TBR Football

Bayern Munich loanee Joao Palhinha has already proved a hit under Thomas Frank at Tottenham Hotspur.

Prior to Joao Palhinha’s arrival at Tottenham, Spurs were lacking a number six capable of emulating Christian Norgaard at Brentford, a pillar of Thomas Frank’s plans in west London.

And as expected, Palhinha and Frank’s football have proved a match made in heaven.

In fact, TBR Football recently revealed that Tottenham will open negotiations to sign Palhinha in January – they’re keen to keep the 30-year-old beyond his loan.

And after thriving with Fulham in the Premier League for several years, Palhinha has proved that he’s still capable of deciding games at the highest level.

Joao Palhinha explains why he loves working with Thomas Frank at Tottenham

That being said, Palhinha has now spoken about life under Frank on Sky Sports’ ‘One on One’ podcast.

Of course, Frank used to manage Palhinha’s rivals when he was playing for Fulham – the Portuguese midfielder has been more used to trying to get one over on the Dane.

But even when he was a rival, Palhinha could tell that Frank was an excellent man manager, someone who completely nails the personal aspect of coaching.

Speaking about Frank, Palhinha said: “For me, I followed Thomas at that time from outside because I didn’t know him. I never met him before. I just played against him when I was in Fulham.

“But when I was looking at him, he always looked like a coach with the right human [side].

“For me, now that I’m sharing the pitch, these moments with him, for sure, that is his best quality.

“Apart, of course, [from] the other tactical really good things that he has. But the main for me, and the most important thing in the coach, is to be a real human being, like to be a great person, I think is the main thing probably that coach needs to be, need to be the best quality and make easy for us to players to speak, not just with him, but each other, the environment inside of the club.

“I think it’s a really good thing that not just me, but also my teammates have felt since he arrived.”

Only Cristian Romero can get close to Joao Palhinha’s defensive numbers

As mentioned, Palhinha has enjoyed a very productive start in a Tottenham shirt.

And in terms of defensive actions so far this season in the Premier League, Palhinha is leading the way in almost every metric.

Cristian Romero is another player who’s already thriving under Frank as well, a player fans in N17 will be so happy to have committed long-term.

Romero’s new Tottenham contract followed a summer of noise about a move to Atletico Madrid, one that ultimately didn’t come to fruition.

There’s a new spine emerging in north London, and by most accounts, it’s looking more formidable than ever.

Thomas Frank has a top squad at Tottenham Hotspur, but he has just admitted that one of his stars could become even better playing in a different role.

Spurs have made an excellent start to life under their new manager, winning four of their first six matches under him.

Results in the league mean that Tottenham Hotspur are currently sitting in third place in the Premier League following a 2-2 draw with Brighton over the weekend.

Next up is an EFL Cup clash against Doncaster Rovers, and ahead of the match, Thomas Frank has been assessing several fringe players who could feature.

Thomas Frank on Mathys Tel’s best position at Tottenham

Frank has admitted that Mathys Tel’s best position at Tottenham could actually be out on the left, despite having been using him in a more central role.

It’s been a tough start to the new campaign for the young Frenchman, with Tel being omitted from Tottenham’s Champions League squad.

But there is a strong belief that eventually he will come good, with TBR Football reporting back in February that Tottenham view Tel as a ‘generational talent’.

Frank told the media: “Yeah, I would say he plays all his games for the French Under-21s down the middle, he played for us down the middle.

“I’m definitely aware that he can play to the side as well, also to the left and maybe that is his best position.

“Maybe, I would like to say, so that’s definitely something I have in mind to use as well. It’s always that you need to juggle everything.

“There’s a few players also quite good down the left! And that’s not that they maybe are better than Mathys, it can just be how do you construct a team.”

Thomas Frank should start Luca Williams-Barnett on the left vs Doncaster

Frank should look to start Luca Williams-Barnett on the left against Doncaster, with the 16-year-old expected to be named in the squad for the cup match.

The teenager is one of the brightest talents in Spurs’ academy and he could be in line to make his senior debut against the League One side.

The attacker already has six goals in six matches for Tottenham Under-21s, having only just been promoted to Wayne Burnett’s side.

Tottenham Hotspur have a very talented squad, which means that certain players will have limited minutes to play under Thomas Frank.

The North London club have made a great start to the new campaign, winning four of their first six matches.

Tottenham Hotspur produced an impressive fightback to rescue a draw against Brighton over the weekend.

Next up for the Lilywhites is an EFL Cup match against Doncaster Rovers in North London.

