TBR Football

Tottenham Hotspur are entering a new era under Thomas Frank, and this summer transfer window is bound to be busy.

Indeed, Spurs need to back their new manager, and they’ve already been linked with some exciting signings.

Bryan Mbeumo has been linked to Tottenham already, while Eberechi Eze is said to be a Spurs target.

Now, speaking on the London is Blue Podcast, Matt Law has shared some interesting insight into another Spurs target.

Indeed, according to Law, sources keep telling him that Tottenham are interested in Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite.

Tottenham interested in Jarrad Branthwaite

Law shared what his sources have told him about Spurs and Branthwaite.

The reporter says that he keeps hearing Tottenham coming up in connection with the Everton defender.

However, everyone seems to believe Branthwaite is too expensive at the moment as the defender has been valued at £70m recently, via ESPN.

“I keep hearing that Tottenham are very interested in Branthwaite, and everybody thinks his fee at the moment is too high,” Law said.

“So, I don’t think Chelsea are active on Branthwaite, but you never know. They’ve clearly looked at him, but I think someone like Hato at the moment is more likely. But that left side is more likely than right side currently.”

Tottenham’s defensive options analysed

Tottenham are interested in Branthwaite, but there’s reason to be skeptical about this potential signing.

Indeed, if there’s one area of the team where Tottenham don’t necessarily need more depth, it’s at centre-back.

Of course, Spurs had massive issues at centre-half this season due to their unprecedented injury crisis, but surely that won’t happen again.

Just look at Spurs’ centre-back options, the north London club are stacked with talent.

Of course, Cristian Romero could be set to leave, but if Romero does go, he’ll need replacing with a right-sided defender rather than a left footer like Branthwaite.

There are other areas of the squad that Tottenham need to address before they go and spend massive money on a new centre-back.

Several Premier League clubs are interested in signing a Tottenham player who left the club just last summer.

Spurs have produced several academy talents in recent years, but not all have managed to establish themselves as first-team regulars.

Marcus Edwards is a recent example of someone who never truly broke through at Spurs but has flourished since leaving, particularly with his performances while at Sporting Lisbon.

Another player who failed to fulfil his potential while at Tottenham is Japhet Tanganga.

Japhet Tanganga linked with Premier League return amid interest from Crystal Palace and Leeds

Tanganga worked his way up at the Spurs academy before breaking into the first team for whom he made 50 appearances.

However, he failed to establish himself as a regular under various managers and Tanganga was eventually released last summer after a couple of loan spells at Augsburg and Millwall.

He joined Millwall on a free transfer last summer but is now being linked with a return to the Premier League, with several clubs showing interest in signing him including Crystal Palace.

According to Charlie Gordon of Express Sport, the London side will step up their interest in the 26-year-old if they sell Marc Guehi.

The centre-back is linked with a summer exit, with Newcastle one of the clubs keen on signing Guehi.

Crystal Palace are not the only club interested in signing Tanganga, with newly promoted sides Leeds United, Sunderland and Burnley all prepared to pay the £1.2m release clause.

Despite competition for his signature, Gordon reports that Palace have the edge over the other clubs if they are to pursue a move.

Japhet Tanganga was once described as phenomenal by former coach

Tanganga joined the Tottenham academy as a youngster and rose through the ranks before making an impressive breakthrough in 2019/20.

Despite playing as a centre-back throughout his academy years, it was at right-back where he impressed during his first-team debut against Liverpool.

He was highly rated at Spurs while at the academy by those close to the club, with one coach describing Tanganga as ‘phenomenal’, as reported by The Athletic: “He has the assets to be a phenomenal right-back. With a bit of work on how he can produce in the final third more. improving his crossing and passing, he could become one of the best right-backs in the league.”

While it did not work for him at Tottenham, he could have a second chance at making it work in the Premier League, that too against one of his former club’s London rivals.

Tottenham have officially announced Thomas Frank as their new manager who joins from Brentford.

The appointment comes following Tottenham’s sacking of Ange Postecoglou, just 16 days after the Australian ended Spurs’ trophy drought by winning the Europa League.

He becomes the third most expensive manager in Premier League history after Levy paid £10m to prise Frank away from Brentford.

