. Spurs have had major issues in terms of naming a European squad in the past due to UEFA regulations, although not quite to the extent of the 2025/26 campaign.

The Dane didn't just have to leave out one or two Tottenham players; instead had to axe a total of six, which is a massive failure on the club's part. Some decisions were fairly straightforward, such as James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski missing the cut due to their injuries, and some were not.

Yves Bissouma was another player to be dropped amid the prospect of him potentially leaving with the transfer window still remaining open in certain European leagues. Radu Dragusin also missed out as he works his way back to fitness from the ACL injury he suffered back in January, with fellow centre-back Kota Takai also one of the unlucky ones to be axed.

The sixth and final player to be given the bad news was Mathys Tel. Antonin Kinsky and Wilson Odobert may have been the other players at risk but it was the summer addition from Bayern Munich who was cruelly dropped by Frank.

It was an extremely harsh call and one that many have since questioned. It was not the news the player, who is currently away on France Under-21 duty, wanted and perhaps even expected.

Tel's omission from this season's squad does not have to be the end of his Champions League story, though. His teammate Djed Spence is the perfect example after finding himself in exactly the same position one year ago when Ange Postecoglou selected his Europa League squad.

As clubs are permitted to make a maximum of three squad changes before the knockout phase, Spence was rewarded for his good domestic form with a place in the Europa League party. He would end the season with a Europa League winners' medal around his neck after Tottenham beat Manchester United 1-0 in the final.

Tel could force his way back into the squad come the start of February, providing of course that Tottenham do secure a place in the knockout round. Kulusevski will certainly be knocking on the door and the same goes for Dragusin, with Spurs potentially having new January signings to consider as well.

The absence of Tel for Tottenham's league phase fixtures could leave Frank's side slightly short up front. On UEFA's website, Dominic Solanke, Richarlison and new signing Randal Kolo Muani are listed as the team's three strikers.

The Tottenham boss has adequate options there but he may have a big issue if injury strikes. Many have pointed to Solanke's current injury and question marks over his exact return date, while Richarlison has endured numerous injury woes in his three seasons in N17 and has struggled to be available week in, week out at times since joining from Everton.

It seemed to be a no-brainer to have Tel in the squad for that reason but that is no longer the case. The ex-Rennes man will now have to try and get his minutes domestically as he bids for a big season at Tottenham.

That may be easier said than done as he has only played a total of 30 minutes across three appearances in the team's opening four games of the season. Frank has plenty of options out wide, with Kolo Muani boosting the numbers this week following his switch from PSG on deadline day, and that may in turn limit Tel's football.

There is no doubt that the Sarcelles-born player is very talented and Tottenham have only seen glimpses of his quality so far. The 2025/26 season was always viewed as the season where Tel would make his mark in the capital after having the final four months of last season to adapt to his new surroundings and new league after initially joining on loan from Bayern Munich.

That will hopefully be the case in the months ahead but Tel is now in a position where he can only feature domestically and he will be watching on from the stands in Europe's premier competition. Certainly a cruel blow, and something more of Tottenham's own doing due to their long-standing European squad issues, Tel now has to use it as fuel and show Frank that he was wrong to cut him from his Champions League squad.

The Premier League transfer window may have closed for business but there is still one important signing that Tottenham need to make in the weeks ahead. It is that of Rodrigo Bentancur's signature on a fresh contract.

An influential figure for Spurs since joining from Juventus back in January 2022, the Uruguayan's current deal in north London expires at the end of the 2025/26 season. Tottenham cannot afford to lose the 28-year-old at all given what he brings to the team, with the threat of him either leaving for a reduced fee in January or on a free transfer in July due to his current status.

Apart from dropping down to the bench for the Premier League opener against Burnley, Bentancur has been a regular starter in Thomas Frank's Tottenham XI and has started to form a partnership with new signing Joao Palhinha. The new Spurs boss is a big fan of the ex-Juventus man and namechecked him after Tottenham's 2-0 win at Brentford last season, stating that Bentancur along with Dejan Kulusevski and Yves Bissouma "is a very, very, very good Premier League midfield".

In pre-season, Frank also spoke about Bentancur briefly once again and highlighted his key role in building something for the future. He said: "I was pretty sure he would be a key player [before I started working with him], so that's not been a surprise. That's a player, of course I think is important for the future."

Tottenham have already concluded some excellent pieces of business so far this summer with Palhinha, Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani all joining the club. The quality of the quartet immediately boosts the squad and also helps take the starting XI to the next level.

