TBR Football

Tottenham Hotspur made several impressive signings this past summer, and Danny Murphy has been split on his opinion of two new players.

Thomas Frank looked to make his mark on the Tottenham team immediately this summer by building his own squad, and so far his transfer decisions have looked impressive.

Tottenham spent £55million on Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United. Since joining the club, Kudus has delivered strong performances.

Meanwhile, Spurs paid £51.8million for Xavi Simons, but Murphy believes there is a big difference between the two players and how they’ve started this season.

Danny Murphy wants to see more from Xavi Simons in a Tottenham shirt

Simons and Kudus have been regularly used by Frank this season, with the two men helping Tottenham to make an impressive start to the season.

Spurs are third in the Premier League table after the opening seven games, but Murphy explained on talkSPORT that while Kudus is flying, Tottenham will want more from Simons.

“They’re heavily relying on Kudus in the games I’ve watched. And that’s fine, because all top teams have certain players they really rely on.

“And he’s been outstanding, by the way, what a signing. He’s been outstanding and their best player this season by a mile. So maybe they can keep getting away with relying on set plays as a big factor in today’s game.

“I just think sometimes, in the games I’ve seen, I’m thinking, you know, if he’s not doing it, who’s going to open the other team up? Who’s going to make your chances?

“I mean, they’ll expect a little bit more from Simons, because they spent big money on him. But he is a talent, and he’s going to take a little bit of time to get going.”

Peter Crouch claimed Kudus was “unplayable” against Leeds United this past weekend, with the ex-West Ham star having shone brightly throughout the game.

How do Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons compare to each other?

Given their similarities in football play, Kudus and Simons are likely to be compared throughout the season.

Spurs fans will have high expectations for both of them in terms of their output this season, but so far, Kudus is outshining his teammate.

Kudus has been receiving plenty of praise this season. Wayne Rooney has claimed that Kudus is ready to “explode” as a player, evidently seeing something bright in him.

Spurs have only lost once this season in the Premier League, which proves that the performances of their star men have been good enough, regardless of individual stats.

Tottenham Hotspur fans have had a lot to say about Guglielmo Vicario this season, and Ben Foster has now given his opinion on the shot-stopper.

Vicario is Thomas Frank’s first-choice goalkeeper for this season, but he hasn’t displayed the confident performances that fans want to see.

Some Tottenham supporters have called for Vicario to be dropped, deeming him unreliable despite keeping four clean sheets this season.

Despite the fan reactions to him, Vicario has proven his quality this season at times, although he did something that Foster wasn’t a fan of.

Ben Foster doesn’t believe Guglielmo Vicario is a top-six goalkeeper

Even though Vicario has been criticised at points this season, statistically, he is performing well for Spurs.

Vicario has an 82.8% save percentage, with only Arsenal’s David Raya boasting more than him, which means the Tottenham goalkeeper is one of the best in the league.

However, that’s something that Foster doesn’t agree with. During the latest episode of The Football Fill-In he ripped into Vicario for his behaviour against Leeds United.

“No, I wouldn’t put him there (as a top six keeper). He did make that save down to his left, which was a world-class save, but then got up and gave it that (a celebration), and I hate that.

“For this weekend, I’m not putting him in because he got up and went ‘yes, I’m the man, I’m the man.’ I don’t like that, I’m just thinking, make your save and get up.”

Interestingly, Leeds boss Daniel Farke praised Vicario after the game at Elland Road, claiming he was the “man of the match” with his performance.

Thomas Frank is set to back Guglielmo Vicario at Tottenham

Vicario had a tricky period prior to the international break, which arguably came at the right time for him to get out of the Premier League spotlight.

The shot-stopper struggled against Bodo/Glimt and followed that up with an individual error against Leeds United when he parried the ball into Noah Okafor’s feet for a tap-in.

While Tottenham went on to win the game 2-1, the mistake put his teammates under severe pressure at Elland Road, which only added to the fan frustration surrounding him right now.

TBR Football understands that youngster Harry Gray has already agreed terms on his first professional contract at Leeds United, which can be signed later this week to follow in his brother Archie’s footsteps.

Archie Gray moved from Leeds United to Tottenham last summer in a £40million move, despite Gray almost securing a move to fellow Premier League outfit Brentford under now-boss Thomas Frank.

