Daily Express

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank has been urged to sign Sporting midfielder Morten Hjulmand by Denmark legend Thomas Gravesen. But Sporting are prepared to stand firm during the summer transfer window, with suitors reportedly told that a successful bid would have to meet the value of his release clause.

Spurs have already secured the first signing of the Frank era, with Mathys Tel joining on a permanent basis after spending the second half of last season on loan from Bayern Munich. The club's next priority could be to revamp the new manager's options in defensive midfield - one of the weakest departments in the Tottenham squad.

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The north Londoners are expected to go after an experienced head who can aid the development of young guns Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and Pape Sarr. And Sporting captain Hjulmand, 25, is one of the names to have been linked with the club in recent windows.

The Denmark international has made nearly 300 senior appearances for club and country, and at 6ft 1in tall, he is also a commanding physical presence. One of Frank and Hjulmand's countrymen, Gravesen, believes that he would be an ideal signing for Spurs.

He told Viaplay: "He is a captain of calibre. Frank was with [Christian] Norgaard for several years [at Brentford], and Hjulmand is an improved version and is even younger. That is why I think Frank’s first big purchase for Tottenham should be Hjulmand."

It remains to be seen whether Frank and the Tottenham higher-ups pay attention to Gravesen's transfer pitch. According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, pursuing Hjulmand would come at a hefty price.

Sporting do not want to lose their midfield general in the same window they look set to offload star striker Viktor Gyokeres. As a result, a non-negotiable condition for every suitor is to shell out the entirety of Hjulmand's £68m release clause.

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Manchester United is another name that could emerge later in the window once they get around to bolstering their midfield options. Hjulmand worked with Ruben Amorim at Sporting and made no secret of the fact he was upset about the end of their working relationship.

"Many players wanted to stay at Sporting with Ruben Amorim because he is a great coach," he said. "We feel disappointed with his departure.

"We were on a run of 11 consecutive wins and doing very well in the Champions League. Everything was very clear to everyone on the pitch. It was almost as if we were playing PlayStation. Everyone knew what they had to do. I told him in front of the other players that we were disappointed with his departure. We were counting on him."

Tottenham have completed the permanent signing of Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich on a six-year deal.

The 20-year-old forward spent the second half of last season on loan from the Bundesliga champions and scored three goals in 20 appearances.

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The loan included an option for Spurs to make the deal permanent for £45.8million, however the PA news agency understands the club successfully negotiated the fee down to £29.8m.

Having moved to Bayern from Rennes in 2022 he initially enjoyed a significant role, playing 69 times during his first two seasons before falling out of favour when Vincent Kompany was appointed a year ago.

He made only eight league appearances during the first half of last season before being loaned to Spurs - whom he initially turned down before an abrupt change of heart late in the January transfer window.

The club finished 17th in the Premier League, their lowest-ever finish, but qualified for the Champions League courtesy of their 1-0 win over Manchester United in the Europa League final.

Tel, who was an unused substitute in the final in Bilbao, is currently representing France at the under-21 European Championships in Slovakia alongside team-mate Wilson Odobert, and scored his team's opening goal of the tournament, a penalty in Saturday's 3-2 win over Georgia.

Bayern's director of football Max Eberl said: "Mathys Tel came to FC Bayern as a very young player and took his first steps into top-level international football here.

"He was a popular figure in our team, always giving his all for the club and the team. It has become clear that the move to Tottenham was the right one for his development."

Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo could be priced out of a move away this summer, in what would be a blow to Tottenham.

The Cherries, having already sold Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid for a whopping £50million, are not keen on a mass exodus, with left-back Milos Kerkez also set for Liverpool. Furthermore, PSG are progressing in their move for Illia Zabarnyi and are willing to fork out £50m for the Ukrainian defender.

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Bournemouth are comfortably meeting PSR regulations and are eager to progress next season under the leadership of Andoni Iraola, whom they are attempting to tie down to a new deal after an impressive 2024-25 campaign.