Despite the addition of the four players, perhaps the most important signing for Tottenham for the 2025/26 season and beyond was Cristian Romero putting pen-to-paper on a new long-term deal at the club. Heavily linked with a switch to Atletico Madrid this summer, the World Cup winner ended the speculation for good by committing his future to the club and taking on the captain's armband following Son Heung-min's exit.

Romero is such an influential player for Tottenham and his decision to commit could prove decisive when it comes to Bentancur's future given the duo are extremely close friends. As part of Johan Lange and the club planning for the years ahead, they need to ensure that the Spurs midfielder is part of it.

Bentancur is in need of a new contract and that undoubtedly has to be a priority in the weeks ahead to ensure he is not in a position come January where he can talk to rival clubs about a pre-contract agreement for next season. It is an absolute no-brainer for Tottenham.

A number of Tottenham players have jetted across the world to represent their national teams while others remain at Hotspur Way ahead of the return of Premier League football next week.

Spurs won two of their first three games of the 2025/26 season after beating Burnley and Manchester City. However, the defeat to Bournemouth prior to the international break has left work to be done.

Thomas Frank bolstered his squad late in the transfer market with Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani coming in. Their arrivals come at the perfect time with the new Spurs boss without a number of players due to injury.

Here, football.london brings you the lowdown on the latest injury news from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Dominic Solanke

Solanke missed the 1-0 loss to his former side at the weekend after being carefully used in the first two games. Some reports have suggested that the striker may require surgery on an ankle injury.

This week, the striker posted an image of him at Hotspur Way on his Instagram story.

Possible return date: Unknown

What Frank has said: "Yeah got a minor issue with his ankle. That’s been a little bit grumbling also in the pre-season.

“It’s just too much for this game and now we have international break so hopefully he can be ready after that.”

Yves Bissouma

The midfielder is yet to play under Frank this season. He was left out of the squad that lost to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup for disciplinary reasons before missing the win over Burnley due to an injury.

He continues to be recovering.

Possible return date: Unknown

What Frank has said: “Unfortunately he got injured in training yesterday so very unfortunate. An injury we look into how much it is.”

Dejan Kulusevski

Kulusevski's knee injury has been one that has forced the attacker to be out of action since the end of last season. He underwent surgery in May and has played no point in Frank's reign at the club.

Reports had suggested that he was out until 2026 but the Spurs boss has refused to put a timeframe on his return.

Possible return date: Unknown

What Frank has said: “No Kulusevski, he's out. That's a longer one, I don't want to put a timeframe on it.”

James Maddison

Maddison had looked set to play a big part under Frank this season but he ruptured his ACL in pre-season. The midfielder has since undergone surgery and is expected to be out for a long period of time.

Possible return date: Towards the end of the season

Radu Dragusin

Another ACL injury with Dragusin still out since February. There is hope that the centre-back will return to training over the break but Spurs are expected to be cautious with his return.

Possible return date: West Ham away on September 13

What Frank has said: “Dragusin is on the way back and he's been running for a while,” Frank said. “I think he should join the team in a week's time, 10 days' time, I think that's the thing, so that's positive, but of course it is an ACL. I'm always a little bit more, not worried, but just aware that it takes time.

“When you've been out of football for nine months, you know, you need to get in. It's not enough to have a six-week pre-season. You need to take a little bit more time, but it's positive and some surprise and come back quicker, of course.”

Kota Takai

The summer signing picked up a plantar fascia issue during pre-season meaning he is yet to make his Spurs debut. He missed the pre-season friendlies against Reading, Wycombe and Luton.

Possible return date: Unknown

Mathys Tel is one of six players to miss out on Tottenham's Champions League squad for the first half of the 2025/26 season. Ahead of Spurs' return to Europe's premier competition later this month, the club had to submit their 25-man squad for the league phase to UEFA by 11pm on Tuesday, September 2.

Tottenham have had big issues with their European squad in the past as the rules do differ to those in the Premier League. What has proved problematic for the Lilywhites is a lack of club-trained players and having more than the required four association-trained players and the allotted 17 non-homegrown players.

This in turn has resulted in previous managers having to leave players out of a European squad. The matter has only got worse this season and a total of six players have been cut by Thomas Frank for the league phase.

The players to miss out are: Radu Dragusin, Kota Takai, Yves Bissouma, Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison and Mathys Tel.

Tottenham are unfortunately not in a position where they can name a squad of 25 players for the Champions League due to not having all four positions filled when it comes to club-trained players. Brandon Austin is the only player in that category and three gaps are left open as a result, thus leaving them in a predicament where they can only name a 22-man squad rather than the usual 25.

