TBR Football

New Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank is still weighing up the players he has inherited at the North London club, with some thriving under the Dane and others banished to the fringes.

Spurs have started the new Premier League season well and there is a sense of optimism around the club, especially with some players like Pape Matar Sarr excelling under the new head coach.

Tottenham have looked much more solid and compact under Frank, with a better balance in midfield this season than under Ange Postecoglou.

However, the managerial change means that some Spurs players have struggled for gametime, with potential for exits ahead of the transfer window closing on Monday night.

Yves Bissouma set for Tottenham departure

One player that looks to have no future at Tottenham is Yves Bissouma, who has not played under Frank this season.

BBC Sport state the African midfielder is set to join Galatasaray on loan, with playing opportunities set to be more forthcoming in Istanbul than they would be in London.

Tottenham are well stocked in central midfield areas and the former Brighton man has been linked with a number of other clubs in recent months.

Bissouma needs to leave Spurs – but not for free

Spurs will want Bissouma off this season’s wage bill and he is clearly surplus to requirements, especially after Tottenham signed Joao Palhinha on loan from Bayern Munich.

Frank also left the former Brighton midfielder out of the squad to face Paris Saint-Germain in the European Super Cup, citing repeated lateness on the player’s behalf as a reason.

Bissouma has on occasion during his time at Tottenham been an inspired character, able to bring the ball out of deep-lying areas and possessing the technical abilities to dominate a game.

However, his inconsistency and disciplinary issues – on and off the pitch – have blighted his time at Spurs, and Frank has better options at his disposal.

That said, Tottenham stand to lose Bissouma for nothing in 12 months’ time, as his contract expires in the summer of 2026.

As such, Spurs must look to sell Bissouma this summer – even if it is for a fraction of the £25 million they spent to buy him in 2022.

Loaning the 28-year-old to Galatasaray makes little sense as a result – and should be something Tottenham look to rectify before the transfer window closes.

Tottenham Hotspur have started the new 2025-26 season in impressive fashion, with Thomas Frank’s men recording two wins from two so far.

Tottenham have beaten both Burnley and Manchester City in the Premier League, with the North London club hosting Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon.

Spurs have scored five goals in their opening two fixtures, with Frank’s options in attack seeming to have hit the ground running this season.

Tottenham have Richarlison and Dominic Solanke as options in the number nine role, with no plans to add another central striker to the club’s squad.

However, a 23-year-old that has just joined a Serie A side on loan could have been a Tottenham player if the club had got its way two years ago.

Gift Orban joins Hellas Verona on loan

Tottenham wanted to sign Gift Orban from Gent in 2023, with the Premier League side reportedly ready to spend £30 million on the Nigerian forward.

Orban had caught the attention of clubs across Europe after scoring 18 goals for the Belgian side in 2023-24 and ended up moving to Lyon.

However, despite only signing for German club Hoffenheim in January, the centre forward has now moved again – with Hellas Verona confirming Orban had signed for them on loan for the 2025-26 season.

Given that the African forward was so highly rated two years ago, he will hope to reignite his faltering career in Serie A.

Tottenham dodge a bullet in Orban

At the time when Tottenham were heavily linked with Orban, many fans were supportive of a move for the powerful and fast centre forward.

Orban’s direct style of play and eye for goal was impressive in Belgium, with Spurs at the time looking for a successor to Harry Kane.

However, given that the Nigerian has not been able to make an impact in France or Germany, Tottenham will now be glad they didn’t spend a significant transfer fee to sign him.

It also shows that the step up from a modest European league such as the Belgian top flight, to one of the major divisions, is substantial and there is a risk in signing players unproven at the top level.

Tottenham have a rejuvenated Richarlison leading their line at the moment and with Solanke waiting in the wings, the club have two excellent options in the centre forward position.

Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City have been involved in a lot of headlines recently.

The two sides faced each other in the Premier League last weekend. Some fans dubbed the game the Savinho derby because of Spurs’ interest in the Brazilian.

Thomas Frank outclassed Pep Guardiola and won the game at the Etihad, but in the days that followed, the North Londoners received some bad news.

Manchester City made it clear to Tottenham that they will not sell Savinho in the final days of the summer transfer window.

Then, Fabrizio Romano revealed that Spurs would like to sign Manuel Akanji from the Cityzens, but he isn’t the only player from the Etihad they like.

