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Richarlison ‘to be Thomas Frank go-to’ at Tottenham after ‘massive’ PSG display

Richarlison has endured a difficult time since his move to Tottenham.

The former Everton star has had persistent injury issues, which have restricted him to just 91 appearances across four seasons in North London.

However, there is hope that he can turn things around at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium under Thomas Frank, especially after the penalty shootout loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup.

Paul Robinson believes the defeat could be damaging for Spurs after seeing Richarlison’s reaction, but it could spark him to life in a Lilywhites shirt.

Richarlison has already stepped up for Frank at Tottenham

Richarlison featured in four of Tottenham’s six pre-season matches and has a point to prove to Frank in the new campaign.

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He has started well under the Dane, and his effort in the 2-2 draw with the Champions League winners, which ultimately resulted in a loss on penalties, shows why he can be a key asset.

The 50-cap Brazil star had two shots on target against the Parisians and completed the most dribbles in the contest, with two of his three attempts working out, for a 67 per cent success rate, as per Fotmob.

It was his defensive work rate that will have impressed the ex-Brentford boss the most, though, as the 28-year-old made four recoveries and one block in the Udine clash.

He won four of the seven ground duels and two of the four aerial duels that he contested, for 57 per cent and 50 per cent success rates respectively, in a brilliant showing.

Spurs legend Clive Allen was impressed with the performance, speaking on talkSPORT (14 August, 13:21 am), he said: “I think what we saw last night, was a Richarlison that is fit, the way he held the ball up well, in the way that the team played, you needed your centre-forward to do that.

“He was physical. I thought his overall game was excellent. The only thing he did not really have was too many chances to actually score, but his contribution was massive.”

Tottenham need Richarlison to stay fit

The ex-Everton man can obviously be a great option for Frank, but he has to stay fit; that is a non-negotiable.

His performance against the French outfit was massive, as Allen states, but if you are only putting in those displays once every few months, there is no point.

He needs to prove that he is reliable in terms of his availability. Tottenham already know he can perform in front of goal; he has proven that plenty of times.

The key now is to stay fit and firing as Frank tries to eclipse the success that Ange Postecoglou brought to N17, especially given that Dominic Solanke seems to be injury-prone since moving to the Lilywhites.

The ex-Bournemouth star missed 14 matches last season, and Richarlison could feature in the number nine role if he continues to suffer with fitness issues.

Tyrese Hall is one of the more promising academy products at Tottenham and could become an important player soon.

The 19-year-old central midfielder has risen through Spurs’ academy system to establish himself as a regular for the Under-21s.

His heroics in the midfield helped guide the Lilywhites to the Premier League 2 title in 2023/24.

Tottenham have been dipping into their academy frequently in recent years. Mikey Moore is the latest success story and has joined Rangers on a season-long loan to continue his development plan.

Moore is expected to reach higher heights at Spurs, and there is every reason to suspect that Hall is next in line.

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This article includes exclusive comments from Lilywhite Rose owner John Wenham.

Hall’s career is expected to ‘skyrocket’ after loan move

Last week, Tottenham confirmed that Hall has joined League Two side Notts County on loan for the 2025/26 campaign.

This follows several youngsters who have been sent on loan by the club. Yang Min-hyeok’s loan came as a “surprise”, and he will see out the season at Portsmouth.

Hall has shown promising signs at youth level, which saw him named in Spurs’ senior squad for a Premier League fixture against Manchester City in May 2024.

However, this will be the teenager’s first loan move, which Lilywhite Rose owner John Wenham – speaking exclusively to Tottenham News – believes is an oversight.

“He should have been sent on loan last year,” Wenham said.

“He’s lost a year of development by not being out and playing regularly. Look how successful George Abbot’s loan was at Notts County last year, which has seen him move up a division.

“So, for Hall, I do not doubt that once he gets into a settled run of games, builds up his form, fitness and the experience of playing regular men’s football, we’ll see a really good player. I expect his career path to skyrocket upwards.”

Hall will need to impress on loan

While his talent is undeniable, Hall has a real opportunity to impress those at Tottenham next season.

