Football London

Thomas Frank reveals what he realised about Cristian Romero ahead of new Tottenham contract

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Thomas Frank reveals what he realised about Cristian Romero ahead of new Tottenham contract - Football London
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Thomas Frank could tell that Cristian Romero was hoping to be named Tottenham captain and that he will thrive after signing a new contract at the club.

The 27-year-old penned a new Spurs deal until 2029 on Monday after a summer in which Romero was linked with a move to Atletico Madrid before new head coach Frank chose the Argentine to become the club captain in the wake of Son Heung-min's transfer to LAFC after 10 years in north London.

"Of course, extremely happy. He's a very important player for us, just been named captain so that speaks for itself," said Frank. "For me, he's one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League and, to have him locked down long-term, every fan, me, staff, should be extremely happy. It also shows he's committed to the journey we're on and the future and the bits we're building together. Very happy."

The Dane could tell straight away that Romero wanted the extra responsibility of leading the team into a new era at the north London club.

"He will thrive under this captaincy. No doubt it was something he was hoping to be and wanted to be. When you have that approach, normally people take another step up and really want to go to the next level in terms of leadership," he said.

"I have no doubt he will drive the team and players and help in any way he can. There's more responsibility and we also need to remember he's a young leader so he will learn and be even better."

He added: "I always thought he was one of the better centre-backs," he added. "Then you realise that when you get to work with him closely for the past six weeks, you get to know the person a little bit and also clearly his strength and development areas.

"What he can bring on the ball: he's extremely composed, finds the right passes, his aggression in duels and commitment and willingness to win for the team, his defending in the box is extremely good and then he's also a set-piece threat."

The fascinating aspect of the Eberechi Eze negotiations between Tottenham and Crystal Palace

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The fascinating aspect of the Eberechi Eze negotiations between Tottenham and Crystal Palace - Football London
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The talks between Tottenham and Crystal Palace for Eberechi Eze feature two of the Premier League's toughest negotiators locking horns.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and his Eagles counterpart Steve Parish both come with a reputation for not budging an inch when it comes to getting the maximum value for their players and now the two men are heading up the talks in what will be a fascinating aspect of the negotiations as the Lilywhites look to take Eze across London to N17.

The England international wants to join Thomas Frank's side and play Champions League football and Tottenham are attempting to get a deal done while Palace look for replacements in Eze's position for Oliver Glasner, who could also lose Marc Guehi this summer with Liverpool in interested in the centre-back.

Spurs will hope to push a deal through for Eze in time for him to play a part against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday in the Premier League while Glasner will want the 27-year-old available to play in Palace's first European match on Thursday night as they take on Fredrikstad in the UEFA Conference League.

Our Spurs reporters Alasdair Gold and Rob Guest discussed the talks for Eze as well as Cristian Romero's new contract being a priority and Frank's first match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with the Premier League opener against Burnley in the new episode of their podcast Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham.

Tottenham's next five Premier League fixtures compared to Chelsea, Man Utd and Newcastle

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Tottenham's next five Premier League fixtures compared to Chelsea, Man Utd and Newcastle - Football London
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Tottenham are off the mark in the 2025/26 Premier League season following a 3-0 win over Burnley on the opening day. Richarlison opened the scoring for Spurs with a neat finish on ten minutes after some good work from Mohammed Kudus.

The pair were then to link up 15 minutes after the restart as the Brazilian netted his second of the game with a stunning acrobatic effort from his teammate's cross. Brennan Johnson was to score Tottenham's third of the day six minutes later to secure a 3-0 victory and three points for Thomas Frank in his first league game in charge of the Lilywhites.

The comfortable win has certainly put Tottenham fans in good spirits and all will be hoping to make it two wins from two on Saturday when they visit Manchester City. After finishing 17th in the Premier League table in the 2024/25 campaign, Spurs will be looking to get back to challenging towards the top and secure a European place for next campaign.

So who exactly do their European rivals play in the next five Premier League fixtures? football.london takes a look below:

Tottenham

Tottenham have a big test on Saturday when they travel to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City. Entertainment and goals will be guaranteed as ever as the sides have played out some classics in recent seasons.

Bournemouth at home will be tricky and the same goes for the away games at West Ham and Brighton. Tottenham will be expected to collect maximum points against Wolves at the end of September.

Chelsea

Chelsea will be remaining in London for their next three Premier League games as they take on West Ham, Fulham and Brentford. The first Premier League game outside of the capital in the 2025/26 season comes on Saturday, September 20 as they travel to Manchester United in what should be a very interesting game.

The home match against Brighton will be a tough one for the Blues but they will be expected to get maximum points from it given the quality they have in their squad.