The deal was agreed almost a week ago, but the club delayed the announcement. Journalist Tom Barclay has now revealed the reason behind the delay.

Why Thomas Frank’s Tottenham announcement was delayed

Barclay reveals that the reason behind the delay in the confirmation of the Danish manager was down to a situation regarding the backroom staff at Brentford.

Frank is set to bring with him a number of backroom staff, however, the main issue arose with Justin Cochrane.

Brentford rate Cochrane very highly and even shortlisted him as a replacement for Frank at one point. However, eventually, a deal was agreed to let him leave, as he now joins as Tottenham’s assistant manager.

Discussing the appointment of Frank, Barclay said:

“The main reason for (the delay) is that (while) the situation was pretty simple with Frank because he had a release clause of about £10m which Spurs have paid, it was the backroom staff situation.

“So Frank has brought with him a number of backroom staff and I’ll get into it but the main sort of thorny issue was Justin Cochrane who’s coming with him as his assistant effectively.

“But he’s someone that was very highly rated by Brentford. He is 43. He was the head of coaching at Brentford and he’s so highly rated by Brentford that they even were considering him as a potential successor to Thomas Frank which to be honest wouldn’t be unlike Brentford to go for a slightly left-field choice in terms of a manager who hasn’t been a head coach before.

“Thomas Frank himself was that when he became the Brentford head coach – he had managed Bundy before but he was the assistant to Dean Smith before he got promoted back in 2018 and ended up lasting almost seven years which is pretty amazing and very rare in the current footballing climate.”

Justin Cochrane returns to Tottenham

Cochrane was previously an academy manager at Spurs, and is known for his ability to work with young players, helping them develop into top-class players.

He has overseen the development of the likes of Noni Madueke, Kyle Walker-Peters, Japhet Tanganga, Oliver Skipp and Josh Onomah during his time at Spurs and at England youth level.

Tottenham boast a team of promising youngsters, and the likes of Archie Gray, Mikey Moore, Lucas Bergvall among others could really benefit from the presence of Cochrane, who could further improve their games.

TBR Football can exclusively reveal that Tottenham Hotspur could still have a chance to sign Bryan Mbeumo ahead of Manchester United.

Spurs confirmed on Thursday that Thomas Frank has been appointed as their new head coach, replacing Ange Postecoglou after his sacking.

The Dane did a fantastic job at Brentford during his time there, and he helped develop many incredible players too.

One of them is Bryan Mbeumo.

How Tottenham could hijack Manchester United’s move for Bryan Mbeumo

TBR Football’s chief correspondent, Graeme Bailey, understands that Tottenham are still in with a chance of landing Mbeumo from Brentford.

Manchester United have been keen to sign the Cameroon attacker for a while now, and the player is interested in a move to Old Trafford too.

TBR Football revealed earlier this week that Manchester United were closing in on Mbeumo, but things could change if Spurs enter the race to sign him.

Bailey exclusively told TBR that Tottenham’s ability to offer the Brentford star the chance of staying in London could make a difference.

He said: “We need to keep an eye on the Mbeumo situation. It is a thing.

“Manchester United are very confident the player is theirs and the player has made it clear he is ready to join United, but we need to keep an eye on that one – I am told that if the player is offered the chance to stay in London, it could play a part.

“As said, United are still firm favourites, but Tottenham do like the player – they did before Thomas Frank arrived, so for them to come in for him would not be a huge shock. Indeed, within football, there is an expectation that they will.

“The question is now if United can get this done and dusted. Spurs think there is a need for another player on the right.

“But, from what I am told, the belief at Spurs is that Frank is a fan of this squad. They think he will love working with it – someone like Brennan Johnson is going to love playing for Frank.”

Bryan Mbeumo vs Brennan Johnson’s stats in the Premier League compared in last two seasons

Mbeumo and Johnson are very different players.

The Brentford star has the ability to consistently make things happen, while the latter has become more of a ‘right place at the right time’ kind of player inside the box.

Mbeumo will certainly be a player who will excite Tottenham fans, but how do his numbers fare against Johnson’s in the Premier League in the last two seasons?