Ahead of the match, Thomas Frank has been raving about the potential of one of his players and revealed that he will start in the Carabao Cup third-round tie.

Thomas Frank confirms Antonin Kinsky will start against Doncaster

Frank has confirmed that Antonin Kinsky will start in Spurs’ EFL Cup clash against Doncaster on Wednesday evening.

Spurs’ new boss has admitted that he could understand that the 22-year-old would be frustrated with his lack of game time at the club.

Kinsky, who Tottenham signed for £13m, is yet to make a single appearance this season, and Wednesday’s EFL Cup clash will be his first minutes of the new campaign.

Frank told the media: “Antonin will start tomorrow, so I’m very happy with him as a goalkeeper. I think he’s a very good goalkeeper, and I think he’s got very good potential.

“For any player that is not starting, they’re not happy. Some probably understand it a bit more, or outfielder sometimes.

“If you’re young, you try to get your way into it, but at a certain stage, you always want to play. The same with the goalkeeper. “

Lille tried to sign Kinsky on loan over the summer; however, the move never happened, with Frank keen to keep hold of his second-choice shot-stopper.

Thomas Frank raves about Antonin Kinsky’s potential

Frank is also very excited about Kinsky’s potential and insists that he has a very bright future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

“The easy thing for Antonin was to stay at his former club and now it’s a bigger stage, a bigger challenge. I think he’s got a great future here at Tottenham.

“I like what I see from him. He just needs to keep training well and doing well,” added Frank.

Tottenham Hotspur have made an impressive start to the new Premier League campaign, but there has been one player who has looked so good under Thomas Frank.

Thomas Frank’s team battled back from 2-0 down on Saturday to rescue a point away at Brighton and Hove Albion.

Mohammed Kudus’ deflected cross and Richarlison’s first-half goal saw the North London club earn a crucial point away on the South Coast.

During the match, there was one player who really impressed Alan Shearer, and the Newcastle United legend has been raving about him.

Alan Shearer impressed by Richarlison vs Brighton

Shearer has named Tottenham Hotspur striker Richarlison in his Premier League team of the week following his performance against Brighton.

The Brazilian netted his third goal of the new season for Spurs in their 2-2 draw at the AMEX Stadium.

The former Premier League striker claims that Richarlison was a ‘constant thorn in the side’ of the hosts, and he was rewarded with a goal.

Shearer told the Premier League: “A constant thorn in the side for Brighton’s defence, he scored a crucial goal just before half-time to get Spurs back into the match as they earned an impressive point from 2-0 down.”

Richarlison has looked so much better under Frank and will give Dominic Solanke a hard time trying to earn his place in the team back when he returns from injury.

TBR Football revealed at the start of the season that Frank loves Richarlison, and the 28-year-old’s performances have shown that he is working under a manager who trusts him.

Shearer was also impressed by Kudus’ display against the Seagulls and called him a ‘real threat’.

Kudus completed six take-ons against Brighton, which means he’s now successfully attempted more than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues.

Dominic Solanke could soon be back competing with Richarlison

Despite Solanke facing a tough test to get back into the team, he could soon be back competing with Richarlison, which will be a huge boost for Spurs.

Solanke suffered an ankle injury towards the end of last month, but he is now close to making his return from the issue.

Speaking ahead of the EFL Cup clash against Doncaster about Solanke and Kota Takai, Frank told the media: “Progressing. Both trained today with the team, so that’s good.”

Having Solanke, Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani competing for the number nine role should see the trio all raise their game.

Tottenham Hotspur have high hopes for Mikey Moore, and the wonderkid now faces an interesting decision over his future.

Tottenham Hotspur have sent Mikey Moore on loan to Rangers this season, believing that the wonderkid can develop his game while out on loan in Scotland.

Rangers fans have questioned Moore early in the season, while Chris Sutton believes the Spurs talent is in a ‘toxic’ situation amid fan unrest at Ibrox.

Spurs may view this season as being character-building for Moore, and the teenager now faces an interesting decision.

Wales approach Tottenham Hotspur’s Mikey Moore

Moore only recently turned 18, but he is already at the centre of an international tug-of-war.

The teenager hails from London and has played for England from under-15 up to under-19 level.

Long touted for a future in the England senior side, Moore also qualifies to play for Wales through a grandparent, and he has now been approached.

BBC Sport report that Wales head coach Craig Bellamy has spoken to Moore in an attempt to lure Moore away from England.

Moore is in no rush to make a decision, but Wales could offer a rapid route to first-team football on the international stage.

