Football London

Mohammed Kudus has arrived at Tottenham Hotspur as someone who wants to be different to the rest and that much is clear already.

Spurs signed the 24-year-old from West Ham in a £55million deal last month. It was the first transfer between the two clubs in 14 years, since Scott Parker made the move across London, and it would take a special player to end that stand-off.

Within just a couple of weeks Kudus has shown that he's got that bit of magic. His new boss Thomas Frank has said the Ghana international is a player who will get the fans off their seats and that has certainly proved to be the case so far with his tricks, flicks, dribbling ability and strength on the ball.

He was involved in both of Spurs' goals in their first pre-season game at Reading and then terrified Arsenal out in Hong Kong every time he got the ball in the 1-0 win at the Kai Tak Stadium.

Then on Sunday in Seoul as the man who replaced the departing Son Heung-min, Kudus performed one delightful bit of trickery on the run to create a chance against Newcastle and show that he will try to fill the big void left by the South Korean star as he departs for Los Angeles.

"I have always seen the game as trying to be different. We have a lot of passes and less guys who want to take people on and dribble and that’s how I’ve always grown to play," he said. "Try to entertain the fans as much as I can. So it has always been a part of my game."

His exciting style makes even more sense when you realise who his hero was growing up in Ghana.

"A lot of players but from Africa it was Jay-Jay Okocha," he remembered. "I really liked how he was playing."

He told football.london about what Frank had asked of him when he joined: "We all know my abilities in 1v1s, trying to create and help the team so that’s what I am here to try and do but defensively try to add to my game as well."

That's coming along nicely as it's not just Kudus' attacking play that has caught Frank's eye. After that victory against Arsenal the Dane made reference to one long key run tracking back that the midfielder undertook to win possession after the Gunners had broken up the pitch.

Kudus admitted that it was something he felt was important to continue improving on in his game so his new team-mates can look to him in all situations.

"I offer a lot offensively but defensively too I want to make the team feel like they can depend on me because the football also needs me with stuff like that," he said. "Especially in games like that where we are going to have to be defending sometimes."

Kudus has quickly settled into life at the north London club and he has been helped by one of the club's January recruits.

"Everybody has helped me a lot. The guys try to speak to me to get the connection on and off the pitch. So far it has been smooth," he explained. "Kevin [Danso] is a Ghanaian so we speak our local dialect (Twi) so it has been easier to connect.

"We talk about everything. Football, life. He just tries to help me because he has been here before me."

One team-mate who Kudus will no longer get to play alongside is captain Son with the 33-year-old ending 10 years at Tottenham with a move to Los Angeles and Major League Soccer.

"I have so much respect and admiration for him. We played against each other in the World Cup. I just love how he plays," he said. "He has done a lot for the club and I’m grateful to have come here and played with him. He has been a great example for us, from how he trains and carries himself, so big up to him."

This season brings a return to the Champions League for Tottenham and also Kudus, who impressed in the competition with Ajax, netting four goals and registering two assists in six appearances in the 2022/23 season.

"It's very exciting," said the Ghanaian of being back among Europe's elite. "Those are the levels we live to play for and I think the club deserves to be in that spot. We need to make the most out of it."

With Kudus daring to be different, you just know he is likely to make the very most of it.

Thomas Frank admits he was surprised that Joao Palhinha was available from Bayern Munich and explained that the experienced midfielder comes into an empty role he assessed immediately that Tottenham needed.

Spurs have tied up a loan deal for the 30-year-old former Fulham midfielder which reportedly includes a £26.2million (30million euros) option to buy the Portuguese at the end of the season. Palhinha played 68 games in the Premier League as a defensive midfielder at Craven Cottage before making the move to Bayern for £46.5million last summer.

A torn adductor muscle however fragmented his debut season in Germany and now Tottenham have managed to bring him back to England and football.london asked Frank what attracted him to Palhinha.

"It was always his abilities and if you look at the squad I don’t think we have his ability or package as a clear number six with his profile. I actually think Rodri (Bentancur) can play there as well but I think they could complement each other well in there if, for example, it is those two or also other players," he said. "I think Pape (Sarr) is extremely promising. We have Bissouma and Bergvall as well.

"But [Palhinha’s] defensive qualities, his ability to be in the centre of the pitch, very disciplined, his distribution, short, diagonals, [passes] in behind and then his ability to break up play. Especially if you are playing away from home or against good counter-attacking teams. It’s very important to have one that, you know, is not running away or gets attracted to something. His set-piece ability in both boxes is a key thing and he has some experience which is good."

