Football FanCast

Tottenham Hotspur have pulled off some eye-catching signings in their history, with Daniel Levy spending big in recent times.

However, Spurs have also missed out on bringing some world-class players to north London, with Eberechi Eze the latest Tottenham transfer to fall through. With a deal close to being finalised, fierce rivals Arsenal swept in and poached the attacking midfielder frim under Spurs' nose.

Unfortunately, it hasn't been just Eze. Tottenham have been pipped to the post or rejected by a plethora of legends, from Cristiano Ronaldo to Kylian Mbappe.

Former Tottenham scout and player Ronny Rosenthal was urging the Spurs to sign Cristiano Ronaldo when he was coming through at Sporting CP.

However, Spurs didn’t listen, with Manchester United landing the Portuguese superstar for just over £12m in 2003.

“There are hundreds of players that if the clubs had listened… one of the ones I’ll never forget is Cristiano Ronaldo, who I saw because I was going a lot to Portugal at that time.”

Back in 2015, a teenage forward by the name of Kylian Mbappe impressed Spurs chiefs for Monaco during a Europa League clash against Tottenham.

Those in north London kept tabs on the Frenchman and were looking to bring him to the club, however, they quickly realised he was out of reach, with Mbappe instead choosing PSG.

Tottenham legend Teddy Sheringham had two spells with Spurs and once revealed that the club were in talks to sign Diego Maradona.

Ossie Ardiles managed Spurs in 1993-1994 and once told Sheringham he was looking to partner him in attack with Maradona.

"He was like 'Diego Maradona', and I went 'Ossie, Ossie, really!? Are you?' I went 'Do, just do it’. He said 'I'm in talks with him at the moment', and I was like 'My God, do it, it would be brilliant to play with him.'"

Levy missed out on signing Brazilian icon Rivaldo in 2002 when he was on the search for a new club after leaving Barcelona.

Manuel Auset, Rivaldo’s friend and lawyer, said that Spurs offered the then-30-year-old a move to the Premier League, but he instead chose AC Milan.

“Tottenham offered him the chance to play in the Premier League and there was a meeting with me, an agent and Mr Levy. Then we went to Milan, spoke about it there, and reached an agreement.”

Now remembered as a Chelsea legend, Eden Hazard could quite easily have been a Tottenham player when leaving Lille in 2012.

Former Spurs coach Clive Allen admitted that the Belgian star was “keen to come to Tottenham” but instead chose to head to Stamford Bridge.

"The chief scout and I met with Hazard and he was keen to come to Tottenham at the time but, in the end, he decided to join Chelsea.”

Mauricio Pochettino and Tottenham made a concrete effort to sign Bruno Fernandes from Sporting CP in 2019.

Fernandes, who eventually moved to England with Man Utd, once revealed he was “really angry” his move to Spurs fell through after being convinced to join by Pochettino.

"Obviously I wanted to go to the Premier League. The manager, Mauricio Pochettino, was the one who wanted me there. It was a good offer but Sporting tried their best to keep me.

"The president spoke with me but he spoke with me on the wrong day. It was the day after they decided to refuse the offer from Tottenham and I was really angry."

Tottenham and Pochettino made Sadio Mane their top target in 2016, however, Spurs were outbid by Liverpool.

The Reds paid £34m for Mane who’d go on to become an Anfield legend, with Tottenham instead using the money that would have gone on the forward for midfielder Moussa Sissoko.

Tottenham had Virgil van Dijk on their shortlist of central defender targets back in 2015 when the Dutchman was still on the books of Celtic.

Instead of signing Van Dijk, though, Spurs brought in Toby Alderweireld from Atletico Madrid, with Van Dijk signing for Southampton the same year.

At one point, Tottenham thought they were on course to sign Jack Grealish from Aston Villa for just £25m.

Grealish wasn’t happy about the failed transfer to Spurs in 2018, however, three years later, he’d cost Manchester City a then-British record £100m.

Tottenham were in pole position and pushing to sign Luis Diaz from FC Porto in the 2022 January transfer window before Liverpool hijacked a transfer.

The Reds paid a guaranteed fee of £37.5m for the Colombia international, who would go on to win the Premier League at Anfield before being sold for a profit to Bayern Munich.

