TBR Football

Tottenham Hotspur will host Burnley in their first Premier League game of the season and there is one player they should be targeting ahead of the match.

Thomas Frank will be eager to add to his Spurs squad as he looks to help them climb the Premier League table following last season’s dismal 17th-place finish.

Frank’s first ten Premier League fixtures will see his Spurs team face just two of the top six as they travel away to Man City in gameweek three and then host Chelsea in early November.

But first up for the Danish manager and Tottenham is Burnley at home and the hosts could make a key signing which might make the fixture a lot easier.

Tottenham should target Maxime Esteve ahead of Burnley clash

Tottenham Hotspur should return for Maxime Esteve ahead of their clash with Burnley on the opening round of Premier League fixtures.

Tottenham bid £20m for Esteve in January, however, Burnley decided not to sell the defender as they continued to push for promotion.

That proved to be an important decision as the 23-year-old’s defensive record was seriously impressive, playing a key role in Scott Parker’s team securing promotion.

Esteve helped Burnley to keep 30 clean sheets in the league last term, whilst also conceding on just 16 occasions in 46 matches.

Back in May, Esteve talked up Tottenham as he admitted that Gareth Bale at Tottenham was his favourite player growing up. Meanwhile, his dream is to play for a top-six Premier League club.

Given just how good he was in defence last campaign in the Championship, Spurs and Johan Lange should seriously consider making a return for him.

What Maxime Esteve has previously said about Micky van de Ven

During the interview with Foot Mercato, when he was speaking about Tottenham, Esteve also admitted that he was a big fan of Micky van de Ven.

The young French defender admitted that he was a big fan of Van de Ven’s speed and even compared himself to the Spurs player.

Esteve admitted: “There’s a player I love very much in the Premier League… Micky van de Ven, the centre back of Tottenham.

“He is very fast, and I like him because I have the impression that I have a bit of the same speed qualities, even if he goes much faster. I feel inspired by him, because he’s a player who has about the same profile as me.”

Tottenham Hotspur had some tough decisions to make heading into this summer.

Indeed, Spurs have a number of situations where they’re stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Sacking Ange Postecoglou wasn’t an easy decision, and Hugo Lloris was shocked that Postecoglou went.

Meanwhile, Spurs have a few big decisions to make on some key players this summer, including their captain.

There have been calls for Heung-Min Son to be sold in recent times, and according to Dean Jones, speaking on the Ranks FC Ultras Podcast, the Korean is now likely to leave Tottenham this summer.

Heung-Min Son likely to leave Tottenham

Heung-Min Son has been an incredible servant to Spurs over the past decade.

The attacker has produced quality time and time again for Spurs, and, still in the eyes of some Son is ‘underrated’.

However, at the age of 33, he’s beginning to wind down, and according to Jones, it’s now likely that Son will leave Spurs this summer.

“Further up the pitch, Tottenham will have to decide what they do with Heung-Min Son. He could definitely leave, it’s not completely decided yet, but I would say it’s likely now that Son does leave. The only realistic place at the moment is Saudi and I don’t think that is ideal,” Jones said.

Heung-Min Son departure marks the end of Tottenham era

Heung-Min Son’s departure from Tottenham will mark the end of an era at Spurs.

Indeed, Son was the last man standing from the 2019 Champions League final, and now, every single player who played in Madrid that day has moved on.

A number of key players from Mauricio Pochettino’s side are now retired, while some are still playing at the top level.

The sad reality is that Father Time remains undefeated in football, and as Son gets older, he’s getting slower and less agile as well.

The attacker is still a top player in many aspects, but, sadly, if Spurs are to evolve, they probably do need to say goodbye to their captain.

The Premier League fixture list has just been released and Thomas Frank will be intrigued to learn his first run of games in charge of Tottenham Hotspur.

Thomas Frank already faces a tough start to life in North London as his team will face Newcastle United, Bayern Munich and Arsenal in pre-season before taking on PSG in the UEFA Super Cup.

The 51-year-old will know the importance of having a strong Premier League campaign after Daniel Levy revealed that’s partly why he opted to sack Ange Postecoglou.

The Danish manager will be hoping to make a quick impression at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as he takes over from a manager who just won the club’s first trophy in 17 years.

