TBR Football

Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on the appointment of Thomas Frank as their new manager.

Spurs parted ways with Ange Postecoglou 16 days after he won them the Europa League title. Some felt it was harsh, but the North Londoners’ league record last season – 22 defeats in 38 games – forced Daniel Levy to make the big call.

TBR Football exclusively revealed that Frank has agreed terms to become the new Tottenham boss, and a deal is expected to go through very soon.

Jamie O’Hara is excited about the appointment and is hoping that the incoming Spurs boss will sign one player after he arrives.

Jamie O’Hara wants Thomas Frank to sign Bryan Mbeumo for Tottenham

Bryan Mbeumo has been one of Brentford’s best players under Frank.

The Cameroon international directly contributed to 28 goals in the Premier League last season, which is a stunning return for someone playing in a team that finished 10th.

That has made the 25-year-old a wanted man, and TBR confirmed that Manchester United are closing in on a deal to sign Mbeumo.

However, after it became clear that Frank was heading to Tottenham, Spurs fans started dreaming of hijacking United’s move for the Brentford attacker.

O’Hara, a Tottenham supporter himself, is now hoping to see Mbeumo follow Frank to North London in the coming days.

He said on talkSPORT: “I’m excited (about Frank). I think if he comes in and does a good job, and he can nick a couple of players from Brentford…

“I’d take Mbeumo all day. I know he has said that he wants to go to Manchester United. But, that deal is not done yet.

“Maybe he has got on the phone to Thomas Frank, and maybe we can nick him. That would be a great signing.”

Bryan Mbeumo’s stats compared to other Tottenham attackers

Tottenham could do with reinforcements this summer.

Only one Spurs player managed to get into double digits in goals in the Premier League last season – Brennan Johnson. That will not be enough next term.

Mbeumo outperformed every Tottenham attacker in the league last season.

As the numbers show above, Mbeumo has outscored every single Spurs attacker, while only Son Heung-min managed more assists.

With Dejan Kulusevski faring a lot better through the middle, we think Mbeumo on the right flank would be a massive upgrade for Tottenham.

With a manager like Frank, who knows how to get the best out of the Cameroonian, coming in, it would be a no-brainer for Spurs to splash the cash on Mbeumo this summer.

Thomas Frank will have his work cut out for him at Tottenham Hotspur ahead of his appointment as the club’s new manager.

Frank has agreed personal terms with Tottenham, and now the final details are being discussed to get the deal over the line.

The 51-year-old will be tasked with helping Spurs climb the Premier League following a disappointing campaign in which they finished 17th.

Frank has plenty of issues to fix in North London, but there is one area in particular which could be fixed by bringing in a former coach from bitter rivals Arsenal.

Thomas Frank wants to bring former Arsenal coach Andreas Georgson to Tottenham

Thomas Frank wants to bring former Arsenal set-piece coach Andreas Georgson to Tottenham Hotspur, according to Lyall Thomas.

Georgson has previously worked under Frank in 2020 at Brentford before making the move across London to work alongside Mikel Arteta.

In 2021, the 43-year-old opted to leave the Emirates Stadium and later held roles at Malmo, Southampton and most recently Manchester United.

Under Ange Postecoglou, set-pieces became a problem as the Lilywhites were accused of being too soft when it came to defending them.

Teams started targeting Guglielmo Vicario, who looked so uncomfortable every time the ball was played into his penalty area.

If Frank can fix this major weakness, Spurs could immediately become much better off having lost so many points through conceding set-piece goals last season.

Tottenham conceded 13 times from set-pieces last season, and this is an issue which Frank must fix as a priority when he arrives in North London.

Having a coach arrive with him to help guide Spurs’ players through these situations could be so important for the team going into the new campaign.

Comparing Tottenham’s set-piece record from last season to Brentford’s

Meanwhile, Brentford conceded just twice from set-pieces as Frank’s team proved to be well organised in those situations.

Although attacking-wise, both teams were pretty impressive as Tottenham scored on ten occasions, but that was still less than the Bees’ 13.

Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are going head-to-head for the signing of Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo.

TBR Football understands that Man United are close to signing Mbeumo, however, reports elsewhere suggest that Thomas Frank’s arrival at Spurs could throw a spanner in the works.