Tottenham Hotspur have always been a club that gives young players a chance.

Today, Thoms Frank has the likes of Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall making regular appearances, and so long as things turn around at Rangers, Mikey Moore is likely to feature more prominently next season.

Go back just over a decade, and it was a certain Harry Kane who was given the chance to lead the line under Mauricio Pochettino. Then, just a few years after that, Dele Alli was signed from MK Dons.

At his best, the former England international was a force of nature for Spurs, and while it's early, it looks like the North Londoners might just have another version of him on the books today.

What made Dele Alli so special

While he has unfortunately faded out of football almost entirely today, it is impossible to overstate just how special a player Dele was at his peak.

For example, in just his first season with the club, the Englishman was able to rack up a brilliant tally of ten goals and ten assists in 46 appearances.

Such a return would be impressive for a seasoned professional, but considering he was just 20 years old and had spent the prior campaign in League One, it was incredible.

Unsurprisingly, he was named the PFA Young Player of the Year, an award he'd win for a second time the following year after producing an out-of-this-world tally of 34 goal involvements in 50 appearances.

While it sounds overly simplistic, it was this sensational ability to produce goals and assists at an unimaginable rate for someone so young that made the Milton Keynes-born gem so special.

He wasn't necessarily the best passer in the game, and sometimes could be found lacking when it came to the defensive side of things, but he was a force of nature when it came to popping up at the right time to either score or provide the final pass to someone else who'd put the ball in the back of the net.

So, unfortunately, when the goal involvements began to dry up, everything started to go wrong for the potentially world-class talent, and while he may well get back to his best, he is currently without a club.

In more positive news for Tottenham, it looks like they have an academy gem who could potentially become their new Dele in the coming years.

Meet Spurs' new Dele

There are more than a handful of truly exciting prospects in Spurs' academy setup at the moment, but the one who stands the best chance of emulating Dele at his best is Luca Williams-Barnett.

Despite still being just 17 years old, the youngster has been a real talking point for those in the know for some time now, and when you take a look at his numbers in youth football, it's easy to understand why.

For example, in just 23 appearances last season, totalling 1857 minutes, the Luton-born wonderkid scored 20 goals and provided 12 assists, which comes out to 1.39 goal involvements every game, or one every 58.03 minutes.

Then this season, even though he's now primarily playing with the U21s, he has still scored eight goals and provided five assists in nine youth team appearances, totalling 716 minutes, which comes out to an average of 1.44 goal involvements per game, or one every 55.07 minutes.

In other words, the Lilywhites' young phenom is already a goalscoring machine, but one who is also a reliable provider of assists, which certainly helps to justify analyst Ben Mattinson's claim that he's "one of England's best talents."

Moreover, the fact that he has already made his first-team debut, combined with his ability to pop up left, right, and centre with goal involvements from a young age, is undoubtedly reminiscent of Dele at his very best.

Ultimately, it's still incredibly early in Williams-Barnett's career, but it's impossible to ignore just how immense a talent he already is, and his similarities to the Spurs' former game-changer.

Tottenham transfer chief Johan Lange has his eyes on a "very rare" forward who's just broken a 52-year record, with the club expected to go for a new attacker and centre-back in the January window.

Tottenham expected to make two January signings to back Thomas Frank

Spurs boss Thomas Frank has made a solid start to his reign overall, despite some concerns from supporters over their displays against lesser sides they're expected to beat.

Going into their gritty 2-1 win at Elland Road prior to the international break, which ended Leeds United's year-long unbeaten run at home in the league, the Lilywhites had just escaped Bodo/Glimt with an undeserved share of the spoils after being largely dominated by the Norwegian minnows.

They were also forced to come back and rescue draws against struggling Brighton and Wolves in their last two Premier League matches, but these results also taught us that the north Londoners are beginning to display a real resilience to crumbling that almost entirely evaded them last season.

This was evident against Leeds on a very rainy afternoon where the boisterous home crowd piled pressure on Frank's side, but goals from summer signings Mathys Tel and Mohammed Kudus sealed a hard-fought three points for Spurs after Noah Okafor's brief equaliser.

