TBR Football

While there were some frustrations and missed opportunities in the summer transfer window for Tottenham Hotspur, the majority of the North London club’s fans will be happy with their team’s business.

Thomas Frank has been handed a squad deep enough to compete on four fronts this season, with Spurs returning to Champions League action later this month.

Tottenham signed Joao Palhinha and a host of other new players in an attempt to add strength in depth and quality, and improve on last season’s 17th placed Premier League finish.

However, another of Spurs’ new acquisitions was reportedly in the scope of Atletico Madrid, with Tottenham beating the Spanish heavyweights to his signing.

Xavi Simons a ‘perfect choice’ for Atletico

Spanish newspaper Marca have been assessing Atletico’s summer transfer business and state the La Liga club wanted to sign a new attacking midfielder.

While Nico Gonzalez was eventually brought to the Estadio Metropolitano, the Spanish press claim new Tottenham man Xavi Simons was in their gaze.

The Dutch playmaker was deemed as the ‘perfect choice’ by Atletico, who wanted to sign him from RB Leipzig, but could not afford to match Tottenham’s offer.

Tottenham signed Simons close to the end of the window, with the 22-year-old likely to make his Spurs debut against West Ham after the international break.

Simons can take Tottenham to next level

In Simons Tottenham have signed a player who can both create and score goals regularly, and someone with the guile to unlock opposition defences.

With James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski both set for prolonged periods on the sidelines, the Dutch star may well see himself inserted straight into Frank’s starting XI.

The fact Tottenham beat the likes of Atletico Madrid to Simons’ signing shows the quality the Netherlands international possesses.

The 22-year-old can become a Spurs fans’ favourite and will be an important player as the North London outfit look to get back into the Premier League top four.

Several players have made romantic returns to Tottenham in the past.

Gareth Bale came back for a second spell at Spurs when arriving on loan from Real Madrid for the 2020/21 campaign, while Jermain Defoe also played for Tottenham across two separate stints.

Sometimes, players just naturally have a strong bond with a club, which is exactly the case when it comes to Cristian Romero and Belgrano.

Cristian Romero suggests he would leave Tottenham for Belgrano “tomorrow”

The Argentina international has amassed 128 appearances for Spurs since arriving in a £42.5m move from Atalanta in August 2021 – but has now suggested he would happily leave Tottenham “tomorrow” if Belgrano came calling.

Romero – now captain of Tottenham – told El Grafico: “If I were to return tomorrow, it will be to play for Belgrano. There is no other club, I have a lot of respect for them.

“It’s the club that saw me grow up. Beyond everything that has happened, it’s something personal for me to play in the club’s shirt.”

Romero made four appearances for the U20 side at Belgrano before breaking into the senior team aged 16 – where he went on to play a further 19 games until Genoa spotted him in July 2018.

Cristian Romero is committed to Tottenham

Despite the South American admitting he would love a return to Belgrano, the Primera Division cannot exactly afford to sign the Tottenham No.17 given his status as one of the best defenders in Europe – so they are not really a threat to Spurs.

Romero also signed a new contract in August to commit himself to Tottenham until the summer of 2029, by which point he will be 31 years of age.

Like we have seen with Thiago Silva returning to Fluminense, a return to Belgrano could happen when the Argentine reaches the latter stage of his career, and is willing to forgo some of his salary to ensure his boyhood club can afford the deal.

However, it is nothing for Tottenham to worry about, with a deal practically impossible from a financial aspect at the moment.

Tottenham Hotspur had a very interesting summer transfer window to say the least.

Indeed, Spurs had a tumultuous summer as they pursued a number of targets that didn’t quite come off.

Eberechi Eze snubbed Tottenham to join Arsenal, while the Morgan Gibbs-White saga was incredibly dramatic and ultimately ended with the England international signing a new contract with Nottingham Forest.

However, Spurs did end up making some exciting signings as the likes of Joao Palhinha, Randal Kolo Muani and Xavi Simons all arrived.

Speaking on The Football Exchange, Troy Deeney has been discussing Tottenham’s current situation, and he says there’s one position he thinks Spurs should have addressed this summer.

Troy Deeney says Tottenham should get a new goalkeeper

Deeney was asked which player Tottenham should have signed from one of their big six rivals.