Tottenham are monitoring the situation of Semenyo, who is also on Manchester United's radar, with Spurs captain Son Heung-min a sought-after target for Saudi Pro League clubs.

A bid of around £60m could get Bournemouth to the negotiating table for Semenyo, who is valued at £70m.

Both Semenyo and Zabarnyi are contracted to Bournemouth until the summer of 2029, having signed new deals in July 2024.

Saudi Pro League side Al Ahli have intensified their pursuit of former Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou, just over a week after he was let go by the north London club.

The Aussie coach, who led Spurs to Europa League glory before his departure, has been approached by Al Ahli as they seek a new head coach.

Despite current manager Matthias Jaissle leading the team to AFC Champions League success last month, he has rejected several contract extensions and appears set to leave the club.

Postecoglou, who previously clinched the Japanese league title with Yokohama F. Marinos in 2019, is seen as an ideal replacement.

Thomas Frank is poised to cast a close eye on 18-year-old Tottenham centre-back Luka Vuskovic during pre-season, despite a flurry of loan interest in the Croatian youngster.

Tottenham secured a £12million package deal with Hajduk Split for the promising teenager in September 2023, reportedly outbidding Manchester City for his services.

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Vuskovic shone in Belgium last season while on loan at Westerlo, netting an impressive seven goals from defence, and also excelled during a six-month stint with Radomiak Radom in Poland in 2024.

A host of clubs from Germany, France and Belgium, including Hamburg and Club Brugge, have expressed early interest in signing Vuskovic on loan for the 2025-26 campaign.

However, Tottenham are not in any immediate hurry to decide on his future and haven't dismissed the possibility of Vuskovic remaining as part of their first-team squad for the upcoming campaign under new boss Frank.

Earlier this week, he made his international debut for Croatia, coming on as a late substitute in a 5-1 World Cup qualification victory over Czechia.

Manchester United will refuse to be drawn into a bidding war for Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo, despite Tottenham Hotspur's interest in the forward. The Red Devils have been active in the transfer market following a disappointing 2024-25 season, securing the signature of Wolves' Matheus Cunha, being rejected by Liam Delap for Chelsea and making an early approach for Mbeumo.

However, their pursuit of the coveted 25-year-old Cameroon international has been complicated by Spurs. Their new manager Thomas Frank eis ager to make Mbeumo his standout summer signing after leaving Brentford for Tottenham earlier this week. Spurs have since submitted a £70million bid for the Bees' star player, surpassing the £55m offer made by United.

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Despite Mbeumo's preference to join United above all other clubs this summer, ESPN reports that they will not go beyond a certain price point for the former Troyes attacker and have other targets in mind if Spurs beat them to a deal.

Eberechi Eze and Antoine Semenyo, who have both been linked with United already this summer, could become more prominent in the club's plans if a deal for Mbeumo falls through.

Eze, the Crystal Palace playmaker, is another player attracting plenty of attention after capping off another impressive season at Crystal Palace with a match-winning performance in the FA Cup final.

Eze, who has a £68m release clause in his contract at Selhurst Park, is understood to be in the same price range as Cunha and Mbeumo.

Semenyo, who has had an impressive season with 11 goals and five assists in the Premier League, is also on Spurs' radar.

Bournemouth reportedly value Semenyo at around £70m and can hold out for that amount given several of their top-tier talents have been sold, with Dean Huijsen already offloaded and Milos Kerkez set to join Liverpool for around £45m and Illya Zabarnyi a £50m target for Paris Saint-Germain.

While United have other targets in mind, they are expected to first try and secure a deal for Mbeumo, given the player's desire to make the move to Old Trafford.

Last term, United were among the Premier League's lowest scorers, with only the bottom three and Everton failing to surpass their tally of 44 goals.