A new squad list can be submitted for the knockout round with a maximum of three changes for the remaining matches in the competition. In last season's Europa League, Djed Spence came into the Tottenham squad for the knockout phase following his omission for the first part of the competition with Ange Postecoglou unfortunately needing to cut players.

In this season's Champions League, Spurs will face Villarreal, Bodo/Glimt, AS Monaco, FC Copenhagen, PSG, Slavia Prague, Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt. Here is Tottenham's squad for the league phase:

Goalkeepers: Guglielmo Vicario, Antonin Kinsky, Brandon Austin.

Defenders: Kevin Danso, Destiny Udogie, Cristian Romero, Pedro Porro, Djed Spence, Ben Davies, Micky van de Ven.

Midfielders: Joao Palhinha, Xavi Simons, Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Mohammed Kudus, Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert, Pape Matar Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur.

Dejan Kulusevski may be on the sidelines through injury at present but that has not stopped him reporting to the Sweden camp for September's international fixtures. In the first international break of the 2025/26 campaign, Sweden face Slovenia and Kosovo in World Cup qualifiers as they bid to make next year's tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The Tottenham man is in not in a position where he can play right now after undergoing surgery on his knee in May after sustaining the issue in their match against Crystal Palace. Kulusevski is set to return towards the end of 2025 and potentially not until December, barring a quicker than expected recovery.

At a time when many players in his position would stay with their club during the international break and carry on putting in the hours behind the scenes, Kulusevski, who has captained his country over the past year, has instead linked up with his national team as he wants to be part of the group.

“Dejan Kulusevski will be part of the group. He will not be able to play but he will be there anyway," said head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson (via Fotboll Skanalen).

“That says something about his character. He will do everything to make sure we get to the World Cup. He wants to help the team. He will be with the team throughout the training camp.”

Kulusevski's decision amid his injury highlights his character and his leadership skills, which have been clear to see during his time at Tottenham. A leadership role is certainly something he should be considered for in Thomas Frank's team as Spurs plot for a brighter future.

The player's decision has also gone down extremely well with his teammates. "This shows that he is an incredible leader,” said Ken Sema (via Fotboll Skanalen).

“It means a lot. He comes in with energy, is very playful and gives us a lot of positive things. Then he is a close friend of mine. So, it means a lot to us.

“He shows that he is a leader who wants to be here and help the team, and we all see how much he is passionate about this national team. We need as much help as we can get. It is only positive.”

Hjalmar Ekdal added: “It’s big, actually. That says a lot about his character. He is here as a leader but of course as one of the players.

“It means a lot. It means he has a lot of commitment and that he is passionate about this. A good captain’s job.”

Tottenham Hotspur's Europa Leaguue-winning former head coach Ange Postecoglou is reportedly on the radar of German club Bayer Leverkusen, who are already looking for a new boss this season.

Postecoglou was sacked by Spurs after the end of last season. This decision was made in spite of the fact he guided the club to its first major honour in 17 years.

In the end, chairman Daniel Levy could not look beyond the fact Spurs finished 17th in the Premier League table, slipping down from their fifth-placed finish in the 59-year-old's first season in charge.

But it would appear Postecoglou's stock is still in good health despite the dismissal as German publication BILD report his is the new name being 'discussed' by Leverkusen chiefs.

After only two matches of the new Bundesliga campaign, the undefeated 2023/24 champions are already on the hunt for a new manager having brutally sacked former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag. The Dutchman oversaw a DFB-Pokal first round win over fourth tier club Grossapach, lost his first league fixture to Hoffenheim, then drew his second to Werder Bremen.

The Dutchman had taken over from outgoing manager Xabi Alonso whilst several key players such as Florian Wirtz, Granit Xhaka, Jeremie Frimpong, Amine Adli, Lukas Hradecky, Jonathan Tah, and Piero Hincapie left during the summer transfer window.

In the club statement sporting director Simon Rolfes commented: "This decision was not an easy one for us.

"Nobody wanted to take this step. However, the past few weeks have shown that building a new and successful team with this setup is not feasible.

"We firmly believe in the quality of our team and will now do everything we can to take the next steps in our development with a new setup."

Now Postecoglou, who is still without a job since leaving Spurs, seemingly features prominently in Leverkusen's decision-making process. Several other names including Marco Rose, Roger Schmidt, Raul, Claudio Giraldez, and Inigo Perez have all been ruled out.

