TBR Football

Tottenham and Chelsea are bitter rivals.

There is even a Premier League game dubbed the Battle of the Bridge given the gruesome nature of some challenges during that particular London derby, as Chelsea and Tottenham went face to face back in May 2016.

Despite this hatred, Tottenham could actually be about to do Chelsea a favour in the transfer market regarding the pursuit of AC Milan No.16 Mike Maignan.

Tottenham decide they are open to selling Guglielmo Vicario to AC Milan, and a deal would surely free up Mike Maignan exit

The France international almost moved to Stamford Bridge recently.

Chelsea pushed to sign Maignan from AC Milan before the start of the FIFA Club World Cup, with a deal only possible until the deadline on Tuesday 10th June.

An agreement did not materialise, although TBR Football understand Chelsea plan to resume talks with AC Milan once the FIFA Club World Cup is over, and Tottenham could now help a deal progress.

TBR Football have been told that AC Milan are keen to sign Tottenham No.1 Guglielmo Vicario, and Spurs are open to selling the Italy international for the right price.

Should Spurs hand AC Milan a ready-made Maignan replacement, it will surely make the Serie A side more likely to sanction a move to Chelsea for the Frenchman.

Chelsea also plan to resurrect talks for another player

Maignan is not the only player Chelsea were hoping to sign before the FIFA Club World Cup kicked off.

Chelsea came close to signing Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund before the June 10th transfer deadline, but were unable to agree a fee with the Bundesliga side.

However, like Maignan, we understand the Blues plan to pick negotiations back up once the tournament in the United States ends on July 15th.

Tottenham Hotspur players now find themselves on a level playing field after Thomas Frank replaced Ange Postecoglou.

The slate has been wiped clean, meaning even those the Australian rarely fielded could soon become key players if they manage to excite the Dane from day one.

Mathys Tel has already impressed Frank enough for Spurs to spend £30m on a permanent deal for the Frenchman, after his loan spell last term.

Now, Antonin Kinsky could get an opportunity to become No.1 under Thomas Frank after Tottenham made a decision on Guglielmo Vicario.

Antonin Kinsky must be on tenterhooks as Spurs could sell Guglielmo Vicario to AC Milan

TBR Football understand Tottenham are open to selling Vicario this summer after AC Milan expressed an interest in signing the Italy international.

It is still early days yet, but if this sale materialises, it would open the door for Kinsky to really make the No.1 shirt his own in north London.

The 22-year-old was signed in a £12.5m move from Slavia Prague back in January amidst a time where Vicario and Fraser Forster were both unavailable for Postecoglou, and made ten appearances before the Italian eventually returned to full fitness and reclaimed his starting berth.

Kinsky kept three clean sheets and conceded 17 goals in these ten outings.

£12.5m is a sizeable investment for such a young goalkeeper – Vicario himself only cost £17m as a full Italy international aged 26 – so if AC Milan do take the Tottenham No.1 this summer, the Czech glovesman is likeliest to be selected by Frank as his replacement.

What Ange Postecoglou and Djed Spence said about Antonin Kinsky

Djed Spence would surely back Kinsky for the No.1 role if Vicario does return to Italy, having already praised the Tottenham No.31 shortly after his winter arrival.

The 24-year-old said: “He brings composure. As a keeper, he’s very good with the ball, so I think that’s one of his main strengths as well.”

Postecoglou also praised Kinsky, adding: “I’ve been really happy with Toni… really, really pleased to get Toni into the club, because we think he’s going to be an outstanding goalkeeper and (there is) nobody better to work alongside than Vic.”

TBR Football understands that Guglielmo Vicario is high on AC Milan’s transfer target wishlist, with new manager Max Allegri keen on the Tottenham Hotspur shot-stopper.

AC Milan are losing Mike Maignan, despite his move to Chelsea falling through last week as he is still expected to be sold this summer.

The Rossoneri have started drawing up a list of targets, and the 28-year-old is a player who is right near the top of the names that they are after.

Vicario had a rather mixed campaign in North London last term as he made many incredible saves but also had some rather suspect moments at times.

