Football London

"We've won a European trophy. It's not enough. It's what we haven't done that's 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."

Those words from Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy this month in essentially explaining the sacking of Ange Postecoglou and his own desires for the club set the tone, whether he liked it or not, for what was expected this summer from Spurs in building a team for a season in which he expects to compete on multiple fronts.

So of course when the next signing of a new player happens to be a £5million deal for a 20-year-old centre-back from Japanese side Kawasaki Frontale, who is not going to be well known to the everyday Premier League fan, it's going to be met by a certain kind of reaction - mostly AI-created images of Danny Rose using Google.

For football is all about timing, especially when it comes to the aesthetics of transfers, and had Spurs wrapped up the kind of big money deal they need to do this summer to compete with the elite in the Champions League and ensure Levy's statement was not just wishful thinking, then the announcement of Kota Takai after that would have been mostly accepted as a smart piece of business.

However, as the first transfer - not counting the £30million deal to make Mathys Tel's loan move permanent - the reaction was always going to be along the lines of 'same old Tottenham, always looking for a bargain', while the big boys like Liverpool and Manchester City splash the cash on plenty of huge signings.

Had Takai been the third or fourth signing of the summer then the narrative would have been more along the lines that it's the kind of well-scouted and data-confirmed move from Johan Lange's side, kept quiet as usual until it was advanced, that the likes of Brighton, Bournemouth and Thomas Frank's old club Brentford would have been lauded for, especially if the 20-year-old becomes the player Spurs expect him to.

For while Takai falls into the exciting young player category available at a great price - albeit a J.League record fee - like those for Lucas Bergvall, Destiny Udogie and Pape Matar Sarr, he's actually an older, more experienced player than all three of them were when their deals were agreed.

Some have compared this to the move for South Korean teenager Yang Min-hyeok, who arrived last summer and has not played for Spurs yet, enjoying a learning loan at QPR in the second half of the season. It's not. Yang had just broken through with his first full season in the K-League when Tottenham made their move. The youngster was always envisioned as a raw attacker who would not be involved in first team matches immediately.

Takai is different and the expectations are that he will join up next month with the first team and be a part of the squad. He will certainly need an adaptation period like all foreign players, but the centre-back, who will turn 21 in September, has already been exposed to a lot of senior football and is one of the rising stars of Japanese football.

The 6ft 3ins defender has played 78 times already for Kawasaki, scoring four times from the back and laying on one assist. He has played 57 times in the J1 League and played a big role in his club winning the Japanese Super Cup last year and was named the J.League's Young Player of the Year.

He has also got plenty of experience in the AFC Champions League as an integral part of the Kawasaki side that reached the final last month. Along the way, Takai earned plenty of plaudits for the 3-2 semi-final victory away against an Al-Nassr team boasting Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane and Jhon Duran among its attacking options.

The young centre-back mostly kept the trio quiet, shackling Ronaldo for long periods, and Al-Nassr were only able to score from two shots from distance that the Kawasaki goalkeeper made a mess of.

Tottenham have tracked Takai for some time but this performance, which showed composure, strength in the air, an ability to read the game and that he is comfortable bringing the ball out of defence began to elevate his profile at clubs across Europe as it showed the kind of attacking talent he could compete with.

He now has international experience as well, having made his Japan debut just after his 20th birthday and has appeared in four World Cup qualifiers so far. It would have been more but for an adductor injury suffered in October last year. It's worth noting that many in the Japan squad ply their trade in European football, so for Takai to break into it as a young J.League player is a nod towards the belief in him. He also played at the Olympics with his country last year, reaching the quarter-finals.

That's not to say that Takai has been signed as a commercial venture - a reductive label often placed on signings from outside Europe or South America. Players like Son Heung-min only come along once in a lifetime. The Spurs captain has been called 'the Beckham of Asia' and is one of the most recognisable players on the planet and it's because he's been one of the top players in the game for years.

