Football London

Tottenham Hotspur supporters are waiting for the vacant manager's position to be filled before they can get excited about any potential transfer signings.

It has been quiet on the transfer front so far, with the first of two summer windows now closed - in lieu of the Club World Cup group stages taking place in the United States of America - with the second due to open on Monday, June 16. That will run until closure on September 1.

Spurs have been linked with some players - the likes of Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace - but transfer rumours are thin on the ground.

That is because Tottenham do not have a head coach at the moment. Ange Postecoglou was sacked on Friday and almost a week on there is no new man in the dugout.

Thomas Frank is the man set to take on the role, with an announcement expected in the coming days. Once he is in place, the transfer speculation is likely to ramp up considerably.

And Frank may well hold the key to what would be a huge transfer boost for Spurs and in turn hand fierce rivals Arsenal a hammer blow.

Frank will be making the move across London from Brentford, where he has spent the last seven years. And he could bring a big player with him.

Bryan Mbeumo has been linked with an exit from the Gtech Community Stadium, with Manchester United thought to be at the front of the queue to sign him this summer. The Red Devils are hoping to prise him away in a £60million deal.

Mbeumo has thrived under Frank in the six years they have been together, however, and his move to Tottenham could interest the 25-year-old too.

If Spurs were to steal a march on United and complete a deal for Mbeumo, that would have a knock-on effect. Mbeumo is not the only forward United have been linked with.

Viktor Gyokeres is another target on the list, having worked with Ruben Amorim at Sporting CP before his move to Old Trafford. Gyokeres is also on Arsenal's radar and if Spurs were to get Frank into the hotseat and make their move for Mbeumo, it may well lead to United going all out to sign Gyokeres ahead of the Gunners.

Thomas Frank has already admitted that he would have done his "due diligence" on Tottenham Hotspur and ask chairman Daniel Levy important questions before he puts pen to paper at the club.

The Dane is expected to make the switch from Brentford in the coming days to succeed Ange Postecoglou after almost seven years in charge of the Bees. Frank will arrive at a very different club to what he has been used to, with higher expectations and very different challenges.

Many Spurs managers have come and gone in recent years with Postecoglou the 13th Levy has sacked in 24 years in charge and the Australian departed despite winning the club's first trophy in 17 years just a month ago with the Europa League triumph against Manchester United in Bilbao.

During an appearance on the High Performance Podcast earlier this season, Frank was asked about the prospect of moving to a bigger club and the questions that he would ask before doing so, as Graham Potter had previously stated that he found that a learning experience after his time at Chelsea.

"I said a million times, I'm very, very, very happy here. If I ever should go to another club, I think it's difficult sometimes to be in a position to ask the right questions, you definitely need to do due diligence yourself," said the 51-year-old. "[Sir Alex] Ferguson was saying wasn't he that you need to pick your chairman, yeah, that can be difficult because it's not that often that you've got the possibility to choose between three clubs. There's maybe two or three managers in the world that can do that.

"So more normal managers like Graham and I, if that club comes that we think is interesting enough, then it's maybe not an option for us to choose the chairman, if we want that challenge.

"But I think this is a general thing I would say now, it's not for me, I think for any football head coach or manager, of course, the ownership/chairman is important. I think the club you're going into, can you achieve instant improvement? Is there low hanging fruit or is it difficult to raise the bar?

"And are the finances good? Can you get the players in and out you want to? I think that's the key."

Tottenham will play in the Champions League next season and Frank was asked whether that was something that he would like to test himself in.

"I think there's a part of me that one day maybe, maybe I need to try something different," he said. "Is that a bigger club, Champions League, different challenge? I don't know. The flip side of me is thinking, because I think I'm a little bit different, I don't know all my colleagues, their family life and social life, but I'm a very social person and I love that part of life as well, being together with friends and family and then being able to travel and all that, and I'm working very hard at Brentford.