The pundit immediately said Spurs need a new goalkeeper, noting that Gianluigi Donnarumma would be a great signing.

However, Deeney also noted that Kepa Arrizabalaga would be a shrewd addition from Arsenal, stating that he’d potentially trust Kepa more than Vicario in a big game.

Kepa joined Arsenal this summer for just £5m.

“One player Tottenham should have acquired from the other five clubs?” Deeney was asked.

“Goalkeeper. We’re going to I’m going to go with Donnarumma. I have to,” Deeney said.

“Even Kepa. I think he was good. When you look at it would you take Vicario over Kepa?

“If your game is going into a game where you need to win, who are you going with?

Tottenham might already have Guglielmo Vicario’s replacement

Deeney called for Tottenham to get a new goalkeeper, but the reality is that Spurs may already have Guglielmo Vicario’s replacement in the squad.

Indeed, Antonin Kinsky is a promising young goalkeeper, and Kinsky has already earned praise from Thomas Frank.

“He’s a very good goalkeeper, very pleased with him,” said Frank.

“We are privileged to have three good goalkeepers in Vicario, Antonin and Brandon. There was good competition last year. Clearly we need good keepers in the squad. Antonin, in my opinion, has a great future ahead of him and he is clearly a Tottenham player this season,” he added.

Vicario has been solid enough this season for Tottenham, but if Spurs are thinking about replacing the Italian, perhaps they should look no further than Kinsky.

Tottenham Hotspur fans are still processing the shocking news that Daniel Levy has stepped down as chairman, and now former Southampton CEO Martin Semmens has given people an idea of what might happen next.

Levy’s decision to leave Tottenham at the start of this season has surprised football fans and those involved in the game after his 25-year stint at the club.

There have been mixed feelings in the aftermath, with some people rejoicing in the news and being excited about the future, while others have defended what Levy achieved.

Former Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp defended Levy, making it clear that he was not always responsible for the decisions.

However, moving forward, Levy will not have a say in Tottenham’s choices, and that could end up being a positive situation for the club.

Martin Semmens reveals there ‘will be some change in investment’ at Tottenham

One of the biggest criticisms of Levy’s tenure at Tottenham was that he never fully committed to investing in the squad at the same level as the other top teams in the Premier League.

While Levy spent some big money at times, Tottenham never did it to the same level as teams like Chelsea or Manchester City. However, as Semmens teased on talkSport, that might be able to change.

“I wasn’t too surprised if I’m honest. I don’t know too much about it, but Vinai [Venkatesham] going there is a sign that things might be changing.

“I hear there will be some change in investment, which I think will be great for the Spurs fans that I’ve got because I think the club will go from strength to strength when that happens, that’s my feeling.”

How much investment will take place remains to be seen, but Tottenham’s upcoming transfer activity in January and at the end of this season will certainly receive some attention.

Tottenham fans will hope that spending money on top players from around the world will allow them to close the gap on their rivals in the Premier League, but it will remain to be seen if that happens.

Thomas Frank might get cash to splash in the transfer window

Thomas Frank was the final manager hired by Levy, with the former Brentford boss moving to the club during the summer.

While he was given money to spend in a bid to strengthen the team for this season, if what Semmens is saying is true, then he could end up with a lot more financial investment in the squad.

It’s unclear whether that will happen or not, but that is something that Tottenham fans would certainly celebrate, and would provide Spurs with the best chance of success moving forward.

The Lewis Family want a fresh approach at Tottenham, and one that includes more financial investment could tick that box.

Tottenham have had a good start to the current Premier League campaign with two wins out of three leaving the club in fourth place.

Liverpool had an unbelievable summer transfer window.

Indeed, the Reds broke the British transfer record twice, and their new signings look to be settling in well.

Milos Kerkez is getting better and better, and while Florian Wirtz has had a slow start, he’s still a top talent.

Meanwhile, Alexander Isak is arguably the best striker in the world.

However, as with any squad, you can always improve slightly, and speaking on The Football Exchange, Troy Deeney has claimed that there’s another signing Liverpool should have made this summer.

Liverpool should’ve signed Joao Palhinha

Deeney was asked which player from another big six club Liverpool should sign.

The pundit had a little think before ultimately settling on Joao Palhinha as the player Liverpool should have gotten.