Tottenham have considered selling Guglielmo Vicario

Some of Tottenham Hotspur’s hierarchy have been considering Guglielmo Vicario’s position, but a new goalkeeper was not seen as something at the top of their ‘to-do’ list

However, sources have told TBR Football that there is a deal to be done and AC Milan are looking at potential options with Vicario very high on their list.

Ange Postecoglou really liked Vicario and described him as a ‘wonderful asset’ for the club, which leaves some question marks over Spurs being open to selling him.

Gianluigi Donnarumma would be Milan’s ‘dream’ signing, TBR Football has been told, but it is far from certain that Paris Saint-Germain will allow him to leave.

Even if the European champions were to make him available for transfer, the competition for the 26-year-old’s signature would be substantial.

With that in mind, Milan are now looking at other targets, and Vicario is seen as one of their best options on their shortlist.

How could Tottenham and Thomas Frank replace Guglielmo Vicario?

Should Spurs allow Vicario to make the switch to the San Siro, Thomas Frank could either bring in a new goalkeeper or stick with what he already has available.

Back in January, Tottenham signed Antonin Kinsky and the young Czech Republic goalkeeper could be perfect for Frank’s team.

The 22-year-old made quite an impression on his debut for the club after keeping a clean sheet against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup.

Frank could also turn to the transfer market and use the funds from the sale of the Italian goalkeeper to sign a replacement.

Spurs paid £17m to sign Vicario back in the summer of 2023 and would surely expect at least double that fee to sell him.

Mathys Tel became the first signing of the Thomas Frank era at Tottenham Hotspur following a £30m deal with Bayern Munich.

Despite having a rather underwhelming loan spell in North London, Tottenham Hotspur opted to sign the French youth international on a permanent deal.

Bayern fans were sad that Tel was sold, having shown a fair amount of promise during his time at the Allianz Arena.

Now, Frank is the man tasked with unlocking Tel’s potential, and the former Brentford boss’ feelings have just been made so clear.

Thomas Frank is excited to work with Mathys Tel at Tottenham

Thomas Frank is believed to be excited by the prospect of working with Mathys Tel at Tottenham, according to Football.London.

The Danish manager has been studying the 20-year-old and his verdict was that the Frenchman would be a good signing for the Lilywhites.

TBR Football revealed on Sunday that Tottenham paid £30m for Tel to make the deal permanent following a £8.5m loan deal.

Some Tottenham fans are unconvinced by Tel and feel as though he didn’t quite show enough during his loan spell last term.

The youngster scored three goals and got one assist in 20 appearances for the North London club under Ange Postecoglou.

But there have been some suggestions that the Australian manager had been deploying him in the wrong role and under the guidance of Frank, Tel could explode.

Why Mathys Tel could become the next Ollie Watkins under Thomas Frank at Tottenham

Frank has an excellent track record for developing young attackers and there is some serious hope that Tel could become the next Ollie Watkins.

Spurs journalist Tom Barclay has backed the 51-year-old manager to replicate what he did with Watkins with the youngster at Tottenham.

Barclay told his YouTube channel: “The one that I would hope Tel would look at for inspiration when it comes to Frank’s development is Ollie Watkins.

“The reason I say that is because Watkins, when he first for the club, before Frank took over as the main coach, he was a winger, he’d come from Exeter for a modest fee and generally having to play out wide, he even said back then that he never felt he’d get the chance to play through the middle because they had such excellent strikers at the time.

“It was only until his third and final season, when Neal Maupay was sold, and Thomas Frank gave him the confidence to play through the middle, that Watkins thrived.”

Everton are hoping to bring Richarlison back to Merseyside and Tottenham Hotspur fans have been discussing whether or not to sell him.

Everton want two strikers this summer in a bid to bolster David Moyes’ attack and Richarlison is one of the players who is top of their list.

The Brazilian made 152 appearances for the Toffees, scoring an impressive 53 goals, which earned him a £60 million move to Tottenham Hotspur.

But now, Everton want Richarlison to make his long-awaited return to the football club and following the news, Spurs supporters have made their feelings clear about selling him.

Tottenham fans want Richarlison sold to Everton

Tottenham fans have been urging their new manager, Thomas Frank, to offload Richarlison to Everton whilst he has the chance.

The main consensus appears to be that the striker’s poor injury record for the North London club means that he needs to be sold.