Frank has asked Tottenham to sign Mbeumo, with the Danish coach having now agreed personal terms with the North London club.

In a bid to seal the deal, United are expected to make another offer this week for the 25-year-old, worth around £60 million, but the forward has been urged to link up with his former boss across London.

Ben Foster thinks Bryan Mbeumo should pick Tottenham over Manchester United

Ben Foster has urged Bryan Mbeumo to pick a transfer to Tottenham Hotspur over Manchester United this summer.

The former United goalkeeper claims that he would be better off working with Frank at Tottenham and being part of his project at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Mbuemo has just enjoyed a brilliant season working under Frank as he hit 20 Premier League goals for the first time in his career.

But the big selling point for the Red Devils is the wages they are offering, which are believed to be substantially higher than what Spurs could promise him.

Foster told The Cycling GK podcast: “If you want to be part of something that’s going to make you probably a better footballer and work hard, be part of a team, then go to Spurs with Thomas Frank.

“If you are happy picking up your wages knowing that there’s going to be an awful lot more pressure, a lot more eyes on you, judgment, but with their record in the last couple of years of failures, then go to Manchester United.”

The Cameroon international could, of course, also be attracted by the chance to play in the Champions League with the Lilywhites.

A big decision now awaits the Brentford player as he looks to take the next step in his career.

Manchester United’s wage offer to Bryan Mbeumo vs Tottenham’s

Manchester United are ready to offer Mbeumo £150,000-per-week rising to £200,000, according to the Daily Mirror.

Meanwhile, Spurs would be at £130,000 plus bonuses and would need to make him their fourth highest earner to match United’s offer.

Heung-min Son currently earns a reported £190,000-per-week and he would likely need to be put on wages closer to that should Tottenham stand a chance of competing for his signature.

Brentford are now lining up Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna as a potential replacement for Tottenham Hotspur bound Thomas Frank.

Thomas Frank has done a superb job during his 317 games in charge of Brentford, but he is now set to start a new chapter with Tottenham.

Frank has already held talks with Daniel Levy and the Spurs chairman has agreed to one of the Dane’s key requests.

Brentford and Tottenham are currently in discussions over Frank’s release clause, and there’s optimism that an agreement will be reached relatively swiftly.

And upon that realisation, Brentford are already searching for their next manager.

Brentford considering Kieran McKenna to replace Thomas Frank

TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey understands that Brentford are admirers of Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna.

Brentford have been impressed with McKenna and the work he has done at Portman Road, and he is a name who is firmly on their radar.

Brighton tried and failed to land McKenna last summer before they opted for Fabian Hurzeler, but Brentford could yet try and persuade him to leave relegated Ipswich.

Although, McKenna is not the only candidate who Brentford have done work on.

Liam Rosenior has been hugely impressive at French side Strasbourg of late and the Englishman has caught Brentford’s eye.

Rosenior rebuffed interest from Southampton earlier this summer, insisting that he would only leave for a Premier League job.

In addition, Brentford also have an option of promoting from within, as they did with Frank back in 2018, who was at the club for almost two years before being promoted.

Head coach Justin Cochrane is being seen as a possible option, although at this stage it’s understood that an internal promotion is not seen as likely.

David Moyes has been impressed by Kieran McKenna at Ipswich

Speaking last month, Everton manager David Moyes gave a glowing review of McKenna’s talent, perhaps explaining why Brentford are interested.

Moyes hailed McKenna’s work as ‘unbelievable’, even when his side were set to be relegated back to the Championship.

Moyes said: “A great, great young manager who half the country wanted last year.

“I could stand corrected here, but I think he’s the only one who’s taken a team from the third division to the Championship to the Premier League.

“I thought I was going to do it when I was manager of Preston – third Division, straight up, Championship, I lost in the play-off final to Big Sam’s Bolton.

“Kieran has been able to take the team all the way, which is an unbelievable achievement.

“When you have to jump those leagues – we’re all talking a lot about Wrexham at the moment, how well they have done and the amazing work Phil Parkinson has done – I think Kieran has done that into the Premier League, which is so good.”

A superb young manager as Moyes points out, and someone who might be capable of living up to Frank’s high standards.