All the signs so far suggest that, while Tottenham are still a work in progress, they could have a bright future under Frank if the Dane is sufficiently backed in the transfer market.

Spurs did just that in the summer, even if they did fail to sign another wide player and centre-back after late summer links with Man City duo Savinho and Manuel Akanji, who's since joined Inter Milan on loan with a buy option.

Savinho has just penned a new contract as well, ending all hope of Spurs striking a mid-season deal for the Brazilian.

However, it is believed that Lange and the recruitment team are still looking to bolster Frank's wide area and the centre of Tottenham's defence (TEAMtalk) — coming after suggestions that ENIC and the Lewis family could pump more money into the club for transfers and wages (Kaveh Solhekol).

Tottenham target Rayan breaks 52-year record as Lange plans bid

One of their reported attacking targets is Vasco de Gama sensation Rayan, who is viewed as one of Brazil's rising star prospects.

The 19-year-old has scored 14 goals in all competitions across the Brazilian domestic campaign so far, and according to O Gol, his recent brace in a 4-3 win over Vitoria made history.

Rayan has now become the youngest Vasco player to reach 10 goals in the Brazilian top flight since Dinamite in 1973, and if he continues on this current trajectory, it's surely only a matter of time before the Premier League beckons.

According to other recent reports from South America, Tottenham are expected to make an offer for Rayan, who has a £35 million release clause in his contract, with Spurs also sending scouts to watch over the teenager as he continues to impress.

Vasco manager Fernando Diniz has already made emphatic claims about the versatile attacker's game-changing ability, sending a message that could perk the ears of supporters.

“Rayan is a player with enormous game-changing ability, one of the biggest in the country," Diniz said.

"He is only 19, still learning to understand his own potential. There is a long road ahead, but he is a rare, very rare player."

Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray could be joined by another unstoppable youngster, but the tantalising exit clause in his deal will also have other elite sides taking notice.

When it comes to the definitive Tottenham Hotspur player of the last decade or so, most people will think of Son Heung-min.

After all, the South Korean international was captain of the club when they won the Europa League last year and wore the shirt for a decade.

However, another Lilywhites star who at least has to be in contention for the title is, of course, Harry Kane.

While the England captain did leave the club, he is their all-time top goalscorer and was arguably the key player in the side that came painfully close to Premier League glory.

Unfortunately, he's now blowing people away in Germany and is an early contender for next year's Ballon d'Or. Worse yet, another striker Spurs sold is now starting to emulate the world-class forward.

Why Kane could win the Ballon d'Or

While there was a 15 year period in which the Ballon d'Or would generally go to either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, things are a lot more open these days.

For example, Rodri won the award in 2024, and Ousmane Dembélé won it last month. So with this in mind, there is no reason Kane couldn't be holding that golden ball next year.

In fact, in his usually humble way, the former Spurs star has already made it clear that he would "love to win" it.

Moreover, with the consideration for next year's award beginning at the start of this season, it would be fair to say that, as things stand, the 32-year-old stands a great chance of getting his wish.

For example, in just ten appearances for Bayern, totalling 827 minutes, the Walthamstow-born machine has already scored 18 goals and provided three assists.

In other words, the "generational" talent, as dubbed by former manager Ange Postecoglou, has been averaging 2.1 goal involvements per game this season, or one every 39.38 minutes, which is utterly incredible.

Another way to look at those numbers is that, when you take away those three assists, the Englishman is averaging a goal every 45.94 minutes, which is undeniably world-class.

At the end of the day, there wasn't really much Spurs could have done to keep hold of Kane in 2023, but they certainly could have retained another striker sold the following summer who is putting up numbers similar to his this season.

The former Spurs gem emulating Kane

As with all big clubs, Spurs have gotten rid of their fair share of players they should've kept over the years, and one international who is starting to fit that category is Troy Parrott.

The Irish international joined the club's academy setup in 2017, but made just four competitive appearances for the first team before being sent out on several loans to Millwall, Ipswich Town, MK Dons and Preston North End.

Then, in the summer of 2023, Postecoglou sent him abroad for his fifth loan spell, to Dutch side Excelsior, and it was a brilliant move as, in just 32 appearances, he notched up 17 goals and five assists.

