TBR Football

Thomas Frank has some big calls to make when selecting his best Tottenham Hotspur team, especially after the arrival of Randal Kolo Muani.

The North London club pulled off one of the biggest shock transfers of the day, signing Randal Kolo Muani on loan from Paris Saint-Germain.

The Frenchman joins Xavi Simons, Joao Palhinha, Mohammed Kudus and Kota Takai in heading through the door at Hotspur Way this summer.

Thomas Frank will be pretty pleased with the majority of the business Spurs managed, and here’s how TBR Football predicts his best team could set up.

Randal Kolo Muani to replace Richarlison, Lucas Bergvall misses out

Kolo Muani could come straight into the team and replace Richarlison, with the Frenchman’s ability to play in the number nine role set to make him the main man.

Spurs were going to run the risk of relying on Dominic Solanke and Richarlison being their two strikers going into the new campaign, both of whom have poor injury records.

But now, Kolo Muani’s arrival alleviates those concerns, and the former PSG star could even start ahead of the pair.

Simons’ arrival from RB Leipzig could be one of the signings of the summer, and he will go straight into the number ten role behind Kolo Muani.

Frank faces a tough choice at left wing as Spurs failed to sign a new option there, with Brennan Johnson, Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert his choices.

The Lilywhites will hope that the French duo of Tel and Odobert can kick on this season, having been pretty underwhelming since arriving in North London.

Palhinha is another excellent signing for Tottenham, and he could be partnered in midfield alongside Pape Matar Sarr.

Lucas Bergvall, who Harry Redknapp rates, will be disappointed to miss out, but there will be plenty of chances for him to start across the season.

Dejan Kulusevski’s injury return will be a huge boost for Tottenham

The return of Dejan Kulusevski from injury will be a huge boost for Tottenham when the Swede does eventually get fit again.

Back in June, Kulusevski said he was ahead of schedule, but his actual return date remains unclear for now.

The 25-year-old was one of Spurs’ top performers last season before he suffered the knee injury at home to Crystal Palace.

His ability to play on the right and in the number ten role will be really useful for Frank.

Tottenham have agreed a season-long loan move for Paris Saint-Germain forward Randal Kolo Muani as Thomas Frank ends the summer with a flurry of attacking signings.

After the departure of captain Heung-min Son and a long-term injury to James Maddison, Frank has moved to sign Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig before working on a loan deal for Kolo Muani.

The Frenchman, 26, will join Spurs with experience in Germany, France and Italy following a loan switch to Juventus last season and a prolific spell at Eintracht Frankfurt before his switch to PSG.

He netted ten goals with three assists in 22 outings for Juventus, with an impressive record of 26 goals and 17 assists for Eintracht Frankfurt earlier in his career. However, when he came up against Spurs in 22 for Frankfurt, he was uncharacteristically quiet.

Randal Kolo Muani unable to score against Tottenham in Champions League group meeting in 2022

In the 2022/23 Champions League group stage, Tottenham travelled to Eintracht Frankfurt having won one and lost one of their opening two fixtures. A goalless draw at Eintracht Frankfurt was a respectable result for Antonio Conte’s side.

While both sides had chances, only eight of the 23 shots were on target, with Spurs perhaps having the better of the opportunities with an expected goals total of 1.48.

Kolo Muani led the line for Frankfurt, but failed to muster a single shot on goal while all of his three attempted dribbles were unsuccessful. He managed just two touches in the Spurs area from just 18 across the whole game.

And of his six attempted passes, only two were successful to give him the lowest pass completion rate of any player in the game. He was replaced after just 57 minutes.

Tottenham kept out Randal Kolo Muani again in second Champions League meeting in 2022

The reverse fixture at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium took place just a week later, with Spurs earning a valuable win that would be the difference as they pipped Frankfurt to top spot in the group.

Kolo Muani started again and saw Eintracht take the lead early on, but Tottenham scored three goals in 16 minutes to take control before half-time. Kolo Muani lasted longer this time, but was sacrificed after a red card to a teammate on 67 minutes.

Randal Kolo Muani statistics vs Tottenham in 2022/23 (Source: FotMob)

Once again, Kolo Muani failed to take a shot on goal in the game and his only attempted dribble was unsuccessful. His pass completion rate was much improved (87% from 15 passes) and he was involved more (22 touches), but no touches were in the Spurs area.

Kolo Muani’s winning goals in Frankfurt’s final two group games secured a last-16 spot for the German side, and he has scored plenty of goals in the following three years. But it is telling that Kolo Muani went two games without a single shot in his two Tottenham auditions.

Tottenham Hotspur have agreed a deal with Paris Saint-Germain over a straight season-long loan for forward Randal Kolo Muani.

Personal terms with Kolo Muani have been agreed, and he is on his way to London to complete his move to Thomas Frank’s side.