Manchester United

Manchester United impressed on the opening weekend of the season against Arsenal and would have come out of the game with a point on another day. Games against Fulham and Burnley present them with a chance to get points on the board.

The Man City and Chelsea fixtures will certainly be tough ones to negotiate before they visit Brentford in late September.

Newcastle United

Newcastle are in desperate need of a new striker and they will be hoping one is in place for the visit of Liverpool. The Magpies do have some winnable games in their next five fixtures but the Liverpool and Arsenal showdowns will be extremely difficult games.

Aston Villa

Aston Villa have the opportunity to get off the mark in their next five games with a kind set of fixtures coming up. Given how Brentford performed at Nottingham Forest on Sunday, Villa will be red-hot favourites to leave west London with all three points.

Villa will also be favourites to win their upcoming home games but the trips to Everton and Sunderland will be far from straightforward for Unai Emery's men.

Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest were extremely impressive on the opening weekend of the season as they put three goals past Brentford. Nuno Espirito Santo's men could inflict even more pain on Crystal Palace this weekend if Eberechi Eze is to depart for Tottenham.

Next month's trip to Arsenal is a big one for the team but they will be expected to collect maximum points in the West Ham, Burnley and Sunderland fixtures.

Tottenham next two priorities perfectly clear after huge Cristian Romero announcement

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Tottenham next two priorities perfectly clear after huge Cristian Romero announcement - Football London
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Tottenham must now turn their attention to two big decisions after confirming contract extensions for Cristian Romero and Djed Spence. An agreement for the latter had been in place for some time, but Romero's new four-year deal being announced came as a major shock.

The Argentine was confirmed as Thomas Frank's captain last week, which he described as an "incredible honour", and he marked that by scoring in the UEFA Super Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain. Spurs did go on to lose that clash, however.

Romero had been in the headlines for a significant chunk of the summer with Atletico Madrid keen to sign him. However, interest from the Spanish capital dissipated which actually made the 27-year-old's future even more uncertain as he only had 12 months remaining on his current deal.

With concerns he could leave on a free transfer now gone, Spurs must take full advantage and build the team around their World Cup winning skipper. The likes of Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Mikey Moore will be key to the club's future but it is very clear that Tottenham need players for the present.

Eberechi Eze can absolutely be one of those with it looking as though talks to sign him from Crystal Palace are advancing as his replacement has seemingly been identified.

Eagles head coach Oliver Glasner has suggested no deal is imminent by admitting he expects Eze to feature in the Conference League qualifying first leg at home to Norwegian side Fredrikstad.

The Lilywhites will want Eze signed sooner rather than later, but as long as he is part of Frank's squad by Monday, September 1, it does not overly matter. Manchester City's Savinho is also being pursued but he could yet stay at Etihad Stadium especially as it will likely take Spurs a club-record fee to sign him.

With Spence and Romero tied down, there are other players Spurs will likely want to sign new contracts. Rodrigo Bentancur is one of those with it seemingly clear he will be a key member of Frank's squad.

He has under 12 months left remaining on his current deal and therefore it should be a clear priority for fresh terms to be agreed by January to avoid European clubs making pre-contract offers.

The Uruguay international was rested for the weekend win over Burnley after shining as part of a midfield three against PSG with a similar tactical setup likely against Man City this coming Saturday.

Mikey Moore makes exciting Tottenham and Rangers claim and what left him 'fuming' last season

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Mikey Moore makes exciting Tottenham and Rangers claim and what left him 'fuming' last season - Football London
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Mikey Moore finally made his Rangers debut on Saturday evening after a long wait. Making the loan move to Ibrox at the beginning of the month, the Tottenham youngster was unable to make his Gers bow as he had been waiting for international clearance, which duly arrived last Monday when he turned 18 years of age.

Moore was handed a start by Russell Martin in Saturday's Premier Sports Cup game against Alloa Athletic as the Glasgow-based club beat the League 1 side 4-2. It didn't take the winger too long to make an impact as he got an assist to his name with only 13 minutes on the clock as Nedim Bajrami opened the scoring.

Moore will now be looking to have an even bigger impact on Tuesday evening when Rangers host Club Brugge in the first leg of their Champions League play-off tie. His loan spell in Scotland could be "massive" for his career and also Tottenham as he targets becoming "one of the best players in the world".

"Performing well here to achieve what I want to at Spurs is a huge driving factor for me," said Moore in a press conference after Saturday's win. "I want to go and play in the biggest competitions and I want to hopefully be one of the best players in the world so it's massive for me.

