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Tottenham have been warned to push through a deal to sign Antoine Semenyo urgently to avoid getting burnt like they did with Eberechi Eze.

Arsenal hijacked Tottenham’s move for Eze in the summer after a drawn out saga ended with the then-Crystal Palace star jumping at the option to head back to his boyhood club.

That came back to bite Spurs in a big way as he scored a hat-trick in Arsenal’s 4-1 North London derby victory on Sunday.

Ahead of the January transfer window Tottenham are eyeing a move for Bournemouth’s Semenyo in a bid to strengthen Thomas Frank’s faltering attacking options, but other clubs are again interested.

Tim Sherwood rages at Tottenham transfer failures

In the wake of the hammering at the Emirates former Spurs boss Tim Sherwood was visibly frustrated discussing the situation on Sky Sports News, slamming wasted money on a host of alternative attackers while missing out on the key one.

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He then demanded the club don’t let the same thing happen with Semenyo, ranting: “Get the deal done! When you’ve got the opportunity to get the deal done! Look at the players who have come in that are supposedly operating in his position. The likes of [Mathys] Tel who wants to be a number 10, but he plays out wide. You’ve got Xavi Simons, who didn’t even [start] yesterday, you’ve got [Wilson] Odobert.

“They waste so much money who are £30-40-20 million, look at the money they’ve spent for them players, alright [Mohammed] Kudus [£55m] has done okay. What was Eze, £65m wasn’t he? You’d rather pay an extra £10m for a make-the-difference player. You know he’s gonna be a make-the-difference player.

“Just get the deal done as soon as you can. Don’t give the opportunity to other clubs who are higher than you in the league to come in and knick your player. That’s exactly what Arsenal have done…

“It happens time and time again. Save your money on average players that you keep buying. Let the academy boys be the stocking-fillers and fill up your squad, and [spend] make-the-difference money on make-the-difference players like him.

“Like Semenyo now, go and get him, Tottenham. Don’t wait for Man City, don’t wait for Liverpool, don’t wait for Man United or whoever it is, go and get him before everyone else comes to the party. It doesn’t give him a decision then. It’s frustrating!”

Xavi Simons flop remains a warning

Transfer hijacks work both ways and it isn’t always the club who are celebrating during the window that end up benefiting longer term.

Tottenham were delighted to hijack Chelsea on a deal to bring in Simons, but the Dutchman’s impact has been minimal and is a big part of the problem for Frank’s unit going forward.

That could give Spurs reason to hesitate instead of steaming ahead to meet Bournemouth’s asking price for Semenyo, then working out a contract with the Ghanian.

The key difference, however, is that both Semenyo and Eze are proven Premier League performers so the risk of them struggling to adapt is that much lower than it was with Simons who arrived from RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga.

At the same time, while the risk may be smaller it isn’t non-existent, otherwise Richarlison wouldn’t have struggled on arrival from Everton and still face criticism now.

Thomas Frank now looks to be on the same slippery slope that sank Nuno Espirito Santo at Tottenham.

Arsenal beat Tottenham 4-1 on Sunday, which came with a performance that showed time may be running out for the Lilywhites’ boss.

Frank was criticised for his tactics used against the Gunners to say the least, and concerns are mounting over the Dane’s ability to help Tottenham progress.

Nuno‘s time at Tottenham was short-lived, and claims now suggest that Frank is also heading for the sack in a similar fashion.

Thomas Frank is mirroring Nuno Espirito Santo’s fate at Tottenham

Frank was appointed in the summer and was handed a three-year contract after the controversial sacking of Ange Postecoglou.

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Nuno had a slightly shorter two-year contract with the Lilywhites, but like Frank, faced serious pressure in the winter months despite a great early start to the 2021-22 season.

Sky Sports journalist Jake Sanders has made further comparisons between what unfolded during Nuno’s time at N17 and what is now happening with Frank, while commenting on X.