The Athletic reports that the deal will not include an option or obligation to make the transfer permanent at the end of the season.

Kolo Muani will be looking to rediscover his form of old under Frank, and if he can, he could be a world-beater.

Randal Kolo Muani once beat Jude Bellingham to award

When he was at Frankfurt, Muani was a simply frightening striker. The Frenchman played 50 times for the Bundesliga side, scoring 26 goals and providing 17 assists.

In this stellar campaign where he really made his name, he was also lauded with a prestigious accolade.

As voted by Bundesliga peers, Muani beat Jude Bellingham to the best player in the Bundesliga in the 22/23 season.

According to T-Online, Muani amassed 24.2 per cent of the vote, with Bellingham’s performances for Borussia Dortmund placing him second with 17.5 per cent.

There’s a remarkable player in there, and if Frank can unleash it, then the Premier League could be in trouble.

Kolo Muani was a necessity for Spurs

Tottenham didn’t necessarily want an attacking reinforcement, but particularly after Dominic Solanke’s injury, it was needed.

Richarlison has found grand form for Spurs, but with Champions League football and a big push in the Premier League, depth is of the essence.

As previously noted, if Tottenham can find the Muani of old, it could be a tremendous loan deal for Spurs.

Crystal Palace and Tottenham are both expected to be busy before the 7pm transfer deadline.

Spurs are already close to signing Randal Kolo Muani on loan from PSG, whereas Christantus Uche is having a medical at Crystal Palace ahead of a £17m move from Getafe.

Crystal Palace and Tottenham are also now speaking directly about a potential deal involving Manor Solomon – according to the Daily Mail.

Crystal Palace in talks with Tottenham over Manor Solomon

Matt Barlow claimed at 1pm on the Daily Mail’s transfer deadline day live blog that the south Londoners are currently in discussions with Spurs over the Israel international.

It is said that Crystal Palace made an approach over the weekend – which was “flatly rejected” by Tottenham – although the Eagles have restarted talks today, with Tottenham entertaining the discussions.

Barlow writes that a loan move with an option to make the deal permanent is a possibility for Solomon – who Kevin De Bruyne called an “excellent player” back in 2024.

The 26-year-old scored ten goals and provided 12 assists in 39 Championship appearances on loan at Leeds last season.

Daniel Levy might not want to deal with Crystal Palace after Eberechi Eze drama

Steve Parish and Daniel Levy were recently in talks over a deal for Eberechi Eze, before it ended in humiliation for Tottenham.

Arsenal swooped in and hijacked the £68m deal Spurs were on the verge of completing – also helped by the England international wanting to join the Gunners – and the manner in which this saga played out could have damaged relations between Parish and Levy, in our opinion at least.

TBR Football understand Leeds also remain in contention to sign Solomon after his successful loan spell at Elland Road last season.

With that in mind, and the dramatic saga involving Eze, this could be a difficult loan deal for Crystal Palace to negotiate ahead of the 7pm deadline.

TBR Football can exclusively reveal that Randal Kolo Muani is close to making a transfer deadline day switch to Tottenham.

Thomas Frank said “no” when asked if Spurs would be signing a new frontman after the 1-0 loss against Bournemouth on Saturday, telling reporters: “No. I would say not particularly.

“To have the three strikers in the squad can also cause a problem, as you can only play one at a time. It’s a fine balance. I’m not saying we will never go for another striker at another time, but I’m happy with Dom and Richarlison.”

However, sources have now informed TBR Football that Randal Kolo Muani is now nearing a move to Tottenham.

Exclusive: Randal Kolo Muani close to Tottenham move

Graeme Bailey – Chief Correspondent for TBR Football – has now been told the France international is close to making a move from Paris to N17.

Fabrizio Romano revealed earlier on transfer deadline day that Tottenham were seriously exploring a move for Kolo Muani as PSG aim to offload the France international – and Spurs also aim to find cover for the injured Solanke.

TBR Football now understand that talks between Tottenham and PSG are accelerating, with the Frenchman keen on the move – as he was in January before a loan to Juventus materialised instead.

PSG want a loan with an obligation to buy, although Tottenham would prefer a purchase option.

Despite this current sticking point, sources have confirmed to TBR Football that a deal is close.

Kolo Muani – who Matteo Guendouzi called “one of the best” – is able to play in a central role, which has been a key detail behind the move after the ankle injury suffered by Solanke.

Tottenham Hotspur head into transfer deadline day with work to do.

Indeed, Spurs need to get some players off their books, while attacking additions are also a key priority.

Bryan Gil needs to find a new club, while Manor Solomon could also be on the move.

Meanwhile, Tottenham also want to bring in some new attacking talent.

Randal Kolo Muani has been linked to Spurs on deadline day, while Tottenham had talks about Ademola Lookman recently.