Also what Tottenham make from Son is not as much as people think with the player smart enough to tie up most of his image rights in Asia himself over the years. What they would make commercially from players like Takai or Yang at this point of time is a fraction of what they would make from signing a big name Premier League player. That's not to rule out either becoming superstars, but few from anywhere in the world are ever going to reach Son's level of popularity in the game.

There's also certainly an irony to Spurs signing a player from the J.League just after sacking a manager who won the title there and was keen to take players from Asia to his clubs. Takai was born in Yokohama, where Postecoglou had so much success, and the Australian would no doubt have had input at some stage of the process in recent months but it is Frank who gave the move the green light and will benefit from a centre-back who is right-footed but can play on either side of a central pairing.

Takai will arrive next month to join in with pre-season training. There is a gap in the J.League calendar after July 6 for a fortnight that would seem a logical break to make the switch and have the defender available for the tour to Hong Kong and South Korea, to ensure he bonds quickly with his new team-mates. He will be fit and sharp being midway through his season, which continues on Wednesday as Kawasaki host Niigata.

Tiredness should not be an issue as, barring a remarkable pre-season or injuries galore, Takai will not be starting Premier League games in the early weeks but will be pushing himself into the mix as the months pass.

The main issue for Tottenham right now is the sheer number of centre-backs they have with Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso, the injured Radu Dragusin, Ben Davies and the younger Ashley Phillips and Alfie Dorrington on the books and now Takai as well as a big defensive prospect in Luka Vuskovic, who arrives next month from Hajduk Split.

Spurs have been stockpiling in the centre-back department and Takai's move will not only have a knock-effect for many of those younger defenders but will also only further complicate the club's club-trained issues with their Champions League squad.

To put it simply without diving into all of the rules and regulations, Tottenham currently need to fit 31 senior players into 22 spots in their European squad, even before they make any further signings. It's clear a large number of players need to leave the club this summer.

Spurs fans want to see exciting new arrivals though, especially after Levy's grand declarations. They want someone like Eberechi Eze, who Tottenham maintain a strong interest in but currently have not moved for yet, and the north London club do need to make a team-changing statement this summer to ensure that winning a trophy was not just a blip and that they are not underprepared for their return to the table alongside Europe's best.

There are plenty of smart decisions to make in the transfer window at all price levels. For instance, Christian Norgaard is someone Frank adores as a person, as a leader and as a player and if Spurs were to try to sign the Dane, also being eyed up by Arsenal, despite his new two-year deal signed in March and the fact that he is 31, he could be a crucial experienced figure in an otherwise young side and able to carry out Frank's instructions to the letter.

This summer is all about the club needing to back up Levy's big statement, both the actions and words, but it also about building cleverly and strongly for a new head coach who will need help in the toughest club competition on the planet. Takai is a much smarter deal than people will give it credit for right now, but it needs to be part of an overall summer strategy rather than viewed in isolation.

Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo has taken to social media to post a four-word message amid growing speculation over his future.

The 25-year-old had a fantastic 2024/25 season with the Bees, scoring 20 goals and assisting nine more in 42 appearances in all competitions. With Thomas Frank being named as Ange Postecoglou's replacement at Tottenham, however, the Cameroon international continues to be linked with a move to north London.

Manchester United are also interested, though, and have reportedly lodged a second bid exceeding £60million for the forward. Mbeumo is currently enjoying his summer break following an impressive season, yet it remains to be seen if he will join the Bees for pre-season training in July.

Manchester United's initial offer of £55million was turned down but it's been reported Ruben Amorim's side remain optimistic about securing a deal for the forward. Spurs are not out of the race and could come in with a late offer, with Frank's appointment at the club possibly vital.

Amidst the transfer rumours, Mbeumo shared glimpses of his holiday activities on Instagram, posting a series of images and clips with the caption: "Time off so far [man getting massage emoji]." His off-season activities included experiencing Roland Garros and a picturesque visit to Canada, where he attended the F1 Canadian Grand Prix and gave an interview, reports the Manchester Evening News.