He was thrust into the deep end by then-manager Ange Postecoglou at centre-back whilst the Lilywhites had an injury crisis, and although he performed well as a makeshift defender, he wasn’t rewarded with much game time in his natural positions of right-back or central midfield.

However, in a twist, Tottenham also tried to sign younger brother Harry Gray to accompany his sibling, though TBR Football can reveal that won’t be the case with the 17-year-old agreeing terms to stay at Elland Road.

Exclusive: Harry Gray agrees Leeds contract and halts Tottenham reunion

Archie Gray turned 17 on Wednesday, at which point he can now be tied to Leeds and not poached away by any Premier League rivals.

Indeed, we can confirm that a number of rivals tried to land Gray, who has long been regarded as one of Leeds’ top talents.

We can confirm that Tottenham, Chelsea, Man City and Liverpool were all amongst those interested, whilst RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund were also amongst those keen.

However, Gray – the brother of Archie – wants to follow his siblings’ footsteps and become a Leeds regular at this early point in his career.

TBR Football’s chief correspondent, Graeme Bailey, stated that Leeds have a plan in place for the young striker, even being confident of keeping the teenager. Bailey said, “Leeds have big plans for Harry Gray.

“They were never too worried he would be tempted away, but such is his talent, they knew he would attract interest; that is natural.

“But he is set to stay, and that is great news for everyone at the club.”

If he can replicate Archie’s exploits for Leeds, then he would be a superb addition to their ranks by challenging the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Joel Piroe and Lukas Nmecha for first-team minutes under boss Daniel Farke.

Leeds United have a huge family history with more than just Archie and Harry Gray

The Gray family have one of the longest legacies at any club side in elite footballing circles, starting with Frank Gray, grandfather to Archie and Harry, who starred in 294 games for the West Yorkshire club split over two spells in the 1970s and 1980s.

His brother Eddie was a one-club man at Leeds, making an incredible 532 appearances for the club from 1966 to 1983, before managing them from 1982-1985, and again as they were relegated from the Premier League in 2003-04.

The outrageous footballing bloodline doesn’t stop there. Eddie’s son, Stuart, also played but failed to turn out for Leeds.

That takes us to Archie and Harry’s father Andy, a superb Football League striker, who turned out in 36 appearances for Leeds as well as boasting solid spells with Barnsley, Burnley and Bradford City.

Tottenham have been well-known for some of their talent moving on to become the best in the world after they leave.

Whether it’s Gareth Bale or Luka Modric, there are a few examples of how well Spurs have recruited before making a profit.

Sometimes, however, that recruitment comes from within, and that was certainly the case with the quality of Harry Kane.

Truly a generational talent for both Tottenham and England, he is now plying his trade in Germany with Bayern Munich.

Kane hasn’t slowed down at all, as his imperious form continues on the domestic and international stage.

That has led to plenty of praise, not least from his England teammate, Anthony Gordon.

Anthony Gordon praises Harry Kane’s passing on England duty

Harry Kane’s impact at Tottenham cannot be understated, with the only thing missing from his time at the club being a trophy or two.

The striker’s finishing has always been a standout aspect of his game, as he continues to score numerous goals.

However, it’s the assists that often go under the radar, with his ability to play cutting passes also adding a unique dimension to his profile.

It was an aspect that England teammate Gordon was keen to highlight, as he said ahead of the international friendly with Wales: “Yeah, I think he’s [Harry Kane] naturally been doing that for definitely the past two years – since I’ve been playing with him.

“He’s unbelievable. I think his vision and his passing range are frightening. He’s been on fire this year.

“He’s someone I try to pick the brains of – I probably do his head in half the time, to be honest – but I try to take anything I can from him because he’s a genius.

“He’s playing at the very, very highest level a footballer can play at. So I just try to annoy him and ask as many questions as I can.”

It shows just how well thought of the striker is, as he continues to impress at the highest level of the game.

Recent weeks have seen Kane linked with a return to Tottenham, which would be quite the move.

However, they may well have missed out on a star just like him, who has gone to Newcastle instead.

Anthony Gordon compares Nick Woltemade to Harry Kane

While Kane continues to shine for Bayern Munich, it hasn’t been quite as easy for other clubs with their striker situations.

Newcastle faced quite the challenge this summer, with Alexander Isak’s move to Liverpool causing plenty of problems.

In the end, they signed Nick Woltemade, who has started the season in some fine form for the Magpies.