"I've signed a new contract at Spurs but at the minute I'm focused on playing here so I'm just buzzing to go and play some massive games at this football club. I just want to play for this club and to become a better player. I think there are huge opportunities at this club and big games.

"It's a great club so I just want to play as many games as possible, score as many goals as I’m able to and excite as many people as I can."

Moore had already received a taste of Ibrox's famous atmosphere when he had to watch two games from the stands before getting the chance to take to the pitch against Alloa. He unfortunately missed the opportunity to play at Ibrox last season when Tottenham took on Rangers in the Europa League as he was on the sidelines at that time, something which left him "fuming" to miss out on such a unique occasion.

"I wasn't up for that game here last year, no. At the time I was out for a bit so I couldn't come up but I was watching on the TV and I was fuming I couldn't be a part of it," he admitted.

"When the lads came back from here they said it was one of the best atmospheres they'd ever played at. So when I heard about Rangers wanting me that came straight into my mind. I remembered all the good things the boys had said and now I can't wait to play in that sort of atmosphere.

"Tuesday's game is a massive game, as every match is when you play for Rangers. I'm excited for it. I saw some of the club's games in the earlier rounds this season and it's been good to qualify so it's a massive opportunity for me and all the boys. I can't wait to go.

"Last season was a really good season in Europe for me and for the team. I'm thankful to Ange [Postecoglou] for giving me my debut at Tottenham. He helped me a lot but now I'm focused on playing here.

"I've had some good experiences but I'm ready to go and show more. I want to go and make more of an impact on the European stage. I'm ready to play."

Cristian Romero's first words after new Tottenham contract

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'The best in the world' - Cristian Romero's first words after new Tottenham contract - Football London
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Cristian Romero has called Tottenham Hotspur "the best club in the world" after putting pen to paper on a new four-year contract.

The Argentine signed a new deal until 2029 just days after being named as the club's new captain by head coach Thomas Frank following Son Heung-min's exit to LAFC. Now Romero has spoken for the first time about his new contract and why he put his name on the dotted line amid interest from Atletico Madrid this summer.

"I'm very happy here in the club. For me this club is the best in the world. The last two weeks, first becoming captain and now signing the contract with the club. For me, it's a fantastic decision," he said.

"My message to the fans is thank you for your amazing support every day and every match. For me, and it's important also for the team."

Ahead of Saturday's Premier League opening victory against Burnley on Saturday, Romero took his son Valentino on to the pitch as his mascot and admitted that was an important moment for him.

"Going on to the pitch with my son [on Saturday], it's special for me. First time as captain and yeah, it is incredible for me. I love football, I love this club. It's special for me going to the pitch with him," said the World Cup winner.

Romero was the player of the tournament and the final as Spurs won the Europa League last season and he wants more of the same this time around in other competitions.

"After winning the Europa League, it's like a special season now," he said. "In football, sometimes there are good moments, bad moments. The most important thing for me is to stay all together. We want to win. Maybe, why not again this season? Another trophy with the club is important for everyone."

Lucas Bergvall shows true Tottenham colours as Thomas Frank and Richarlison feelings clear

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Lucas Bergvall shows true Tottenham colours as Thomas Frank and Richarlison feelings clear - Football London
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Lucas Bergvall has insisted Tottenham "want to win everything" this season, with the young midfielder happy to continue being Thomas Frank’s utility man.

Bergvall played 80 minutes of Spurs’ 3-0 Premier League victory over Burnley on Saturday after being introduced late on in the midweek Super Cup penalty shootout loss to Paris St Germain. Frank has used different systems in both fixtures and turned to central midfielder Bergvall as a creative option in their league opener in the absence of long-term injured duo James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.

After an assured display against Burnley, Bergvall will hope to be involved in Saturday’s trip to Manchester City and insisted confidence was high after a summer where additions Mohammed Kudus and Joao Palhinha had raised the level of the squad.

“We take every game at a time, we want Champions League of course, we want to win everything but every week is a new game so we take it one at a time,” Sweden international Bergvall said.

“We know what we can do. We’re a really, really good squad and last year we won 4-0 away (at Man City). It’s still a really tough game and we need to be ready.”

Bergvall, 19, almost scored inside 60 seconds against Burnley and despite being the furthest midfielder forward for large periods, he relished the challenge of trying to break down a back-five. Asked where he preferred to play, Bergvall said: “I don’t know, it’s up to the gaffer. I can play both. Whatever he wants.

“It was difficult to find space against a back-five, but I feel like sometimes when I come a bit deeper and drive with the ball up the pitch, it’s good.”