United's Leny Yoro showed support on social media, hinting at the possibility of the two becoming teammates, with United's campaign set to commence at home against Arsenal on August 17. The Red Devils have pinpointed the Premier League forward as the perfect addition to bolster their right-wing attack, according to MEN. If Mbeumo signs, he'll be joining Matheus Cunha as the second summer recruit, following his transfer from Wolves.

Tottenham could also be busy in the transfer market in the coming weeks, with Frank only starting in his role last week. The north London club have made the loan deals for Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel permanent, while 20-year-old centre-back Kota Takai will join the club from Kawasaki Frontale in a £5million deal, football.london understands.

Johan Lange and Frank would have had a number of chats about recruitment by now and football.london's Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold has insisted signing a versatile forward is high on the agenda. Gold said: "One of the priorities is clearly a wide player who can also play through the middle. Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa and Antoine Semenyo all tick that box with the former and latter both expected to be pushing towards the £70million price mark and Wissa less because he's got just a year left on his contract.

"Lange is likely to have plenty of non-Premier League talent on his list for Frank to sift through as well and whether they need to go for more than one new attacker depends on what happens with those at the club."

Many clubs across the Premier League have taken advantage of the 'pure profit' nature of selling players to help with the profit and sustainability regulations but Tottenham are not in that position.

Selling academy products can be a goldmine for football clubs because such players have very low amortised values as little to no transfer fee was paid out for them to begin with. What they are then sold for can be counted as almost 'pure profit' in the accounts which goes towards balancing out transfer spend.

There have been plenty of examples of academy players sold on for big amounts in recent years to prevent clubs falling foul of PSR and the risk of major financial or points penalties.

The main example of Tottenham doing so came with the sale of Harry Kane two years ago to Bayern Munich for almost £100million in total. In that same summer Spurs chairman Daniel Levy sanctioned the sales of Harry Winks for £10million to Leicester and then the following year took more than £20million for the sale of Oliver Skipp to the Foxes.

Skipp, however, was the last remaining outfield club-trained player at the club - an important thing when it comes to registering a squad for European competition. Such players need to have been on a club's books for three entire seasons or 36 months between the ages of 15 and 21.

If you do not have four such seniors players then spaces must be left in your 25-man squad. Currently Tottenham only have goalkeeper Brandon Austin who qualifies for that so their Champions League squad for this coming season can only contain a maximum of 22 players, unless they were to bring back a former academy product such as those mentioned above or others like Kyle Walker-Peters or Dennis Cirkin.

That reason alone makes it unlikely for Spurs to take advantage currently of the 'pure profit' angle to sell their academy players for major fees unless they are sure they will not progress to the first team. Otherwise this problematic scenario will continue long into the future, apart from those young players they have signed at 18 eventually becoming club-trained years down the line.

Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray for example will be able to be registered on the youth B list from the 2026/27 season to ensure they do not need to be registered in the main European squad before eventually becoming club-trained.

It's also worth pointing out of course that Tottenham's high revenue and deductables such as their stadium depreciation makes it difficult for them to breach PSR rules in the first place anyway.

Football finance expert Swiss Ramble estimated that Spurs had around £93million per year of allowable deductions when it came to PSR compliance, with that figure made up of depreciation of £70million, £15million on youth development and £3million each on the women’s team and the community.

Using those allowable deductions, Spurs came out as net positive for PSR in 2021/22 at £32million, negative for 2022/23 at £2million given the heavy £95million pre-tax loss, and net positive for 2023/24 at £66million. That £96million sum, added on top of the £105million that as already allowed, meant that the club had some £201million in PSR headroom before having to be concerned about any kind of Premier League punishment. That was one of the healthiest PSR positions in the Premier League.