TBR Football has reported that Frank will assess Richarlison during pre-season, although there is a sense that the 27-year-old could actually benefit from the Danish manager’s arrival.

Previously, Frank has praised Richarlison, backing him to fill the boots of Harry Kane back at the start of the 2023/24 season.

That hasn’t quite worked out to be the case, and despite his performance in the Europa League final, Tottenham fans are keen for him to be sold to Everton.

One fan said: “Surely he doesn’t need a pre-season to know he and at least eight others aren’t good enough for this Spurs squad.”

Another claimed: “If we can get £30m or swap him for (Iliman) Ndiaye or part of a (Jarrad) Branthwaite deal, he has to go.”

There were further shouts for Richarlison to be sold: “We should be biting their hands off. We need someone better than him; he’s been very poor. Why we signed him in the first place is beyond me.”

Finally, another fan called for him to be sold: “We’ve got to get what we can for him. He’s injured more than he’s fit.”

Tottenham should consider Iliman Ndiaye swap deal with Richarlison

Iliman Ndiaye could be a great option for Tottenham if the Toffees were open to letting him leave in exchange for the Brazilian.

Ndiaye was one of Everton’s bright lights last season as he netted nine times in the Premier League.

The Senegalese international has proved himself to be a very useful, versatile asset for Moyes’ team, and that could also be great for Tottenham.

Tottenham Hotspur have completed their first signing of the summer as Mathys Tel arrives from Bayern Munich.

The France U21 international has signed a six-year contract with Spurs after a fee of £30m was agreed between Tottenham and Bayern Munich, handing Thomas Frank his first permanent capture since officially replacing Ange Postecoglou on Thursday.

Tottenham fans have already expressed some doubt over Mathys Tel – and Bayern Munich supporters have now shared their thoughts too after the German giants announced the sale on X (previously known as Twitter).

Bayern Munich fans upset as Mathys Tel sold to Tottenham

The 20-year-old may only have scored two goals in 13 Premier League appearances after joining Spurs on loan last season, but Bayern Munich fans are still gutted to see him leave the Allianz Arena permanently.

One Bayern Munich supporter kicked off the discussion by posting: “Sorry, but this is a huge mistake. I would have given him another chance with us. Mathys definitely had Bayern in his heart like few others. I fear we’ll regret that.”

Another backed that up by writing: “Thank you, it’s a pity that we sold you but all the best to you. I’d love (for you) to come back.”

A third Bayern Munich fan opined: “The boy has potential, but he was given little trust or playing time, and yet he (still) showed what he was capable of!

“He even learned German just to understand and communicate better with his teammates. It just hurts.”

Tel bravely engaged with Tottenham fans during a difficult period last season, so even at just 20 years of age, the Frenchman is clearly a strong character who cares deeply.

Furthermore, another Bayern Munich fan said: “But we keep someone like (Serge) Gnabry and (Leon) Goretzka. I can’t understand it.”

A fifth simply wrote “you losers have destroyed the next talent” when aiming plenty of anger at Bayern Munich.

The Bavarians spent £25m to sign Tel from Rennes when he was just 17 years of age, but were unable to aid his development, handing him just nine starts in the Bundesliga in total.

Lastly, a sixth Bayern Munich fan posted a similar statement, writing: “Everyone involved failed at every level. How can you let a talent down like that?”

Clearly, a number of Bayern Munich supporters think their club have made a significant error in selling Tel to Tottenham.

Mathys Tel arrival could soon be clouded by Bryan Mbeumo deal as Tottenham attempt Manchester United hijack

Tel is currently the talk of Tottenham after becoming the first signing of the Frank era, but a headline arrival could soon trump him.

Tottenham think they can sign Bryan Mbeumo – who scored 20 Premier League goals under Frank for Brentford last season – despite Manchester United seemingly being in pole position to sign the Cameroon international, after he made it clear he wanted a move to Old Trafford.

TBR Football can exclusively reveal that Tottenham have joined the race to sign a Premier League star Thomas Frank knows really well.

Tottenham officially announced Frank as their new manager, following the sacking of Ange Postecoglou.

While Spurs won the Europa League and ended their trophy drought, Spurs were awful in the Premier League, finishing a disappointing 17th, with 22 defeats.