As the numbers show above, Mbeumo is better than Johnson despite playing, on paper, in a smaller team over the last two years.

At Tottenham, there is every chance that Mbeumo will perform even better, and the fact that he would be working under Frank again would be a bonus.

Less than a week after Ange Postecoglou was officially dismissed, Tottenham Hotspur have a new manager.

Indeed, Thomas Frank has taken charge at Spurs, and he’s not wasting any time in getting to work in the transfer market.

According to Dharmesh Sheth, speaking on the Sky Sports Transfer Talk Podcast, Thomas Frank is already desperate to make one signing for Spurs.

Tottenham have been linked to some exciting signings already this summer. Antoine Semenyo has been linked to Tottenham, while Eberechi Eze is a Spurs target too.

On top of that, according to Sheth, Thomas Frank is desperate to sign Bryan Mbeumo from his former club.

Thomas Frank desperately wants Bryan Mbeumo

According to Sheth, Thomas Frank is desperate to sign Bryan Mbeumo for Tottenham.

Mbeumo has been strongly linked with Manchester United, but Frank’s arrival at Tottenham could now throw a spanner in the works.

Of course, Spurs caused United a big problem by beating them in the Europa League final, and now, they could cause the Red Devils another big issue by signing Mbeumo.

“It’s interesting this, because now the spectre for Manchester United is Thomas Frank imminently arriving at Tottenham Hotspur, and he would desperately like to have Bryan Mbeumo at Tottenham Hotspur, and he can offer Bryan Mbeumo Champions League football. The information we have as it stands is that Mbeumo wants to go to Manchester United. A lot of that deal on the personal terms side have been agreed in principle,” Sheth said.

“It’s just whether Manchester United and Brentford can agree on a fee. Now, there has been one bid of 45 million pounds plus 10 million pounds in performance related add-ons that makes it around 55 million pound package, which Brentford have rejected. There’s a school of thought that their feeling is, well, if Matheus Cunha has arrived to Manchester United for 62.5 million pounds, well, Bryan Mbeumo is worth at least 62.5 million pounds.

“So Manchester United will need to raise their offer. We expect United to go back in. And as I said, as it stands, it’s United who are in the driving seat for it.”

Bryan Mbeumo’s record vs Tottenham

Frank knows first-hand just how good Mbeumo is after coaching him at Brentford.

Meanwhile, Tottenham fans certainly know how good Mbeumo is after watching him against Spurs over the past few years.

Indeed, Mbeumo has been something of a thorn in Spurs’ side in recent times, netting four goals and grabbing one assist in eight appearances against Tottenham.

Mbeumo is a top Premier League attacker, and he could be just what the doctor ordered at Tottenham as Spurs look to kick on under their new manager.

Manchester United want Mbeumo, but the Thomas Frank factor could play a part here.

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the appointment of Thomas Frank as their new head coach.

Spurs parted ways with Ange Postecoglou after his dismal campaign in the Premier League last season. The Aussie won the Europa League, but Daniel Levy still wasn’t convinced.

TBR Football revealed that Levy had met with Frank to discuss the Tottenham job even before Postecoglou was officially sacked.

The Dane was always the one Spurs wanted, and they have now got their man.

Jermaine Defoe delivers verdict on Thomas Frank becoming Tottenham manager

Jermaine Defoe knows Tottenham better than most others.

The Englishman spent nine years at Spurs across two spells, played 363 games and scored 143 goals for the North Londoners in all competitions.

Defoe watched Tottenham win the Europa League last season, but he also saw them finish 17th in the Premier League table.

He understands that is why Postecoglou was sacked, and he seems really excited about Thomas Frank managing Spurs.

Speaking to HaytersTV ahead of Frank’s appointment being made official, Defoe said about the Dane: “I spent a day with him last season.

“I went to Brentford with Justin Cochrane, who is the coach. I spent a day, just to watch training and how they did things there, and it was amazing. I was so impressed.”

When asked if Frank would be a good fit for Tottenham, he said: “Unbelievable! Unbelievable man, unbelievable coach. For all the Tottenham fans listening, you’ve got a top manager there.”