"I'm in a club where everything is working, everything being part of building all the processes and then we know last year, I'm not saying we were fighting relegation, but it wasn't going completely the way we thought so then it's a little bit tougher, but there's a lot of things in this club where it's easier, that then you're going into another club where you need to build the culture, you need to build everything, you need to do all that.

"So that's probably the two questions I need to ask myself. And plus at Brentford, maybe there are extra layers. I don't know, who knows what will happen in the future and what we can do, even more. I think that's probably the two questions I'm asking myself.

"So now, I'm just thinking, what is it I want in life? Is it that constant chasing, which I already do a little bit with my ambition to want to do better and better and better?"

Frank admitted that he has reached a point in his life where he is happy, comfortable in his own skin and he does not fear getting the sack at any club.

"I've probably been working 60, 70 hours since I was 20-years-old, not with the ambition to be a Premier League head coach one day, that's a little bit of coincidence, hopefully hard work, hopefully some skill," he said. "Hopefully good people help me along the way, and you know, just small aims, goals, and now I'm privileged to sit here, but I always try to get the balance right with family and friends, and I always knew that that was probably more important to me.

"And of course there are stages in your career, of course, when I was in Brondby, I walked out myself after three years. I probably knew it was probably not that good to be sacked after two years. Of course, here I didn't want to be sacked, but now, no matter where I go in the future, or if I stay in Brentford, I'll never be afraid of getting sacked.

"Never, never, ever, ever, and I could just go home to be a teacher in Denmark. I know I will miss the football a bit, don't get me wrong, my ego will be hurt and all that, but the biggest thing in life now, is much more important - family and friends."

The hunt for a new manager is underway at Tottenham, with Brentford manager Thomas Frank poised to take over in the Spurs dugout ahead of the new season.

Despite winning the Europa League and securing Champions League qualification, Ange Postecoglou was sacked by Spurs earlier this month, but it seems that the Lilywhites are acting quickly, with Frank set to become the new head coach at Spurs sooner rather than later. The Dane has spent seven years at Brentford, helping them to Premier League promotion in 2021, where they have improved year on year.

But now, Frank seems destined for a move away from the Gtech Community Stadium, with the manager vacancy at Spurs calling his name. So, if Spurs were to appoint Thomas Frank as their new manager this summer, what could happen? Let's take a look.

Tottenham's 2025/26 season simulated with Thomas Frank

To set up this simulation, we used Football Manager 2024 to make Frank the new Spurs manager before simulating the 2025/26 season. Frank's first order of business was sorting out his squad, with the Danish manager signing five players in the summer transfer window.

Frank signed Brentford attacking duo Bryan Mbeumo and Kevin Schade, with the two following their former manager to north London. Brighton's Carlos Baleba signed to strengthen the midfield, Southampton defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis joined after his side's relegation, and on deadline day, Eberechi Eze signed from Crystal Palace, with Frank targeting Premier League-proven players.

Eze was the standout player for Spurs out of all the new arrivals, with the Englishman the second-best player in Spurs' squad from the 2025/26 campaign.

Dejan Kulusevski was one of the best in Europe, with the Swede scoring 20 goals across all competitions while also being nominated for Premier League player of the season. Eze managed 18 goal contributions with an average rating of 7.26 per game, while Dominic Solanke was the club's top scorer, grabbing 24 goals in total.

At the end of the 2025/26 season, Football Manager 2024 put together an overall best Spurs XI, based on performances, statistics, and other metrics. This is what it looked like:

Full Spurs best XI: (4-3-3): Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Baleba, Maddison, Kulusevski; Mbeumo, Solanke, Eze.

New signings Baleba, Mbeumo and Eze all made Spurs' best XI, while Schade and Harwood-Bellis were rotated throughout the season. Mbeumo played every single game for Spurs across all competitions, with Brennan Johnson being sent on loan to Crystal Palace in the January transfer window.

In the Premier League, Spurs were much better under Frank, with the Dane losing just two of his first 15 league games in charge. A poor run saw the Lilywhites lose five games in eight after the new year, but they rediscovered their form towards the end of the season to pick up a top-five finish.