There has been major change at Tottenham Hotspur following their Europa League triumph, however, Glenn Hoddle questions whether Daniel Levy has got it right.

Ange Postecoglou has been sacked as manager of Tottenham, and Thomas Frank has agreed personal terms to take charge of the North London club.

The Danish manager will now be tasked with helping Spurs climb the table following what was a dismal Premier League campaign.

Following the change of manager, the Tottenham legend has been questioning whether Daniel Levy has made the right call by making such a drastic change.

Glenn Hoddle baffled by Daniel Levy sacking Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham

Glenn Hoddle claims that he is ‘absolutely baffled’ by Levy’s decision to sack Postecoglou as manager of Tottenham Hotspur.

The Spurs legend believes that the Australian manager deserved more time to turn things around having just won the Europa League.

The 67-year-old acknowledges that Spurs’ Premier League form is the reason he got the sack, but he believes that when his team needed to defend well, they showed they could perform.

He highlighted performances against Manchester City, Frankfurt and Bodo as games in which he was impressed by the way Postecoglou’s team set up.

Hoddle told TalkSPORT: “Every time Spurs and Ange defended correctly, which they did at Man City, they beat them 4-0 away from home, because they knew they had to defend well.

“They went to Frankfurt away from home in the second-leg, they went to Bodo and they defended properly and looked like a dangerous team, hitting teams on the counter.

“It’s not just winning the Europa League trophy, they got to the semi-final of the League Cup, they got beaten by the champions Liverpool over two legs, every time they had to defend properly, they produced.

“So when you reflect on that, I’m absolutely baffled why he actually got the sack, he deserved another 12 to 15 games.”

Glenn Hoddle is a big fan of Thomas Frank at Tottenham

But despite being disappointed at the sacking of Postecoglou, Hoddle is a big fan of the appointment of Frank as manager.

The former England manager thinks that his adaptability as a coach makes him a strong fit for Tottenham, and he’s been so impressed by what he’s done at Brentford.

“I would be very happy, I think he’s done a wonderful job in the sense that he’s been consistent with Brentford, some of the results he’s got have been magnificent. He’s adaptable, I’ve got to say that, he doesn’t have just one dimension in the way he wants to play,” added Hoddle.

“I think if he were to come to Tottenham, he would need his staff with him because I think there is a close-knit feeling between him and his staff. I think it would be a good fit, I’ve met him a few times and I really liked him, he’s good with the media and I think he’ll do a very good job wherever he goes.”

One of Tottenham Hotspur’s top youngsters made his international debut on Monday evening and supporters are very excited about his arrival next season.

Tottenham Hotspur are set to make several major changes ahead of next season, with Thomas Frank expected to be the next manager.

Frank has agreed personal terms with the North London club, and now discussions are ongoing with Brentford over finalising the appointment.

The Danish manager will have many exciting, young talents at his disposal, but none more so than 18-year-old defender Luka Vuskovic.

Tottenham fans can’t wait for Luka Vuskovic’s arrival

Despite still being a teenager, Vuskovic came on to make his debut for the Croatian national team on Monday as he featured in a 5-1 win over the Czech Republic.

Spurs supporters were hugely excited to see the young talent enter the field for his senior national team debut and believe he has a massive future ahead of him.

Tottenham are also excited by Vuskovic, and his impressive loan spell at Westerlo has made them realise just how big a talent they have signed.

Last season, Vuskovic made 36 appearances and scored seven times, which was quite an achievement considering he is a central defender. The defender offers a real physical presence and has already shown himself to be very dominant in the air

After watching his debut for the Croatian national team, Tottenham fans took to X to share their excitement about Vuskovic’s future in N17.

One fan said: “Going to be so fun watching him develop next year, genuinely think we’ve got another Bergvall level freakish talent here.”

Another claimed: “Luka Vuskovic is the first player to be born after Luka Modric’s Croatian debut to actually go on to play for Croatia himself. We all know how Modric performed for Spurs, it just feels written in the stars for Vuskovic to excel here.”

There was further excitement surrounding the arrival of Vuskovic next season: “Got a real good feeling about him, a spine of him Bergvall and Tel would be great business.”