Sanders said: “Thomas Frank’s reign is incredibly similar to Nuno’s at Tottenham. Beat Manchester City early, truly awful defeats to Chelsea and Arsenal.

“Terrible football. Pragmatic manager. A sub booed against United. Fans are losing patience. Nuno’s ended quickly, Frank looks to be heading that way.”

Fans really are losing patience with Frank, as not only are the results not there, but neither are the performances at this point.

Joe Lewis faces massive January decision with Frank

Tottenham want to make statement signings in January, but Joe Lewis may be hesitant to splash money on players that suit Frank.

That being said, Lewis needs to decide whether he’s going to fully back Frank in the transfer market or pull the trigger on the head coach.

Either way, Tottenham need to spend big in the upcoming window, and particularly need to strengthen in forward areas.

Tottenham have an extremely busy period of fixtures in their way before then, and Lewis may use the forthcoming games to determine Frank’s fate at N17.

Richarlison created Tottenham history in the Premier League by scoring a brilliant goal in the 4-1 loss to Arsenal on Sunday.

Tottenham were humiliated by Arsenal, who ran rampant to inflict further pressure on Thomas Frank.

After Joao Palhinha dispossessed Martin Zubimendi in the Arsenal half, Richarlison produced a fantastic lob that dipped perfectly over David Raya from 35 yards out.

With the score already 3-0 at the time, it didn’t mean much in the grand scheme of the match.

However, Richarlison now leads Tottenham‘s history books for Premier League goalscorers from South America.

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Richarlison becomes Tottenham’s leading South American goalscorer in Premier League

Both in and out of possession, Tottenham were abysmal against Arsenal, with the likes of Alan Brazil and Alan Shearer furious over their performance.

The one piece of magic that came from a Spurs player was from the Brazilian’s right foot, and it gave the supporters something small to cheer about.

Richarlison has now become Tottenham’s leading South American goalscorer in the Premier League with 21 goals.

Of course, this achievement won’t be celebrated much given the manner in how it happened, but it was another impressive strike that the Brazilian can add to his catalogue.

The 28-year-old has five Premier League goals from 2.19 xG this season, and it’s undeniable that he is overperforming in front of goal.

Richarlison’s superb strike against Burnley perfectly outlined his strengths, but after being heavily criticised throughout the season, speculation is mounting around his future.

The Brazilian has been dropped for Randal Kolo Muani in recent games, and he is still not one of the first names on the team sheet.

Why is Richarlison linked with a Tottenham exit?

Despite scoring more goals than any Arsenal player has in the league this season, Richarlison’s work rate is certainly something he isn’t pleased with.

Richarlison could leave Tottenham in January as interest in Brentford striker Igor Thiago starts to intensify.

After signing from Everton for £60million in 2022, the 28-year-old has only scored 21 league goals in over three seasons, and it’s fair to say that it hasn’t worked out.

According to FotMob, Richarlison has registered a terrible pass accuracy of 62.5 per cent, while only having a dribble success rate of 50 per cent.

Registering 2.49 shots per 90 minutes in the Premier League is bettered by 48 per cent of the division’s strikers, and it shows he is often on the periphery of matches.

Off the ball, his work clearly isn’t up to the standard Frank is after, and despite making history against Arsenal, it may not have a huge impact on his future in N17.

Thomas Frank has small positive to take from Arsenal vs Tottenham, it’s not Richarlison’s screamer

Tottenham were humiliated against Arsenal during the North London derby, but Djed Spence has given Thomas Frank something to consider.

Tottenham were not the favourites to win against Arsenal, but no one was expecting a result like that on 23 November.

It was embarrassing. Arsenal defeated Tottenham 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium thanks to Eberechi Eze, who rejected Spurs for the Gunners over the summer.

A summer rejection that came back to haunt them, a defence split wide open and a crowd of angry Tottenham fans – there’s not much for Frank to salvage.

However, Spence’s performance is one that undoubtedly went under the radar.