The competition in Spurs’ senior midfield is tough, even if Yves Bissouma leaves Hotspur Way this summer. While Thomas Frank is open to integrating youngsters into his team, he’s a manager who wants to win.

As a result, developing while training with the first team will not be a viable option for the youngster.

Therefore, fans should expect to see big things from the youngster next season.

Tottenham are working hard to try and sign Savinho from Manchester City before the transfer deadline.

The Lilywhites have already completed six summer signings, but their transfer business doesn’t look likely to slow down any time soon as we enter the final few weeks of the window.

Tottenham have already made an approach for Savinho, but saw their advances immediately knocked back by their Premier League rivals.

Nevertheless, Thomas Frank’s side still seem keen to strike a deal, and this looks like a transfer saga that could have plenty of time left to run.

This article includes exclusive comment from former Tottenham scout Bryan King.

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Savinho to become Son replacement as new approach imminent

Tottenham are preparing a second approach for Savinho, as they refuse to take no for an answer in their pursuit of the 21-year-old.

There is now a renewed sense of urgency to the North Londoners’ transfer business following the departure of Son Heung-min and the injury to James Maddison, as they need to fill the gaps that have emerged in their squad.

Savinho has already proven himself to be a capable Premier League player, having notched one goal and eight assists from 29 league appearances last time out.

Ex-Spurs scout Bryan King – speaking exclusively to Tottenham News – believes that Frank will have already made it clear to the winger that he will be Son’s replacement in N17.

“If Spurs are going to be interested, then they’ll be telling Savinho that he’ll be the replacement for Son,” King said.

“Tottenham have been buying young players in the last few seasons, so maybe this year they feel like they’ve got to have a few more established players in the team.

“That looks to be the thinking, and I would say Frank hasn’t really got time to wait for young players to fulfil Premier League form.

“Savinho is already a good player and he would certainly fulfil the gap that’s been left.”

Tottenham to use money saved from Son exit to fund Savinho deal

Tottenham have been told that Savinho will cost them in excess of £50million if they want to do business this summer, but a transfer fee of that nature should be no issue for them.

The departure of their club captain has freed up a significant amount of money for Daniel Levy and Co. to spend, given that Son was believed to command a weekly wage of £190,000, according to Capology estimates.

That money could easily be reinvested into the squad and used to entice Manchester City into doing business over Savinho.

Spurs have lost a huge influence in Son, and if they fail to adequately replace him over the next few weeks, then it could potentially derail their campaign before it has even properly begun.

Tottenham will fancy their chances of opening their Premier League campaign with a win against Burnley on Saturday.

Spurs could not have asked for a better fixture to mark their return to competitive domestic action, as they face one of the newly-promoted teams from the Championship.

Thomas Frank will be pleased with how Spurs played in their recent UEFA Super Cup defeat to PSG, and he will surely be hoping to see plenty of the positive elements of that display carried over into their league opener at the weekend.

Frank will step into the home dugout at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the first time in Premier League action, and he will be desperate to get off to a strong start.

Chances of Tottenham win rated ahead of Burnley encounter

There were plenty of positives for Frank to take from the UEFA Super Cup loss to PSG, as his side went toe to toe with one of the world’s most dominant teams over the last 12 months.

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The Lilywhites defended resolutely and limited their opponents to relatively few chances, despite their late collapse.

However, Saturday’s game could have a totally different feel to it, with Spurs expected to have the vast majority of the ball against a watertight Burnley side.

Scott Parker’s men shipped a scarcely believable tally of 16 goals across the entire Championship campaign last time out, but they will surely find it difficult to maintain that impressive record in top flight.

The newly-promoted outfit are expected to have little chance of leaving N17 with all three points on Saturday, as Opta’s supercomputer has indicated that Spurs have a 66% chance of winning the game.

Burnley have just a 14% chance of emerging as victors, while the possibility of a draw is also rated at just 19%.

A good start will be vital for Spurs

A strong start to the new campaign will settle the nerves at Tottenham as they move into the Frank era, and the fixture list has handed them the perfect opportunity to get some wins under their belts in the early stages.

The Lilywhites face just one of the fellow ‘big six’ clubs in their opening nine games, and that comes in the form of a trip to face Manchester City, who they have a surprisingly good recent record against.

