Football London

FIFA has confirmed that they shall be changing the international calendar next season to limit disruption on the domestic schedule.

Currently, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and the remainder of the Premier League and EFL Championship, see their season paused less than a month into the campaign. This year, it is to allow for FIFA World Cup qualifiers to take place.

However, this international window has also been used for UEFA Nations League and European Championship qualifiers previously.

With many of these international matches seen as inconsequential to supporters, there is often disappointment to see the Premier League campaign pause just three games in.

From next season, it is all change with the September international window being modified. Instead of breaking at the beginning of September and then again just a month later in October, FIFA has decided to combine the two windows.

A longer, 16-day international window will run from September 21 to October 6 next year to allow for as many as four international matches to be played. This will then be followed by the usual November and March windows that shall be nine-days long.

The hope is that there will be less disruption for teams in the top flights around the world while also allowing countries to play the same amount of international fixtures.

For now, the London Premier League clubs will have to make do with the current arrangements. But, fans will not have to wait long to see their teams back in action.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a positive update should they wish to pursue a transfer for Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane in the near future.

Kane came through the ranks at Spurs and became a club legend, having become the north London side's all-time leading goalscorer. However, after accomplishing this achievement, the centre-forward and England captain chose to move on to pastures new in a bid to win silverware.

After having a move to the Premier League blocked by former chairman Daniel Levy, Kane managed to make the switch to Bayern, where, on the second attempt, he managed to win the Bundesliga. The striker has been a revelation in Bavaria with 91 goals in 100 appearances for the club.

He has started this season well too, scoring six goals already in all competitions. But there is a lingering sense that Bayern may look to sell Kane back to a Premier League club next summer, considering that his contract expires in 2027.

Such a move would allow Kane the opportunity to break Alan Shearer's all-time Premier League goalscorer record and give him the chance to potentially play for Spurs once more. Speaking recently to talkSPORT, German football expert Raphael Honigstein suggested that it was no secret at Bayern that Kane would look to end his career back in England.

He added that it currently seemed unlikely that the 32-year-old would stay beyond his 2027 deal and that the club are already looking towards the future. Vincent Kompany signed Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson in the summer transfer window.

Honigstein was keen to point out that currently there were no plans for Jackson to replace Kane permanently and that he joined as an understudy to the Englishman. But whether he is seen as a future plan once the striker leaves remains to be seen.

All of this will be music to the ears of Spurs fans who would love nothing more than to see their club legend return at an age where he could still score consistently. Levy claimed shortly after Kane left that Tottenham had some sort of buyback clause in the deal.

It is believed that Tottenham would have the opportunity to match a bid from any other club that attempts to sign Kane in the future.

Xavi Simons has explained why he chose to join Tottenham Hotspur. The former RB Leipzig maestro was heavily linked with a move to Chelsea for much of the summer, but the Lilywhites swooped in and secured his signature.

football.london understands that the Blues were in talks with the Bundesliga outfit regarding a potential deal for Simons for well over a month. However, negotiations ultimately proved rather complicated - with Chelsea looking to offload Christopher Nkunku before submitting an offer.

The west Londoners managed to eventually sell the 27-year-old forward - to AC Milan - but by then it was too late; Tottenham had already sensed an opportunity to finally sign a creative midfielder. It's understood that Spurs swiftly forked out €60m (£52m) for Simons, who went on to sign a five-year contract.

In an interview with the German newspaper Leipziger Volkszeitung, over the international break, the Dutchman explained why he decided to join Tottenham. As quoted by The Evening Standard, Simons said: "I'm happy to be a Tottenham player.

"Since I was a child, it's been my dream to play in the Premier League. The club's vision, the magnificent stadium, the fans, the quality of the team, the coach - it's a fantastic environment. I want to settle in quickly in my new home and show why Tottenham signed me."

On interest from Bayern Munich, Simons said: "In football, there are always discussions. But I don't want to name names. Max [Eberl, the sporting director at the Allianz Arena] was one of those who brought me to RB Leipzig, and I'll always be grateful to him for that.

"The most important thing was to find a place where I could develop and express my playing style. That's the way it is at Spurs. My first impressions of the club are great; I felt the energy and ambition when I was introduced to the fans.

"Expectations are high, both for the team and for me," added Simons. "I'm looking forward to duels against the best players in the world."