Tottenham enquire about signing Nathan Ake from Manchester City

Nathan Ake has been at Manchester City for five years now.

The Dutchman has played 146 games for the Sky Blues in that period and has won almost everything at the Etihad Stadium.

Ake was an unused substitute in City’s Premier League opener this season, and he only came on after Rayan Ait-Nouri’s injury against Tottenham.

Now, GiveMeSport have revealed that Spurs used the game at the Etihad to enquire about the possibility of signing Ake after their moves for Savinho were turned down.

It has been claimed that Frank is a big admirer of the Manchester City defender, who can play as a centre-back as well as at left-back if required.

The plan for Ake, should the deal happen, would be for him to compete with Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven in the heart of the defence.

Ake has entered the final two years of his contract at City, but it is unclear if he is open to a move away from the Etihad before Monday’s deadline.

What Pep Guardiola has said about Nathan Ake

Tottenham seem to be building something special under Frank.

Yes, it has only been two games and it’s not the time to get carried away, but Spurs look so much better defensively than they did in the past.

Adding someone like Ake to the side would make them even stronger because he is not just versatile and experienced, but he is great off the pitch as well – just ask Pep Guardiola.

The Manchester City boss said, as per the club’s official website in April 2022: “He is so reliable! Especially when you behave in your life like he does, always you will play good.

“In the bad phases, he is always helping. When he doesn’t get the minutes he deserves and then gets the minutes, he’s thinking about the other ones and has done well. He is an exceptional person.”

Tottenham Hotspur have had a brilliant start to the season.

Indeed, Spurs have taken six points from their first two games, all while conceding a grand total of zero goals.

Tottenham’s transfer window hasn’t quite gone to plan, but things are now starting to come together.

Morgan Gibbs-White didn’t join Tottenham, while Eberechi Eze headed to Arsenal rather than Spurs, but Tottenham are now set to sign Xavi Simons, which isn’t a bad consolation prize at all.

Meanwhile, Joao Palhinha has signed for Tottenham on loan and he’s already earned plaudits after his fantastic performance against Manchester City at the weekend.

Speaking on The Rest is Football, Micah Richards has been discussing Palhinha’s move to Tottenham, and he says that he can’t believe Bayern actually allowed Palhinha to go to Spurs.

Micah Richards can’t believe Bayern Munich let Palhinha join Tottenham

Richards was discussing who has been the signing of the season alongside Gary Lineker.

Lineker suggested that Palhinha may well have been the best buy of the summer, while Richards says he can’t believe Bayern Munich let him go to Tottenham.

“I’ll throw one at you. It hasn’t cost them any money at the moment. Palhinha, just what they needed,” Lineker said.

“I can’t believe Bayern let him go, to be honest. They’ve got a young boy at Bayern called Pavlovic at Bayern. So I understand why a really good player plays a similar position, could play a bit further forward as well,” Richards added.

“But it didn’t work for him at Bayern Munich.”

Joao Palhinha’s stats for Bayern Munich

Richards is shocked that Palhinha has been allowed to leave Bayern Munich to join Spurs on loan, but when you look into it, this deal isn’t all that much of a shock.

Indeed, Palhinha barely got a sniff at Bayern Munich last season.

Palhinha joined a Bayern Munich team that really didn’t suit him.

Two years ago, Palhinha was set to join the German giants under Thomas Tuchel, but a deal collapsed at the last minute.

A departure this summer made a lot of sense, and while it’s hard to fathom the fact that Spurs have got such a good deal for such a good player, on paper, this is one that does make plenty of sense.

Tottenham are finally closing in on one of their preferred targets as Xavi Simons moves one step closer to a move to North London.

Thomas Frank has struggled in the transfer market throughout the summer as several top targets have opted against signing for Spurs.

Following Morgan Gibbs-White’s decision to remain at Nottingham Forest, Eberechi Eze signed for North London rivals Arsenal despite agreeing terms with the Lilywhites.

Tottenham have been eager to recruit another attacker following James Maddison’s ACL injury, and now, after weeks of searching, Frank is closing in on his man.

According to David Ornstein, Simons has completed his medical ahead of a £52 million transfer from RB Leipzig, and while there will undoubtedly be celebrations at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, one player will now be concerned about his minutes moving forward.