Spurs impressed in the Champions League as they finished in the top eight of the League Phase to automatically qualify for the Round of 16. A 3-2 aggregate win over Juventus saw them advance to the quarter-finals, but that's where the journey ended as they lost 5-3 on aggregate to Paris Saint-Germain.

A poor FA Cup campaign saw Spurs knocked out in the fourth round after a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United, and they came close to a trophy in the Carabao Cup as they made it to the final, but a 1-0 loss to Liverpool saw them go trophyless in Frank's first season.

The priority at Tottenham right now is to appoint a new head coach in place of Ange Postecoglou. The Australian exited Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on the second anniversary of his appointment and he looks set to be replaced at the helm by Thomas Frank.

Brentford boss Frank has been linked with the Spurs hotseat for quite some time amid the mounting pressure on Postecoglou and it does appear that he will soon be making the switch across the capital. Once the 51-year-old has signed on the dotted line, he will be getting his plans in place for pre-season as he attempts to get his football philosophy across to his new squad.

As soon as the ink is dry on Frank's Tottenham contract, Johan Lange and the club need to start making moves in the transfer market as they bid to ensure that their finish of 17th last season is a one-off. But what exactly are the priority positions as they aim to give Frank the best squad possible to attack the new season? football.london takes a look below.

No.6

Tottenham have been crying out for an out-and-out No.6 addition over the past couple of seasons. Yves Bissouma has had his moments in the role but on the whole he has struggled to replicate his Brighton form with his levels of performance fluctuating.

Archie Gray may turn out to be the long-term solution in the position and that will all come down to Frank's thinking amid some mixed displays there under Postecoglou. One player who doesn't look set to join Tottenham this summer is Real Betis' Johnny Cardoso.

Despite Tottenham having the option to sign him due to striking an agreement with the La Liga side last August, the United States international is now on course to join Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid. Spurs need to address the problem for good in the weeks ahead, especially as it is going to be another hectic year with Champions League football on the calendar.

Wide options

Tottenham could certainly do with adding to their wide options amid doubts over the long-term futures of some of their players. football.london understands that Son Heung-min is more open to leaving the club this summer than he has been before if a deal arises that suits all parties.

It then remains to be seen what will happen with Richarlison, Manor Solomon and Mathys Tel following the conclusion of his loan deal from Bayern Munich. Not only do Tottenham need additional options out wide, they need more quality if they want to improve in the Premier League and also go far in the cup competitions.

Full-back

Tottenham could also do with bringing in either a new right-back or left-back. Which position may depend on what Frank has planned for Djed Spence giving his versatility.

Even though he is a right-back by trade, his best performances in a Tottenham shirt have so far come at left-back in Postecoglou's team. Spurs need to ensure they have sufficient cover and someone to really push their first-choice options in the position, which Spence certainly did with Destiny Udogie on the left.

Striker

Amid the uncertainty over what comes next for Richarlison, a new striker could be in order for Tottenham this summer. The Brazilian's struggles to remain fit meant Postecoglou had to start Dominic Solanke more than he would have liked and it was no surprise when the striker eventually had to have a period in the treatment room himself.

A new addition up front could well depend on if Richarlison moves on or not. One of Dane Scarlett or Will Lankshear can act as third-choice striker, with the other heading out on loan for some more first-team experience.

Centre-back

Tottenham may be in a position where they need a new centre-back given the speculation surrounding Cristian Romero over the past few months. The World Cup winner is a huge player for Spurs and he will need replacing if he is to head elsewhere.

While there may be more immediate concerns for Tottenham as they search for a replacement for Ange Postecoglou, the upcoming summer transfer window marks the beginning of a crucial couple of months for the club.

Whether it’s securing new signings that a new manager - reportedly Brentford’s Thomas Frank - might favour, or building a squad capable of competing on multiple fronts, Spurs must get their decisions right. Despite a dismal 2024/25 Premier League campaign, their Europa League triumph over Manchester United in May secured an unexpected return to the Champions League next season.