Frank now has a great chance of doing exactly that after learning who he will face in his first ten Premier League fixtures in charge of Spurs.

Tottenham face Man City and Chelsea in first ten Premier League matches

Tottenham Hotspur will face two of the Premier League’s top six in their opening ten Premier League matches, as they travel away to Man City in gameweek two and host Chelsea in gameweek ten.

Frank will be rather pleased to learn that his first ten Premier League games as manager of Spurs will see his side face two newly promoted teams and three from last season’s bottom half.

The North London club will start the season welcoming Burnley back to the Premier League as they host Scott Parker’s side in N17.

The toughest game of the first ten will undoubtedly be their trip to the Etihad Stadium, however, Postecoglou’s Spurs side did win 4-0 there last term.

West Ham United away will also be a tricky game, as Spurs often struggle in East London, whilst Chelsea at home in early November will also be an interesting test for Frank’s team.

But overall, the former Brentford boss will look at his first ten games and believe he can make a strong start to his career at Tottenham.

Tottenham fans won’t enjoy Thomas Frank’s record in opening games at Brondby and Brentford

Frank has a rather alarming record when starting a new job, with his record at Brondby and Brentford not making ideal reading for Tottenham.

He made a worrying start at Brondby after going his first eight matches without a win, although after losing to Aalborg, he then lost just once in his next 15 matches.

Meanwhile, at Brentford, the West London club would have been pretty worried after he started with just two wins in his first 14 matches in charge of the Bees.

Frank was appointed as manager of Brentford, having been promoted from being Dean Smith’s assistant, who went to join Aston Villa.

At Spurs, he won’t have quite the same leeway that he did at Brondby and Brentford, as any poor run of form to start will see him come under big pressure.

Tottenham Hotspur have just been informed that they will almost certainly be unable to land one of Thomas Frank’s top transfer targets.

Thomas Frank has finally arrived in North London and transfer plans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium are now well underway.

The Danish manager has been suggesting who he wants signed and sold this summer at Spurs, however, one of his top targets is now highly unlikely to be joining him in N17.

Tottenham cool their interest in signing Bryan Mbeumo, he only wants Man United

According to Rudy Galetti, Tottenham Hotspur have opted to end their pursuit of Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo after learning the forward’s stance on a move.

The 25-year-old only wants a move to Old Trafford, and the North London club now see the deal as ‘impossible’ with Manchester United clear favourites.

TBR Football revealed earlier this month that United were close to signing Mbeumo and the Red Devils are now expected to sign him if they can agree on a fee with Brentford.

The Bees want around £62.5 million for the Cameroonian, with United having previously submitted a bid worth £55 million.

Meanwhile, for Tottenham and Frank, they will now need to move on to other targets after accepting their fate over getting a deal done.

Who could Tottenham target next after Bryan Mbeumo rejection?

The Danish manager is clearly keen to bring at least one more attacker to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

TBR Football understands that Eberechi Eze asked to leave Crystal Palace earlier this summer, and this could finally be the moment he moves to Tottenham.

Spurs are one of the clubs that have expressed an interest in signing the 26-year-old, and he could be the perfect option given his versatility.

Antoine Semenyo is another Tottenham target, however, as revealed by TBR Football, Bournemouth’s valuation of over £60 million is putting them off from doing a deal for him.

Tottenham should target Xavi Simons after RB Leipzig accepted the Dutch attacker’s demands to leave the club this summer.

Rennes striker Arnaud Kalimuendo is another player who Spurs are looking at and he could be a great option after scoring 17 goals in Ligue 1 last term.

TBR Football understands that Tottenham Hotspur have been doing work on new goalkeepers since the turn of the year, with five big talents shortlisted.

As TBR Football revealed earlier this week, AC Milan are keen on Guglielmo Vicario and there is an understanding that the North London club are open to letting him leave.

Milan may need to replace Mike Maignan, who is expected to join Chelsea, and the Italian international is one of the top names on their list.

Spurs have been impressed by several options that they have scouted, and now the possibility of a new goalkeeper being signed by Thomas Frank is becoming increasingly likely.

Tottenham officials concerned by Guglielmo Vicario’s form

TBR Football’s chief correspondent, Graeme Bailey, understands that some within Tottenham Hotspur were worried by Vicario’s form during parts of last season.