The pundit says that the £47m man would be a great option in the number six role for Liverpool to help facilitate some of the Reds’ more creative players.

“Now who would be your guy that you would sign from one of the other five classic clubs for Liverpool?” Deeney was asked.

“I’ve got a couple here actually. Again, this is very This is not a sexy name, but Palhinha,” Deeney said.

“Somebody like that that can just come in and sit in that awkward six role that can break things up and give it to the better players, without being disrespectful, I’m going to stick with Palhinha.”

Liverpool still need a defensive midfielder

As brilliant as Liverpool’s squad is at the moment, Deeney does have a point here.

Let’s not forget, Liverpool do still need that extra defensive midfield presence, and they have been looking for this sort of player for a while.

Two years ago, Liverpool bid £111m for Moises Caicedo, while, last summer, Martin Zubimendi was a Liverpool target.

Ryan Gravenberch has improved massively under Arne Slot, but Liverpool did identify that position as one that needs upgrading, and a new signing is yet to arrive in that area.

Wataru Endo provides decent depth in the midfield, but this is an area where Liverpool could add more quality depth.

Tottenham Hotspur fans are looking forward to Champions League football returning to N17 this season, with Thomas Frank’s men to host Villarreal later this month.

Spurs are back in Europe’s top tournament after winning the Europa League last season, with the North London club set to be put through their paces against the best teams on the continent.

Tottenham signed Xavi Simons and a host of other new players over the summer, meaning the squad Frank has inherited is stronger than the one Ange Postecoglou relinquished.

However, this increase in competition for places has led to a tough decision when Tottenham were selecting their Champions League squad.

Mathys Tel left out of Champions League squad

With Tottenham confirming their Champions League squad earlier this week, the omission of summer signing Mathys Tel will have raised a few eyebrows.

The France under-21 international spent the second half of last season on loan with Spurs and is a player with a big future ahead of him.

However, it remains to be seen where Tel will most frequently operate for Tottenham, as the former Bayern Munich man can play as a left winger or central striker.

But, with the late loan addition of Randal Kolo Muani, it appears that Tel has slipped down Frank’s pecking order.

Wilson Odobert included in squad

While Tel’s omission was down to more competition for places at Tottenham, the fact his compatriot Wilson Odobert was included may also raise questions.

The former Burnley man has struggled for form and fitness since joining Spurs for £25 million last summer, but like Tel can play in a number of positions in the attacking third.

Tel will feel slightly aggrieved that Odobert is included in the Champions League squad and he is not, especially given his reputation after signing from Bayern Munich.

However, for Tel, not being in the European squad will surely mean more opportunities in the Premier League, which he must grasp with two hands.

In the same week as transfer deadline day, Tottenham have somehow delivered the biggest bombshell of the week.

Indeed, Daniel Levy has stepped down as the Chairman of Tottenham Hotspur in what was a shocking decision to many.

Levy didn’t want to leave his post at Tottenham, but the Spurs higher-ups felt it was time for a change.

This will, of course, have serious knock-on effects, for example, Fabio Paratici now isn’t set to return to Spurs after this news.

Speaking on the Wildcards Podcast’s TikTok page, Jermaine Jenas has now shared his reaction after seeing Levy depart.

Jermaine Jenas reacts to Daniel Levy departure

Jenas shared his immediate reaction after seeing Daniel Levy’s departure from Spurs.

Like many supporters, Jenas’ initial reaction was that of shock.

However, after a bit of contemplation, Jenas did note that while Levy had his flaws, he, overall did a decent job at Spurs.

Jenas has slammed Levy in the past, but he was very balanced in his view here.

“Wow, so big big news coming out of Tottenham Hotspur. Daniel Levy has decided to step down as the Chairman of the football club,” Jenas said.

“I’m sure the initial feelings from the fans will be one of delight. I don’t think it’s a secret they’ve been trying to get him out of the football club for years now.

“I just hope once the dust settles there will be a level of appreciation there.

“I think you always want better players, more trophies, and those things can be thrown at Daniel, that is where he fell short, but he joined the club in 2001, I was at Newcastle looking at that Spurs side, an ageing side, mid-table, the ambition wasn’t really there.

“I looked from afar and I could see what Tottenham were doing with the good, young English players they were bringing to the table.