The new Tottenham star revealed that he spoke to Timo Werner before penning a deal in north London. The duo briefly played together at Leipzig during the 2023/24 campaign, sharing the pitch on 10 occasions.

On the former Chelsea striker, Simons said: "He told me a lot about the club's greatness and its fantastic fans. And he said he thought it was the right place for me to learn and improve. Thanks for your trust, Timo!"

Micky van de Ven also played a key role in the midfielder's decision to join Thomas Frank's men. Speaking recently to the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad, Simons said: "The Premier League is fantastic.

"Everyone is happy for me that I've been able to take this step.

"So many Dutch internationals are playing, we're going to play a lot of matches against each other. That makes it extra special. Micky van der Ven already said; 'We need you, so come here.' And that's what happened."

Mauricio Pochettino has admitted that a promise made to former Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy might just have seen off his chance of becoming Real Madrid boss.

The Argentine was linked with the vacant job in Madrid after Zinedine Zidane left following the Frenchman's first stint at the club in 2018. Pochettino was a hot managerial property as he had begun to really impress with Spurs and turned the north London club into challengers in the Premier League and would later lead them to the Champions League final the next season.

However, when Real came calling so a promise Pochettino made to Levy, who departed his role at Spurs as executive chairman this week, ended up potentially playing its part in scuppering the biggest managerial move of his career.

"As a player, I had the chance to play for Madrid , but it didn't happen. As a coach, I had a couple of opportunities, but sometimes, that's how things happen in football," the now USA boss said in an interview with Chiringuito TV.

"I don't know whether to tell the story or not. Zidane is leaving and logically there's the possibility of signing for Real Madrid. Surely other coaches too. I had given Levy my word that I would stay until Tottenham's new ground was finished. At that moment I told him that I would go to Madrid if Levy gave the OK. I don't know what happened afterwards. Surely he didn't give the OK."

Pochettino added: "I don't know how Florentino Perez took it; it wasn't my fault. I wasn't out of contract. But it's never too late if the luck is right."

In the end Julen Lopetegui was appointed as the new coach of Real Madrid but lasted for only a brief spell before Zidane returned towards the end of that season. Pochettino would remain at Tottenham for another year until Levy sacked him just months after reaching that Champions League final, ironically in Madrid.

Manchester City are reportedly close to signing Tottenham Hotspur academy star Dexter Oliver. Spurs were busy in the recently closed summer transfer window, injecting new blood into Thomas Frank's squad.

Tottenham secured the signatures of Kota Takai and Mohammed Kudus from Kawasaki Frontale and West Ham respectively, before finalising a loan deal with Bayern Munich for Joao Palhinha. They also splashed out £51.8million to bring Xavi Simons over from RB Leipzig.

Randal Kolo Muani was the final addition, joining on loan from PSG as the transfer deadline loomed. The Lilywhites also made Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel's moves permanent following their successful loan spells last season, while Luka Vuskovic finally joined the club nearly two years after an initial agreement with Hajduk Split for the promising centre-back.

The summer window closed at 7pm UK time across most of Europe. However, clubs are still able to sign academy players and Tottenham are now reportedly set to lose 16-year-old attacking midfielder Oliver to City.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano, who specialises in transfers, has claimed that City are close to signing the teenager and Aston Villa's Freddie Lawrie for their academy.

Oliver provided two assists across all competitions for Tottenham's academy last season and can also play in central midfield.

Oliver's departure from North London follows several recent player exits with Bryan Gil finally leaving the club after four years in a €10m (£8.6m) transfer to Girona.

There were more last-gasp exasperations in dealing with Crystal Palace as a deal sheet was entered for a loan move for Manor Solomon after Spurs had agreed to their terms, only for the Eagles to pull out.

Tottenham reacted quickly though to instead tie up a loan to Villarreal before the later La Liga deadline for the Israel international, who has played just six times for Spurs in two years.

Moves were not found for Yves Bissouma or young academy striker Dane Scarlett, but various windows remain open across Europe for the duo to potentially find a late move.

The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust have released a statement on the Daniel Levy's exit from the club.

The club announced on Thursday the shock news that the 63-year-old was standing down as executive chairman after more than 24 years at the helm. football.londonreported that Levy's departure is part of a larger plan from the Lewis family behind ENIC, the Tottenham owners, to modernise the structure within the club after what they saw as a lack of sporting success.

Now the supporters' trust have had their say on the chairman's exit, which they say needs to be used as a springboard for a more open and communicative club.