The 28-year-old received a fair amount of criticism throughout the season for some of the glaring errors in his game.

Vicario at set-pieces became an area which opposition teams would target, as Tottenham conceded 13 times from set-pieces last season.

The Italian’s performance in the Europa League final really summed him up, as despite making several crucial saves, he also made some big errors, which Manchester United failed to capitalise on.

As such, the Lilywhites have been thinking about possible replacements and so far a shortlist of five names has been drawn up.

Four goalkeepers who have impressed Tottenham, including James Trafford

TBR Football can reveal that Tottenham have been impressed by James Trafford, Guillaume Restes, Lucas Chevalier, Zion Suzuki and Marco Carnesecchi.

There is also the possibility of Antonin Kinsky being promoted to the number one spot, although Spurs are excited by the ‘generational talents’ available in the goalkeeper market.

Bailey told TBR Football: “In terms of goalkeepers who have impressed – they do like James Trafford, to be fair, nearly half the Premier League like the Burnley keeper – Newcastle have tried more than once but won’t currently pay his asking price, which is £40m.

“Others I am told who have impressed them are French duo Guillaume Restes and Lucas Chevalier, whilst there are two in Italy in the shape of Parma’s Japanese star Zion Suzuki and Atalanta’s Marco Carnesecchi. All of whom could be available at the right price.

“They do really like Kinsky too, but are assessing the options – there are some potentially ‘generational’ players – and whoever gets Suzuki could be laughing.”

Tottenham Hotspur are not part of the Club World Cup, but they are keeping a close eye on the competition.

Spurs have appointed Thomas Frank as their new head coach. The Dane has replaced Ange Postecoglou and will be looking to bring in his own players.

Bryan Mbeumo is a player Frank wants at Tottenham, but the new Spurs boss is looking at other players as well to strengthen his side.

One of them is shining at the Club World Cup.

Tottenham want to sign Richard Rios

Tottenham need some help in the middle of the park.

Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma will both enter the final year of their contracts this summer, and we all know that Daniel Levy hates losing players for free.

If one of them, or both, are sold this summer, Tottenham will need a new player in midfield.

GiveMeSport have now claimed that Spurs ‘have refused to rule out attempting to win the race’ for Palmeiras midfielder Richard Rios.

The Colombian impressed in Palmeiras’ opening Club World Cup game against Porto, where he played in a deeper midfield role.

The report claims that Frank and members of the Tottenham recruitment team are ‘keeping tabs’ on Rios and are interested in signing him this summer.

It has further been claimed that ‘Tottenham are confident that Rios has developed his control and dominance in the middle of the park, while his ability to read the game and open up play with his technical brilliance have been pinpointed as eye-catching traits as they look to bolster their options’.

Rios’ current contract at Palmeiras does not expire until the end of 2028, but he has a release clause in his deal worth an eye-watering £85 million.

Who is Tottenham target Richard Rios and what is his style of play?

Rios is a 25-year-old midfielder who plays for Palmeiras and the Colombian national football team.

Hailed for his versatility, Rios can play anywhere in midfield. He played as a six against Porto in the Club World Cup, but he is more than capable of playing in a box-to-box role.

Rios is good in possession, has the ability to progress the ball from his own half to the more advanced areas of the pitch, and he also possesses the skill to pass through the lines.

The Colombian is a very complete midfielder, and it is no surprise that Tottenham are keeping tabs on him as they look to bolster the middle of their park.

But, the fact that he has never played in Europe before is a bit of a concern.

Tottenham Hotspur are set to begin a new era with Thomas Frank taking over from Ange Postecoglou as manager.

Postecoglou’s time at Tottenham came to an end despite leading Spurs to their first trophy in 17 years in the Europa League in May.

Tottenham moved quickly to replace Postecoglou as they appointed Frank as their new manager and also brought in several coaches from Brentford.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has now spoken about the reasons for sacking Postecoglou as he shared his ambitions for the club.

However, a number of Tottenham fans were not especially impressed with his comments as they sent him a clear message.

Tottenham fans call on Daniel Levy to match words with actions by spending big on top players

Daniel Levy, speaking to the Tottenham media team, explained how he wants Tottenham to win the Premier League and Champions League.