Any Spurs supporters interested in Postecoglou's next career steps have been warned to watch out in time for the start of next week. A decision will have been made then whether Die Werkself will have a new boss or if they will head into their fixture against Eintracht Frankfurt after the international break with assistant coach Rogier Meijer in interim charge.

Rolfes explained: "The national team players won't be back until Tuesday or Wednesday. So we have a few days to decide what approach we'll take into the next training week to prepare for the match against Frankfurt."

If he does not end up in Germany, Fabrizio Romano claims the Australian is also on Turkish side Fenerbahce's radar. They have sacked former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho for failing to make it through Champions League qualifying.

As for Spurs themselves, they went to immediately appoint Thomas Frank as Postecoglou's successor.

The 51-year-old has made a positive start since his switch from Brentford, beating Burnley and Manchester City, but his side fell to defeat to Bournemouth before the break. Spurs sit fourth in the Premier League.

Time will tell if Tottenham's transfer business for the 2025/26 season proves to be a big success or not. The north London club were active in the summer market as they added some fresh faces to Thomas Frank's squad.

Signing Kota Takai and Mohammed Kudus from Kawasaki Frontale and West Ham respectively, Spurs then struck a loan agreement with Bayern Munich for Joao Palhinha and they also completed the £51.8million signing of Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig.

Randal Kolo Muani was the last to arrive after Tottenham concluded a loan agreement with PSG on deadline day. Tottenham also completed the permanent signings of Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel following their loan moves in the second half of last season and Luka Vuskovic finally linked up with the club almost two years on from the initial agreement with Hajduk Split for the talented centre-back.

Following the closure of the Premier League transfer window at 7pm on Monday evening, clubs will now have to wait until January for the market to reopen. Here we take a look at three transfers Johan Lange and Tottenham may want to look at come the start of 2026.

Centre-back

Tottenham failed to bring in another centre-back option in what remained of the summer transfer window. Vuskovic's loan move to Hamburg could potentially leave Spurs a tad short there considering the current fitness of two players, especially if Frank wants to switch to a back three as he did against PSG in the UEFA Super Cup final.

Radu Dragusin and Kota Takai are working their way back to fitness at present and it remains to be seen when exactly they will return to first-team action. As things stand right now, Kevin Danso and Ben Davies can cover for Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven if needed.

The last thing Tottenham will want is for an injury crisis to strike again in such a key area of the pitch. It could be one to look at in January when the transfer window reopens.

Left-winger

Tottenham have added another option on the left-wing with Kolo Muani joining on a season-long loan deal from PSG. The French international is a striker but he also has experience of playing on the wing.

The exit of Son Heung-min to LAFC has left a big hole considering the goals, assists and top performances he brought to the team on a regular basis. Frank does have lots of choice on the left at present but Spurs may decide that they need an out-and-out left-winger to find the long-term solution to Son's exit.

Full-back

Tottenham may need to add to their options at full-back either in January or in next summer's transfer market. Djed Spence's versatility means he can cover Pedro Porro at right-back and Destiny Udogie on the opposite side of the pitch, with his best football for Spurs so far coming at left-back.

Davies can also fill in at left-back and Archie Gray has played in both positions in the past when needed. Tottenham could do with a specialist full-back, though, and which side may come down to what Frank believes is Spence's best position.

Tottenham made a transfer deadline day swoop for Randal Kolo Muani on loan from PSG for a number of crucial reasons.

Spurs swooped for the 26-year-old France international from PSG in a €5million (£4.3million) deal, after Italian side Juventus were unable to tie up a deal to bring him to Turin permanently following his half-season loan in Serie A, where he netted eight goals in 16 league matches.

Muani has been capped 31 times by France and scored nine goals for his country and he has also made 23 appearances in the Champions League, scoring three times. The forward has adapted and scored in Ligue 1, the Bundesliga and Serie A and played at this summer's Club World Cup.

Spurs remain hopeful over Dominic Solanke's troublesome ankle with an injection given to the player with the plan of settling it down over this international break. The signing of Muani suggests they are planning in case the England international's ankle does not react to the treatment and there is also Richarlison's injury record to take into account for the Brazilian has missed large chunks of his Spurs career with various issues. Muani can compete with and cover both players and can also play off the left or down the right if required.

Our Tottenham reporters Alasdair Gold and Rob Guest spoke about the straight loan for Muani, which comes with no obligation or option to buy him from PSG, in the latest episode of their podcast Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham.

In the show, with a final appearance from head of football.london and Spurs fans Lee Wilmot, the trio discuss the club's transfer window, rating it and going inside many of the deals in and out of the summer.