That was enough to convince fellow Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar to come in with a £6.7m offer, which was enough to tempt the North Londoners into selling, a decision that, based on how things have gone since, might have been a mistake.

In his first season with De Kaasboeren, the 23-year-old poacher found the back of the net 20 times and provided five assists in 47 appearances, totalling 3432 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.88 games, or every 137.28 minutes.

However, this season, the "phenomenal" forward, as dubbed by former manager Ryan Lowe, has taken things to a whole new level.

In just eight appearances, totalling 509 minutes, the Dublin-born goal machine has put the ball in the back of the net ten times and provided two assists for good measure.

That comes out to a brilliant average of 1.5 goal involvements every game, or every one every 42.41 minutes, which is a rate of return that is pretty much on parity with Kane's.

Ultimately, it's impossible to say how Parrott would have gotten on had he not moved to the Netherlands two years ago, but given his incredible form since then, he certainly feels like a player Thomas Franks would appreciate.

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank is weighing in on the club's January recruitment plans after a solid start to life at N17.

Tottenham put international break curse behind them after Leeds win

Before their latest victory at Leeds United, thanks largely to a Man of the Match display from in-form summer signing Mohammed Kudus, Spurs had suffered defeat in seven of their last seven matches prior to an international break.

A run of two consecutive Premier League draws in the build up to Leeds, not to mention a disappointing share of the spoils away to Norwegian minnows Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League, perhaps told a sign that Frank's side could've been on to extend that bizarre record.

However, a gritty, resilient display on a rainy Saturday afternoon in Yorkshire saw Frank's side come away with all three points, despite Leeds battling to the very bitter end and ferociously knocking on Spurs' door.

Tottenham not only put that international break voodoo behind them, but they also became the first side to beat Leeds at Elland Road for over a year in the league.

It took a couple of crucial saves from Guglielmo Vicario to thwart Leeds' attempts to get on the scoresheet for a second time, and Frank can also give a special nod to Mathys Tel, who opened the scoring after being given the starting nod ahead of Richarlison.

Dominic Solanke's niggling ankle problem, which required minor surgery, means that Richarlison has started up top in almost every game for Spurs so far, but there are doubts that the hot and cold Brazil international can be relied upon.

Spurs are hopeful Solanke could return just after the October international break, but fitness issues have been a real issue for the Englishman since his move from Bournemouth last year.

As such, the Lilywhites are being linked with a new striker, and it is believed that former Brentford star Ivan Toney is on their radar.

Frank worked with Toney during his peak years at the Gtech Community Stadium, with the 29-year-old bagging 20 Premier League goals in the 2022/2023 season.

Since moving to Al-Ahli in 2024, Toney has scored for fun, racking up 30 strikes in 44 appearances over his debut campaign and eight goals from 10 run outs already this season.

According to a report from Indy News, Spurs could now offer the £426,000-per-week talisman a chance to make a return to his homeland.

Indeed, it is believed that Frank has personally contacted Toney over joining Tottenham on loan in January, with Chelsea named as another suitor as both sides ponder bringing in a new centre-forward mid-season.

It is unclear whether Al-Ahli would sanction a temporary move away for the number nine who's been their arguable star player since joining, but Frank has previously lavished praise on Toney as a "remarkable" striker, so it is clear why he'd be keen to reunite with him in North London.

Tottenham Hotspur winger Mohammed Kudus has made an impressive start to life at the club since his move to North London from West Ham United in the summer transfer window.

The Ghana international has delivered one goal and four assists in seven appearances in the Premier League, per Sofascore, this season, which included a goal and an assist against Leeds United last weekend.

It remains to be seen whether or not he will provide consistent quality, though, as the forward ended last season with a return of just five goals and three assists for West Ham in the Premier League.

Whilst there are question marks over whether or not Kudus will produce consistent performances, it is worth thinking back to possibly one of the most consistent midfielders in the club's modern history, Mousa Dembele.

What made Mousa Dembele a key player for Spurs

The Belgian midfielder, now 38, racked up 249 appearances in all competitions for the Lilywhites, per Transfermarkt, after his move from Fulham in the summer of 2012.