Tottenham have been in for Lookman, however, as of Monday morning, it doesn’t sound like a deal is progressing all that much.

Ademola Lookman is still in Italy

Florian Plettenburg gave an update on Nicolas Jackson’s move to Bayern Munich on Monday morning.

However, in the midst of that update, he shared some insight into Ademola Lookman’s situation after he held talks with Tottenham.

According to the journalist, as of Monday morning, Lookman is still in Italy and nothing has progressed in terms of outgoings.

Lookman looked set to leave Atalanta this summer, but with only a few hours to go in the transfer window, that is looking less and less likely.

Ademola Lookman compared to Randal Kolo Muani

It looks like Tottenham may be going for Kolo Muani, but if they were given the choice between Lookman and the French striker, they would perhaps be best off going for the Nigerian.

Indeed, the stats from last season suggest that Lookman is the better player.

However, Lookman would likely be the more expensive option, and that does factor in when you’re planning these late deals.

Lookman may still be in Italy, but with a number of hours still to go in this transfer window, things could change quickly.

In this day and age where most deals are done remotely via emails and WhatsApps, the fact that Lookman is still in Italy may not actually hamper his chances of getting a move back to the Premier League.

Tottenham are suddenly in need of a new striker.

Thomas Frank had Richarlison and Dominic Solanke as options, but the latter is now struggling with an injury to his ankle – which could even require surgery after it saw him miss the defeat against Bournemouth on Saturday.

Fabrizio Romano has now claimed that Tottenham are working on a move to sign Randal Kolo Muani from PSG after the setback, following a late show of interest on Sunday night.

Tottenham exploring Randal Kolo Muani deal

The reliable Italian journalist now states that Tottenham are exploring what it would take to sign the France international before the 7pm deadline.

Romano wrote on X (previously known as Twitter): “EXCL: Tottenham make contact to explore Randal Kolo Muani deal conditions after interest revealed overnight.

“Spurs are informed of Kolo (being) available and serious interest, but depends on fee and numbers as PSG want obligation to buy guaranteed.”

TBR Football understand Newcastle were discussing a move for Kolo Muani before finding a breakthrough in talks with Brentford over Yoane Wissa.

The DR Congo international is now heading to Newcastle instead in a deal worth £55m – leaving Tottenham with one less competitor for the PSG outcast on deadline day.

Ange Postecoglou actually wanted Kolo Muani in January before the Frenchman ended up joining Juventus on loan – but conceded he never really felt the striker wanted to come – admitting: “We were in (for him)… but did we get to the point where we thought he was coming to us? No.”

Kolo Muani – who scored eight goals in 16 Serie A appearances during his loan at Juventus last season – cost PSG a sum of £77m when moving from Eintracht Frankfurt back in September 2023.

Signing Randal Kolo Muani could be a stroke of genius by Spurs – even if just on loan

If Tottenham pull this deal off, it could prove to be an inspired bit of business.

Muani – who has spoken about his happiness when playing for France – was recently dropped from the squad by Didier Deschamps as his future remains up in the air.

However, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the horizon next summer, the 26-year-old will be motivated to impress this season and work his way back into the France squad, which could benefit Tottenham immensely.

As Romano states – however – PSG want an obligatory purchase clause involved in any loan agreement, and had initially been discussing a fee of around £50m with Juventus, which could prove to be a hurdle for Tottenham.

Tottenham Hotspur are set for a chaotic day on Transfer Deadline Day and their plans might just have to change following the latest Dominic Solanke injury update.

Thomas Frank is looking to add to his front line in the final hours of the window, although a left winger was the position which he wanted initially.

TBR Football understands that Tottenham were in talks for Ademola Lookman, but after learning about the severity of Solanke’s injury, their attention could now turn elsewhere.

Dominic Solanke could undergo surgery on ankle injury

Dominic Solanke could now be set to undergo surgery on an ankle injury which kept him out of Tottenham Hotspur’s defeat to Bournemouth, according to Jake Sanders.

The striker also missed a large part of pre-season with the same ankle issue and he appears to have suffered a significant setback since making his return.

Frank initially hoped the striker would be back after the international break, but the injury looks to be much worse than originally feared.

Solanke was a big miss for Tottenham against the Cherries as Richarlison had an off day and struggled to make things happen on a disappointing afternoon.

Frank says Tottenham won’t sign another striker on transfer deadline day, but that might now need to change with the 28-year-old sidelined.

Going into the season, relying on Solanke and Richarlison was always going to be a risk, considering they both have poor injury track records.

The Brazilian missed 37 matches last season, while Solanke was out for 14 games due to various injury issues.

Thomas Frank should demand Yoane Wissa is signed

Spurs’ new boss could well be asking for a striker on deadline day after losing Solanke to a potentially long-term injury.