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Djed Spence had one of his best defensive performances

With Tottenham finishing with a 4-1 scoreline, it becomes difficult to argue that a defender had an impressive performance.

But Tottenham players don’t tend to follow the norm in football. Indeed, Spence was solid against the Gunners.

Furthermore, he made three recoveries, two clearances and one interception, according to Sofascore.

The dramatic scoreline doesn’t help his case, but fans must remember that most of Spurs’ goals were conceded through the middle of the pitch.

Spence and Destiny Udogie actually performed their defensive duties well. Well, as good as they could do in a team that was completely overrun.

Rodrigo Bentancur was the real culprit of the afternoon, failing to win a single ground duel and losing possession so many times in the midfield that fans gave up counting.

Djed Spence should start against PSG

It is pretty obvious why Spence statistically had one of his best performances in a Spurs shirt this season in a game where his team were completely dominated.

Given Pedro Porro‘s prestige in the team, the Spaniard is a very difficult player to bench. As a result, Spence has been forced to occupy the left wing despite the right being his preferred position.

But the biggest argument to start him against PSG in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday would be his crossing ability.

And while that’s a huge bonus, Tottenham will likely see less of the ball against the Parisiens than Arsenal – if that’s even possible.

With Bradley Barcola likely to start on the left wing for PSG, Spurs will need a defensive-minded right-back to challenge him. Thus, given his performance against Arsenal, Spence could be the right man for the job.

‘Awful’ – All 60 words Alan Shearer said about what Thomas Frank did with Tottenham vs Arsenal

Alan Shearer has slated Thomas Frank for how Tottenham set up against Arsenal on Sunday.

Tottenham suffered a 4-1 away defeat against Arsenal in a shocking North London derby performance from the Lilywhites.

Eberechi Eze scored a hattrick against Tottenham to rub salt in the wound of his failed summer switch to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Former Spurs man Alan Brazil was fuming after the Arsenal defeat, particularly with the way they defended set pieces at the Emirates.

Shearer has also shared his frustration with Frank, who is to blame for how his side approached a clash against the Gunners.

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Alan Shearer fumes at Thomas Frank approach vs Arsenal

The stats against Arsenal don’t reflect well on Spurs and Frank after what was arguably the most embarrassing derby result in recent memory.

Tottenham may have failed away to Arsenal over the years, but they have largely put in a shift and been unlucky to taste defeat.

That can’t be levelled at the N17 outfit after Sunday’s performance, as there was little to no positivity to take away from Mikel Arteta’s men.

Frank opted to utilise a five-at-the-back system, hold out for a draw, and potentially catch the Premier League leaders on the counter.

That left Shearer far from impressed on The Rest is Football podcast on 24 November, as he slammed what he saw from the Lilywhites.

He said: “I think your manager [Frank] got his tactics all wrong. He set up your team to soak up pressure, try and hit on the break at some stage and try to get a set-piece or long-throw, which is why he played Danso.

“You were awful, really, really poor. You got battered in the first half. Your team didn’t offer anything.“

Frank largely to blame for Tottenham defeat vs Arsenal

The Dane has tactical flexibility that can make his approach useful against a wide array of footballing approaches in the Premier League.

He made a tactical change to play three centre-backs against Arsenal, but it just didn’t work against such a physical side, one without a true centre-forward.

Mikel Merino played as an unorthodox nine, but often dropped deep and even fell far enough back to pick up an assist for Leandro Trossard’s opener.

Having three central defenders competing against a false nine, two wingers, and a 10 was never going to work and ultimately afforded Eze all the room he needed.

Frank has to take responsibility for this tactical choice and help fans understand what was going through his mind when he made the selection.

Thomas Frank has been warned he’s now putting himself in danger of getting sacked by Tottenham after the performance his side put in against Arsenal.

Tottenham were thrashed 4-1 at the Emirates on Sunday after the Dane set up defensively with five at the back, only to go in 2-0 down at the break.