“The outpouring of emotion with the parade, was just incredible. We’ve won a European trophy, but it isn’t enough,” he said.

“What we haven’t done is more important, we need to win the Premier League, we want to win the Champions League.”

A number of Tottenham fans took to social media to make it clear that, if Spurs are to challenge for those trophies, they need to spend big on the best players.

“You won’t win the league signing prospects every window,” one fan wrote on X. “Call for experience has been needed every window.”

Another fan said: “Backing a manager with his number 1 targets in a transfer window would be another and also not letting your best players leave every other summer.”

The messages kept coming, with one fan saying: “Fine with that being the expectation, need to now give Frank the finances to make that achievable.

“Leicester winning the league was an anomaly, if you want to win the league or the Champions League you need to pay big wages, like those teams that have done it last 30 odd years.”

Another supporter wrote: “Maybe buy some ready made players, break the wage structure and stop buying U21ers.”

Another fan said: “Nice that hes finally come out and said he wants to win but after 24 years words are meaningless now.

“It needs to be proven by actions and a complete change of culture from the top of the club.”

Why Daniel Levy is especially thrilled about Thomas Frank as the new Tottenham manager

Frank is expected to be a much different manager to Postecoglou at Tottenham.

While the Australian was often uncompromising with his style of play, Frank has a history of being much more versatile and pragmatic.

Levy has explained how Frank’s intelligence, communication and personality made him feel as though the Danish coach was definitely the right man for the job.

Levy told Spurs Official: “Whenever you have a new coach, it’s always a fresh start, you always have different ideas, but we want to build on the success of winning a trophy last season.

“What really stood out to me with Thomas (Frank) is that he was highly intelligent, a great communicator and a super human being, plus all the other technical aspects, but they really stood out to me those three points.”

Thomas Frank has officially been named as the new Tottenham Hotspur head coach.

The Dane has replaced Ange Postecoglou in North London, and his job will be a really tricky one going forward.

Getting Spurs higher up the table will be easy considering that they finished 17th last year, but there is an expectation now that Tottenham should win trophies after lifting the Europa League.

Will Frank be able to deliver on that front? Simon Jordan is not so sure.

Simon Jordan says he would’ve appointed Oliver Glasner instead of Thomas Frank at Tottenham

Tottenham had been looking at potential options to replace Postecoglou long before he was sacked.

Thomas Frank was a contender from a very early stage, but he wasn’t the only one. The likes of Marco Silva, Andoni Iraola and even Kieran McKenna were options for Spurs.

TBR Football revealed in April that another manager Tottenham approached was Oliver Glasner, who is currently at the helm of Crystal Palace.

Former Eagles owner Jordan, while speaking on talkSPORT, claimed that he would’ve appointed Glasner instead of Frank if he were making the decisions at Tottenham.

He said: “I would’ve gone the Glasner direction. I’m sorry, Crystal Palace fans, but I would’ve gone that way.

“It is a difficult one to contextualise about ‘upgrade’ because they’ve won something, but Brentford have finished above them in the league. By which metric do you measure this upgrade? Clearly, they think it’s an upgrade; otherwise, Ange Postecoglou would still be in the job, and this fellow wouldn’t be.

“If you want your team to be in the upper end of the Premier League at all costs, then the answer is probably a yes (Frank is an upgrade). But, if you want them to win something again, I don’t know…”

Thomas Frank vs Oliver Glasner stats in the Premier League

Both Frank and Glasner have done brilliant jobs at Brentford and Crystal Palace respectively.

The Dane took charge of the Bees in the Championship, helped them achieve promotion and become a solid mid-table team in the Premier League. Glasner, on the other hand, helped Crystal Palace win their first-ever major trophy, thus cementing his status as a club legend.

But whose record in the Premier League is better?

Glasner’s sample size is about a third of Frank’s, but when you break his numbers down to ‘per game’, the Eagles boss fares slightly better than the new Tottenham head coach.

Saying that Glasner, who Mikel Arteta claimed has done an ‘unbelievable’ job at Palace, would’ve been a better option than Frank is by no means a controversial statement.

But Frank’s numbers show that he is not far off, and there is no reason why he will not be able to succeed at Tottenham.