Elsewhere in the opening few weeks, they face trips to likely strugglers West Ham and Leeds, while also welcoming Wolves to N17.

If Frank’s men can get off to a bright start in their first few matches, memories of last year’s disastrous league campaign will soon be eradicated.

Tottenham were defeated by Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup on penalties.

Unfortunately for Spurs, it wasn’t meant to be as they surrendered a two-goal lead late on before eventually succumbing to the European champions in a penalty shootout.

Thomas Frank would have instantly endeared himself to the Spurs faithful even more if he had managed to bring more European silverware back to North London, but for now, this is not the case.

Micky Van de Ven was one of those to miss his spot kick, and now the defender has come out and apologised.

Van de Ven posts message after penalty miss

Frank was able to utilise Van de Ven and his fellow centre-back Cristian Romero in an attacking sense in Wednesday’s match, with their attacking threat from set-pieces impressing Premier League icon Wayne Rooney.

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The manner in which the Spurs defence capitulated late on will be cause for concern for Frank, however, as the Danish manager attempts to tighten up Tottenham’s defence.

After his penalty was saved in the shootout, Van de Ven took to Instagram on 14 August to apologise.

“Devastated about last night. Sorry that I couldn’t help the team in the penalty shootout,” he posted.

The defender was not the only one to miss in the shootout, with Mathys Tel failing to hit the target and spooning his effort wide of the post.

Van de Ven crucial to Spurs next season

Given their injury woes last campaign, if Frank can have Van de Ven and Romero playing together on a regular basis, that will go a long way to remedy their defensive issues from last season.

With Romero recently pledging his future to the club and being named captain, Spurs fans can breathe a sigh of relief that their Argentinian ace is not going anywhere for the foreseeable.

It will be interesting to see if Frank continues to deploy a back five with Kevin Danso playing alongside Van de Ven and Romero, or whether he will feel he can open up more when they play inferior opposition.

Tottenham have now turned their attention towards Eberechi Eze as they try to strengthen their squad in the final few weeks of the window.

The 27-year-old has become one of the Premier League’s finest creators during his time with the Eagles, and would certainly come at a significant cost to the Lilywhites.

Spurs are already in talks over a move for Eze, and it is thought that initial discussions regarding a deal have progressed well.

There is genuine hope that the Crystal Palace star could become the next new addition for Thomas Frank’s side, who have been linked with countless big-money targets so far this summer

This article includes exclusive comment from former Tottenham scout Bryan King.

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Eze to earn over £200,000-a-week as Tottenham eye Maddison replacement

Tottenham’s push for Eze has likely stemmed from the fact that James Maddison is facing another lengthy period on the sidelines.

The former Leicester City star was stretchered off in the recent friendly against Newcastle and has since undergone surgery on his ACL.

Eze is being targeted as a potential replacement for Maddison, but he would likely have significant wage demands, since he is now a genuine England international.

Ex-Spurs scout Bryan King – speaking exclusively to Tottenham News – believes that he could command a weekly wage of over £200,000 if the move does go through.

“Eze has moved from QPR to Palace and established himself as an international footballer and certainly one of the best in the Premier League,” King said.

“One of the main reasons why he’d come to Spurs would be the wages. It’s going to be in excess of £200,000-a-week here, which would be a big rise from where he is at the moment.

“Palace have won the FA Cup and they’ve won the Community Shield, maybe he (Eze) will feel that he’s fulfilled his time there and it could be time to move on.

“Tottenham would be mad not to put an offer in, they’ve got to get it done. He’d be the perfect replacement for Maddison, and I think he’s a better player than Maddison.”

Eze wages should be affordable for Spurs

Son Heung-min’s Spurs exit has left a big hole in every possible sense as we head into the new campaign, but it could at least have one benefit for the Lilywhites.

The South Korean superstar was believed to be the highest earner at Spurs, with estimates from Capology placing his weekly earnings in the region of £190,000.

However, with the veteran now out of the equation on Tottenham’s wage bill, there is money that has essentially been freed up, which could easily be used to satisfy Eze’s demands and ensure a deal can be reached.