Next season’s position will likely see less wiggle room, but Tottenham are unlikely to be concerned about compliance given the breathing space they have already created over the years.

Manchester United have upped their bid to around £60 million for Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo.

Ruben Amorim, United's head coach, is on a mission to revamp his side following the club's most dismal top-flight season in 51 years, further marred by a crushing defeat to Tottenham in the Europa League final.

United have already secured Matheus Cunha from Wolves in a deal worth £62.5m and are looking to strengthen their attack even more before pre-season kicks off on July 7.

After making initial contact with Brentford about Mbeumo earlier this month and seeing a bid of £45m plus £10m in add-ons turned down, it's understood they've now tabled an offer exceeding £60m.

Spurs, currently under the management of Mbeumo's former Bees boss Thomas Frank, are also keen on the Cameroon international.

The 25 year-old's contract at Brentford runs out next summer, but there's an option to extend it by another year.

Frank's move to Spurs has put a new dimension on United's move for Mbeumo, which pending a fee being agreed was expected to be rather straightforward given the player's desire to move to Old Trafford.

Brentford, though, can afford to hold out for their desired asking price and even Frank said himelf before moving to Spurs that Mbeumo would not come cheap to any club wishing to sign him.

"It is clear that if he is to be sold, it must be for a nice, nice amount," Frank said. "It is a lot. Mucho. Really a lot.

"Then it is clear that it is impossible to replace him one for one. It cannot be done. "There is a reason why he costs x number of million pounds, and we do not have x number of million pounds to buy for.

"I would say that I would be surprised if a lot of big clubs don’t look at him. "I would be surprised with what he has to offer.

“How many wingers score 20 goals for a mid-table club? And then with seven assists plus his work ethic. "And his character. All these things mean that he has a lot, so he is a good player."

Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on their second signing of the summer transfer window after agreeing a deal to sign Kawasaki Frontale centre-back Kota Takai.

football.london understands that Spurs have agreed a £5million deal with the Japanese club and Takai is expected to be part of Thomas Frank's first-team squad.

The 20-year-old is set to join Mathys Tel through the door at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer after the forward's loan move was made permanent.

Here, football.london brings you a lowdown of Spurs' new centre-back including a tasty encounter with Cristiano Ronaldo...

Who is Kota Takai?

Born in Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Takai is a 20-year-old central defender who has already made a name for himself in Japan. After playing his youth football for River FC, the 2004-born defender was signed by Kawasaki Frontale.

Having developed through their academy, he made his senior debut in an 8-0 win over Guangzhou in April 2022. The 2022/23 season was his breakthrough campaign during which he featured 21 times before scoring his first goal for the club in May 2024.

After reaching the 2024 Olympic Games quarter-final with Japan, the defender was handed his fully-fledged national team debut in September 2024 when he replaced Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Ko Itakura in a 7-0 win against China.

In the recent international break, he played 21 minutes in a narrow defeat to Australia and the full 90 against Indonesia, a game they won 6-0. Takai spent this summer representing his country at Under-23 level at the AFC Asian Cup and helped them win the tournament thanks to a 1-0 win over Uzbekistan in the final.

In April, Takai showcased his quality against Ronaldo when Frontale faced Al Nassr in the semi-final of the AFC Champions League Elite. The Japanese team won 3-2 against Ronaldo, Sadio Mane and co with Takai earning plenty of plaudits.

"Honestly, we were losing individually as a team, but I think we won today because of our organised fighting style, which is typical of Japan," he claimed, despite admitting he wasn't pleased with his own performance. "I'm not satisfied with my play today, so I hope I can play in a way that will save the team in the final."

How will he fit into Spurs?

Spurs fans will know that Takai isn't the first young, unknown gem picked up by Spurs. The north Londoners have snapped up Luka Vuskovic, Archie Gray, Wilson Odobert, Lucas Bergvall, Min-hyeok Yang, Antonin Kinsky, Ashley Phillips and Alejo Veliz in recent years.