Tottenham confirm Thomas Frank’s coaching staff

Postecoglou wasn’t the only one pushed out the door by Tottenham; his staff were too.

Spurs confirmed on Thursday that Mile Jedinak, Nick Montgomery, and Sergio Raimundo had all departed the club as well.

Then, a few hours later, Tottenham announced the arrival of Frank as their new boss, and they also revealed who would be coming in as part of the Dane’s staff.

A statement from Spurs’ official website read: “Thomas will be joined from Brentford by Justin Cochrane (First Team Assistant Coach), Chris Haslam (Head of Performance & First Team Assistant Coach) and Joe Newton (First Team Coach Analyst), with Andreas Georgson (First Team Assistant Coach) arriving from Manchester United.”

Tottenham Hotspur have a new manager in the dugout, announcing the appointment of Thomas Frank as Ange Postecoglou’s replacement.

The Dane has left Brentford to join Tottenham on a contract until 2028, replacing Postecoglou after he was sacked at the start of June.

Frank has also brought three members of staff from Brentford, namely Justin Cochrane, Chris Haslam and Joe Newton.

Andreas Georgson has also joined Frank’s coaching staff, arriving from Manchester United.

Postecoglou paid the price for Tottenham’s 17th-placed Premier League finish, along with a relative lack of tactical flexibility for much of the season.

TBR Football now looks at four ways in which Tottenham’s style of play could be different under Frank next season.

More aerial challenges but fewer fouls and wayward efforts for a more versatile Tottenham

Frank has been deemed the ‘polar opposite’ of Postecoglou, and one of his main coaching strengths is likely to have been the main draw for Daniel Levy.

Tactical flexibility

Frank has made a name for himself as a manager who isn’t afraid to change his tactics, which has kept Brentford punching above their weight for a long time.

Although Frank’s preference is to use a back four, he has often played a back three at Brentford, both in the Premier League and in the Championship.

In addition, Frank has used no fewer than nine formations during his time in the Premier League.

Back in 2018, Frank expressed his desire to “mix” the styles of play of several top European coaches.

He said, as per the Premier League website: “Diego Simeone, his way of defending, wow! Guardiola’s positions when building up, fantastic. Jurgen Klopp’s counter pressing and high pressing is amazing. Can we mix that? Then, no problem.”

The tactical rigidity often seen under Postecoglou is set to become a thing of the past.

Being more selective with crosses and shots

Frank is known for his use of data in the game, previously stating he is not the biggest fan of shots from outside the box, as per BBC Sport.

Last season, 23 percent of Brentford’s efforts came from outside the area – the lowest in the league – compared to 28 percent for Spurs.

In addition, Brentford attempted 675 crosses last season, while Spurs delivered 752.

That’s not to say Tottenham will be low-scoring, however. It just means the players will likely have to be more selective.

Considering Brentford were the joint fifth-highest scorers in the league last season (66 goals), there’s a good chance Spurs will develop more of a cutting edge.

More aerial challenges

The third aspect that could change at Tottenham involves aerial challenges, something Brentford were known to be experts at.

Last season, Brentford contested 1,210 aerial duels – the highest in the league – while the 2023/24 campaign saw the Bees contest 1,259 aerial duels.

Fewer fouls

While Tottenham could well contest more balls in the air, Frank will likely demand much more discipline on the ground.

Brentford’s tally of fouls in the league last season was 320, while the 2023/24 campaign saw them give away 385 fouls.

Indeed, only Manchester City committed fewer fouls than Frank’s Brentford last term.

Why Tottenham’s young players could go to the next level under the new coaching staff

Cochrane’s arrival at Tottenham has been welcomed by Spurs fans, as he has been deemed one of the best young coaches in the English game.

In addition, Cochrane has considerable experience working with young players, which is good news for the likes of Mikey Moore, Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray.

He was previously an academy coach at Tottenham, spent time with Manchester United’s youth setup, has managed England at various youth levels.

While at Spurs, Cochrane helped oversee the development of the likes of Noni Madueke, Kyle Walker-Peters, Japhet Tanganga, Oliver Skipp and Josh Onomah.