England have so many bright wingers, including Liverpool wonderkid Rio Ngumoha, who has impressed in the Premier League this season.

Wales may offer to fast-track Moore into senior action if he agrees to switch, with the Spurs talent facing a difficult decision as the World Cup looms.

It’s difficult to imagine Moore giving up on his England dreams this early into his career, but the prospect of playing for Wales could turn his head.

Gareth Bale would surely be delighted if Mikey Moore plays for Wales

A switch to play for Wales would see Moore follow in the footsteps of a true Tottenham hero in Gareth Bale.

Bale is a proud Welshman and has been the hero of Welsh football in recent times, racking up 111 caps and 41 goals for his country.

Fans will remember the ‘Wales, Golf, Madrid, in that order’ flag for Bale on international duty, with the winger really embracing the responsibility of being Wales’ star man.

Bale would surely love to see another exciting winger turn out for Wales, and the fact that Moore is coming through at Spurs only adds to the connection between the two.

Moore now has plenty to think about, with the prospect of following in Bale’s footsteps for both club and country potentially enticing.

Mohammed Kudus has made a flying start to the new Premier League campaign, and Tottenham Hotspur will be delighted with his progress.

The winger was crucial in helping Spurs fight back from 2-0 down against Brighton and Hove Albion to rescue a point over the weekend.

Tottenham signed Kudus for £55m, and he is proving himself to be one of the best Premier League summer signings.

Currently, the former West Ham United star is leading Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal, highlighting just how good he has been in North London.

Mohammed Kudus leads the way for most successful take-ons in Europe’s top five leagues

Tottenham Hotspur winger Mohammed Kudus currently leads the way for the most successful take-ons in Europe’s top five leagues this season.

The club’s supporters hailed Kudus’ performance against Brighton as he caused the Seagulls plenty of issues down Spurs’ right-hand side.

Alan Shearer was also impressed by Kudus, who completed six successful dribbles at the AMEX Stadium, whilst also claiming an assist for Richarlison’s goal.

West Ham’s decision to sell Kudus has been slammed, and it continues to look foolish following the 24-year-old’s impressive start to the new campaign.

Kudus, who’s been called a ‘great player’, has started every game for Tottenham so far this season, with Thomas Frank showing his trust in the Ghanaian international.

But Spurs fans love watching Kudus in full flow, and he is quickly joining the list of exciting players the North London club have owned over the years.

Danny Murphy hails Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus vs Brighton

Danny Murphy hailed the impact of both Xavi Simons and Kudus against Brighton, with the Dutch international also impressing off the bench.

Simons played a key role in Spurs’ second goal, as he drove the ball forward and found Kudus, whose cross was deflected in by a Brighton defender.

Murphy told BBC MOTD: “I have to say as well, this team is so fit, so well organised, Kudus was outstanding again, causing all sorts of problems. Simons came off the bench, made a difference.”

Simons featured in a central role and produced arguably his best cameo in a Spurs shirt so far since joining.

Tottenham have been warned about the dangers of pivoting too hard and too fast away from the regime set up by former chairman Daniel Levy.

In a shock development, Levy vacated his position at Spurs earlier this month after nearly a quarter of a century with the club. He remains a shareholder, via parent company ENIC.

There have been vague murmurings of a £100m investment from the Lewis family in the weeks since, though the only cash injection to date has been a £90m loan from Australian investment bank Macquarie.

A naming rights deal for the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with an unnamed Saudi entity was recently said to be close too, but – after several false dawns in this area in recent years – nothing has materialised.

So far then, life after Daniel Levy has been more of the same, at least in terms of how the club is funded.

The owners haven’t put their hands in their pockets, instead relying on external debt and the club’s own admittedly huge revenues to finance day-to-day activities, like paying wages and transfer instalments.

But that said, there is clearly a major shake-up in progress.

Thomas Frank joined as manager in the summer and has been well received. Even after dropping points at Brighton at the weekend, his side are 3rd in the Premier League table.

But while his arrival is the most front-facing, the Dane is far from the only new addition.

Before Levy’s consigliere Donna-Maria Cullen’s exit in June, Vinai Venkatesham was appointed CEO and Peter Charrington joined the board. Post-Levy, Charrington has taken over as non-executive chairman.

And a spate of subsequent changes at executive level suggest that ENIC – who have also distanced themselves from a full takeover, though not a minority investment – want to set a new tone in N17.

Kieran Maguire Spurs warned about boardroom revolution

Last week, Spurs named Kate Miller their new chief communications officer and Adam Gardiner as their new chief marketing officer.