Tottenham are reportedly closing in on the permanent signing of Mathys Tel following his loan spell at the club. The forward looks set to be Thomas Frank’s first signing at Spurs since replacing Ange Postecoglou in north London earlier this week.

The Danish boss is expected to splash the cash as part of a major rebuild at Spurs, and several reinforcements have already been eyed, particularly in the final third.

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According to Sky Sports Germany, Frank is keen to work with Tel next season too, and Tottenham are now closing in on a deal to acquire the services of the versatile forward on a permanent basis from Bayern Munich.

An agreement worth £29.7million (€35m) has been agreed, which is in addition to the £8.5m (€10m) which Spurs paid in January to sign Tel on loan. The 20-year-old made 20 appearances for Tottenham last season, scoring three goals and registering a single assist.

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Tel’s performances impressed those at Spurs though and they have pushed to get a permanent deal over the line now that they have a new manager in the dugout. The versatile forward, who can play on either wing and as a striker when required, is set to pen a long-term contract with Tottenham after already approving of the move.

It remains to be seen whether Tel will be the only forward who arrives at Tottenham over the coming weeks, with the club reportedly locked in negotiations with Brentford over a deal for Bryan Mbeumo.

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The Cameroon international is previously said to have expressed an interest in joining Manchester United earlier this summer - who obliged with submitting offers for the winger – but Frank’s move to Tottenham has cast doubt over the move. The opportunity to reignite the manager who got the very best out of him in recent weeks and be a key figure in Spurs’ new project could prove to be an enticing opportunity.

If Tottenham’s push for Mbeumo is unsuccessful then they have a host of alternative options, including Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo. However, any move for the winger could be pricey given that the Cherries have already sold Dean Huijsen and are locked in negotiations with Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool for deals for Illia Zabarnyi and Milos Kerkez.

Brentford are applying pressure on Manchester United to meet their £60million asking price for Bryan Mbeumo by reportedly entering transfer talks with Tottenham Hotspur. New Spurs head coach Thomas Frank will try to convince Mbeumo to remain in London after striking a fruitful relationship with the 25-year-old over six years at Brentford.

Earlier this month, The Athletic claimed that Ruben Amorim's current priority transfer target chose a move to Old Trafford despite rival interest from Arsenal, Newcastle United and Spurs. However, according to Sky Sports, Mbeumo has since become intrigued by the idea of a switch to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with his former boss.

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The developments sparked panic among supporters, with United yet to return to the table after Brentford rejected an opening bid worth £45million plus £10m in add-ons.

But fresh reports have simmered the uproar. Sky Germany state that Frank will attempt to lure Mbeumo to North London after replacing Ange Postecoglou in the hot seat.

That said, Mbeumo is said to have already given his approval to a United transfer, going as far as reaching a verbal agreement over his contract in Manchester.

It's claimed that the M16 giants remain confident a deal will eventually go through to add the Cameroon international to Matheus Cunha in Amorim's attack.

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United confirmed the signing of Cunha on Thursday, recruiting the 26-year-old in a £62.5m deal from Wolves after a stellar campaign.

Amorim also reportedly wants a striker after Mbeumo. However, a swoop for Viktor Gyokeres appears off the table after the Sporting star rejected a reunion.

Napoli's Victor Osimhen, Jean-Philippe Mateta of Crystal Palace and Eintracht Frankfurt man Hugo Ekitike are among the alternatives linked.

United's early focus on bolstering their attacking firepower comes as no surprise after totalling just 44 goals in the Premier League last season.

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Mbeumo and Cunha scored a combined 35 alone. The Red Devils' joint top-scorers, Bruno Fernandes and Amad, managed just eight each.

Rasmus Hojlund scored just four times in the Premier League, while Joshua Zirkzee only notched three after his £36.5m move from Bologna.

United reportedly also want their business to extend beyond the attack, but they require player sales to generate funds due to the cost of no European football next season.