Finally, another supporter stated: “He should be our backup if I’m being honest, but same time, I want him to go to a championship club. Frank’s choice, though.”

Where does Luka Vuskovic rank among Croatia’s youngest debutants

Vuskovic became the third youngest debutant for the Croatian national team, aged 18 years, three months, and 17 days.

Alen Halilovic, who was a former Spurs transfer target, was the youngest player to debut for the national team, having been formerly on the books at Barcelona.

The Tottenham youngster clearly has a massive future ahead of him and he is likely to get his chance to impress Frank over pre-season.

TBR Football understands that Tottenham Hotspur are ready to re-open contract talks with Cristian Romero.

The Argentine defender’s current deal has just two years remaining, meanwhile, he is a key transfer target for Atletico Madrid.

The 27-year-old played a pivotal role in helping Spurs win the Europa League and clinch their first piece of major silverware since 2008.

Tottenham are desperate to keep Romero, and as TBR Football revealed back in February, they are willing to make him their highest earner. That remains the case; however, convincing him to sign could be tricky.

Cristian Romero open to Tottenham’s contract offer

Cristian Romero will listen to Tottenham Hotspur’s contract offer, but he has his heart set on a move to Atletico Madrid, sources have told TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey.

The Lilywhites are hoping that now they have secured Champions League football, they can persuade him to stay, although it will still take some convincing for him not to leave.

Earlier this year, Daniel Levy was offering him a new deal which would have made him the highest-paid player at the club, but those talks were shelved due to the Europa League campaign and the uncertainty surrounding Ange Postecoglou’s future.

The issue is that Romero, who’s been called ‘incredible’, has already spoken with Diego Simeone, who has been part of the process, and the player’s head appears to have been turned.

Atleti have a strong Argentine contingent in the Spanish capital and that could prove to be a key factor in the World Cup-winner’s decision.

There is some belief at the club that Kevin Danso could be Romero’s replacement, but Spurs would likely dip into the transfer market to sign another central defender if he were to leave.

Tottenham have been offered Min-jae Kim, he could be one of the names they consider signing.

TBR Football understands that Thomas Frank has agreed personal terms with Tottenham, and one of his immediate tasks will be trying to convince the Argentine international to remain in North London.

Who are Tottenham’s current highest earners?

Romero is already the third highest-paid player in N17, behind James Maddison and Son Heung-min.

The Lilywhites would likely need to move the defender on to £200,000-per-week to stand a chance of him committing his future to Spurs.

The North London club are renowned for having a strict wage structure, but they need to make a significant effort to keep Romero at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Thomas Frank has already made a key demand to Daniel Levy during his negotiations to take the Tottenham job, a manager with a glowing reputation in the Premier League.

In this scenario, Brentford’s loss really is Tottenham’s gain, and although many will still be upset that Postecoglou was let go, there is plenty of reason to be excited about his Danish replacement.

Thomas Frank’s Brentford side have been superbly consistent in the Premier League following their unexpected promotion in 2021.

And now Spurs will hope to see some of that consistency at N17 next term — Frank certainly can’t do too much worse than the league campaign that came before him.

Thomas Frank admitted that he needed to ‘learn’ from Arsenal

That being said, Tottenham fans might not be too pleased with what Frank said about their north London rivals Arsenal at the start of the year.

Following Brentford’s 3-1 defeat to Arsenal on New Year’s Day, Frank admitted that he needed to ‘learn’ from Mikel Arteta’s side — something he would never say as Spurs boss.

Frank was particularly impressed by Arsenal’s set-pieces, something that has sometimes been highlighted as one of Spurs’ weaknesses, perhaps owing to Guglielmo Vicario’s difficulty at corners.

Speaking about Arsenal at his Brentford press conference, Frank said: “Second one, set-pieces, we know they’re good at that. We actually only gave three corners away, which is the fewest corners we gave away in three years in the Premier League against Arsenal so there is a paradox in that.

“And I need to look more into detail, I need to look back at it but I need to look more into detail into what we could have done better but they are also, I need to acknowledge, they are very good at it, we need to learn from the best.”

Ange Postecoglou never won a North London derby at Tottenham

Of course, one of Frank’s immediate missions will be to improve Spurs’ record against their north London rivals.