Dembele was never a central midfielder who was going to score and assist goals on a regular basis, as evidenced by his return of 10 goals and 11 assists, but he was an incredibly mobile talent who could get across the pitch to break up attacks defensively and keep play ticking on the ball.

Per WhoScored, he averaged 3.2 tackles and interceptions per game throughout his career and only lost the ball through a miscontrol once per average, which speaks to both his combativeness and his ability to retain possession under pressure.

He was so reliable and consistent defensively and on the ball under pressure from opposition players, which is why he was such a key player for Spurs for so many years in the engine room.

Whilst there is a question mark over Kudus' consistency, there is another summer signing for Spurs who may be one of the club's best signings since Dembele in the midfield, Joao Palhinha.

Why Joao Palhinha is one of Tottenham's best signings

The Portugal international arrived from Bayern Munich on an initial loan deal in the summer and already looks to be the best midfield signing made by the club since Dembele left in the summer of 2018.

Palhinha, whose work rate was dubbed "incredible" by reporter Kyle Bonn, has caught the eye with three goals in 11 appearances for Spurs this season, but it is his work off the ball that has been even more impressive.

The 30-year-old star, who previously excelled in the Premier League with Fulham, has been an enforcer at the base of the midfield for Thomas Frank this season, showcasing his immense tackling ability.

As you can see in the table above, he currently has the highest average of tackles made per game in the Premier League since the start of the 2018/19 season for Spurs, which was the club's first year without Dembele in midfield.

This speaks to his ability to read the game, his desire to win the ball back, and his strength to complete the tackles successfully and consistently.

Palhinha averaged 5.0 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per 90 in his last full season for Fulham, per Sofascore, in the Premier League, which shows that he is a consistent defensive force in the middle of the park, and that he may have even higher levels to hit at Spurs.

Therefore, it is fair to suggest that the Portuguese star may be one of the club's best midfield signings since Dembele because of the reliability and consistency that he brings to the team defensively.

Tottenham Hotspur supporters have been blessed to be able to watch some terrific midfield talents play for the club over the years, from Luka Modric, to Gareth Bale, to Rafa van der Vaart, to Moussa Dembele.

Modric, now 40, is still playing and shining for AC Milan in the Serie A, whilst the other three have since hung up their boots and moved on from football.

In the present day, Joao Palhinha has scored three goals in 11 matches in all competitions to start his career with the club on loan from Bayern Munich, but he is not a creative talent like Modric, van der Vaart, or Bale were.

Ranking Tottenham's best modern-day creators

The 2018 Ballon d'OR winner has to be up there as one of the best creators in Tottenham's modern history. He laid on 24 assists in 160 matches for the club in all competitions before his move to Real Madrid, per Transfermarkt.

Christian Eriksen, however, has a strong claim to be above Modric in the ranking because he created 88 goals in 305 appearances for Spurs during his time in North London.

Dele Alli may rank between the two with his return of 59 assists in 269 matches for the club in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, which would place Modric third, Dele second, and Eriksen first.

However, there is a new player at Spurs who may top all three of them and has the potential to be the Premier League's new Dennis Bergkamp for Thomas Frank.

Tottenham may have unearthed their new Dennis Bergkamp

As much as Tottenham fans may not want to admit it, Bergkamp is a Premier League legend who used to light up English pitches with his creativity and invention for Arsenal.

The Dutch playmaker assisted 116 goals in 422 games for the Gunners, one every 3.63 matches on average, per Transfermarkt, which illustrates the creative ability that he brought to North London.

Xavi Simons may be the next version of Bergkamp in the Premier League after his move to Spurs from RB Leipzig during the summer transfer window.

The Netherlands international may only have one assist to his name for Tottenham to date, but his form in Germany and some of the promising signs that he has shown in the Premier League so far suggest that there is far more to come from him.

Simons created 21 goals in two seasons with Leipzig in all competitions after his move from PSV in the summer of 2023, which shows that he can provide assists on a regular basis.

As you can see in the table above, the Dutchman's games per 'big chance' created rate was particularly impressive in both of those seasons in Germany, which suggests that he creates 'big chances' more frequently than Bergkamp registered assists for Arsenal.