Spurs didn’t manage a shot against Arsenal in the first half, and while Frank changed tactics that have been branded “cowardly” at half time his side went 3-0 behind almost immediately after the restart.

Although Richarlison‘s stunning long-range strike caught out David Raya the afternoon was all the more miserable given Eberechi Eze netted a hat-trick after Tottenham failed to complete his signing in the summer.

Jamie O’Hara and Alan Brazil tip Frank sack

Discussing the lack of tactics or ambition from Tottenham on talkSPORT the morning after the game ex-Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara laid into what he felt was the worst ever North London derby performance, branding it variously “shocking”, “embarrassing”, and “disgusting” while saying he was “really disappointed with Thomas Frank”.

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The former midfielder said: “The tactics were to go and draw the game. Cowardly I would say. Can we go toe to toe with Arsenal? Probably not right now, we can’t, but you know what, it’s a derby. Things happen, go after it, it’s like a cup final. Do you go to cup final trying not to get beat?”

Host Alan Brazil went on to warn Frank that he’s heading for the sack at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, saying: “We’ve had people coming on here saying ‘It’s [Daniel] Levy, it’s his fault’. He’s gone now, Daniel! He’s gone! You’ve got to forget about him and get on with it now with what you’ve got, and Thomas Frank has to change things quickly or he’s out, he’s in the dole queue.”

And O’Hara later agreed: “It’s like Thomas Frank’s lost belief that we can win a game of football by going after a team, because at the start of the season, Man City, alright we lost to PSG but it was a great performance, we were going after teams, we had energy, there was a bit of bite about us, a bit of steel in midfield. Now, we’ve completely gone away from that and we’re just sitting on the edge of our box and hoping we don’t get beat.

“You play a dangerous game. Thomas Frank, he could get sacked.”

PSG rematch could condemn Frank

In a rational world Frank would probably be given the grace of time to turn things around at Tottenham, just as he got time to build at Brentford, and the fact that Ange Postecoglou finished 17th last term with this side would be taken into account.

But Premier League football has long since proven itself as anything other than rational, and when you’ve just gone to the Emirates and been embarrassed it is difficult to remove the emotion from the equation.

Few would argue Spurs are better than the Gunners right now but the manner of the defeat left so little to cling to for the fanbase.

The limp 1-0 home defeat to Chelsea was worrying, but a hammering at Arsenal orchestrated by the (latest) one the got away in Eze is the stuff of nightmares.

Spurs pushing European champions PSG all the way in the Super Cup was a huge reason for optimism in Frank’s project back in the summer, but that seems such a long way away now.

Spurs travel to Paris on Wednesday to face Luis Enrique’s men again in the Champions League, and on recent evidence it could be a much-different story this time around, where a heavy defeat will prove how far things have regressed since August and might just spark the Lewis family into thinking they have a decision to make.

Thomas Frank axes exit-linked star in four changes – Tottenham predicted XI vs PSG

Thomas Frank will be hoping to make a statement against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.

Tottenham were not the favourites to win against Arsenal, but it goes without saying that fans were not expecting to lose in that fashion.

Indeed, Tottenham suffered a humiliating 4-1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, and it was written in the stars that Spurs’ former summer target Eberechi Eze would claim a hat-trick.

Just three months into the season, supporters are nearing their breaking point, and Frank will need to do something special against PSG at the Parc des Princes to stand a chance at earning back their trust.

Xavi Simons starts after dreadful Rodrigo Bentancur performance vs Arsenal

Djed Spence was the best out of a bad bunch against Arsenal, but he will likely lose his spot to Pedro Porro against PSG.

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However, Frank will likely want a left-footed player to start as left-back against the French side, which would see Destiny Udogie retain his place.

Kevin Danso will likely be dropped with the Dane reverting to a traditional 4-3-3 formation.

This would see Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero all start against the Parisiens.

Rodrigo Bentancur started for Tottenham against Arsenal in a performance that was arguably his worst of the season.