Postecoglou failed to beat Arsenal as manager of Tottenham and Spurs have only won once in the last nine North London derbies.

Frank to Spurs is not a done deal just yet, and perhaps some Tottenham fans will be nervous about an Arne Slot repeat — they once thought the now Liverpool manager was coming to N17.

But Frank must be excited to work with specific Tottenham players once a deal is agreed, a club he will have analysed extensively whilst managing Brentford.

And whilst a manager from overseas might need a fair bit of time to adapt, Frank should already have a pretty good idea of what is immediately needed at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham Hotspur’s transfer plans can now start to accelerate with Thomas Frank close to being appointed as the new manager.

Johan Lange looks to have finally secured the manager he wanted with Thomas Frank on the verge of becoming the man to replace Ange Postecoglou.

The Tottenham Hotspur sporting director has previously worked with his fellow countryman in Denmark, and now the pair will be reunited in North London.

Ahead of a busy season back in the Champions League, new arrivals will be crucial for the Lilywhites, however, there is one target the Danish director must steer clear of.

Tottenham must avoid taking a punt on Jack Grealish

Tottenham must avoid being the club that takes a punt on signing Jack Grealish from Manchester City this summer.

As TBR Football revealed on Sunday, Tottenham are aware of Grealish’s situation, with the winger now available for sale at the Etihad Stadium.

Everton have held talks over signing Grealish on loan, something which the North London club need to steer clear of doing themselves.

Last season, the 29-year-old made just 16 starts in all competitions for the former Premier League champions, scoring three and assisting five.

Darren Ambrose tipped Grealish to join Tottenham after City’s defeat in the FA Cup final as the winger watched on from the sidelines.

Now, along with Everton, Newcastle United, West Ham United and Aston Villa, the Lilywhites have asked about his situation.

But given his lack of football and having fallen out with Pep Guardiola, Spurs are better off steering clear of the former Villa player.

How close was Jack Grealish to signing for Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham?

In the summer of 2018, Mauricio Pochettino made Jack Grealish his number one summer transfer target, according to the Telegraph.

However, the deal for the then 22-year-old fell through as Daniel Levy baulked at Aston Villa’s £40m asking price.

Tottenham made a £25m bid for Grealish on transfer deadline day, which the Midlands club rejected. Spurs are also believed to have made an offer of £3m plus Josh Onomah.

Three years later and the England international ended up moving to Manchester City for £100m, making the North London club’s decision not to sign him look rather foolish.

Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace both find themselves in difficult situations in terms of recruitment.

Spurs are currently without a manager, which makes it hard for any player to commit themselves to the north Londoners without knowing who’ll be in charge – although Tottenham are close to hiring Thomas Frank as a replacement for Ange Postecoglou.

In regards to the south Londoners, Crystal Palace are awaiting a decision from UEFA on whether they can partake in the Europa League next season, due to concerns over multi-club ownership involving John Textor.

Despite this uncertainty, Crystal Palace and Tottenham are still working to improve their respective squads, with the latter now joining the race to sign Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough.

Tottenham ‘line up’ Hayden Hackney deal

The Sun now state that Spurs are considering a £20m swoop for the 22-year-old despite not having a manager in place.

Hackney is set to play for the England U21 side at the UEFA European U21 Championship this summer, and it is said that those on the recruitment team at Tottenham are likely to push for his signature if he impresses.

The Middlesbrough No.7 earned his place in the squad under Lee Carsley after scoring five goals and providing three assists in 43 Championship appearances.

Talk of Tottenham being interested comes after TBR Football claimed that Crystal Palace are keen on Hackney, and view the man born in Redcar as an ideal long-term replacement for Will Hughes.

Spurs have been scouting Hayden Hackney for many months

Tottenham have been watching the Middlesbrough academy graduate – who Football Transfers compare to Jordan Henderson – for quite some time now.

TBR Football first revealed back in August that Tottenham were sending scouts to watch Hackney, and he has impressed enough for those same scouts to still be paying attention ahead of the UEFA European U21 Championship this summer.

It remains to be seen whether Frank will support the push to sign Hackney once he is officially appointed, but those already at Tottenham seem to be huge admirers of the energetic central midfielder.