Other players who have blossomed after working with Cochrane include Tino Livramento, Lewis Hall, Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo.

Former Spurs coach Chris Ramsey sung Cochrane’s praises in an interview with The Athletic in 2022.

“He had a massive passion for the game,” said Ramsey.

“He ended up working with the young players and showed his skill and ability to teach. That is what he is – an absolutely fantastic teacher and coach.”

Tottenham Hotspur have been busy working on bringing in the successors to Ange Postecoglou and his coaching staff in recent days.

Postecoglou was set to be sacked by Spurs regardless of the Europa League final outcome, and that’s exactly what happened.

Tottenham’s win over Manchester United was not enough to save his job after the Lilywhites finished 17th in the Premier League.

Brentford manager Thomas Frank has now taken over at Spurs, after which the club will surely move to bring in new players in order to strengthen their ranks.

And another development has taken place at the club which Tottenham fans feel is “absolutely massive”.

Tottenham fans buzzing over expected Justin Cochrane appointment

Justin Cochrane, Chris Haslam and Joe Newton will join Frank’s backroom staff at Tottenham.

Cochrane is especially highly rated, with The Athletic’s report deeming him “among the most promising in the English game”.

Tottenham fans are buzzing over the news that Cochrane has joined Frank at N17.

“Absolutely thrilled that Justin Cochrane will be coming with Thomas Frank back to Tottenham,” one fan wrote on X.

“He has accrued a wealth of coaching experience at the still young age of 43, and is one of the most highly rated up and coming coaches in the world.

“He will be a huge asset to Frank and the club.”

Another fan said, amid reports saying Brentford insiders deem Cochrane “world-class”: “Glad to hear it, that is the standard we should have at Tottenham.”

The praise for Cochrane kept coming, with one fan saying: “You could tell that Frank was definitely fighting heavy to bring him in. Everything I’ve heard so far has been amazing.”

Another supporter wrote: “Big dub to get Cochrane. Welcome back to the club! Super excited for next season now. Nice to have hope again!”

Another fan wrote: “Apparently he’s super highly rated by just about everyone who works with him.”

Justin Cochrane’s career and strengths

Cochrane was a centre-back and defensive midfielder in his playing days, turning out for a number of clubs including Crewe, Rotherham and Yeovil. He was also capped 14 times for Antigua & Barbuda.

In terms of his coaching career, the 43-year-old was a youth team coach at Tottenham and then spent some years managing England’s youth sides.

In 2021, Cochrane was appointed as head of player development and coaching at Manchester United’s Academy, and a year later, he moved on to the role of Head of Coaching at Brentford.

Cochrane, who also briefly coached at AFC Wimbledon, has been combining his Brentford duties with a senior coaching role in the England setup under Thomas Tuchel.

Former Spurs youth goalkeeper Luke Amos worked with Cochrane and he couldn’t sing the 43-year-old’s praises highly enough.

“With Justin, it was all about fresh ideas,” Amos told The Athletic back in 2022.

“He would watch Barcelona or Real Madrid in the Champions League on a Tuesday and then in training on Wednesday he would say, ‘I saw this last night, let’s try it’. To have a coach who wants to try different things is refreshing.

“He reminded us that football is about fun, but you need to train properly. I’ve never seen him lose his head, but if training wasn’t right or someone was being sloppy, he would definitely tell them. He sets high demands. That’s what the best coaches do.

“He is so good to work with and you can always approach him. Everyone connected with him easily. He was my coach at different age groups.

“When I was going through a few things, Justin would help out – like my mentality and not getting too frustrated – because that is something I definitely struggled with when I was younger.”

As Thomas Frank closes in on the Tottenham Hotspur job, one player who won’t be joining him in North London this summer is Brentford captain Christian Norgaard.

Christian Norgaard has been a key player for Thomas Frank in his Brentford team and his fellow countryman would have been an ideal addition at Tottenham Hotspur.

The North London club are on the hunt for a new number six and Tottenham had discussed Norgaard as an option for that role during transfer talks.

But now, the reason has emerged as to why the 31-year-old is seen as unlikely to swap West London for North along with his manager.