Tottenham Hotspur have been looking to hijack Manchester United’s move for Bryan Mbeumo, but there is another attacker Thomas Frank should target instead.

TBR Football understands that Tottenham still could sign Mbeumo, although beating the Red Devils to his signature could be very tricky.

Frank is keen to sign Mbeumo and is pushing for the North London club to also bring the 25-year-old across the capital following his appointment.

There is another top attacker, though, who has just been made available and he is a player who the Lilywhites really need to consider moving to sign.

RB Leipzig open to selling Xavi Simons

RB Leipzig are open to selling Xavi Simons this summer for around £60 million, according to The Athletic.

The 22-year-old is believed to have informed the German club that he wishes to leave after they missed out on European qualification.

Leipzig finished the season seventh in the Bundesliga and were knocked out of the Champions League in the group stage.

The German side only signed the youngster permanently in January 2025, but the midfielder is already eager to part ways.

Tottenham should be all over the deal for Xavi Simons

Tottenham Hotspur should be all over any potential deal for Simons and even for £60m that could prove to be great value.

Spurs have already been looking at Bryan Mbeumo, Eberechi Eze and Antonie Semenyo, all of whom are valued at around the same price point.

Simons is not only younger but also arguably the better player, and with the scope to get even better.

The Lilywhites should ask Micky van de Ven to get on the phone to his Dutch national teammate and convince him to make the switch to North London.

How does Xavi Simons compare to Bryan Mbeumo, Eberechi Eze and Antonie Semenyo?

Mbeumo enjoyed the most productive season out of the quartet of Tottenham targets as he produced an impressive 29 goals and assists.

TBR Football has revealed that Tottenham are in the race for Mbeumo, although Manchester United remain the favourites to sign the 25-year-old.

Earlier this year, Eze asked to leave Crystal Palace, and Spurs have held a long-term interest in the forward who has a £68m release clause.

Tottenham Hotspur have just completed the signing of Mathys Tel for £30m, but there was another player who Henry Winter can’t believe didn’t end up in N17 instead.

Tottenham signed Tel for £38.5m in total, having paid an £8.5m loan fee in January, plus a £30m option to make the deal permanent this summer.

The Frenchman is seen as the long-term successor to Son Heung-min, who is starting to lose his powers and is being linked with a move away.

Son is close to leaving Tottenham this summer as the 32-year-old has offers from the Saudi Pro League and Turkey, but Spurs now look well equipped for when he does eventually depart.

Henry Winter shocked Tottenham never moved for Marcus Rashford

Henry Winter has revealed that he is shocked that Tottenham Hotspur never moved to sign Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford.

The journalist explained how he always felt that if Rashford remained in the Premier League, Spurs would be the type of club to make their move for him.

Especially as he could have been the ideal replacement for Son, however, the Lilywhites have instead opted to make Mathys Tel’s move permanent.

Winter told Sky Sports Transfer Talk: “I always thought that if he was going to stay in England, that he would go to a club like Tottenham Hotspur, but they’ve got Mathys Tel who’s playing out there because Heung-Min Son’s sort of powers are fading and Rashford would have been very good on the left.”

The big issue facing the 27-year-old is that he will likely need to take a substantial pay cut to move elsewhere ahead of the World Cup.

Rashford currently earns around £300k-per-week, which would make him Spurs’ highest earner by quite some margin, whilst paying £40m to sign him.

“But look, as ever with modern football, as it comes down to money and I just think that Marcus Rashford is going to have to take a substantial cut if he wants to be playing and if he wants to seize this opportunity to go to the World Cup,” added Winter.

Thomas Frank’s key role in keeping Mathys Tel at Tottenham

Frank is excited to work with Tel at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and he is believed to have played a key role in making the deal permanent.

The Danish manager has reportedly been doing his homework on the Frenchman and was eager to make the deal permanent.

Tel has been impressing for France U21, and it’s pretty evident that the 20-year-old is a player with huge potential, despite only netting three times during his loan spell at Spurs.

Frank’s track record for developing attackers will make working under him for Tel an exciting prospect, having seen him improve the likes of Ollie Watkins, Bryan Mbeumo, Ivan Toney and Yoane Wissa.