Unsurprisingly, he failed to win a single one of his four ground duels and didn’t attempt a single aerial duel, according to Sofascore.

It was a dreadful performance from beginning to end and one that should see Pape Matar Sarr start over Bentancur, with Xavi Simons also returning to the starting lineup.

Despite his wonder goal against the Gunners, Richarlison is still a player whose future in North London is uncertain. As a result, Randal Kolo Muani will likely replace the Brazilian against PSG.

The France international was cleared to play against his former side back in September, and his experience against French teams could come in handy.

Despite their uninspiring performances against Arsenal, Wilson Odobert and Mohammed Kudus could retain their spots in Frank’s starting lineup.

Thomas Frank must not make the same mistake against PSG

Frank set out similarly against PSG in the UEFA Super Cup final as he did against Arsenal on Sunday.

While both resulted in defeat, their game against Luis Enrique’s side gave Spurs supporters reason to dream.

However, as seen against Arsenal, playing five defenders will likely not work against a PSG team that is no longer burdened by a lack of pre-season.

Similar to Bayern Munich in the Champions League and Chelsea in the FIFA Club World Cup final, PSG suffer against strong attacking sides that take advantage of their fullbacks’ high positioning.

If Frank wants to win on Wednesday, he’ll need to be braver than he has been all season.

Alan Brazil has slammed Tottenham for the way they chose to defend set-pieces against Arsenal in Sunday’s North London derby.

Tottenham were smashed 4-1 by Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on 23 November, with Eberechi Eze scoring a hat-trick on a dismal day for Thomas Frank.

Leandro Trossard had opened the scoring for the Gunners after the Belgian was found by Mikel Merino with space inside the Lilywhites’ box.

Tottenham’s struggles to create chances under Frank were exposed yet again, with the Dane’s side only getting a goal through a piece of individual magic by Richarlison.

The Premier League released a statement about Eze’s first goal, with Arsenal players appearing to block Guglielmo Vicario‘s vision from an offside position, but the video assistant referee took no action.

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Alan Brazil up in arms about Tottenham defending vs Arsenal

Eze looked set to sign for Tottenham in the summer, before a last-minute intervention from Arsenal saw the midfielder move to the red side of North London instead.

And the England international would show Tottenham exactly what they missed out on with three superb strikes on Sunday.

The 27-year-old could have had a fourth, too, had it not been for a great save late on by Vicario.

Tottenham had set up to defend deep, but lacked solidity amid the barrage of Arsenal attacks, which came time and time again.

Much of the discussion before the game had been about set-pieces, with the visitors taking an interesting approach to defend them.

Two Arsenal free-kicks in the first half saw Tottenham sit extremely deep inside their own box, presumably hoping to increase the difficulty of a perfect delivery.

Bukayo Saka took both, clipping one over the bar before forcing a save from Vicario with the second.

Brazil was bemused by the set-up and criticised Tottenham’s tactics on Monday.

“What about the free-kicks Arsenal put in, and Tottenham lined up just outside their own six-yard box,” he said on talkSPORT.

“How stupid is that. The second one just needs any sort of flick on. Why are they back there? Get out, get up there.

“Leave a bit of space for the keeper to make a decision to come or stay on his line. I’ve never seen anything so stupid in my life.”

Set-piece tactics prove successful for Tottenham

Tottenham did do something that few teams have this season, by preventing Arsenal from scoring a set-piece goal.

Of course, the Gunners were without their main threat, Gabriel, but the Lilywhites defended their box well in set-piece situations, with the interesting set-up from free-kicks ultimately proving effective.

There are no points available for that; however, with Tottenham failing to defend their box to a similar effect when in open play.

With a trip to European champions Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League coming up this week, Frank’s team will need to be far, far better.

The damning stats behind Tottenham’s derby day disaster vs Arsenal, Thomas Frank should be embarrassed

Tottenham recorded just 0.06 expected goals (xG) against Arsenal on Sunday, their lowest in a Premier League game since the stat started being collected.