Amorim is keen on a new goalkeeper and midfielder, but there is little chance of him adding those players before offloading the likes of Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford and Antony.

Tottenham sporting director Johan Lange played a significant part in the process of hiring Thomas Frank, and Spurs bosses will hope that a productive relationship can be struck up between the two Danes. But there is one awkward decision, made almost four years ago, which the pair will have to get past.

Because while Lange and Frank go back a long, long time, it hasn't always been a case of unconditional support from one man to the other. Lange was still working in a senior position at Aston Villa in October 2021, when he led the interview process to replace Dean Smith.

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According to The Athletic, Frank is one of the managerial candidates that Lange and former Villa chief Christian Purslow spoke to. And the former Brentford boss may have fancied his chances of getting the go-ahead, given that he worked with Lange at Danish side Lyngby back in 2006.

The Villa job would have been the biggest of Frank's career, and by that point he already had a gleaming reputation at the Gtech Community Stadium. But in the end, Lange snubbed his countryman and hired Steven Gerrard instead.

Frank would have to wait almost four years before the next major opportunity opened up, and Lange was one of the key figures who drove the decision to bring him to north London.

That's not to say there weren't near-misses in the meantime. Leicester City were linked with Frank during the 2022/23 season, Villa revisited their interest before hiring Unai Emery, Manchester United are understood to have spoken with him before putting their faith in Erik ten Hag, and he made it down to the last two of Chelsea's manager hunt before they opted for Enzo Maresca.

Frank is yet to bid a proper farewell to his old Brentford squad or speak out on his Spurs appointment, with players and staff still enjoying an off-season break in the wake of a demanding campaign.

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One thing Lange can help Frank with is squad improvements. The summer transfer window, which reopens on June 16, is still in its early stages, and Tottenham may look to back their new boss with a healthy budget in order to get his stewardship off the ground.

Spurs are reportedly exploring a move for Bryan Mbeumo, who scored 20 Premier League goals for Frank's Brentford last season. They may be fighting an uphill battle, however, as the Cameroon international is thought to favour a move to Old Trafford.

Tottenham players will be greeted by a new face when they report back for pre-season. Just over three weeks on from their Europa League triumph, Ange Postecoglou has given way to Thomas Frank, who will hope to translate his gleaming track record at Brentford into an upturn in fortunes for Spurs.

One player who has intimate knowledge about the inner workings of a Frank squad is Bryan Mbeumo. The Cameroon international scored 20 Premier League goals for the Bees last season and is seemingly on his way out of the Gtech Community Stadium, with Tottenham reportedly trying to hijack Manchester United's big-money move for him.

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There's a chance Mbeumo could end up in north London to give Tottenham players a face-to-face heads-up about exactly what it's like to play for Frank. But just in case he opts for Old Trafford instead, Spurs stars can learn from insight that Mbeumo has already put into the public domain.

The 25-year-old was asked about Frank's managerial approach in an interview with Sky Sports late last year. Identifying the weak points in a player's game and striving for continuous improvement are two of the strong points that stuck with him.

"For him there is always something you can do better, in your life in general or in football," Mbeumo said. "You always have some things that are a bit weaker that you can work on and I think Thomas found them well in me.

"He used to be [focused on] the mental part. I used to be very frustrated when it was not going my way - even if I had a good game but I missed a chance, I used to get my head down and lose my focus. That is something I’ve tried to work on."

Whatever Frank did with Mbeumo worked wonders as he enjoyed by far the best individual season of his career in 2024/25. Only Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isak and Erling Haaland managed more Premier League goals than the in-demand Brentford star.

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That scintillating output has allowed Brentford to demand a chunk of cash for his signature. United have seen a £55million offer turned down after Mbeumo reportedly indicated that he was willing to make the move to Old Trafford.

But Frank's move to Spurs has thrown a spanner in the works. Claims of a £70m transfer bid were made on Friday as the north London club look to reunite their new boss with his deadliest attacker.