Gordon has since compared him to Kane, by stating: “I think they do play a very similar style of football, in terms of they want to almost be the quarterback – they want to come in and create, they don’t just want to finish the chances like a typical striker would do,

“The amount of assists Harry’s got over the past couple of years and over his career is outstanding.

“For me, personally, I think it helps me – I think my style suits playing with that style of striker, because I can run off them.

“If defenders want to go and engage with them, I can run off the back, so I think it’s really positive for me and I really enjoy it.”

It’s clear just how important Woltemade has been for Newcastle so far, and it remains to be seen if he can be just as successful as Kane.

Plenty of uncertainty has surrounded Tottenham and the future of the club, as suggestions of a possible takeover have been swirling.

Spurs have undergone some significant changes behind the scenes, with Daniel Levy leaving the club after 24 years in the position.

Since that seismic power shift at Tottenham, there have been plenty of discussions surrounding a possible takeover.

Three groups have held initial interest, including the latest from former DJ Brooklyn Earick.

The Lewis family, who head up the ENIC group that owns Tottenham, have claimed that they don’t wish to sell the club.

With Earick’s withdrawal from the process, along with another two groups, it leaves plenty of questions surrounding the next owner, if and when they come about.

ENIC will only sell Tottenham to a trusted owner, claims finance expert

The Tottenham takeover saga has continued to drag on, with interest from several parties making it clear that there are plenty of suitors willing to take the club on.

However, given the status of the club, there are always going to be those who aren’t always in it for the right reasons.

Considering that, TBR Football’s finance expert, Adam Williams, has given some insight into the options ENIC would be willing to deal with, if they do one day decide to move the club on.

He revealed: “We see it time and time again when a big club is for sale – a no-mark investor will throw their hat in the ring without any proof of funds or credibility to back it up, and the media will jump on it.

“Fans follow, although ironically they often have a much better eye for what’s a serious bid and what isn’t.

“With Earick, this is clearly a guy who has a little bit of sway in football finance. He’s not a chancer in the same vein as some of the guys we saw come out of the woodwork in the Man United auction process. Reportedly, he did meet with ENIC representatives, albeit for them to reiterate that the club isn’t for sale. But they wouldn’t have had that meeting if he was a total time-waster.

“But he’s a bombastic character – and that’s not the profile of person that ENIC like to do business with, so it’s no surprise this hasn’t come to anything.

“There’s perhaps some naivety on his part, therefore, or he has been poorly advised, if indeed this wasn’t a publicity stunt. If the investors in his consortium were as minted and experienced as he claims, why not make one of them the public face of the deal? That would probably go down better with fans, and with ENIC themselves.

“Most takeover brokers prefer a quiet process. I was speaking to a financier the other day who said that when he sees a takeover story in the news, that’s a sure-fire way to know it almost certainly won’t happen. You need a leak-free process, at least as much as is possible, until the final stages.

“Clubs receive preliminary expressions of interest all the time, but the vast, vast majority of those don’t make it into the press.

“If and when Spurs are sold, it’s not going to be to a consortium led by someone who, until a few days ago, none of us had ever heard of.

“I’d be willing to bet the next owner of Tottenham will have an existing Wikipedia page, put it that way.”

It’s a clear sign of what is to come at Spurs one day, when ENIC do eventually decide to cash in on the club.

However, for now, they seemingly have no intention of doing so.

How much are Tottenham worth for a takeover

Valuing a football club isn’t a precise science, but there are those who will have a price in mind based on several factors.

Things such as the location, infrastructure and revenue potential will all have an impact on exactly how much a club could be worth in the market.

A full takeover of Chelsea in 2022 cost BlueCo roughly £4.25 billion, emphasising just how big of an investment it is.

Now, according to Forbes, they are worth around $3.25 billion (£2.4 billion), which is just less than Tottenham.

Spurs actually rank ninth in the world for club valuation, with it being claimed that they are valued at $3.3 billion (£2.45 billion).

Given the revenue possibilities and the prices quoted for football clubs now, expect the true cost of any takeover to be around the £4 billion mark, if it happens any time soon.

Despite the euphoria of winning the Europa League last season, Tottenham will hope to avoid the competition for many years under Thomas Frank.

The Dane has already taken four points from Tottenham’s first two Champions League games this season, as a 2-2 draw against Bodo/Glimt followed a 1-0 win over Villarreal.

Spurs could have faced Mikey Moore in the competition had Rangers defeated Club Brugge in a playoff, but a 9-1 loss on aggregate sent the Glaswegian giants into the Europa League instead.