Daniel Levy isn’t renowned as being somebody who is willing to flaunt his cash too often, but it could be a different story on this occasion, given the departure of the previous highest earner.

Thomas Frank got off to a nightmare start to his Tottenham career on Wednesday night as Spurs lost the UEFA Super cup against PSG on penalties after a 2-2 draw.

Micky van de Ven netted the opener late in the first half, before captain Cristian Romero followed his up with a second three minutes into the second period.

Lee Kang-in managed to pull a goal back late on, before Goncalo Ramos netted an equaliser in added time to take the match to penalties.

However, Tottenham were unable to win the shootout, with the Parisians taking home the trophy.

Tottenham Hotspur News presents the exclusive opinion of former Premier League and FIFA-listed referee Keith Hackett.

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Keith Hackett: Tottenham now at risk of UEFA charge

Romero no doubt had a night he will want to forget against the Championship League holders in the Super Cup.

While the captain scored a great goal to give Spurs daylight against PSG, he was unable to prevent their eventual comeback late on.

On top of this, the Argentine was at the centre of a controversial moment just minutes after his goal.

After a foul in the Tottenham box, Romero appeared to square up to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia before a scuffle quickly unfolded.

Yet, the referee failed to issue a single yellow card for the incident, with Keith Hackett believing that UEFA could end up charging Spurs for failing to control their players.

He said: “The referee’s quick intervention ensured that the confrontation was quickly resolved.

“However, in these situations, my expectation is for the referee to issue a minimum of two yellow cards to reassert his authority.

“UEFA will review the incident and determine if a charge for failing to control their players is imposed.”

Romero will have to help Spurs quickly bounce back

After leading so comfortably against PSG, it will no doubt be a shock for many of the Spurs players that they have somehow missed out on the trophy.

As captain, Romero, who recently became Spurs’ captain, has to ensure that this does not affect the players confidence.

Overall, Tottenham played well against a side that is easily one of the best in Europe. Now Spurs must quickly move on and forget the result.

Hopefully, Thomas Frank’s side can now quickly bounce back in Spurs vs Burnley on the weekend.

Tottenham are licking their wounds after losing the UEFA Super Cup match to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties on Wednesday.

Spurs went 2-0 up in Udine with goals from Micky Van de Ven and Cristian Romero, but were pegged by a long-range Kang-in Lee strike and a Goncalo Ramos header in stoppage time.

PSG then won the game after a penalty shootout where Van de Ven and Matheus Tel missed their spot-kicks.

Tottenham‘s inability to hold onto a lead in a big game led to rival fans reviving the ‘Spursy’ tag on social media.

However, it’s a post from Chelsea’s official X page that might rile up Tottenham fans the most.

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Chelsea make disrespectful social media post minutes after Tottenham Super Cup defeat

Moments after PSG hit their winning penalty, Chelsea made a social media post reminding fans that it had been exactly a month since they beat the European champions in the Club World Cup final.

Indeed, the West London club won that match 3-0 with a brace from Cole Palmer and a Joao Pedro goal on 13 July.

Many Chelsea fans replied, praising the timing of the post.

However, supporters of clubs responded by downplaying the achievement by likening it to a ‘pre-season friendly’.

Tottenham qualified for the UEFA Super Cup by winning the Europa League, a major European trophy, last season.

Frank will take a lot of positives from Super Cup defeat

It will always hurt to lose a final on penalties, especially after being ahead until the dying moments.

However, Thomas Frank will take a lot of heart from his side’s performance against the European champions.

Tottenham brought the game to PSG for the first 80 minutes and were good value for their lead.

Frank’s new signing Mohammed Kudus was pulling the strings during his time on the pitch, while even Richarlison showed his value in attack.

The Spurs boss will have been pulling his hair out in the dugout as he witnessed his team allow PSG back into the game, but hopefully they can learn from this mistake.

All in all, Frank will have seen enough to believe that his team can enjoy a prosperous season in the Premier League, starting from their opening game against Burnley on Saturday.

Tottenham suffered heartbreak on Wednesday night as they let slip a 2-0 lead against PSG before losing the UEFA Super Cup on penalties.