Injuries played a significant role in Tottenham’s struggles under Postecoglou, so improving squad depth will be vital if they are to enjoy a more consistent season. That surprise place in Uefa's premier competition could also prove key in attracting their top transfer targets.

Here, football.london takes a look at what Tottenham’s strongest matchday squad might look like if certain deals are completed in the weeks ahead...

Starting XI

Guglielmo Vicario will almost certainly retain the No.1 spot next season, despite missing a large portion of the previous campaign due to a serious ankle injury. Antonin Kinsky proved to be a dependable deputy during that period and remains a solid squad option.

Defensively, Spurs have competition for places when the squad is fully fit, but Micky van de Ven is a guaranteed starter. Injuries and possible departures mean recruiting another top-tier centre-back should be a priority this summer.

The club has already been linked with several defenders, but Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi stands out, provided they can fend off competition from the likes of Newcastle United, who will also feature in next season’s Champions League.

In midfield, there’s a strong case that only one of Yves Bissouma or Rodrigo Bentancur should be retained, with potential exits paving the way for a big-money move for Palace’s Adam Wharton. The England international is one of the most promising young midfielders in the country and would be a major coup if Spurs can tempt Palace to the table.

Up front, Spurs already boast several strong options. Brennan Johnson has proven his worth, while Dominic Solanke arrived last summer as the big-money striker signing.

In terms of further additions, Bryan Mbeumo has been linked, though reports suggest he prefers a move to United. Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo would command a high fee but is undeniably one of the standout wide forwards on the market this summer.

Substitues

In defence, Kevin Danso and Radu Dragusin offer capable backup, while Cristian Romero's future remains uncertain amid interest from La Liga side Atletico Madrid. In midfield, young prospect Lucas Bergvall is one to watch, while James Maddison remains a strong rotation option alongside Dejan Kulusevski.

There are also question marks over the future of club captain Son Heung-min, who is entering the final year of his contract amid reported interest from Saudi Arabia. Richarlison’s future is similarly unclear, having struggled to make a consistent impact, but given last season’s injury crisis, Spurs may be reluctant to part ways with both forwards.

Starting XI: Vicario; Porro, Guehi, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bentancur, Wharton; Kulusevski; Johnson, Solanke, Semenyo

The start of a new Premier League season will once again mark the beginning of a new era at Tottenham Hotspur. Fresh from winning the Europa League trophy at the end of May, Daniel Levy and the club's board have elected to make another big change in N17 following the sacking of Ange Postecoglou.

Brentford manager Thomas Frank looks on course to be the man to replace him in the dugout after making a real name for himself in the Premier League since guiding the Bees to promotion back in 2021. The Dane is a very popular figure with his players and he has come in for so much praise from opposition managers in the past.

Frank is also very good tactically and he has been known to utilise a number of different formations at Brentford. A 4-2-3-1 setup was his formation of choice last season, thus allowing Mikkel Damsgaard to flourish in the final third amid his previous Premier League struggles.

Emiliano Martinez's wife has revealed that the Aston Villa goalkeeper's emotional display during the club's final home match of the season against Tottenham Hotspur is simply 'just who he is'.

The Argentinian shot-stopper was visibly moved as he received a rousing send-off from the Villa Park faithful following their 2-0 triumph over Spurs. This occasion, often marked by players and staff alongside their families, serves as an opportunity to express gratitude for the unwavering support throughout the season before they head off for their summer break.

Martinez, accompanied by his wife, Mandinha, and their children, took part in the lap of honour post-match, with many noting the keeper's emotional response. In the wake of this, there has been ongoing speculation about his future at the club.

It is understood that the former Arsenal number one, who has held the same position at Villa since his £20million transfer in 2020, has attracted interest from the Saudi Pro League. However, should he decide to move, his preference would be to stay within Europe, reports Birmingham Live.