An announcement has now been made by Rangers which bodes very well for Tottenham.

Rangers dismiss Russell Martin to give Mikey Moore hope of an Ibrox resurgence

Rangers have now announced that Russell Martin has been sacked after a dismal start to the season.

Moore – who Jamie O’Hara labelled the best talent at Tottenham – was suffering under the Englishman in Glasgow, making just three Scottish Premiership starts and failing to score in ten games across all competitions.

Now – however – the England U19 international will get a chance to start afresh under a new coach, who will surely do a better job than Martin when it comes to both developing the Spurs wonderkid and getting results for Rangers.

Tottenham are ready to recall Mikey Moore if no improvement occurs at Rangers

Spurs can recall the 18-year-old in January, and we understand it is an option being considered if whoever replaces Martin fails to help Moore shine.

Graeme Bailey – Chief Correspondent for TBR Football – said: “The club are concerned, like when any loan player is not playing. It is not so much the club he is at – that is not their business whether a loan club is doing well – their only concern is the player.

“He could be back at the club in January… they are assessing it.”

Even Rangers fans have criticised Moore for underwhelming performances, not helped by the fact Martin only managed to coach six goals from his side in seven Scottish Premiership fixtures with a simply atrocious style of football.

Hopefully, whoever replaces the 39-year-old in Glasgow takes a liking to Moore, and can help to fulfil his star potential.

Tottenham have got off to an impressive start under Thomas Frank this season.

Spurs have gone into the international break third in the Premier League after winning four of their seven games, while they have also taken four points so far in the Champions League.

Thomas Frank has tightened his side up at the back, a stark contrast to Ange Postecoglou’s gung-ho approach, and is reaping the rewards.

Paul Scholes has been keeping a close eye on Tottenham and admitted that one defender in particular has blown him away.

Paul Scholes praises Cristian Romero

Cristian Romero was appointed as Spurs’ new captain after Son Heung-min’s departure, and the centre-back has been superb this season, delivering a number of solid performances.

Frank even said Romero is one of the best players in the world at the moment.

It is no surprise, then, that Scholes has been equally impressed, especially with the Argentine’s combative nature during matches.

Speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, the Manchester United legend said: “I love Romero, me. I think he’s a nutcase, isn’t he? It’s brilliant. I love watching him.”

Romero has proven he is truly elite, while he committed his future to Spurs by signing a new contract which runs until July 2029, in a major boost to the club.

That came after Atletico Madrid tried to sign him in the summer, but they failed to reach an agreement.

Man United wanted to sign Cristian Romero

Atletico were not the only big club to have swooped for Romero in the past.

Indeed, according to Argentine outlet TYC Sports, Spurs fielded interest from Manchester United, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain in 2024, but made it clear that he was not for sale.

They stand little chance of being able to sign him now, especially with Romero entrusted with the Spurs captaincy in a show of faith by Frank.

Tottenham Hotspur made several signings during the summer transfer window, but one target they missed is currently thriving.

Thomas Frank was financially backed during the summer to bring in players who he felt would significantly improve the squad.

Mohammed Kudus has proven to be a hit, while the permanent signing of Mathys Tel is also working out well for Spurs so far.

However, there was one individual who Tottenham made a late push for that never went any further, but he is now making them regret not securing his signature.

Alan Shearer believes Antoine Semenyo has been ‘outstanding’

Antoine Semenyo is currently lighting up the Premier League this season, being an exciting spark for Bournemouth with his attacking qualities.

They were on full display during Bournemouth’s 3-1 win against Fulham this past weekend, when the 25-year-old scored a brace.

Alan Shearer was that impressed by Semenyo that he featured him in his Premier League team of the week, praising his overall performance and how he’s started the 2025-26 campaign.

“Scored an outstanding brace to continue his incredible start to the season. Semenyo has gone to another level for Bournemouth.”

It wasn’t just against Fulham where Semenyo has shone brightly though, as he has been one of the most consistent players in the entire Premier League this season.

Semenyo has scored six goals and provided three assists in the opening seven matches, playing a significant role in Bournemouth’s success so far.

The Cherries are currently fourth in the Premier League table after their strong start to the campaign, and Semenyo has been crucial in making that happen.

Tottenham attempted a late move to sign Antoine Semenyo

Tottenham put a lot of focus on improving their attacking qualities this past summer, and Semenyo would certainly have fit the style of squad that Frank is looking to create.