The Spurs head coach explained to football.london that he immediately felt that the squad he had inherited was missing something in the anchor man role.

"When I came in and assessed the squad, it was an area where I thought we could need something there," he admitted. "I know the squad and I know the team and I have watched extra [games] before I went in but it’s always different when you then walk in and you feel [the players], you touch them, you work with them and I watch intense video with my eyes and the way I want things to go.

"Then I learned a bit more that he would be a very good addition. He played in the Premier League for two years so I followed him closely and remember the battles we had with him [at Brentford]. He was so annoying to play against so that is a good quality!"

Frank admitted he was taken aback that Tottenham were able to get Palhinha away from Bayern after just a single season in the Bundesliga.

"Yeah, I was a bit surprised. Bayern went hard for him for two years and for whatever reason, which I actually don’t care about because we can get him, it was an opportunity for us," said the Dane. " Sometimes everything goes a little bit in circles. Sometimes it is impossible to get a number nine. Sometimes it is impossible to get a number six. Sometimes it is impossible to get a right-back. At this moment in time, there are not many clear number sixes in the market so we are quite lucky to get him."

He added: "I think he is a top player. He impressed everyone in the Premier League in the two years he was with Fulham. He is a regular for Portugal. Whatever the reason [Bayern let him go maybe] is the coach, the culture, the club, himself. Sometimes it is difficult to say. My concern is that he wanted to come and we wanted him to come."

At 30-years-old, Palhinha is one of the older players Tottenham have signed in recent years, especially with that potential £26.2million fee if he impresses, but Frank made it clear it was important to add players who can perform now and adding experience does not necessarily mean older arrivals.

"It doesn’t have to be that experience [in terms of age]. Kudus is experienced and he is 24. He has tried a lot in his life and he can perform now," said the Spurs head coach. "I think it’s important to have some players who can perform now. We need to have enough of them and enough talent. We need the perfect blend because I think we have some big talent in the middle of the pitch like Archie Gray, Lucas and Pape."

On the loan deal aspect suiting all parties, Frank added: "That was important for all of us. We need him and his profile but let’s see how he settles in. The loan with an option always gives us the opportunity to go one step further. When we sign a player, no matter loan or permanent, it’s always around the long term. It just gives us a little bit more wriggling room in a year's time."

football.london suggested that even if it did end up being a short-term deal it gave 19-year-olds Gray and Bergvall another year to grow and develop into the role Frank had been looking for.

"Yes that is a very good point. Thank you for asking that, that is what I should have said. You are right," he said. "It is two big talents that I am really pleased are in the building but it's also clear they need to grow. Pape has shown that. It's not about age. They are 19, he is 22. It’s not that. Some are ready when they are 19, some at 20, some at 22 or 23, but you can clearly see Pape is just a tiny bit ahead and is a big talent. We have been very pleased with him."

Tottenham have completed the signing of Joao Palhinha on loan from Bayern Munich.

The former Fulham midfielder arrives at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as the fourth signing of the summer folowing moves for Mathys Tel - who also arrived from Bayern - Kota Takai and Mohammed Kudus.

The 30-year-old has signed a season-long loan deal in N17 with Spurs having an option to sign the midfielder permanently at the end of the 2025/26 season.

Tottenham had been looking for reinforcements in the No.6 position for Frank's new-look squad and Palhinha certainly fits the bill.

The Portuguese started his career with Sporting CP and had a number of loans in Portugal before making the move to the Premier League in 2022 when signing for the Whites.

He made 68 appearances in west London during a two-season spell, during which time he made more tackles than any other player. His performances earned him a £47.4million move to the Allianz Arena in 2024, although injuries hampered his spell in the Bundesliga somewhat, restricting him to just 25 appearances for the German champions.

Palhinha becomes the second player to arrive at Sprus on loan from Bayern, following Tel's loan move in January - a deal that was made permanent this summer.

Palhinha's move is subject to international clearance and a work permit and if granted quickly, his first appearance for Spurs could strangely be against his parent club.

Tottenham, after returning home from their pre-season tour of Asia, make the trip to Munich for a game against Bayern on Thursday.

It is the second pre-season in a row in which Spurs take on the Bundesliga outfit, a stipulation as part of the £100million deal that took Harry Kane from Spurs to Bayern in 2023.

Palhinha's shirt number for the season has yet to be confirmed.

Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank has been speaking about the 1-1 draw with Newcastle in South Korea that brought plenty of emotions.