Vuskovic has been out on loan in both Poland and Belgium since joining the club but can now officially make the move from Hajduk Split now he is 18.

New head coach Frank arrives at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with a number of solid centre-back options with Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven expected to be his first-choice, despite the former being linked with a move away.

Danso's permanent arrival joins Radu Dragusin, although the Romanian is currently nursing an ACL injury picked up in February. Ben Davies and Gray have been used as makeshift centre-backs but it's unclear how Frank will utilise them going forward.

Tottenham have agreed a £5million deal for 20-year-old Japan international centre-back Kota Takai from Kawasaki Frontale.

football.london understands the young defender is expected to be part of Thomas Frank's first team squad for the coming season and will leave Kawasaki midway through their J.League campaign to join up with the Dane's pre-season preparations, which begin in just over a fortnight.

Takai, who will turn 21 in September, has played 19 times this season in the Japanese league and another nine in the AFC Champions League, scoring twice. Despite his age, the young defender has also captained the side once, in their 3-3 draw at home against Yokohama in April.

The centre-back was identified by Spurs technical director Johan Lange and his staff as being able to step into the Premier League, following in the footsteps of other young signings at the club in recent years such as Lucas Bergvall, Pape Matar Sarr and Destiny Udogie, with the signing given the green light by Frank.

The current expectation is that Takai, who has now made four senior international appearance for Japan, will remain with the squad rather than be loaned out, but he will be fully assessed by Frank and his coaching staff up close in training when he arrives at the club. However, his experience with 78 senior club matches at his age and four international ones is seen as similar, and advanced on the international stage, to the likes of Bergvall, Sarr, Udogie and Archie Gray as being able to make the step up.

Takai will arrive in the same summer as teenager Luka Vuskovic. The Croatian centre-back has been out on loan in both Poland and Belgium and now he has turned he can officially make the move from Hajduk Split.

The Japan international will become the second signing of the Frank era after Mathys Tel's loan move from Bayern Munich was made permanent. The Frenchman will cost Spurs £29.8million (€35million), plus a potential further £4.2million (€5million) in add-ons. Tottenham to managed to knock around £15million off the original £45million option to buy the player at the end of his £8.5million loan spell.

Tottenham have confirmed just one new signing in the summer transfer window thus far, with it clear plenty more are needed. Spurs are fresh off a disastrous domestic season but it will be remembered for their historic Europa League triumph which broke a 17-year trophy drought.

The arrival of Thomas Frank as Ange Postecoglou's replacement has kick-started some movement in the trading period with Mathys Tel joining on a permanent deal from Bayern Munich. While the manager situation was resolved, negotiations for the Frenchman were ongoing and an agreement was eventually struck at £30million.

Alongside a talented young attacker coming into the club, marquee additions out wide, in midfield and potentially in defence will be needed.

Exits are also likely as Spurs look to raise funds from a number of players on the fringes of the first team. With a number of decisions facing Frank, on both incomings and outgoings, football.london has had a go at making some of the big calls.

Incomings

Even though he was the club's top scorer last season and scored the winner against Manchester United, an improvement on Brennan Johnson or at least a different option to the Wales international is needed.

Bryan Mbeumo of Frank's former club Brentford would be the dream addition and though he is favouring a move to Manchester United, Spurs are still in the race. £70million is his asking price and with Champions League prize money secured, Tottenham are in a much stronger financial position than United.

Perhaps the only position more in need of an addition is central midfield with a natural No.6 the clear requirement. Jonny Cardoso was the obvious option but he is set to join Atletico Madrid from Real Betis.

Alternatives are few and far between as Spurs need someone with a very specific skillset but there is a bargain option available that also has Premier League experience in Joao Palhinha. Bayern are open to letting him go for just £29million (€35m) with the Portugal international thus far enduring a nightmare spell in Germany.