“They wanted to build a team to challenge for the Champions League, and they did that in terms of qualification for the Champions League, he got that done and his ambitions didn’t stop there, building that incredible training facility and incredible stadium.

“You’re never going to get the balance right, you know, fans are always going to want more, and he’s one that’s in the boardroom making the decisions for what you feel is the best thing for Tottenham.

And there’s no doubt in my mind that he definitely hit the brakes at the worst times, you know, I think about that Pochettino team in particular, the one that challenged for a league, the one that got to the Champions League final, and how he wasn’t able to manage that.

“You’ve got the Jose situation, there’s plenty of lows in there,

“But the reality is, he leaves the club in a better position than where he picked it up from. You know, his last bit of business, but we’re looking at now bringing Thomas Frank, a very good transfer window, to that as well. Now we’re looking at a team that, I suppose, most of us want to be like, they can do something, they can go on and achieve something.

“There’s a lot of positive thoughts around the club at the minute, and I think that, you know, I think he deserves a lot of credit for that.

“I suppose. If there is a way to go out, it’s, you know, delivering a European trophy, and yeah, and going out on a high.

“You know, like I said, there’s going to be a lot of conversation around this over the coming days, and I just really hope that once the dust has settled, and people do have a little bit of a think about it. They go, you know what, could have done better, but he didn’t do a bad job.”

Daniel Levy’s Tottenham legacy analysed

As Jenas says, overall, Levy didn’t do a terrible job at Tottenham, but he does leave behind a complicated legacy.

Indeed, for all of the positives Levy brought to Spurs, there’s an equally bad negative.

Levy will have his backers and his detractors, and, in all honesty, there’s no right answer here in terms of whether he was a net positive or negative for Tottenham.

What matters is that the Levy era is over at Spurs, and it will be interesting to see how Tottenham’s strategy changes from this point onwards.

Daniel Levy sent shockwaves around the football world when he announced his decision to leave Tottenham after 25 years.

Levy personally convinced Randal Kolo Muani to make a deadline day switch to North London on Monday, and on Thursday, he was packing his bags at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The former chairman has overseen the running of the football club for a generation of Spurs supporters, and now Peter Charrington will assume Levy’s role on a short-term basis as non-executive chairman.

Levy has endured his fair share of scrutiny during his tenure in charge – Tottenham won two trophies during his nearly three-decade stewardship, and he has been the subject of fan-led protests in the past.

However, former Spurs boss Harry Redknapp has leapt to the defence of the former chairman and believes Levy has been unfairly subjected to criticism throughout his tenure.

Harry Redknapp hits back at Daniel Levy critics

When speaking live on talkSPORT about Levy’s departure, Redknapp suggested the constant criticism over the years should have, in fact, been directed at majority owner Joe Lewis.

“He had the running of it (Lewis), you know, Daniel didn’t have has much, as many shares, as much say in the club as Joe did. So, Joe would have the final say, you know, whether Daniel spent the money or didn’t, I think he always had to speak to Joe to get the final word on everything.

“If Joe didn’t want to buy or spend big money in the transfer market or whatever, then Daniel wasn’t able to do that. He took the brunt of all the criticism for sure, but it wasn’t always, the decisions always weren’t down to Daniel.”

TBR Football understands Levy was reluctant to leave his role at Tottenham, but ultimately, the decision was taken out of his hands.

The Lewis family are welcoming a “fresh approach” and believes now is the perfect time to make an executive change at the board level in the interest of delivering further silverware in North London.

Spurs, of course, won the Europa League last season, beating Manchester United in the final as ex-boss Ange Postecoglou ended the club’s 17-year trophy drought.

Levy was influential in convincing Thomas Frank to take the reins in North London, and although many believe the 63-year-old has his faults, the Spurs faithful recognised all Levy achieved during his spell in charge.

Tottenham managers let Daniel Levy down

In addition to his defence of Levy, Redknapp attributed some of the blame to himself and previous Spurs managers for failing to deliver more success over the years.

“Daniel is, you know, people have to give him a bit of credit for what he’s achieved there, in that respect, okay, the trophies haven’t come. Maybe I was, you know, all us managers, maybe we did have the tools to have done a bit better and maybe win a cup somewhere along the line, you know, more trophies.