The match in Seoul is expected to be Son Heung-min's final match for the club after 10 years and countless memories, not least lifting the Europa League trophy in May to end it all on a high. Against Newcastle, Brennan Johnson opened the scoring with a low finish before Harvey Barnes equalised with a powerful shot just before half-time.

The second half was all about two moments described by Frank to football.london as beautiful and brutal. First a tearful Son got his moment to come off after the hour mark and the game stopped as he was hugged by everyone on it, with a guard of honour before the substitutes and staff surrounded him and hugged the emotional captain.

Then came the brutal moment as James Maddison went down in the final stages with a non-contact injury to his right knee which looked serious.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those putting the questions to Frank on those two players after the game. Scroll down for every word the Spurs boss said at the press conference inside the Seoul World Cup Stadium.

What did you make of the match?

I thought it was a good game between two competitive teams. We scored a great goal from high pressure where we were winning it high. It was a big, big part of what we like to do. I also think we won it high, maybe four, five or six times where we could have created more of those situations and then we dropped a little bit back. Then in the second half, we got back to more of that. Fair result in an even game.

First off how is James Maddison and what exactly happened to him and with Son, have you ever seen anything like that on a football pitch and what were the scenes like in the dressing room after as well?

Yeah, it's like in life and football, I think sometimes life and football can be brutal, but also sometimes very beautiful. So I think it was brutal in what happened to to Madders. It looks like a a bad injury. Of course we don't know exactly the status on it. It didn't look good.

And then on the other side, unbelievable, beautiful scenes with Sonny and his teammates, the big respect from Newcastle, can't praise that highly enough from the players on the pitch. The scenes after, first when we walk around [the pitch] and then when his team-mates gathered around him and you could see he's highly emotional. Then in the changing room as well I just said a few things, very shortly because it's about Sonny and then he said a few things, of course very emotional, so very, very beautiful scenes about Sonny.

Spurs have one more game in pre-season, was today Son's last match or does he have a chance to play one more game?

I think it's most likely was Sonny's last game. Yeah, it's very close, so yeah, that's the answer. Short (laughs).

Can I just quickly check on what James Maddison exactly injured?

We are pretty sure it was the same knee that he had the previous injury in.

Can you give us a bit of an insight into what's happened over the past 24 hours in the build up to this game since Son made that announcement yesterday?

Not too much, if I'm honest. He knew he had to play, he would play this game no matter what, if this was potentially his last game or not, he would captain the team, so I think the only thing was I spoke a little bit about him, with him, you know, I like to make sure we honoured him in the right way.

Of course, also had a little bit of a professional view on it, so we need to have other players on the pitch as well. So bits like that, but that was the only bit.

Were there any young players who stood out and impressed you today and how did Yang do?

I think of any of our young players, I think Archie Gray stood out. I think he was really, really impressive. I like the way he was carrying the ball forward, his role down the side and the half-space runs and I also think his aggression in the duels and the pressure was very good.

I think that was a very promising performance and it was lovely to have the opportunity to put Yang on the pitch, clearly in front of the home crowd and he almost got the goal which would have been fantastic for him and for the team.

Tottenham Hotspur star James Maddison has been seen limping out of the stadium after Spurs' pre-season friendly against Newcastle United on Sunday.

The 28-year-old was stretchered off following a seemingly innocuous-looking challenge to win the ball. Maddison instantly realised something was wrong, hopping on one foot and clutching his head before collapsing to the ground and signalling for the physio.

There was palpable concern all around as the Spurs playmaker was visibly in pain, with his close friend Son Heung-min appearing particularly distressed from the dugout. The stretcher was summoned and Maddison was carefully loaded onto it, his hands still covering his face as he was carried off the pitch.

The England international has since been pictured on crutches as he limped through the mixed zone following the fixture against Eddie Howe's side. football.london's Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold wrote on X: "[Maddison] understandably looked devastated with his hood pulled down low. Thomas Frank said it was the same knee as before and thinks it's a bad one."

Maddison has only just returned from a knee injury that forced him to miss the remainder of last season. The midfielder suffered a season-ending problem, which has meant that his recovery has carried on into pre-season.

Spurs boss Thomas Frank has since confirmed that Maddison's latest injury looks to be the same knee.

"We're pretty sure it was the same knee he injured before," the Dane said post-match. "I think sometimes in life and football things can be both beautiful and brutal.

"That's what we got today. It looks like with Madders a bad injury and then on the other side unbelievable scenes for Son from his team-mates and the respect from the Newcastle players."