Tottenham have been linked with several Brentford players. TBR Football previously confirmed that Bryan Mbeumo is one to watch for Spurs, and now they are plotting another potential reunion.

Tottenham want to sign Nathan Collins but face competition from Arsenal

TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey understands that Spurs have joined the race to sign Brentford star Nathan Collins.

With Cristian Romero fully expected to leave Tottenham this summer, Collins has been identified as an ideal target by Spurs.

However, they face stiff competition from the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool, who are also keen on signing the Irish star.

Arsenal’s interest in Collins has been previously reported by TBR Football, with the report stating that Mikel Arteta is closely looking at the player having been left impressed by his performances.

There is interest from other clubs as well, with Newcastle also looking at Collins along with Marc Guehi.

The 24-year-old centre-back is currently tied to a long-term contract with Brentford until 2029, and the Bees are expected to demand a significant fee, having paid £23 million to sign him from Wolves in the summer of 2023.

What Thomas Frank has previously said about Nathan Collins

The Ireland international has been excellent for Brentford, and perhaps had his best season for them this past season.

Collins played every single minute of the Premier League season, joining Virgil van Dijk as one of only two outfield players to do so.

Frank has shown strong belief in Collins, praising his reliability and steady performances throughout the season.

The Danish coach also highlighted Collins’ leadership qualities, noting that it’s no surprise he was trusted to captain Ireland previously, given his maturity and presence on and off the pitch.

At just 23 at the time, Frank acknowledged that Collins was still in the early stages of his development but already handling the pressures of top-flight football impressively. Frank said (quotes via VAVEL): “This season he’s been going from a good performance to another good performance. I’m very pleased with him.

“As a character and a person, I understand why he was the captain of Ireland [versus Greece] – he’s got everything to be a good leader.

“He’s still young. 23? that’s nothing. I was baby when I was 23. Sometimes these footballers, we expect everything from them and that’s just because everyone’s filming and taking pictures.

“They’re young men at best, some of them young boys, and they are developing in a highly pressurised world. I think Nathan is on a really good track.”

Tottenham Hotspur only announced the arrival of Thomas Frank on Thursday evening, but have already handed the Dane a signing.

Spurs have now sealed a £30m deal for Mathys Tel after taking the Frenchman on loan from Bayern Munich for the second half of last season.

The 20-year-old only scored two goals in 13 Premier League appearances within that time period, but Tottenham have seen enough promise in the France U21 international to sign him on a permanent basis.

As Mathys Tel joins Tottenham on a six-year contract, Thomas Frank owes Ange Postecoglou a debt of gratitude.

Ange Postecoglou predicted Mathys Tel would sign permanently after “long” phone call

Speaking back in February, the Australian assured Tottenham fans that the Sarcelles-born prodigy was not just joining Spurs on a temporary basis.

Postecoglou said: “He’ll be a Tottenham player, mate. He’ll be a Tottenham player.

“I think he’ll show everyone he’s going to be a Tottenham player in the next six months. I didn’t bring him here for six months. I felt that if I kept him on the phone long enough, I would wear him down. He was falling asleep by the end.

“I got a sense pretty early on that there was a connection there and he was hearing what he wanted to hear. I think it is a credit to him that, rather than just jump at what came at him, he was very thorough in the way he made his decision.”

Postecoglou clearly put a lot of effort in to bring Tel to north London, and with Frank having a say on recruitment at Spurs, the Dane surely approved this signing, and owes his predecessor for his groundwork in luring a precocious talent to N17 in the first place.

Where Thomas Frank should deploy Mathys Tel

Tottenham fans expressed some concern over Tel after a recent UEFA European U21 Championship clash between France and Portugal, where he and Wilson Odobert both struggled to shine.

Supporters raised the point that Tel must decide whether he wants to play out wide or centrally, as he seems to be caught in two minds at the moment, although the evidence suggests he is strongest on the left flank.

Throughout his career, the Frenchman has played 44 games on the left and 40 as a central striker, supplying 16 goal involvements out wide compared to just six in the middle.

Therefore, seeing as Frank already has Dominic Solanke and Richarlison to play centrally, the Dane should focus his efforts on moulding Tel into a left forward.