"The surprising departure of Daniel Levy after 24 years as executive chairman of the club provides the new leadership with the ideal opportunity for deepened engagement with fan groups on the future direction of the club. They should take it," read the statement.

"Daniel’s legacy is self-evidently the construction of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, widely regarded as one of the finest football stadia in the world, as well as related infrastructure such as the training ground. Building such a stadium in the dense, urban heart of our home, Tottenham, is no mean feat.

"While some may still hanker after the more intimate White Hart Lane, it is clear that THS was needed to allow Tottenham Hotspur to compete on an equal footing with Europe’s football elite. Our thanks go to Daniel for his vision and drive in delivering the stadium.

"And yet, the laser focus on cost and value for money necessary for completing the stadium didn’t serve the club so well on the pitch. Our members and other respondents to our annual surveys consistently over many years valued the club’s development off the pitch but wanted greater focus on the football.

"As welcome as the Europa League win was, it was only the second trophy during Daniel’s 24-year reign. The failure to kick on under Mauricio Pochettino and after the opening of THS was a missed opportunity and seemed to reflect an approach, particularly in the transfer market, that was too cautious and too focussed on extracting monetary value rather than addressing weaknesses that were obvious to all.

"Genuine fan engagement didn’t come naturally to Daniel. While on paper there was commitment, in practice this often meant telling us what the club planned to do at short notice. Earlier engagement may have avoided missteps such as the proposed move to Stratford, the ESL, furloughing staff in the pandemic and curtailing senior season ticket concessions.

"Legally, there is no change in ownership, but there is no doubt Daniel’s departure represents a switch in leadership to that of the Lewis family interests. There is talk of outside investment and we would remind the club of its support for the Trust’s 5 Principles upon which we will judge any owner of the club. It also provides an opportunity for more meaningful engagement with fans; there has already been an encouraging start under new CEO, Vinai Venkatesham.

"The Trust will continue to play a constructive role in the engagement process and fulfil its role as a critical friend to the club. The change in leadership provokes questions about future strategy, the timing of the change, plans for outside investment and reassurance that the club is in good hands. The Trust will be asking those questions both directly and via its participation in the FAB.

"We’d like to thank Daniel Levy for his achievements during his 24 years of service to the Club and wish him well in his future endeavours."

Tottenham endured an exciting end to what was a largely disappointing summer transfer window. With just a few days of the trading period left, Mohammed Kudus was the only new, marquee and permanent signing brought in to Thomas Frank's squad.

Other deals had gone, through, with Mathys Tel re-joining for £30 million while Kota Takai is very much an addition for the future and Joao Palhinha signed on a season-long loan.

Those four arrivals had come alongside losing out on Savinho, Eberechi Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White with an attacking midfielder desperately needed as James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski were unlikely to return from injury before 2026.

Somehow, Tottenham appeared to fall upward with the signing of Xavi Simons, who had been linked to Chelsea all summer, from RB Leipzig confirmed last Friday evening. The Lilywhites then agreed to sign Randal Kolo Muani on loan from Paris Saint-Germain with no buy-option or obligation included in the switch.

The Frenchman can be deployed across all three attacking position with Simons also capable of playing off the left. Savinho appeared to be Frank's dream signing on the left but that potential transfer was blocked by Manchester City.

As such, Spurs have not really replaced club legend Son Heung-min after selling him to LAFC in the summer. Having versatile forwards will be key to ensuring that glaring gap does not become too obvious with it possible Tottenham look to strengthen in that area during the January transfer window.

It is always difficult to do that mid-season and if Spurs are unable to, agreeing moves ahead of the summer is certainly the next best thing. According to transfermarkt's 'contracts ending in 2026' page, there are numerous big names set to become free agents next summer.

As things stand in the Premier League, Ibrahima Konate, Bernardo Silva and Marc Guehi will all leave their current clubs. In Europe, Frenkie de Jong, Dayot Upamecano and Julian Brandt are just a few set to become available.

The latter should certainly be of interest to Spurs given his pedigree and the potential market opportunity signing him on a free transfer is. Maddison's recent injury history is a worry while Kulusevski and Simons are much better attacking midfielders when it comes to running with the ball.

Brandt is more of a conductor who can also play deeper if required which could help Frank solve a problem that has emerged since his arrival. With no fit No.10 available, Pape Sarr has been deployed as the most advanced midfielder which has seen him rack up goal contributions.