Maddison now looks set for another spell on the sidelines ahead of the UEFA Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain on August 13 and Tottenham's Premier League opener against Burnley three days later.

Darwin Nunez has been tipped to hit a rich vein of form, with predictions suggesting he could net 20 to 30 goals if he makes a switch from Liverpool to Tottenham Hotspur in the upcoming transfer window.

The 26-year-old Uruguayan striker is rumoured to be on his way out of Anfield, with the transfer market abuzz about his potential moves to Serie A or the Saudi Pro League before the deadline on September 1.

Nunez, who joined Liverpool from Benfica in June 2022 for a fee that could rise to £85 million, has found it challenging to justify his tag as one of the most costly signings in the club's history.

Having spent much of last season on the sidelines and only starting one Premier League game in 2025, Nunez watched on from the sidelines as Liverpool clinched their second league title in five years.

With speculation mounting over his future, ex-England international Chris Waddle has suggested that Nunez could thrive at a club like Tottenham Hotspur.

In a conversation with Flashscore, Waddle said: "Darwin Nunez is a big guy, he's powerful, quite pacey. He's got all the attributes you need", reports the Liverpool Echo.

"The problem he's had in England is that he can't put the ball in the net and that's what he was bought for.

"So whoever takes him, there is a striker in there, don't worry, there is. He could go on to score loads and everyone will say we always thought this would happen eventually wherever he's going to go.

"Unfortunately, he hasn't done it in Liverpool this year. I think Andy Carroll many years ago went to Liverpool for a lot of money and didn't perform, but yet went on to West Ham and did well.

"For Nunez, if he wants to go to Tottenham or somewhere like that, he does need to get away from Liverpool, the problem you get is whoever signs him is that supporters are going to say, why have we signed, he never scores, he misses chances.

"But as I said, he's a Uruguayan international which isn't easy because they are very very good, a new challenge might be the making of him."

Waddle continued: "I think if he gets off to a good start at a new club, he could end up with 20 to 30 goals. He's got it in him.

"I think the fans at Liverpool want him to do well because they respect his work, his effort, his commitment. If he does leave, that might kickstart his career in the right direction.

"He just needs to start scoring goals and if he can do that, you've got a very talented centre forward."

Nunez recently bagged a hat-trick during a behind-closed-doors pre-season encounter with Championship side Stoke City.

Thomas Frank is speaking to the media following Tottenham's 1-1 draw with Newcastle in Seoul which appeared to be the final appearance for Son Heung-min in a Tottenham shirt.

The match is likely to be Son's final game for Spurs after it emerged that the Korean star would be exiting the north London club after telling new head coach Frank that he wished to go. The Spurs captain later confirmed the news at a press conference in Seoul with MLS side LAFC progressing in talks with Tottenham to sign Son.

Spurs opened the scoring just three minutes in when Frank's side pressed high up the pitch and won the ball back with Kevin Danso sliding in Brennan Johnson to hit a fine finish into the bottom left corner.

Newcastle did manage to break and equalise themselves. Anthony Gordon found Harvey Barnes and he hit a rocket of a shot off the left-hand post with Antonin Kinsky beaten at his near post.

Both sides had half-chances in the second half but it was all about the final moments in a Spurs shirt of Son. Around the 66th minute, Frank made a separate substitution to bring the captain off. The game stopped and his team-mates all came over to embrace their tearful skipper before forming a guard of honour for him to come off the pitch. Then all the Spurs substitutes and staff hugged him on the touchline.

There was bad news though for Tottenham a little white later as James Maddison appeared to go down off the ball in the final minutes with a leg injury and needed to be stretchered off.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold is among those asking the questions of the Spurs head coach. Scroll down for updates from the press conference.

Tottenham have suffered a huge injury blow with James Maddison having to be stretchered off against Newcastle United in their final pre-season tour fixture just minutes after coming on.

All eyes were on Son Heung-min in his last game for the club, and the South Korean was given a huge send-off when substituted just after the hour mark.

But after the emotions of that moment, there was another hugely emotional moment for Maddison as he had to be strechtered off after an innocuous-looking moment as he tried to win the ball.

Maddison immediately knew something was wrong, hopping on one foot and putting his hands on his head before dropping to the turf and calling for the physio.

There was concern all round with Maddison clearly in agony and there was also concern on the bench as good friend Son got up from his seat in the dugout and had his hand over his mouth, clearly unnerved by what he had seen.

The stretcher was called for and Maddison was loaded on to it, still with his hands over his face and the England man had to be strecherered off the field of play.