With Newcastle now eyeing a deal for Randal Kolo Muani, Spurs could have a free run at Brentford attacker Yoane Wissa.

Frank was desperate to sign Wissa earlier this summer, as TBR Football revealed, and now he should be especially keen to bring him in.

The striker netted 19 Premier League goals last season under his tutelage and could prove to be an underrated signing if Spurs were to push for him.

TBR Football understands that Newcastle United have had discussions about a possible deadline day Randal Kolo Muani.

TBR Football confirmed on Sunday that Tottenham had held talks about Kolo Muani, who they came close to signing in January.

Kolo Muani had been due to return to Juventus, who he joined on loan in the New Year, but they have been unable to agree on terms.

Now the French international is assessing his options, and the Tyneside club has emerged as a contender for his signature, after Liverpool agreed a deal for Alexander Isak.

Sources: Randal Kolo Muani offered to Newcastle and Tottenham

Randal Kolo Muani’s representatives are assessing options, and they include Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur.

Newcastle, who have now agreed to let Isak leave the club, have looked to Kolo Muani as a prospective deal, with moves for Yoane Wissa and Jorgen Strand Larsen looking tricky.

However, TBR Football understands that PSG’s demand that any loan must include an obligation is an issue for the Magpies.

PSG paid £77m for Kolo Muani back in 2023, but the former Bundesliga star has failed to make an impact in the French capital.

Meanwhile, Tottenham have been keeping tabs on Kolo Muani after missing out on him back in January, as he instead opted for a move to Turin on loan.

Spurs remain in the market for a left-sided attacker and could also do with cover up front, given the injury records of both Richarlison and Dominic Solanke.

Thomas Frank says Tottenham won’t sign another striker on Monday, but adding an attacker who can fill multiple roles, such as Kolo Muani, could be a smart move.

Instead of Kolo Muani, Juventus have turned their attention to Lois Openda, who we can also reveal is another name offered to Newcastle.

Randal Kolo Muani could be a great opportunistic signing for Newcastle

Kolo Muani could prove to be a great opportunistic signing for Newcastle, given the form he showed during his loan spell at Juve.

The 26-year-old looked destined to return to Serie A; however, the Old Lady have failed to reach an agreement and now he is back on the market.

Last season at the Allianz Stadium, the striker netted 10 goals in 22 appearances for Juventus, showing that he remains a huge talent.

Over the summer, he scored twice at the FIFA Club World Cup for Igor Tudor’s team and the Croatian manager will be gutted not to still have him.

Tottenham Hotspur unveiled Xavi Simons to their supporters ahead of their 1-0 defeat to AFC Bournemouth.

Simons was convinced to join Tottenham following talks with Thomas Frank, with Spurs’ new boss successfully selling his project to the 22-year-old.

Tottenham have paid around £52m to sign Simons and capture one of the brightest young talents in Europe.

The North London club have been searching for a new number ten for most of the summer, having missed out on Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze.

Former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino will know the left winger well, having worked with him at PSG, and he’s already spoken about Simons’ potential.

When Mauricio Pochettino hailed Xavi Simons’ ‘very good potential’ in 2021

Pochettino backed Xavi Simons to have a bright future during his time as manager at Paris Saint-Germain, claiming that he had ‘very good potential’.

The former Spurs manager handed him his senior debut in a 1-0 win over Caen as he featured alongside Neymar Jr and Kylian Mbappe.

Overall, the Argentine coach gave him 11 appearances in the first team at the Parc Des Princes despite him only being 17 years old at the time.

Speaking about the youngster back in 2021, Pochettino was quoted by Sport saying: “He won’t be Iniesta or Xavi, but he has the quality and balance to be able to develop a career in the first division. He’s still very young, but he has very good potential…

“Simons is training very well, he has character, he doesn’t get nervous, and he reads the game well.”

Back in 2023, Rafael van der Vaart said Simons was a “world-class” prospect and he is also a massive fan of the former PSG star.

Meanwhile, Pochettino’s predecessor, Tim Sherwood, was more critical of Simons and is not sure the Dutch international will cut it in the Premier League.

The North London club will need him to hit the ground running pretty quickly as Frank’s team missed a creative spark in their defeat at Bournemouth.

Thomas Frank “very excited” by Xavi Simons’ signing

Frank has admitted that he is “very excited” by the arrival of Simons at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and believes it is a “great signing”.

The Danish head coach believes that his versatility to play out wide and in the number ten role makes him a great option for his squad.

Speaking after his team’s defeat to Bournemouth, Frank told the media: “Very excited, very happy that we signed him. I think it was a great signing from the club. He can play ten and winger. Those are his two positions.”

Spurs will be hoping that the Dutch winger will be able to make his debut for the club away at West Ham United after the international break.