The coming weeks and months of the transfer window will reveal more about Martinez's future. The goalkeeper, who has been on international duty with Argentina for their World Cup qualifiers, has not yet made any decisions.

Meanwhile, Villa remain calm about the situation, having secured a new extended contract with Martinez just last summer.

Mandinha, the partner of Emiliano Martinez, has downplayed the emotional scenes involving the Villa goalkeeper after their penultimate match of the season, suggesting it may not be as significant as some believe.

Speaking to Ed James on BBC WM, Mandinha clarified the situation regarding Martinez's show of emotion. "He wasn't in tears," she explained, addressing speculation about whether it was a farewell gesture.

"No. Anybody who knows Emi knows he is an emotional character and that's who he is. It just shows you how much he loves the Villa fans. I love the Villa fans. We love Villa."

Mauricio Pochettino's United States nightmare continued after his side were thrashed 4-0 against Switzerland on Tuesday night. Looking to record a positive result in their final outing before the Gold Cup this month, the US instead suffered their fourth successive defeat and were battered in Nashville.

Goals from Bologna duo Dan Ndoye and Michel Aebischer, as well as Monaco's Breel Embolo and Johan Manzambi of Freiburg condemned the United States to a humiliating home loss.

The USMNT's last win came against Jamaica in the Concacaf Nations League in January. They have since lost against Panama, Canada, Turkey and Switzerland, scoring just twice in the process.

Pochettino and his players were booed off after losing against Swizerland and it has ramped up the pressure on the former Chelsea head coach, who has been linked with a shock return to Tottenham this week.

Speaking after USMNT's defeat against Switzerland, Pochettino said: "First of all, I think it, of course, is our responsibility and my responsibility, the decision of the choice of the starting eleven.

"Because I think we wanted to give the possibility to the whole roster to have minutes and play for different circumstances and I think that is the risk that we took. And I think that was, if something can go in the wrong direction, it was in the wrong direction from the beginning.

"My first was not to blame, of course, the players; it's to blame ourselves [the coaching staff] because I think that was our decision.

"And I think the combination of the starting eleven of the team, wasn't, I think, now after 90 minutes, the best. "We need to say, blame ourselves.

"Criticize us. "Because it was my decision, and that decision didn't work, and when that doesn't work, you need to be critical with yourself."

Following the sacking of Ange Postecoglou, Pochettino had been linked with a move back into club management and re-joining Spurs - almost six years since his exit. However, the Argentine has committed his future to the United States role, having signed a two-year contract until the end of the 2026 World Cup.

Pochettino said in an interview on Saturday: "After I left in 2019, every time that I was free, and the place of the position of the manager or head coach in Tottenham Hotspur, my name is appearing on the list. If you have seen the rumours, I think there are 100 coaches in the list. I think, don't be worried about that.

"If something happened, for sure you will see, but we cannot talk about this type of thing, because I think today, it's not real. It's not realistic. Look at where I am, where we are. And the thing is, the answer is so clear, no? But we’re talking about it because it’s my club, like Newells or Espanyol."

Tottenham are instead closing in on the appointment of Thomas Frank from Brentford. Spurs are expected to activate his £10 million release clause and appoint him as their new head coach.

It looks like it will only be a matter of time before Thomas Frank is confirmed as the next head coach of Tottenham. The Dane will replace Ange Postecoglou in the hotseat after his dismissal was confirmed last Friday.

Frank has made quite a name for himself since taking over from Dean Smith at Brentford in 2018. Guiding the Bees to a place in the Premier League with a play-off final victory over Swansea City in May 2021, the west London club have continued to travel in only one direction since winning at Wembley and have subsequently gone from strength to strength during their spell in their top flight.

Due to his outstanding work at the Gtech Community Stadium, it appeared that it would only be a matter of time before Frank took on a bigger role elsewhere. That will now be at Tottenham, with the 51-year-old the pick to take over from Postecoglou.