Maddison missed the end of the 2024/25 season with a knee injury and has had minimum time on the pitch in pre-season as he looks to recover from that setback.

This new setback will be a huge concern for new boss Thomas Frank, who was already on the lookout for a new No.10 with a move for Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White failing at the final hurdle.

Frank is sure to be asked about Maddison's situation in his press conference after the 1-1 with Newcastle in Seoul, although it remains to be seen how much he will know in the immediate aftermath of the injury.

Son Heung-min could not hold back the tears as he bade farewell to Tottenham during the club's final pre-season tour match against Newcastle United on Sunday.

The South Korean started the match in South Korea the day after announcing during a press conference that he would be leaving the club after ten years in north London.

He was given more than an hour on the pitch and his every touch and run brought huge roars from the crowd inside the Seoul World Cup Stadium.

With 67 minutes on the clock, new head coach Thomas Frank gave the Spurs skipper the send-off his time at the club deserved, making the subsitution allowing Son to get a huge ovation from the crowd and the players on the pitch and off it too.

Players from both sides formed a guard of honour, patting Son on the head as he walked through and there was a delay to the match restarting to give the South Korean the proper send-off his decade of service deserved.

After the guard of honour, Son proceeded to embrace every single Spurs teammate and even many of the Newcastle players too.

He initially had a smile on his face, but could not hold back the tears as he embraced teammates on the sidelines after going off, including good friend James Maddison and likely new captain Cristian Romero.

The camera continued to pan to Son as he sat on the bench after embracing the entire Tottenham coaching staff too, as he was clearly emotional.

Son will make the move to MLS to sign for Los Angeles FC in the coming days following the "most difficult decision I have made in my career". Speaking on Saturday he said: "I have been here for 10 years. It’s a beautiful club with beautiful fans. I have such amazing memories. It was so hard to make the decision. I just felt like I needed a new environment to push myself to get more out of me I think I needed a little bit of change. 10 years is a long time."

Tottenham are playing Newcastle United in a pre-season friendly in South Korea and here are our first half Tottenham player ratings from the encounter.

The match could be Son Heung-min's final game for Spurs after it emerged that the Korean star would be exiting the north London club after telling new head coach Frank that he wished to go. The Spurs captain later confirmed the news at a press conference in Seoul with MLS side LAFC progressing in talks with Tottenham to sign Son.

So this pre-season fixture against Newcastle may be the final time the former Golden Boot-winner plays for the north London club and he is doing so in front of 66,000 of his country's fans inside the Seoul World Cup Stadium.

Spurs opened the scoring just three minutes in when Frank's side pressed high up the pitch and won the ball back with Kevin Danso sliding in Brennan Johnson to hit a fine finish into the bottom left corner.

Tottenham had a big chance to score a second when Mathys Tel ran through alone only to have his effort saved by Nick Pope.

Newcastle did managed to break and equalise themselves. Anthony Gordon found Harvey Barnes and he hit a rocket of a shot off the left-hand post with Antonin Kinsky beaten at his near post.

Here are our first half Spurs player ratings:

Antonin Kinsky

Made a good punch in a crowded box just after the half hour mark. Was beaten at his near post by Barnes though for Newcastle's equaliser. 5

Pedro Porro

Beaten to a header in his box by Joelinton that flashed just wide before having a curling free-kick saved by Pope at the other end. Hit a beautiful crossfield pass to Son that led to a blocked shot from the captain. Couldn't stop Barnes' goal but did manage to block his next effort. 6

Kevin Danso

Played a good pass into the path of Johnson for an early assist. Fluffed an early block and let Gordon get in for what could have been a goal. 7

Cristian Romero

Dealt well with Gordon on a couple of occasions and got involved in a clash in the box late in the half. 7

Ben Davies

Plenty of energy but struggled at times to stop Newcastle getting down his flank. 6

Rodrigo Bentancur

Started the game like a well-oiled machine and never looked rushed or hassled on the ball. 8

Archie Gray

Really promising first half from the midfielder despite a clash of heads, with some good runs, passes and dribbling. 7

Pape Matar Sarr

Playing as the number 10, the Senegal international had an early shot saved by Pope. He left space in behind him at times though by pushing too far up. 6

Brennan Johnson

Opened the scoring with a terrific low finish inside the left-hand post and was a threat down the right with his movement. 7

Mathys Tel

Should have scored Spurs' second after running clear through but after a couple of stepovers, the Frenchman's shot was saved by Pope. Plenty of work but should have done so much better with that chance. 5

Son Heung-min