For two seasons, he was very impressive at Fulham and while he may be tasked with different responsibilities in north London, at that price and with his track record, it is absolutely a deal worth pursuing.

An addition at full-back for depth is also important with Kyle Walker-Peters the perfect signing. His Southampton contract expires imminently and if he does join, he will be classed as club-trained with Tottenham needing more of them for their upcoming campaign.

Outgoings

Several Tottenham stars should be available for transfer this summer and a few others may be making the decision to leave. Yves Bissouma, Ben Davies and Richarlison fit into the former category with all three struggling for regular minutes and thus consistency.

The Lilywhites would also be able to take in some decent funds from the trio's departure with the one-year contract option for Davies perhaps taken up so a fee can be obtained from him leaving.

Cristian Romero and Son Heung-min are the big names that could exit N17 with the club captain having one year remaining on his contract. Having finally won a trophy representing Spurs for the best part of a decade, now is the perfect time to move on with it also allowing Spurs to take in a fee.

As for Romero, Spurs have made it clear that only a significant offer will see them consider a departure and therefore he stays before then departing next summer as he enters the final 12 months of his contract. That allows time for Luka Vuskovic and Kevin Danso to be bedded in further.

Thomas Frank and Johan Lange are looking to take Tottenham to new heights and the man who hired them two decades ago believes they are both very different characters driven by the same need to succeed.

Frank was appointed this month as the man to replace Ange Postecoglou as Spurs head coach in the wake of the club winning the Europa League. One of those keen to appoint the Dane was his compatriot Lange, who had wanted to do the same at Aston Villa a few years back only for Steven Gerrard to get the job at that point.

Frank and Lange go way back to their time at Lyngby where the former was a youth coach between 2006 and 2008 and the latter was also involved with the reserves for the club located in the suburbs of Copenhagen. The duo used to share a small office together back then so got to know each other very well.

The man who hired them both, Birger Jorgensen, has previously spoken about how different the two men who will now steer the Spurs ship are.

"Thomas is Thomas, he walks the talk. He has always been the same and will always be the same," he said in an interview with Sky Sports back in 2021. "He is very hard-working and always in a good mood. Johan is the opposite of Thomas, he keeps his cards close to his chest. But he is a fantastic guy, very smart."

He added: "I spotted them, I hired them, I worked with them. But they have done it themselves. They have taken their chance. We are just happy to have been a part of their education.

"Lyngby is just an ordinary football club but we have a special environment. We are built on curious coaching. You can experiment here. Of course, we try to win our games and be champions. But we are always collecting good people, hard-working people.

"We all have a common thing, we all believe in ourselves, we all know where we are coming from and none of us think we are something we are not. That is what has made us successful, good people who are working hard, being themselves."

On that shared office all those years ago, Jorgensen said it was full of "good people, good coaches, a good environment" and he believes that happiness and having a release through your social life plays a part in successful football journeys. Frank has admitted himself that he ensures he maintains his social life and gets away from football as much as possible when the time is right.

"A lot of clubs believe only in serious people but you need a bit of yourself, a bit of a social life," said Jorgensen. "A football club is about teamwork, otherwise it cannot exist. That is why so many former Lyngby coaches are so successful. We are happy about it and want it to continue."

Tottenham Hotspur are seeking £11m from the Sir Jim Ratcliffe-owned INEOS firm after the company ended its sponsorship agreement back in December 2024.

Global petrochemicals giant INEOS had been the automotive partner of Spurs since 2022, inking a multi-year deal worth tens of millions, but opted to end their association with the club seven months ago, one of a number of sponsorship deals that they had looked to extricate themselves from, including sponsorship of the New Zealand Rugby All Blacks.

INEOS Automotive, the side of the business that had the deal with Spurs, have since seen legal action from Spurs come their way, with the club taking the matter to the London Commercial Court as they seek to recover what they believe to be monies owed from the deal.

INEOS Automotive have argued that the option to terminate their deal three years into a five-year agreement was within their right.