Xavi Simons is likely to replace Brennan Johnson at Tottenham

Simons’ impending move to Tottenham is a sensational coup for the club. At one stage, it looked like the Dutchman was heading for Chelsea.

The Blues hit a roadblock in negotiations with Leipzig while focusing on alternative targets, allowing Spurs the perfect opportunity to swoop in and hijack the deal.

However, Brennan Johnson has enjoyed a stellar start to the season on the left flank, continuing from his impressive efforts last term – Johnson elevated Ange Postecoglou’s side.

While Simons can operate anywhere across the attacking positions, he primarily operates on the left side of the attack, and the Spurs faithful will expect him to immediately start games in the Premier League once his transfer is finalised.

Johnson has cut a frustrating figure at times, but he enjoyed his most productive campaign in a Spurs shirt last season, culminating in scoring the winning goal in the Europa League final against Manchester United.

And his efforts caught the attention of Theo Walcott, who branded Johnson as “inspiring” as he played a pivotal role at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

“It’s actually quite inspiring because you know, these wingers these days like to be inverted wingers. He’s actually like, no, I’m a bit old-school. I’ll stay on the right-hand side, I know what I’m gifted at, I won’t mess around with it, I won’t try and slow down defenders, if I got space, I’ll cross it.”

If you give me space, I’ll run past you and shoot and that’s what he’s getting rewarded because defenders are now expecting all these wingers to come inside at times but he is using his strengths and just thinking, ‘You’re going to stand off me.”

How do Brennan Johnson and Xavi Simons compare?

The 24-year-old will undoubtedly be eager to continue his rich vein of form throughout this season, but the arrival of Simons does mean his starting berth is under threat.

Although Simons will arrive as the latest big-money acquisition for Spurs, his efforts last term flutter in comparison to Johnson.

The Welsh international played considerably more games than his soon-to-be teammate but managed three more goal contributions across all competitions.

Indeed, the statistics suggest that Simons would have outperformed Johnson had he played more matches, but the fact of the matter is that Johnson had a more impressive campaign.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing RB Leipzig playmaker Xavi Simons as Thomas Frank finally looks to sign a number 10.

Thomas Frank has enjoyed a dream start to life as Tottenham Hotspur manager on the pitch, beating Burnley and Manchester City.

The transfer window has not been quite as successful for Frank and Tottenham, with multiple attacking midfielders slipping through the net.

Morgan Gibbs-White signed a new deal with Nottingham Forest, having looked set for Tottenham, before Arsenal hijacked Spurs’ move for Eberechi Eze.

Como’s Nico Paz was also on Tottenham’s radar, but the Argentinian playmaker will stay in Italy ahead of joining Real Madrid in 2026.

Xavi Simons can take dream shirt number at Tottenham Hotspur

RB Leipzig star Xavi Simons has now emerged as Tottenham’s top target.

Simons has been targeted by Chelsea, but the Blues have failed to finalise a deal, giving Spurs hope of swooping in.

The Dutchman is interested in a move to Tottenham, and Spurs could hand him his dream shirt number in North London.

The number seven shirt is available at Tottenham, and Simons already has an attachment to that shirt.

Simons wears number seven for the Netherlands and wore that number at Euro 2024 last summer.

Simons also wore number seven during his 2022-23 season with PSV Eindhoven, which was the best season of his career so far.

The playmaker hit 22 goals and 11 assists in just 48 appearances for PSV, enjoying a dream season in Eindhoven with the number seven on his back.

Tottenham would surely offer the number seven shirt to Simons, though it would bring some pressure on the former Paris Saint-Germain talent.

Tottenham’s number seven shirt is available because Son Heung-min moved on to LAFC this summer, bringing an end to 10 incredible years at Spurs.

Son will go down as a Tottenham legend, and anybody following in his footsteps will struggle to emulate his achievements in North London.

Simons certainly has the talent to become a Tottenham hero in his own right, and you can be sure that Spurs fans would flock to buy Simons’ shirts – especially if he takes number seven.

Tottenham fans would love hijack revenge on Chelsea

Tottenham were left reeling from the Eze hijack.

Losing out on such a quality Premier League player is difficult enough, but to see him join Arsenal was almost impossible to stomach.

Supporters just want to see quality additions, but a deal for Simons would be so well-received due to the possibility of hijacking Chelsea.

Chelsea have snatched Tottenham targets in the past, with Willian’s move to Stamford Bridge a prime example.