Much will be expected of the incoming boss as Spurs look to build on winning the Europa League last month. Tottenham endured a wretched Premier League campaign after finishing 17th and they will be keen to ensure that is a one-off and they get back to challenging for a top-four berth.

Before the 2025/26 Premier League season kicks off on Friday, August 15, Frank will be looking to get his football philosophy across to his new players during pre-season. It will be a key period for all concerned as they bid to get off to a fast start, with the ex-Brondby boss set to have the vast majority of his players available from the beginning of pre-season with no major international tournaments in the calendar this summer.

As things stand right now, Frank's first game as Tottenham head coach will be a North London Derby encounter against Arsenal in Hong Kong. The match is due to be played at Kai Tak Stadium on Thursday, July 31.

That would be some start for the Dane, although it is worth pointing out that Spurs do have a couple of free weekends in the calendar prior to departing for their tour of Asia and an additional one or two friendlies could possibly be added to the schedule. Twelve months ago, Spurs played games at Hearts and QPR before flying to Japan and later South Korea.

After taking on Arsenal, Spurs will go head-to-head with another Premier League rival as they are due to face Newcastle United in South Korea. A date and time for the friendly still needs to be confirmed.

Tottenham will then depart South Korea and head for Germany, this time facing Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. The sides did play against each other twice last summer, with one game in South Korea and the other at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham's final match before the new Premier League season commences is a UEFA Super Cup showdown against PSG at Stadio Friuli in Udine, Italy. The game will give Frank the opportunity to win a piece of silverware in his first competitive game in charge of Tottenham.

The club's first opponent of the 2025/26 Premier League season will be confirmed one week today. Wednesday, June 18 is the big day for next season's fixtures, with the full schedule to be published at 9am sharp.

Tottenham pre-season schedule

Thursday, July 31 - Tottenham vs Arsenal (Kai Tak Stadium, Hong Kong)

TBC - Tottenham vs Newcastle (South Korea)

Thursday, August 7 - Bayern Munich vs Tottenham (Allianz Arena, Munich)

Wednesday, August 13 - PSG vs Tottenham (Stadio Friuli, Udine)

Micky van de Ven has described Tottenham's decision to part with Ange Postecoglou as a "strange choice". Spurs may have endured a dire Premier League campaign but they did finish the season with silverware in their possession after beating Manchester United in the Europa League final.

Their European triumph was not enough to keep Postecoglou in the hotseat, with confirmation of his dismissal arriving on Friday evening. The news resulted in an outpouring of emotion from his players as many of the Tottenham squad penned lengthy goodbye messages on their social media accounts.

After thanking Postecoglou for everything during their two years together over the weekend, Van de Ven went into a bit more detail regarding his sacking when speaking after Netherlands' 8-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Malta, a game in which he scored in. The defender twice stated it is "strange" Postecoglou has been fired as he pointed to his Europa League final win and the winning mentality he brings.

“That was ultimately a choice from the club," he told Voetbal Zone. "We, as players, have little to say about that. Of course, he is the first coach in a long time who has won a trophy and had success at Spurs. So if you look at it that way, it is of course a strange choice.

“It is a choice from the club about which we have little to say, so we will see what happens now. Of course, we see some rumours about the Brentford head coach [Thomas Frank], who it will probably be. So yes, a choice from the club about which we have little to say.

“I think many of the players got along with [Postecoglou] well. And of course, what I say, he is the first coach who has brought success to Spurs in a long time. That also shows that he has a certain quality. That also means that he has a winning mentality, 100 per cent.

“From that, you would of course say that it is strange that he was fired. What we have shown in the Premier League is, of course, unacceptable. That would, of course, have multiple factors, but that would not only have been the coach.”

Van de Ven had taken to his Instagram account not long after the news of Postecoglou's departure had broke to pay tribute to the 59-year-old. He penned: “Gaffer, thank you for everything! Believed in me from the first day I arrived at the club.

"Many ups and downs in the last two years but you kept believing in us and kept pushing us. Big part of the success from the club this year, and forever grateful that u made me part of it. All the best.”