The arrival of Bayern Munich loanee Palhinha has added further competition in midfield, but the Spurs youngster believes he can learn from the Portugal international. “Of course (I can learn), he’s played at the top level for many years in Bayern and Fulham, it’s really good to get another midfielder with experience,” Bergvall added.

Richarlison’s brace, including a sensational scissor kick goal, proved the difference against Burnley. “That was unbelievable,” Bergvall acknowledged. "Richy has been really good in pre-season and against PSG as well, even though he didn’t score, he was really strong and today he got two goals.”

Even though Bergvall has enjoyed life under Frank so far, he was eager not to compare the Danish coach to Ange Postecoglou, who brought the Djurgarden player to the club and placed enormous faith in him last season. Bergvall added: “It’s been really good. You saw the final against PSG, we lost but it was a really good game from us so it’s been a really good start to the season.

“It’s difficult to compare, I don’t want to compare manager to manager, but I feel like we’ve had a really good start, working hard every day and trying to get the team together. It’s been really good.”

Savinho to Tottenham transfer twist as Pep Guardiola makes huge Man City decision

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Savinho to Tottenham transfer twist as Pep Guardiola makes huge Man City decision - Football London
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Manchester City have made a decision on the future of Tottenham transfer target Savinho, it has been claimed. The Brazilian winger has been the recipient of strong interest from north London with Thomas Frank looking to bolster his attacking options.

Spurs kicked off their Premier League with a solid 3-0 win over newly-promoted Burnley this past weekend with Richarlison grabbing a brace and last season's top-scorer Brennan Johnson opening his account. Those three points were the perfect response to their brutal Super Cup final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain just a few days earlier.

Despite new signing Mohammed Kudus also impressing with two assists on his league debut, Frank wants more attacking players and marquee ones at that. Savinho is one of those that has been targeted with Pep Guardiola asked about the 21-year-old in a press conference last Friday.

"If Tottenham in that case - or any other club - wants a player, they should call the club right?" he admitted. "It's the same like we do. I'm only concerned right now, today, that Savinho will be with us until the end of the season.

"And, hopefully, for many, many years. He's 21-years-old with the potential that he has. He's played a lot of minutes, he has to improve in the final decisions. But he's an extraordinary player, otherwise he would not have played more than 3,000 minutes.

"But in the end - as always - the desire of the players prevails above everything. But they have to arrive to an agreement with the club."

Ahead of their Premier League opener against Wolves, Savinho uploaded an Instagram story which showed him in the gym after Guardiola admitted he would miss the next few weeks with injury.

An update on his future has now also come to light with Spanish journalist Guillem Balague claiming it will be at Etihad Stadium. He wrote on X: "Manchester City have decided Savinho is to stay. That kills any possibility of Rodrygo joining City (Real Madrid did not get an offer for him as it was depending on Savinho leaving)."

If that proves to be the case, the Lilywhites could look to sign an alternative but there full focus will likely switch onto Eberechi Eze. Negotiations with Crystal Palace appear to be ongoing with the England international keen on the move.

Following the Eagles' 0-0 draw with Chelsea on Sunday afternoon, Eze appeared to say his goodbyes to the away supporters inside Stamford Bridge. If that was his final game for Palace, he was brutally denied a dream farewell with his powerful free-kick disallowed because of a mostly unknown Premier League rule.

As the set-piece was so close to goal, Marc Guehi tried to help Eze find a gap to avoid going over the wall and he successfully did that through pushing Moises Caicedo out of the way which saw him and the latter move closer to Chelsea's wall with that intriguingly as the reason it did not count.

The International Football Association Board's Law 13 states that when three or more defending team players form a wall, all attacking players must remain at least one metre from the wall until the ball is in play.

Tottenham handed major Cristian Romero boost as contract decision ends transfer talk

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Tottenham handed major Cristian Romero boost as contract decision ends transfer talk - Football London
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Cristian Romero has signed a new long-term contract until 2029 with Tottenham Hotspur after being made the club's new captain.

The 27-year-old World Cup winner was named by Thomas Frank as his new skipper following Son Heung-min's departure to LAFC and Romero has impressed the new head coach since his first day at the club with his attitude and performances in training sessions. The centre-back, who had been linked with a move to Atletico Madrid this summer, has now decided to extend his contract with the north London outfit with his previous deal in its final two years.

"I would say I’ve worked with him now closely for more than five weeks, I’ve seen a very, very committed player who’s trained very well. The staff have said to me they’ve never seen him train that well," said Frank. "He’s in a very good place. I see a player that will want to lead the team and push the team."

The new head coach wanted the two-time Copa America winner to be around for the long-term and continue to grow as a leader.