Snatching Simons away from Chelsea would be so satisfying for Spurs fans, and almost an act of revenge on another London rival after missing out on Eze.

There is a long way to go on this deal, but Simons would be welcomed to Tottenham with open arms after missing out on a couple of other star playmakers in recent weeks.

Currently, Savinho to Tottenham Hotspur looks to be off the cards, with Manchester City blocking his move to North London.

As TBR Football exclusively revealed on Thursday, Savinho is frustrated with Man City’s stance and has made that clear to them.

Pep Guardiola wants to keep Savinho and the former Premier League champions consider the matter closed.

Tottenham Hotspur remain attentive to the situation, but have told the Brazilian that they have now moved on to other targets.

One of the players whom Spurs have on their list of targets in the remaining few days of the window could disappoint Savinho even further, given his relationship with the player.

Savinho already knows Xavi Simons well from his PSV Eindhoven spell

TBR Football understands that Tottenham are in talks to sign Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig and hijack Chelsea’s move for the Dutch international. Leipzig value him at £60m.

The Blues have stalled over a deal for the player, and Tottenham have now matched their offer to Simons in terms of wages.

Seeing a player, whom Savinho knows well and who he would love to have featured alongside again, head to Spurs will surely leave the Brazilian even more frustrated.

During a brief spell in the 2022/23 campaign, Simons and Savinho played alongside one another at PSV Eindhoven.

The pair only played together on seven occasions, but managed to win four of those matches, combining for two goals.

Savinho didn’t play much more during that season for PSV, having suffered a hamstring injury, but it’s evident that the pair shared a strong connection.

The 21-year-old appeared keen on a move to Spurs, and seeing Simons now potentially head there will leave him even more furious at City for blocking his move.

Ademola Lookman could be Tottenham’s alternative target to Savinho

Last week, TBR Football reported that Ademola Lookman had been offered to Tottenham after his move to Inter Milan collapsed.

After learning that Savinho is now off the table, the North London club could look to make their move for the 27-year-old.

Atalanta want over £43 million for the attacker, which is why his move to Inter collapsed, but for Spurs, this fee would not be an issue.

Last season, the winger produced another impressive campaign as he netted 20 goals and got seven assists in 40 appearances over in Italy.

Tottenham Hotspur finally have some good news coming their way.

The North Londoners have had a great start to the new season, winning each of their first two games in the Premier League under Thomas Frank.

On the transfer front, however, things haven’t gone to plan as both Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze ended up rejecting a move to Tottenham.

Now, Spurs hope they’ve finally caught a break.

Tottenham’s bid to sign Xavi Simons has been accepted

Xavi Simons has been one of the big names in this summer’s transfer window.

The Dutchman, hailed as ‘unbelievable‘ by Arsenal legend Ian Wright, has wanted to leave RB Leipzig since the start of the summer, and talks have been ongoing.

Chelsea have been really keen to sign Simons, and many in the game believed that the 22-year-old would eventually end up at Stamford Bridge.

However, very late on Thursday night, Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Tottenham tabled a €60 million (£52m) bid for Simons, and Leipzig have accepted that proposal.

Spurs want to wrap up the deal on Friday.

Romano tweeted: “Tottenham agree €60m fee with RB Leipzig for Xavi Simons!

“Official bid accepted, green light after Tottenham sent a formal bid following the player’s encouragement.

“Spurs want a deal done today also on the player’s side + medical in the next hours. Here we go, expected soon!”

TBR Football exclusively revealed on Thursday that Tottenham are ready to match Chelsea’s salary offer for Simons, which ranges somewhere between £180,000 and 200,000 per week.

Tottenham fans cannot get excited just yet

Hearing the news that Tottenham have had a bid accepted for an incredible player like Simons is great news, but Spurs supporters cannot get too excited.

Having already seen moves for Morgan Gibbs-White and Eze fail in this window, Tottenham fans know that a deal is not done until everything is signed.

Spurs’ plan for Friday is to reach an agreement on personal terms with Simons and then complete his medical, along with other formalities.

Richarlison has been a bit of a revelation this season for Tottenham Hotspur, with the striker impressing in Thomas Frank’s first three matches.

The striker has managed two goals and one assist in Spurs’ first two Premier League games and is quickly becoming Thomas Frank’s first-choice number nine.