Spurs were in dreamland in the second half, with Micky van de Ven and new Tottenham captain Cristian Romero giving the London club a solid lead.

However, PSG mounted a late comeback to take the match to penalties thanks to goals from Lee Kang-In and Goncalo Ramos.

After such a good performance, the defeat could have unforeseen consequences events on the squad’s confidence, with Richarlison and Guglielmo Vicario clearly affected by the loss.

Paul Robinson: UEFA Super Cup defeat could be damaging for Tottenham

For the majority of the match, Tottenham were the better side against PSG.

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Thomas Frank’s side controlled the match and rarely let the Champions League winners have a chance on goal.

Yet, a large surge saw PSG dominate, and they could have easily won the match before penalties.

Now Paul Robinson has told BBC Five Live on 13 August that he is concerned about the impact the defeat could have on Spurs, highlighting Richarlison’s and Vicario’s reaction to the defeat.

He said: “They have players who know how to get over the line and know how to win trophies.

“I think this will be damaging for Tottenham, I really do. The situation they were in, 2-0 up with five minutes to go.

“Seeing the players on the pitch now, they are all stood individually, there is little groups, little huddles.

“Papa Sarr is down crouched over on his haunches, Richarlison is stood on his own on the edge of the box, Vicario still hasn’t moved from the 18-yard box.

“They are absolutely devastated. They were so close; this could have been so big for Tottenham. They got the trophy they so longingly waited for at the end of last season, and this could have been a real step forward for Tottenham, but instead, it is a real blow.

“When you analyse it and take the pieces out of it, you will say it was a decent performance, there was a lot of positives, but they’ve given away a two-goal lead and ended up losing a game in the last five minutes.

“I think this will hurt and I just hope there is no lasting damage going into the season.”

Thomas Frank has to ensure Spurs beat Burnley

Following the defeat, Spurs will now prepare to face Burnley for their Premier League opener on Saturday.

After such a crucial loss against PSG, Frank has to ensure that they beat the newly promoted side comfortably at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

If not, all their good work from pre-season could be quickly undone, with pressure mounting on the Dane.

Realistically, there are far more positives to take away from Wednesday’s loss than negatives, and Frank has to ensure this is reflected in Saturday’s performance.

Frank must get rid of Spence over shocking stat – Three things learned in Tottenham vs PSG

PSG beat Tottenham to win the UEFA Super Cup in dramatic fashion on Wednesday night.

After 90 minutes, the scoreline at the Bluenergy Stadium was 2-2, with Micky van de Ven and captain Cristian Romero scoring for Spurs, before Kang-in Lee and Goncalo Ramos found the back of the net for the French side late on.

The game went to penalties and PSG ended up winning the shootout 4-3.

Here are three things Tottenham News learned from the game:

Djed Spence was off the mark for Tottenham

Djed Spence started at left-back and while he did have some promising moments defensively, it wasn’t an entirely stellar evening for him.

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His pass accuracy was an appalling 53 per cent and he could complete just 10 passes all game.

Going forward, too, he was ineffective and failed to complete any crosses and was off the mark with all three of his long passes.

The English full-back also struggled to complete a single dribble throughout the 90 minutes and Thomas Frank will demand more from Spence in the games ahead if he wants to play regularly.

This display also could have made up the manager’s mind to either loan him out or cash in on him, as he needs big-game players at the club.

Romero puts in a Man of the Match performance for Frank

Romero was a colossus for the North London side in defence and stood up to the occasion in a cup final.

The Argentine has been a fan favourite at Spurs and this performance showed exactly why he’s so highly-regarded.

Not only did he find the back of the net, but he also put in a terrific shift on the defensive side of things, winning tackles and making important clearances.

Aerially, he also kept the PSG attackers at bay, winning most of his headers and was unfortunate to end up on the losing side.

Frank needs to help get rid of the Spursy tag

Tottenham have been infamously labelled “Spursy” for their inability to hold onto leads and this was a classic example.

They started strongly, took a two-goal lead and had to see out the game against a side that did not have too much time for pre-season training.

The Danish manager needs to make his team hard to beat and defensively solid under pressure if he is to become a success at the club.

This was an early learning experience for him and hopefully, he’s got a good read on his squad.