Arsenal smashed Tottenham 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium, with Eberechi Eze completing Thomas Frank‘s nightmare night by scoring a hat-trick in the North London derby.

Richarlison got a goal back in the second half with a stunning effort from range, but the Brazilian’s goal would ultimately leave little impact on proceedings.

Tottenham were slammed for their performance against Arsenal, with the visitors taking just three shots throughout the 90 minutes.

It was yet another game in which Tottenham struggled to create chances under Frank, with the Dane now facing a serious issue.

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Tottenham’s record-breaking no-show

Tottenham‘s game plan was plainly evident just minutes into Sunday’s game, with all 11 players sitting behind the ball in an attempt to contain Arsenal.

The Gunners pressed high, with the likes of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven constantly giving the ball away when attempting to find Richarlison.

When Mikel Merino found Leandro Trossard with an incisive pass for the home side’s opener after 36 minutes, Tottenham crumbled.

Eze would add the second and the third either side of half-time, before claiming the match ball in the 76th minute.

It was an embarrassing performance from Tottenham, who set records with their failure to create much of anything at all.

At the start of November, Frank’s side had recorded 0.10 xG against Chelsea – their lowest total on record.

But less than a month later, Tottenham have gone one better by generating just 0.06 xG against Arsenal on Sunday.

Based on that level of xG, Tottenham would score only once every 17 games if the match were replayed, according to the xG philosophy.

Thomas Frank must pay immediate attention to damning stats vs Arsenal

Just seven times has a team taken just three shots or fewer in a Premier League game this season, and two of those times belong to Tottenham.

All three of those shots on Sunday came from outside of the box, with the other on target, Xavi Simons‘ drive from distance, serving as catching practice for David Raya.

Richarlison’s goal was impressive, but in truth, it underlined how much Tottenham needed such a moment of individual brilliance to get even a semblance of a foothold in the game.

In their current form, Frank’s team will likely not face a team as strong as Arsenal for the rest of the Premier League season.

But that should not be used as an excuse to prevent Frank from addressing the serious issue Tottenham face when attempting to create chances.

‘Tottenham must avoid Ivan Toney transfer after what I’ve heard about him’

Tottenham have been warned to steer clear of Ivan Toney this winter.

It has been widely reported that Tottenham are keen to arm Thomas Frank with reinforcements come January.

Toney has emerged as a viable option for Tottenham given his time playing under Frank at Brentford.

However, the Lilywhites could be better off looking for alternative targets or relying on the stars already at their disposal this winter.

Ivan Toney not a better option than Dominic Solanke

Dominic Solanke has been sidelined for Tottenham with a long-term ankle injury.

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Only Brennan Johnson netted more goals than the England international last season, and his absence has been deeply felt.

While Solanke’s return is still uncertain, speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, Tottenham expert and Lilywhite Rose owner John Wenham believes they should wait for him to regain fitness rather than going all out for Toney this winter.

“It could only be a full-term investment. You’ve got massive money and he’s over 30,” Wenham said.

“I don’t really like him. Listening about him, I just don’t don’t really get on board with him if I’m being honest with you. When we were linked with him before, I didn’t really want him, and I would have much preferred Solanke, and we got him.

“I still prefer Solanke to him. I would just rather that Solanke came back to fitness rather than signing Toney on any sort of basis, I’m being honest with you.

“And I know Frank has worked with him before and likes him and relies on him, but I just think Solanke is a better footballer.”

Signing Ivan Toney would be a mistake

Forget Solanke for a second, Toney’s final season at Brentford highlights why signing him would be a mistake.

The former Bees striker was fantastic in the 2022/23 season:

However, his subsequent season was not as impressive. Riddled with injuries and poor performances, Toney scored four goals and provided two assists in 17 appearances.

There is an argument to be made that the striker was already on the decline before he signed for Al-Ahil at the end of the 2023/24 season.

Therefore, Frank should leave the past in the past and look to build a better, more sustainable future in North London.