Speaking exclusively to TBR Football, Liverpool University football finance lecturer warned Spurs against enacting too much change all at once, citing Manchester United after Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill.

United have spent £4.6bn on wages and amortised transfer fees since Ferguson and Gill left the club.

“There is a lot of unpicking to do before Tottenham can move past the Daniel Levy way,” Maguire said.

“I am always slightly concerned that when you get rid of a chief executive and your man on the shop floor in the manager as well, that can create a void.

“You only have to look at what happened at Man United – it wasn’t just the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson; it was the fact that David Gill left at the same time.

“Also, as far as Ferguson was concerned, he was somewhat similar to Levy in that he ran the club as a personal fiefdom as far as the footballing side was concerned. There are similarities there.

“He was very ably supported by Gill. When they left, Man United were a rudderless ship.

“It might be a bit different at Spurs because they have had a much more rotational policy as far as the manager was concerned. But at board level, they will perhaps find that they underestimate just how many things that Levy was overseeing.”

Spurs have sixth-most expensive squad in the world, despite ENIC narrative

Despite perceptions that ENIC are frugal owners, new data from CIES Football Observatory shows that Spurs have the sixth-most expensive squad in world football, ahead of the likes of Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.

Spurs spent around £185m this summer, taking the total expense of their squad to just shy of £828m.

However, where narratives around ENIC’s conservative approach are accurate is the wage bill.

Spurs fell out of the ‘Big Six’ in terms of the wages they pay players in 2023-24, the last published financial year, surpassed by Aston Villa.

In 2024-25, they likely were outspent by Villa again, as well as potentially Newcastle. We will have to wait until spring next year to see the financial results.

And famously, their wages-to-turnover ratio is the lowest in the Premier League.

ENIC’s briefings to the press since the Levy news suggest that could change soon.

But the proof of the pudding will be in the eating.

Tottenham Hotspur have made a hugely successful start to the season, and so far, Lucas Bergvall has proven to be the heartbeat of Thomas Frank’s team.

Bergvall, who’s been compared to Jude Bellingham, is one of the best young midfielders in Europe now, justifying Spurs’ decision to sign him back in January 2024.

Tottenham paid just £8.5m to sign Bergvall, and his value since then has skyrocketed following his performances for the North London club over the last 12 months.

Now, to assess the potential success of the signing of the young Swede, TBR Football has spoken to the site’s financial expert, Adam Williams, about what it could mean for the future of the Lilywhites’ recruitment.

Tottenham could look to Scandinavia for possible multi-club structure

The success of bringing Lucas Bergvall from the Swedish club, Djurgården, could see Tottenham Hotspur look to Scandinavia for a possible multi-club set-up.

Asked about Bergvall’s current potential market value, Williams told TBR Football: “Lucas Bergvall is a quality player and is at the stage in his career when, if you score a header like the one he did against West Ham, it’s reflected in your value pretty much instantaneously.

“Value is subjective, but there is always a big market for players with his profile – young, technically gifted, international and Premier League experience.”

TBR Football’s financial expert explains how ENIC actually once pioneered the multi-club set-up, having previously held shares in clubs like AEK Athens and Rangers.

“As part of the deal to sign him from Djurgardens, there was some discussion of a strategic partnership between the two clubs. I don’t know if anything came of that, but it’s the type of informal arrangement that a lot of English clubs look at,” added Williams.

“The infrastructure in Sweden, as well as the strong development culture and stable, well-run leagues, make it a bit of a hot spot for youth. Scandinavia, more broadly, has churned out several truly world-class players recently.

“Spurs haven’t gone down the multi-club route, which is interesting because once upon a time, ENIC were pioneers in this department.

“Eventually, they were forced to sell their stakes in the likes of AEK Athens and Rangers because UEFA were cracking down on multi-club ownership, but the tide has turned in that department. There are ways of getting around it now, as long as you plan far enough in advance.”

“If Spurs were ever to explore this again – and I think that’s perhaps more likely if and when they secure fresh investment, then they’ll look at success stories like Bergvall and consider Scandinavia as a result. But I’m digressing…”

Reports suggest that Bergvall is now valued at £54m by Tottenham, which is a substantial increase on the fee paid to bring him to North London.

Lucas Bergvall could be priced out of leaving Tottenham in the future

It’s unlikely that the Lilywhites would want to ever part ways with the 19-year-old should he continue on his current trajectory.

But should they ever be forced into a potential sale, the market for a player like Bergvall is expected to be rather small, given the size of Premier League wages, on top of the fee Spurs would demand.