Since his £13 million arrival from Metz, he has been used more often as a No.8 and despite impressing recently, he is far better in that role. Lucas Bergvall has scored just once since joining the club from Swedish side Djurgarden for an initial £8.5m back in January but has made it clear he thinks he can be Spurs' creative solution.

Rodrigo Bentancur has also made some appearances further forward in his three-and-half years at the club upon joining in a deal worth up to £21.5m from Juventus back in 2022. None of the trio are really capable of thriving in both midfield roles, but Brandt certainly is.

The only potential problem is that he turns 30 next season and is earning quite the wage at Borussia Dortmund. However, he has captained the Bundesliga club recently and has plenty of experience in the Champions League.

Daniel Levy is no longer Tottenham Hotspur chairman after almost a quarter of century at the helm but what does that mean for the Premier League club?

The club announced on Thursday evening that the 63-year-old had "stepped down from his role as executive chairman after nearly 25 years". football.londonreported back in May that it was set to be a huge summer of change and Levy's exit from the north London outfit is the culmination of that.

A dramatic summer in N17 has seen Ange Postecoglou sacked as head coach with Thomas Frank selected to replace him, and at board level Vinai Venkatesham came in as the club's chief executive officer with Scott Munn placed on gardening leave from his role as chief football officer.

It was also announced in June that Levy's long-time advisor Donna-Maria Cullen would be leaving after almost three decades at the club, which happened this week after a handover period, and now the chairman himself has departed his position just days later.

Let's look at all the information surrounding the biggest change to have taken place at Tottenham in decades as the longest-serving chairman in the Premier League has departed.

Why has Daniel Levy left?

On the face of it, it's a chairman stepping down but if you look at Levy's quotes a little bit further down you might notice there's no real explanation from him as to why he's leaving. football.london understands that the decision was taken out of Levy's hands by the Lewis family, who run Tavistock, and consequently ENIC, the owners of the club.

In our report on it all last night, we wrote that Levy's exit was the final part of a jigsaw of plans put into place across this huge summer of change to bring fresh blood to the leadership of the north London club which the Lewis family believe will push it to greater heights going forward.

Those at the very top at Spurs have a belief that success on the pitch has not been consistent enough over the years under the former chairman and this is part of the reason behind Levy's exit.

After instigating a thorough review of the organisation through an independent consultant with senior figures and staff inside the club interviewed, the results caused the Lewis family to push through plans to alter the structure at Tottenham to become a more modern one with a CEO at the helm of a larger board.

While Levy was seen by many as a part-owner running the club, the new direction of a modern structure is more one of the owners looking to back it rather than run it.

Levy's departure has been in the works for a little while but has been kept quiet out of respect for everything he has done inside the club over the decades, ending with the second trophy of his tenure as Tottenham won the Europa League in May to end 17 years without silverware.

Who are the owners at the top?

Essentially the Lewis family through a couple of different generations. The most noticeable publicly is Vivienne Lewis, who is a regular presence at matches, known around the club as "Viv" and was spotted last month alongside Levy in the opening day Premier League victory against Burnley.

Her father Joe was the long-time owner of the club but the 88-year-old stepped away from that role some years back and is not understood to have had any real involvement in these events. Vivienne is senior managing director of Tavistock Group, which owns ENIC, as is her brother Charles, and the two children of Joe as well as his grandchildren, as Spurs fans, are understood to have taken on a more active role in backing the club in the past year.

What have the owners said?

Nothing publicly but a source close to the powerful family told football.london: "Generations of the Lewis family support this special football club and they want what the fans want – more wins more often. This is why you have seen recent changes, new leadership and a fresh approach. In Vinai, Thomas and Peter Charrington, they believe they are backing the right team to deliver on this. This is a new era."

What has Levy said?

"I am incredibly proud of the work I have done together with the executive team and all our employees," said the exiting chairman. "We have built this club into a global heavyweight competing at the highest level. More than that, we have built a community. I was lucky enough to work with some of the greatest people in this sport, from the team at Lilywhite House and Hotspur Way to all the players and managers over the years.

"I wish to thank all the fans that have supported me over the years. It hasn’t always been an easy journey but significant progress has been made. I will continue to support this club passionately."

Has he left completely?

Levy has left his role as executive chairman with immediate effect, but he will remain part of the club as a shareholder but without direct influence over the running of the organisation.