However, the Bournemouth forward had only just signed a new contract in the summer, extending his stay and committing his future to the Cherries.

TBR Football revealed Bournemouth laughed off Tottenham’s interest in Semenyo as they had no plans on letting him leave.

Guglielmo Vicario has come under increasing scrutiny in recent weeks, after a difficult run of form for Tottenham.

The goalkeeper has been the number one option for Spurs since 2023, signing from Empoli for just £17.2 million.

Early on, Guglielmo Vicario made quite the impression, although there were some concerns over his cross-claiming in particular.

An injury last season saw Antonin Kinsky signed from Slavia Prague, offering competitive cover for the shot-stopping ranks.

Vicario has since taken over the position again, but there has been some criticism from Tottenham fans over his recent form.

Guglielmo Vicario’s save statistics prove he is key to Tottenham

Vicario’s position has come into doubt in recent weeks, with some calls for the goalkeeper to be dropped by Thomas Frank.

That came following an error in Tottenham’s win over Leeds, which saw the Italian international parry the ball into a poor area for Noah Okafor to score.

TBR Football understands that Tottenham have no plans to replace Vicario any time soon, with faith being placed in the star.

One statistic proves exactly why, as the Spurs shot-stopper is actually second in the Premier League for save percentage, as per FBRef.

Vicario has an 82.8% save percentage, only behind rivals Arsenal and David Raya (83.3%), making him one of the best in the league.

Looking even further into it, the Italian international has faced the third-most shots in the division (24), with only Matz Sels (25) and Martin Dubravka (28) facing more.

On top of that, he is third for his PSxG minus his goals against, which measures how many goals he has saved compared to the expected amount.

Vicario has +2.2 to his name, suggesting he has saved Tottenham at least two goals already this season, with only Robin Roefs (2.3) and Dean Henderson (2.5) doing more for their teams.

It means that, albeit from a sample size of seven games, the goalkeeper is doing relatively fine and could even do with a bit more protection.

Thomas Frank has already backed Guglielmo Vicario this season

Above all else, it looks unlikely that Vicario would be dropped this season, due to a decision that Frank has already made surrounding his goalkeeper.

The Tottenham boss named the 29-year-old as part of his leadership group for the 2025/26 season, which also includes Ben Davies, James Maddison, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven.

Adding Vicario to the group is a clear sign of faith in the goalkeeper, making sure that he is part of the core within the squad.

It remains to be seen if that could change if some individual errors creep in, such as the one at Leeds, but for now, it seems he is justified in keeping him between the sticks.

There has been a lot of speculation about Harry Kane’s future, and Alan Pardew believes he will return to the Premier League, but not in a Tottenham Hotspur shirt.

Kane is thriving at Bayern Munich, having already scored 18 goals in 10 games across all competitions this season.

However, a clause in his contract means that the England captain could leave the Bundesliga giants for less than £60million, and several clubs are monitoring the situation.

TBR Football revealed that Real Madrid want to sign Kane, but Tottenham have the first right to re-sign Kane and bring him back to the club before any other team can push for him.

Alan Pardew believes Harry Kane will sign for Manchester United

Considering the possibility of Kane leaving Bayern Munich during the summer transfer window, the idea of him returning to the Premier League has been debated regularly.

Kane has the potential to break Alan Shearer’s all-time Premier League goalscoring record, and Alan Pardew admitted to talkSPORT that it could happen, but not for Tottenham.

“Yeah, I can see that. But you think he’ll do it in a Spurs shirt, not another shirt. I think Man United.”

Manchester United have previously been linked with the talented striker, but the 20-time champions never secured his signature.

It has been revealed that breaking Shearer’s record is Kane’s priority if he returns to the Premier League, which is the key for him, rather than which team he plays for.

Gary Neville believes Kane would be a good fit at Chelsea, given that the club has needed a natural goalscorer for several years now.

Harry Kane could have an emotional return to Tottenham

Kane will have several options available to him should he decide to move on from Bayern Munich, but Tottenham would provide the most emotional option, given his history with the club.

Breaking the Premier League goalscoring record at Spurs would be a big moment for both him and the club, and he’s close enough to Shearer for that to be possible.

Shearer scored 260 goals in the Premier League, while Kane is in second place with 213, meaning he would need to score another 47 goals to tie the Newcastle United legend’s record and 48 to officially take over his.