“It’s hard to be scientific when valuing a player. It depends on the demand and other market forces. I think one problem the likes of Spurs could have in the future is that Premier League wages are so high that there ultimately aren’t that many clubs you can actually sell to,” Williams stated.

Back in April, Bergvall signed a new Tottenham contract, and it is reported that he earns around £60,000-per-week.

“For all the talk of Spurs being frugal, they have the sixth-most expensive squad in the world in terms of transfer fees, plus they generate nearly so much more money than clubs who originally would have been above them in the food chain, the likes of Atletico Madrid, both Milan clubs, Juventus, Borussia Dortmund and so on.”

Tottenham Hotspur had a very successful transfer window, but it’s clear they wanted one more attacker, and one of their top options has had a very slow start to the season.

Thomas Frank saw five new players sign for his squad over the summer, with Xavi Simons, Mohammed Kudus, Randal Kolo Muani, Joao Palhinha and Kota Takai arriving through the door at Hotspur Way.

Kudus has been superb so far, and Tottenham are keen to sign Palhinha permanently already, showing what a success the window has proven to be thus far.

One of the players whom Johan Lange was keen to bring to North London has just been told he is underperforming this season by his manager, and could have been a potentially expensive mistake.

Tottenham dodged a bullet by not going big on Morgan Rogers

Tottenham Hotspur looked to have dodged a bullet by not going big on Morgan Rogers following his slow start to the new Premier League campaign.

The midfielder is yet to register a single goal or assist during the 2025/26 season and has been one of the biggest underperformers in the league.

Aston Villa have also started the season slowly after being held to a 1-1 draw with 10-man Sunderland over the weekend.

Unai Emery’s team have collected just three points this season and are currently sitting in 18th place without a win.

Over the summer, Tottenham asked about signing Rogers and looked serious about signing the England international.

TBR Football revealed that Villa valued Rogers at £100m, which made a deal for the midfielder very tricky over the summer, and that valuation could drastically drop over the next 12 months.

Spurs could face competition for him during the next window, with Chelsea making Rogers a top target in 2026, sources have told TBR Football.

What Unai Emery has said about Morgan Rogers’ poor form

Emery has admitted that Rogers is ‘performing under the level he had’ last season, but has challenged him to recapture his form.

Speaking after the game, Emery told the media: “He was playing two years ago in the Championship. He started here playing in the Premier League and in Europe, also the Champions League.

“It is, for him, how he is reaching his demands. To keep it is the next challenge. He is performing under the level he had, and he is, as well, trying to recover to the level, but getting balance.”

Villa face Fulham at home in the Premier League next, in what could be another stern test for the Midlands club.

Tottenham Hotspur produced an impressive turnaround against Brighton to rescue a point, but there was one player who showed he could benefit from going out on loan.

Richarlison and a Jan Paul van Hecke own goal allowed Tottenham Hotspur to come back from 2-0 to salvage a draw on the South Coast.

The result means that Thomas Frank’s team are sitting third in the Premier League after five matches, and the North London club will be pleased with their start to the new campaign.

However, they remain somewhat weak in one area of the pitch and Frank could be forced into making a tough decision in January.

Thomas Frank on Wilson Odobert against Brighton

Frank believes that Wilson Odobert caused Brighton plenty of issues against and that the Seagulls looked a ‘little bit afraid of him’.

The Spurs boss was ‘happy’ with Odobert’s display and especially so considering it was his first start of the season playing under him.

Speaking after the game, Frank told the media: “Happy with it, I must admit. I thought he looked lively. Clearly, it looked like they were a little bit afraid of him. So he got time to turn and run forward.

“I think he produced some crosses, some good opportunities. He was also involved in a goal, worked hard. So, a good first start.”

The Frenchman played 72 minutes at the AMEX Stadium before being subbed off for Brennan Johnson, who also struggled to stamp his authority on the match.

But it’s becoming increasingly clear that left wing is an issue with Frank’s team, with Xavi Simons struggling out wide, and the team’s other options also flattered to deceive there.

Wilson Odobert could benefit from loan spell away from Tottenham

Despite Frank’s comments, Odobert could actually benefit from a loan spell away from Tottenham as he is clearly a talented footballer, but still quite raw.

The 20-year-old is not guaranteed minutes at Spurs, given their plethora of wide options and his inability right now to produce consistent performances.

The youngster failed to complete any of his three dribble attempts, didn’t complete a single cross and failed to win any of his five duels.

As Frank said, he looked lively, but ultimately, he proved ineffective against the South Coast club in a game where Spurs needed more from their left winger.