Christian Norgaard’s contract means Tottenham move is unlikely

Norgaard recently signed a new contract with Brentford, which means that a move to Tottenham is now highly unlikely, according to Alasdair Gold.

The Danish international is a player who Frank views very highly and especially as a character to have around the dressing room.

Gold told the Last Word On Spurs: “It’s a shame (Christian) Norgaard signed a new contract in March, because I think Frank will want a number six.

“I think that’s what he’ll really want for his system and he loves, loves Norgaard, he sees him as a lynchpin midfielder but also a real captain, a proper leader type in that dressing room.

“31, he’s not the age profile Spurs would go for either, but I think he was quite an underrated player last season in the Premier League. But I just wonder whether that new contract messes up that idea.”

The 51-year-old manager is expected to be keen to sign a new number six this summer at Tottenham with the club’s current options not quite good enough.

TBR Football has previously revealed that Rodrigo Bentancur will sign a new deal, but Yves Bissouma is likely to leave and the club are actively pushing for his sale.

Tottenham could well try to sign Bryan Mbeumo for Thomas Frank

However, in the case of Bryan Mbeumo, Alasdair Gold believes that Tottenham could well try to sign the Cameroon international.

Man United are close to signing Mbeumo, however, with Frank now close to Spurs, there is a chance that they make a last-gasp attempt to prise him away from the Red Devils.

When asked about Mbeumo, Gold added: “I’m sure Spurs will try, I’m sure they’ll have a go and whether they can compete is another thing. I mean, they do have Champions League football on the table and obviously, for Mbeumo, you’ve got Thomas Frank, a man who did such terrific work with him. So I think that all plays a part.”

Mbeumo would be a real coup for the Lilywhites if they could pull it off, as he netted 20 Premier League goals under Frank last term.

But with Champions League football and now his former boss on offer, all of a sudden they could put forward an attractive offer.

Tottenham are on the verge of appointing Thomas Frank as their new head coach, following the sacking of Ange Postecoglou.

The Danish manager faces a tough challenge, with Tottenham’s summer shaped by uncertainty over Cristian Romero’s future.

TBR Football has reported that Daniel Levy will give one final chance of convincing the player to stay but Romero is ‘fully expected’ to leave Tottenham this summer.

His departure will leave a massive void in the heart of the defence, which will need to be adequately filled by Spurs.

Tottenham could sign Nathan Collins to replace Cristian Romero

One potential replacement for Romero is Brentford centre-back Nathan Collins, who is tied to the Bees until 2029.

The 24-year-old defender has impressed in the Premier League under Frank and would seamlessly fit into Tottenham’s setup, familiar with Frank’s style of play.

Collins arrived at Brentford in the summer of 2023 for a club-record £23 million from Wolves. He immediately became a key figure, establishing himself as a defensive mainstay.

This past season, Collins played every minute of Brentford’s Premier League campaign, joining Virgil van Dijk as one of only two outfield players to do so.

Collins is described by the Brentford website as a ‘born leader‘, with the Irish international highly regarded for his leadership, leading the team from the back.

With strong ball-playing skills and aerial dominance, Collins mirrors many of the traits Spurs would want in a Romero replacement.

Nathan Collins’ statistical comparison with Cristian Romero and Virgil van Dijk

Collins was among the best defenders in the league statistically, putting in top performances for Brentford throughout the season.

He had an injury-free season, starting every single Premier League match for Brentford. Romero meanwhile had another season marred with injuries, which saw him miss a major chunk of the season.

Despite playing in a less dominant Brentford team, Collins’ numbers are comparable to those of van Dijk and Romero, proving he has the quality to strengthen any side.

Tottenham would certainly benefit from his addition. However, they will face competition for his signature if they are to make a move.

Arsenal and Newcastle also interested in Nathan Collins

Collins’ performance for Brentford this past season has attracted plenty of attention from top clubs.

TBR Football previously reported that Arsenal are monitoring Collins ahead of a potential summer move.

It has also been reported by TBR Football that Newcastle have also been tracking Collins, with the club taking a growing interest in the Republic of Ireland international in recent months.

And now Frank’s impending appointment and Romero’s potential departure could possibly see Tottenham enter the conversation as well.