In a statement to Sky Sports earlier this month, an INEOS spokesperson said: “INEOS Automotive has been a partner of Tottenham Hotspur since 2022, taking on a partnership agreement that INEOS Group had in place with the club since 2020.

"We have a contractual right to terminate our partnership contract and in December 2024 exercised that right."

According to a report in renowned legal publication The Lawyer, Spurs are seeking as much as £11m, a figure football.london understands to be correct, from INEOS Automotive in relation to the early exit from the agreement.

Football.london reached out to Spurs for comment but were told the club do not comment on live legal matters.

In March, INEOS reached an agreement with New Zealand Rugby after they were threatened with legal action for a similar issue of leaving a partnership early.

On that occasion a settlement was reached, and there remains the possibility that both sides may well find some common ground in the coming days on the matter that is satisfactory to both sides.

Ratcliffe, of course, has a minority stake of 27.1% in Spurs’ Premier League rivals Manchester United, with the deal he struck with the Glazer family back in December of 2023 handing him oversight over football strategy at Old Trafford, as well as the plans to create a new 100,000 seater stadium for a side that has struggled competitively in recent years.

Tottenham Hotspur's chief football officer Scott Munn has been placed on gardening leave, football.london understands.

The 51-year-old Australian joined Tottenham less than two years ago after some initial delays in his announced move from the City Football Group and was a key ally of Ange Postecoglou during his time at the club. However, when the head coach was sacked this month following the Europa League win in Bilbao, along with the arrival of a new chief executive officer in Vinai Venkatesham, Munn's time at the club looked to be heading towards its close.

football.london understands that while no official announcement has been made about him yet, Munn has now been placed on gardening leave by the north London club as the changes continue to take place at the top at Spurs.

Along with Venkatesham's arrival, so Tottenham appointed a new head coach in Thomas Frank and it was announced that the club's executive director Donna-Maria Cullen, a long-time advisor to Daniel Levy, would be stepping down from the board and would be leaving the club this summer.

Former managing director of football Fabio Paratici is expected by staff within the club to return at some point this year. The Italian currently remains in a consultancy role with Spurs with a contract that lasts until the end of August and he is nearing the end of his ban from specific football activities. Paratici does remain part of a civil trial in Italy with others who used to be in the Juventus hierarchy over investigations into what took place at the Serie A club during his time there.

When Munn joined Tottenham back in 2023 in the newly-created chief football officer role, Levy said: "Scott has a unique and broad experience of running sporting organisations at the highest level and will take responsibility for the leadership and management of our football activities to instil best practice both on and off the pitch."

Now new head coach Frank will deal with Venkatesham, technical director Johan Lange and Levy. The Dane spoke last week about the club's current hierarchy.

"They've done a very, very good process. I would say Daniel Levy and Vinai and Johan Lange. I've had very good conversations and meetings with them, where we discussed everything in depth, details about club structure, processes, and of course I came with my view on things and how I saw it and my ideas and the way I want to do things and how I try to build a team and the club, and of course it's not, it's not just me," he said.

"I think it's very important to say, yes, the head coach is an important person, but if I don't have good people around me, it's impossible. You can't do anything alone in my opinion. If you want to do something quick, you can go alone, if you want to do something big or achieve something big, you go together. So it's definitely a thing about doing things together. Me, staff and players.

"I think the alignment is key from top to bottom, and of course it starts from Daniel and Vinai and Johan and me, and the more the four of us can be aligned, just like a unit and like unbreakable unit, the stronger we will be, and there will be ups and downs. I think right now it's a fairy tale. Everyone is happy. The sun is shining. It's fantastic, but we haven't played one game yet.

"Hopefully we win a lot. We'll work very hard every single day to make sure we create as many magic moments for the fans, and put them together and hopefully at the end of the season there will be a very good season, but the alignment in terms of structure, processes, transfers, squad, playing style, culture, all that is is key."