His performance against Leeds United last weekend was a great example of inventiveness and creativity. On several occasions, Simons produced a moment of magic to open up the opposition's defence when it looked secure, lifting the ball over defenders or playing through balls through the eye of a needle.

The assists will come for Simons, his history with Leipzig suggests as much. It just seems like a matter of time if he keeps doing what he was doing against Leeds; providing creativity, creating chances for teammates, being the spark in midfield.

His central midfield berth against the newly-promoted side could help him to be the creative hub of the team moving forward, and the Premier League's next Bergkamp.

Like his compatriot, Simons is an incredibly creative and inventive player who can make things out of nothing, but it is now down to him to add the goals and assists to his game to match for the Arsenal man's legacy and go down as one of Tottenham's most creative players in their history.

Tottenham Hotspur are finding their feet in the Premier League this season and there is a swell of internal belief surrounding one of their most promising stars.

Tottenham's resilience leaves Frank delighted

Over the years, external narratives involving Spurs have questioned their mentality to grind out results when the pressure is on, but Thomas Frank appears to be in a position to reverse that trend.

Speaking after Tottenham's hard-fought 2-1 victory over Leeds United last weekend, the Danish boss made it clear that his side have the dig needed to secure momentous victories even in testing circumstances.

He stated: "I think if you want to build any successful team you need mentality and character and cohesion and togetherness. No matter if you play like Inter or Barcelona or whatever style of play, you need that willingness to do everything to win, and I think we are building that more and more in the team."

Of course, stiffer tests are to come and Frank's men will need to show they have the mettle to claim a regular stream of points. Regardless, one loss in seven Premier League fixtures is a marked improvement on last term.

Ambition inside the building will lead that charge, and Spurs' reported move for Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is a sign that they aren't willing to settle for just being part of the chasing pack.

Putting that aside, Frank will need to focus on the talent he has at his disposal for now, even if the January window offers an opportunity to add new faces to his collective.

Listening to that advice, the Spurs manager now believes he has a player that can rival some of the world's best in his position over the coming years.

Frank makes exciting Archie Gray prediction

Profiling his role, Frank believes Archie Gray could one day be as good as Declan Rice or Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, and has urged the former Leeds United man to take his game to the next level under his stewardship.

He stated: "I see him as a midfielder who can play six or eight. That is his position and these days midfielders need to be more complete.

"You need to be a little bit of a six, a little bit of eight and 10 and two of the best in the world right now are probably Rodri and Declan Rice. They can do a little bit of everything. I see Archie, and they are big names to compare him to, but I see he has got the same potential."

Making 51 appearances for a club of Tottenham's standing at 19 years of age is a commendable achievement, though it remains to be seen if the England Under-21 international can one day rival two of the Premier League's most established midfielders.

Setting lofty ambitions for 2026, Tottenham Hotspur have now reportedly launched their opening move to sign a Barcelona star who earns over £14m a year in Spain.

Tottenham's ambitious transfer plans

When Tottenham Hotspur dismissed Daniel Levy, they set their sights on turning Tottenham into an ambitious club rather than just sustainable. Vinai Venkatesham, chief executive, told reporters when Levy left the club: "We’ve got a massive global fanbase. We saw in May in Bilbao what that next step is. That is competing for and ultimately winning trophies.

"We’ve had a taste of that, and it’s even better than you imagined. You realise the club is even bigger than you thought it was, and you’re hungry for more. That’s what everyone associated with this club is hungry for, more nights like that."

Since then, Thomas Frank has enjoyed mixed results in all competitions but has managed to stay unbeaten in the Premier League after edging past Leeds United. The Lilywhites sealed victory thanks to Mohammed Kudus' first Premier League goal for the club, as his strong start continues after his summer move.

It's the type of successful transfer window that those in North London will be keen to repeat in 2026 and reports are already suggesting that their ambitions are high.

Some have even gone as far as to suggest that Real Madrid's Federico Valverde is a summer target. The impressive midfielder would be an undeniable game-changer in Frank's side, but it remains to be seen whether the Lilywhites can lure him to the Premier League.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the famous El Clasico, Tottenham have reportedly made their first move for a Barcelona star.