"I think when you name a captain it’s because you think he’s the best that can help the team no matter what now and also in the future," he said. "It’s not really linked with the contract situation. Of course he’s a very good player so I want him to stay longer.

"I see a very big and very good player. What I like about him and why I have chosen him as captain is his leadership qualities on the pitch, there is a big respect for him from the players. Off the pitch as well he also sets the standards, but it’s fair to say, he’s 27 and there are a few older than 27.

"When I was 27 of course I thought I could do everything but I also found out that as a leader I am 1,000 per cent better now so he also needs to learn and become better and better so I will do my best to guide him."

Romero was proud to be handed the armband by the Dane, saying in a rare English interview for the club: "I’m very happy to be the first team captain of the club. It’s amazing for me. Today, we (he and Frank) spoke before training. Maybe before the start of the season I’ve spoken a lot with him. He’s a good coach and I said, ‘thank you’ for this, also.

"It’s a big responsibility. I spoke with the players and tomorrow is also another big night for the club, for the players, for the fans, we need to enjoy this moment."

On social media, he posted after that announcement: "Today begins a new season for us, one that is truly special to me. Becoming the first [team] captain of this beautiful club is an incredible honour.

Eberechi Eze transfer and five deals Tottenham can complete ahead of Man City clash

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Eberechi Eze transfer and five deals Tottenham can complete ahead of Man City clash - Football London
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Spirits are high right now in N17 after Tottenham made the perfect start to the new Premier League season. Coming up against Burnley in Thomas Frank's first league game in charge of the club, Spurs secured three points following a comfortable 3-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Richarlison was the star of the show with a brilliant double and Brennan Johnson capped things off with a well-taken goal midway through the second half. Tottenham are next in action on Saturday as they travel to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City.

The hope will be that Frank's squad has been boosted by then on the transfer front. Eberechi Eze is the name on the lips of all Tottenham fans right now as the club look to complete a deal for the Crystal Palace ace.

But what other transfers could be completed over the next week? football.london takes a look below:

Eberechi Eze

This week could be pivotal when it comes to Eze making the move across London. If that is indeed the case, the England international could make his bow in Spurs' away game at Manchester City on Saturday lunchtime.

Eze did appear to say goodbye to the Crystal Palace fans in Sunday's 0-0 draw against Chelsea, although manager Oliver Glasner did state in his post-match press conference that he expects his player to play on Thursday against Fredrikstad in the Conference League. Tottenham firstly need to strike a deal with the Eagles for their star man and then wrap up the signing over the coming days.

New winger

Savinho has been linked with a switch to Tottenham as they look to give themselves another attacking boost. The Brazilian is a player who Frank believes can light up their attack and they would have a fearsome front four if the Man City man joins Eze in moving to Spurs.

A fee of £67million has been mentioned to get a deal for Savinho over the line, which would in fact be a new club record for Tottenham in the transfer market. However, Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague has since reported that City have now decided that Savinho is to stay at the club, meaning Spurs will instead have to look for another wide option in the transfer market.

Dane Scarlett

Dane Scarlett still remains a Tottenham player for the time being. The striker was left out of the club's squad for the pre-season tour of Asia last month but he has yet to secure a loan move away from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

With a number of loan deals sanctioned since Scarlett was omitted from the travelling party for Hong Kong and South Korea, Spurs must find the perfect club for the academy graduate as it is such a big year for him. Scarlett himself requires a deal to go through ASAP because he needs to be playing week in, week out.

Luka Vuskovic

Luka Vuskovic is also available for a loan move before the summer transfer window draws to a close. The Croat has been on the substitutes' bench for Tottenham's first two games of the season but has yet to take to the field for his new side.

As we are now entering the final two weeks of the transfer window, you would expect there to be some movement soon regarding a loan move away for the teenager. Tottenham do have cover at centre-back right now with Kevin Danso and Ben Davies options to come in if Cristian Romero or Micky van de Ven don't start.

New centre-back

Tottenham are also in the hunt for a new centre-back this summer. Due to the amount of games that Romero and Van de Ven have missed in recent seasons, Frank wants a senior centre-back added to his squad given the hectic schedule Tottenham are going to have to deal with.

A new centre-back is a requirement for Spurs in the transfer market but their priority right now is to finalise deals for Eze and Savinho.

Bryan Gil

Bryan Gil was not handed a Tottenham squad number ahead of the new season and now the Spaniard needs to find a permanent move away from the club. What could complicate matters for the winger at present is that he is working his way back to full fitness from knee surgery towards the end of last term.

As it's not clear yet when exactly he will be in a position to return to action, that could possibly slow things down for Tottenham when it comes to moving him on.