TBR Football can exclusively reveal that Tottenham are on the verge of completing their first signing under new manager Thomas Frank.

Frank was officially announced by Spurs earlier this week. He joins the club along with Justin Cochrane, who returns to Tottenham as assistant manager.

The club are now set to begin their transfer activities ahead of the new season, with Levy expected to back Frank in the transfer window.

And while Bryan Mbeumo is one to watch for Spurs, it looks like Frank is already closing in on making his first signing as Tottenham manager.

Tottenham on the verge of signing Mathys Tel on a permanent deal

TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey understands that Spurs have a deal in place with Mathys Tel to finalise his return to North London.

It was reported by TBR Football in May that Tel is ready to join Tottenham on a permanent deal.

It can now be confirmed that Spurs are progressing with the deal with Bayern Munich. A broad agreement has been reached for the club to pay a further £30m, having already paid £8.5m in terms of a loan fee in January.

TBR Football can also reveal that the 20-year-old has agreed personal terms with Tottenham and that Thomas Frank personally told the club that Tel’s move should be made permanently during talks a number of weeks ago when he discussed Spurs’ squad plans with the club’s hierarchy.

Mathys Tel rejected other clubs to join Tottenham

TBR Football can also confirm that Tel had interest from other clubs as well ahead of the summer transfer window.

However, the player only wanted to join Tottenham, and informed both Bayern and Spurs of his decision last month.

Speaking about Tel, Bailey revealed: “Tel made it clear last month to Bayern and Spurs that he wanted to make the move.

“There was interest from other clubs but it was clear that Tel only wanted Spurs and they were very impressed with this attitude.

“Thomas Frank was asked about Tel during his talks with the club and was more than happy for them to progress.”

Tottenham were impressed by Mathys Tel during his loan spell

Tel, described as ‘quality‘ by Micah Richards, joined Spurs on loan in the January transfer window after the club were forced into entering the market for a striker due to injuries.

Tel’s impact on the pitch was limited, with just two goals and one assist in the Premier League in 13 games.

He also scored in his debut appearance in the FA Cup for the club, finishing the season with three goals and an assist in 14 starts for Spurs across all competitions.

The Tottenham Hotspur revolution under Thomas Frank is underway.

The Dane has been brought in to replace Ange Postecoglou, who was sacked just 16 days after winning the Europa League and ending the club’s 17-year trophy drought.

Thomas Frank is now tasked with taking Spurs to the next level, and to do so, he will need help from the transfer market.

TBR Football exclusively revealed that Bryan Mbeumo to Tottenham is one to watch, and that is definitely the case now.

Along with the Cameroonian, Frank could try and sign another Brentford attacker.

Tottenham have held internal discussions about signing Yoane Wissa

Yoane Wissa has been one of Brentford’s best players in recent years.

The 28-year-old directly contributed to 25 goals in all competitions for the Bees last season, and he had formed a tremendous partnership with Bryan Mbeumo.

A lot of Frank’s success in attack was down to his African duo, and The Guardian claim now that he could be interested in a reunion at Tottenham.

The report claims that Spurs have held ‘internal discussions’ about signing Wissa, who was of interest to Nottingham Forest at the turn of the year.

Brentford, however, are not expected to entertain a sale for anything less than £40 million this summer.

That is cheaper than what Mbeumo will cost, but whether Tottenham would be willing to pay around £100 million for two players from the same club remains to be seen.

Wissa’s current deal at Brentford expires in the summer of 2026, but the Bees have an option to extend that by another year.

What Thomas Frank has already said about Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa as a ‘duo’

New Tottenham boss Frank knows Wissa and Mbeumo better than anyone else.

The Dane brought the best out of the two players at Brentford, not just individually, but as a pair as well at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Speaking about Wissa and Mbeumo as a duo, Frank said in April, as per Optus Sports: “As a pair, is there anyone who has (scored more)?

“I know (Mohamed) Salah has been ridiculous, you’ll find a Liverpool player that has more between the two of them, but as a consistent pair? That’s an incredible achievement from the two of them.

“When you consistently, over the last six seasons, have produced top scorers, that must be something we’re doing right. I’m very happy that (Mbeumo) is shining and is the main man now for us. But I think it’s a duo, him and Wissa.”