TBR Football first revealed that Frank really likes Richarlison as a striker and he is quickly becoming a key part of his plans in North London.

But now, legendary Tottenham Hotspur striker Jermain Defoe has had his say on the Brazilian following his display at the Etihad Stadium.

Jermain Defoe impressed by Richarlison’s intensity

Defoe has been impressed by Richarlison’s intensity and hailed his ability to press from the front as ‘unbelievable’.

Speaking about the striker’s performance against City, Defoe told NBC Sports: “I just felt like Richarlison’s energy levels, it’s unbelievable.

“He did not stop running, and we know how hard it is, you know, when you’re pressing with that sort of intensity, I don’t care how good you are as a player, it’s so difficult to play around.”

Frank has switched up Spurs’ defensive set-up, with the Dane instructing his team to adopt a man-to-man approach against City.

Richarlison, who Theo Walcott has also praised, played a pivotal role in Spurs’ second goal at the Etihad Stadium as his press forced James Trafford into rushing his pass into Nico Gonzalez, who Pape Matar Sarr then stole the ball from.

The Lilywhites’ impressive pressing ability has been very effective so far and has been led from the front by the 28-year-old.

The Brazilian international has always been a player who works hard for the team and that is quickly making him a key member of Frank’s side.

Frank has already shut down talk of a potential exit of Richarlison and claimed that the Brazilian is now his “starting number nine”.

Richarlison has been linked with Newcastle in their hunt for a striker, but that now looks unlikely given how Frank views him.

“Right now, he is my starting nine, he scored two fantastic goals, he had two fantastic games – he’s Brazil’s number nine.

“He’s a very good player, so I’m very happy with him. Richy wants to stay, I want to keep him, there’s been no talk about anything else. He’s done well for us.

Mikey Moore’s loan spell at Rangers has been quite a disaster so far, with the Scottish giants crashing out of the Champions League.

Russell Martin’s side were emphatically beaten 9-1 on aggregate by Club Brugge, having been thrashed 6-0 in the second leg in Belgium.

Moore is not quite getting the game time he would have hoped for, either, as he remained an unused substitute against the Belgian side.

Tottenham Hotspur supporters have now been discussing the teenager’s loan spell in Scotland and are keen for rather drastic action to be taken.

Tottenham fans want Mikey Moore recalled from Rangers loan

Tottenham fans are now eager for Mikey Moore’s loan spell at Ibrox to be cut short following Rangers’ heavy defeat in the Champions League.

The Gers will now play Europa League football this season instead after being humiliated by Brugge in Belgium.

Tottenham fans already had concerns about Moore’s loan after he was given just 20 minutes off the bench in the first-leg.

The 18-year-old didn’t even make it off the bench against Brugge, despite Rangers being 5-0 down by half-time at the Jan Breydel Stadium.

Moore faces strong competition from Djeidi Gassama for a spot on the left wing, and Rangers’ new signing has been one of their few bright sparks.

Martin convinced Tottenham and Moore that Rangers was the right place for him to move, but to date, he doesn’t appear too keen on the teenager.

Following Rangers’ humiliation in Belgium, Spurs supporters took to X to share their disappointment at the treatment of their academy star.

One fan said: “Recall Mikey Moore in January. Rangers was such a bad place for him to develop, too much talent for him to rot there. They’re shocking in the league and in Europe.”

Meanwhile, another added: “Recall Mikey Moore immediately and loan him back out to Ryan Mason at West Brom… Or anywhere else really.”

There were further calls for Moore to be recalled: “Spurs should recall Mikey Moore. Rangers look like they’re in a mess, and who knows how many minutes and in what position he’ll play. “

Meanwhile, a Rangers fan added: “If I were Mikey Moore, I would be phoning Thomas Frank tomorrow morning asking to go back down the road.”

Martin’s job at Rangers is now under real threat ahead of Sunday’s Old Firm derby against Celtic.

Mikey Moore’s lack of minutes at Rangers

Moore is having to be very patient in waiting for his moment at Rangers following what has been a slow start to life at Ibrox.

In Rangers’ first eight matches, the teenager has managed just three appearances and a total of 134 minutes.

The issue is that the Scottish team are well stocked in the wide positions, and Gassama is continuing to impress following his arrival from Sheffield Wednesday.

Given the pressure which is now mounting on Martin, it will be fascinating to see whether he is sacked and how that would impact Moore’s future at the club.