Tottenham launch first Ter Stegen move

According to Sport in Spain, Tottenham have now launched their first enquiry to sign Marc-Andre ter Stegen in the winter window. The Barcelona shot-stopper is currently out injured with a ruptured patellar tendon and is not expected to return until around January time, but that hasn't stopped Spurs from making their first move.

In the meantime, the 33-year-old will have just two years remaining on his current deal when the summer arrives, which certainly leaves the door ajar for a potential exit. The big question for those in North London will be whether Ter Stegen still has the quality to step into the Premier League.

For all his experience and place as one of Barcelona's biggest earners at around €16m (£14m) every year, this is still a player coming back from a major injury in his 30s. Tottenham must take that into account.

Tottenham Hotspur have made some incredible additions over the last few years, with such talents undoubtedly helping the side beat Leeds United over the weekend.

Thomas Frank’s side secured a 2-1 win over the newly-promoted outfit, helping claim the side’s fourth Premier League win of the 2025/26 campaign.

The Dane has already impressed since taking the reins, with the Lilywhites only suffering one defeat in ten outings across all competitions after his appointment during the summer.

Numerous players have impressed in North London, whether that be players already on the books or ones brought in to make an impact after the manager’s arrival.

One of the players has made an immediate impact in North London over recent weeks, with his showing against Daniel Farke’s side one of his best for his new club.

Mohammed Kudus’ start to life at Spurs

During the summer transfer window, the Spurs hierarchy decided to fork out a whopping £55m for the signature of Mohammed Kudus to help bolster the options within the final third.

The Ghanaian caused a fair amount of controversy with his move, subsequently leaving rivals West Ham United to join the Lilywhites - even stating it was always going to be Spurs after leaving the Hammers.

On the pitch, the 25-year-old has already made an immediate impact, registering one goal and four assists within his first ten outings across all competitions.

His latest contributions came in Saturday’s triumph, scoring his first goal for the club, whilst also teeing up Mathys Tel for his first strike of the new campaign.

Kudus is now sitting at the top of the club’s list for combined goals and assists in the Premier League, with his tally of five now higher than Richarlison, who sits one behind in second.

However, despite the immediate impact he’s made in attacking areas, one other talent is rapidly becoming one of the club’s best additions over the last handful of years.

The Spurs star who is becoming their best signing

Micky van de Ven has been a crucial cog in Spurs’ defensive department over the last couple of years, with his £40m transfer in the summer of 2023 now looking like a bargain.

The Dutch international has racked up 61 appearances across all competitions, scoring six times - three of which have already come in the 2025/26 campaign.

His most recent effort came against Bodo Glimt in the Champions League, helping Frank’s side secure a 2-2 draw and maintain their unbeaten record in Europe.

The 24-year-old also registered the fastest sprint of any player in England’s top-flight last year, arguably being the perfect all-round option in the modern game.

However, summer addition Joao Palhinha may have been an addition many frowned upon at the time, but the midfielder is rapidly becoming one of the side’s most important players.

The Portuguese international joined on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich, with the deal including an option to buy, subsequently offering a needed ball-winning option at the heart of the side.

He’s started all but one game in the Premier League to date, once again getting the nod in the recent triumph against Leeds at Elland Road this weekend.

His stats from the encounter highlight how impressive he’s been of late, with his arrival massively solving the issue that has been plaguing the side in recent years.

Palhinha, who’s been dubbed “incredible” by one analyst, won 100% of the tackles he entered - now being the first player to win 25 tackles in the Premier League this campaign.

He also made three clearances, along with one interception and seven duels - further showcasing his sensational ability to regain possession without the ball at his feet.

However, in possession, he was just as impressive, making four passes into the final third, helping him complete 27 passes and dictate the play during the triumph.

Given his recent form, it would be a surprise to no one if the club decide to trigger the option to buy at the end of the current campaign and sign Palhinha on a permanent basis.

Such a deal would be an excellent one, allowing the former Fulham star to continue on his impressive start to life in North London, potentially helping the club win further silverware in the years ahead.