ENIC own an 86.91% share and of that, a trust of which the Lewis family are beneficiaries of owns 70.12% while Levy and his family are potential beneficiaries of discretionary trusts which own 29.88% of that share capital.

Who will replace him?

That the plans were already being put into place are now clear in the summer addition of one of the game's most sought after CEOs in Venkatesham to lead the day to day running of Tottenham.

Stepping up from the board after joining in March, is new non-executive chairman Peter Charrington, who is not expected to be involved in the football side of things on a daily basis in his latest role, instead overseeing the big picture stuff following Levy's departure from his more hands-on role.

What has Charrington said?

"I am very honoured to become Non-Executive Chairman of this extraordinary club and, on behalf of the board, I would like to thank Daniel and his family for their commitment and loyalty to the club over so many years," said Charrington, a director at ENIC.

"This is a new era of leadership for the club, on and off the pitch. I do recognise there has been a lot of change in recent months as we put in place new foundations for the future. We are now fully focused on stability and empowering our talented people across the club, led by Vinai and his executive team."

What does it mean for the future?

football.london reported earlier this summer that there was set to be an injection of cash into Tottenham and that many expected it to come from ENIC.

With this huge change at the top and a determination to push on by the owners to be something bigger, that cash injection could certainly be something to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

Ultimately as Tottenham have to make the Frank era work after sacking Postecoglou, so the club will have to make the post-Levy era work and to compete with the big clubs in the Premier League and Champions League so Spurs will have to become more powerful.

Will Tottenham be sold?

football.london understands that the Lewis family currently have no plans to sell the club and that the changes to the hierarchy were made to create a club better prepared for sporting success moving forward.

What will Levy's legacy be?

Levy has arguably been the most divisive figure in Tottenham's recent history. While players, managers and high-ranking members of staff have all come and gone with alarming frequency over the years, the 63-year-old has remained the one constant and that meant that whenever things went wrong so all eyes turned to him.

Levy's stability has come amid the club's instability. Spurs rarely enjoyed calm waters, for everything would be ripped up and started again every 18 months to two years. The most stable time at Tottenham was during Mauricio Pochettino's era when Spurs looked like a big club again, even if the Argentine could not bring the silverware to marry up with the high league finishes and title challenges.

Even he could not be saved from the Levy axe which swung just months after Pochettino took Spurs to their first ever Champions League final. Postecoglou won a European trophy in May and still wasn't spared from the sack. Decisions were constantly made at the top with only those below being accountable until now.

The Australian was just the latest manager to walk into the north London club thinking he could change it, only to quickly realise that he could not. Some things were just too deeply embedded within the organisation and perhaps that came from the only constant - Levy.

The supporters called for the chairman's exit most seasons towards the end and thousands marched in protest last season against the running of the club. Some of the abuse Levy received stepped far over the line and was horrendous, including death threats throughout his tenure and during the recent transfer window.

Yet Levy did spearhead some remarkable things off the pitch at Spurs, not least leading the construction of the best stadium in world football, micromanaging that project to such a degree that it's very much his building. That stadium and the revenue it drives is the envy of many rival clubs even if it is their trophy cabinets that Tottenham fans envy.

Levy also helped bring about the state-of-the-art Hotspur Way training complex that is so good that international teams like England and Brazil train there as do NFL sides when they come to town to play at the stadium Levy built.

The former chairman's work in helping rejuvenate the Tottenham community should not go unnoticed either, including the London Academy of Excellence at Lilywhite House, and the club Levy will leave is certainly a bigger, stronger more financially stable organisation than the one he took over and one that has played European football in 18 of the past 20 seasons.

In a recent interview Levy said he would be appreciated after he left the club. It will certainly take time for many.

On the final day of last season amid the team's walk around with Postecoglou and the Europa League trophy on the pitch at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the camera briefly flickered up to the chairman in his seat and amid the celebrations, came boos and a downcast look from Levy when he glanced up to see himself on the big screen in his home.

Ultimately, having the same leadership for 24 years is not particularly healthy for any organisation and now a new era begins at Spurs. It will be fascinating to see how things change within the building and also how other clubs deal with Tottenham, with some having described dealing with Levy as a "painful" experience.

His legacy will be that shiny landmark on the Tottenham High Road but now Spurs want to be known for what happens inside it and for the club's supporters that's the football rather than Beyoncé.

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."