“But people forget they have had a Champions League final, they’ve had Champions League football quite regularly in the past twelve or fifteen years or so, so it hasn’t been all doom and gloom.”

The footballing world was rocked on Thursday evening as it was announced Daniel Levy has stepped down as Tottenham chairman.

After 25 years in the role, Levy has left his role at Spurs, and Tottenham are now moving into a new era.

There are a number of unanswered questions around Tottenham after Levy’s departure, and one situation that is up in the air is Fabio Paratici’s potential return to Spurs.

Paratici has been involved at Tottenham on a consultancy basis for a while as he’s been serving a football ban.

However, Spurs were looking to bring Paratici back in an official capacity at some point.

Now, that situation has changed with Levy’s departure from Spurs.

Fabio Paratici now unlikely to return to Tottenham

According to information gathered by TBR Football’s Graeme Bailey, Fabio Paratici is not set to return to Tottenham after Daniel Levy’s exit.

“Fabio Paratici is unlikely to take up the role previously discussed and agreed. Daniel Levy knew the change was coming at some point, but it has come earlier than they thought – belief was he might have another season so obviously he wanted Paratici involved,” Bailey said.

“Now Levy has gone, we are told it is ‘unlikely’ that Paratici will be taking up an official role at the club and will look elsewhere for his next permanent role.”

Tottenham’s current leadership analysed

With Daniel Levy on his way out and Fabio Paratici not set to return, Tottenham’s leadership hierarchy is now much more streamlined.

Indeed, in the past, Spurs had too much going on as the likes of Paratici, Levy, Scott Munn, Vinai Venkatesham and the manager were all involved in key decisions at the club.

Now, the structure does appear much more balanced.

Spurs are moving into a new era, and it will certainly be interesting to see the change in how the club operates going forwards into the post-Daniel Levy era.

TBR Football understands that Daniel Levy was reluctant to leave his role as Tottenham Hotspur chairman, but the club’s owners decided the time was right for a change.

Levy had just completed a busy summer window, which included bringing in new head coach Thomas Frank, and he was about to confirm the return of confidant Fabio Paratici as head of the club’s football department.

However, Paratici’s return to the club is now uncertain, following the news that Levy has left the club after 25 years in North London.

Sources have confirmed to TBR Football that Levy was shown the exit door following talks with owners the Lewis Family, whose trust holds the controlling stake in Spurs, were understood to have been considering changes for a number of months.

The club’s new chief executive, former Arsenal supremo Vinai Venkatesham, is set to play a leading role going forward, as he has done during the summer, and it was he who confirmed the news to the club’s staff.

Peter Charrington has been named non-executive chairman in the wake of Levy’s departure, and he will assume much of Levy’s overall responsibilities in the short term.

Sources: Tottenham have planned for Daniel Levy’s departure

TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey explains what one source close to the situation had to say on Levy’s departure.

“There is no question what Daniel Levy has done for the club, especially commercially with the new stadium and everything surrounding that. I am told the owners have been considering changes for a while.

“Perhaps the timing is unusual, but is there ever a good time for this sort of thing?”

The Tottenham supporters are shocked by Levy’s exit; the former chairman had hardly cut a popular figure in North London, but was coming off the back of a fairly successful summer transfer window.

Levy revealed his wish for Spurs to win the Premier League at the end of last season, following the Europa League triumph, and was influential in bringing Frank to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The 63-year-old has overseen Tottenham for a generation of supporters – indeed, he has been the subject of fan-led protests and has been accused in the past of lacking ambition, but Levy’s financial acumen has been influential to Spurs’ success.

Nevertheless, the Lewis family are determined to deliver prolonged success in North London and believes that the decision to adopt a fresh approach will be the catalyst for driving Tottenham towards silverware in the years to come.

Daniel Levy’s final transfer window at Tottenham

Spurs suffered highs and lows throughout the summer transfer window – Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze both turned down their respective moves.

However, Levy worked hard throughout the summer to help Frank add quality depth pieces to his inherited side ahead of their return to the Champions League.

Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus are the crown jewels on what proved to be a successful transfer window in North London, although at one stage, it appeared that the club was struggling to secure their top targets.

Randal Kolo Muani will now forever be the final player Levy convinced to represent the Lilywhites as the former chairman pulls the curtain on his long Tottenham reign.