TBR Football

Tottenham Hotspur have been making some big moves in the summer transfer window for Thomas Frank, with Mohammed Kudus signed and a deal for Morgan Gibbs-White being worked on.

Thomas Frank is keen to make sweeping changes to his playing squad in N17, and further reinforcements are being targeted.

The North London club’s move for Morgan Gibbs-White has been complicated by Nottingham Forest, but Spurs remain expected to complete a deal eventually.

After Gibbs-White, Spurs could make one further key addition, but instead, Frank should consider trusting in one of his best young players.

Thomas Frank is not giving up on Adam Wharton signing

Frank is not giving up on the possibility of signing Adam Wharton this summer, according to GiveMeSport.

TBR Football sources are claiming that Crystal Palace want a nine-figure sum for Wharton in a bid to ensure the midfielder remains at Selhurst Park.

However, Tottenham Hotspur might not be put off the prospect of having to pay at least £100m for the 21-year-old, and he remains on their shortlist of targets.

The North London club want to add to their midfield this summer, and their desire to add high-profile additions could see them move for Wharton, despite his price tag.

Frank views Wharton as a ‘dream signing’ for his squad, which could further increase the Lilywhites’ desire to secure the former Blackburn player for their new manager.

TBR Football revealed Tottenham’s interest in Wharton last week, and if there was any chance of him becoming available, Spurs would likely try to explore a deal.

Since at least 2023, Tottenham have been looking at Wharton, and perhaps this is the moment that they finally bring him to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham need to trust Archie Gray over Adam Wharton

But instead of shelling out a nine-figure sum on Wharton, Tottenham should instead consider putting their trust in Archie Gray.

Tottenham staff have high hopes for Gray, and believe that the midfielder could develop into a player comparable to Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard.

The 18-year-old had a tough first season in North London, as he was forced to feature mostly out of position. The teenager played central defence, right-back, left-back and occasionally as a number six.

Gray was often shoehorned into a struggling Spurs team that had been decimated by injuries and asked to do a job.

Despite his inexperience, the youngster did a very respectable job when called upon, and it will be quite easy to forget just how young he still is.

Tottenham paid £40m for Gray just over a year ago, so spending at least another £100m this summer to potentially block his chances wouldn’t be a smart move.

TBR Football can exclusively confirm the latest involving Newcastle United and their interest in Brentford’s Yoane Wissa.

The Magpies are looking to strengthen their attacking ranks further this summer, though they must also be mindful of interest in Alexander Isak.

Newcastle are currently in pursuit of Hugo Ekitike, but they’re up against Liverpool, who in turn also like Isak.

Meanwhile, Wissa has been tipped to leave Brentford after another superb season with the West London club.

TBR Football can also confirm which other clubs are interested in Wissa alongside Newcastle, and how much football insiders believe he could be sold for.

Newcastle in Yoane Wissa talks as Brentford star tipped to move for £40million

TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey confirmed that Newcastle like Yoane Wissa “an awful lot” and are one of several Premier League clubs in talks with him.

Other clubs in talks over Wissa – who is valued at £50million but is tipped to go for around £40million – include Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest.

“Newcastle are keeping a very close eye on Yoane Wissa,” Bailey told TBR Football. “They like him an awful lot. Eddie Howe likes him.

“Brentford value Wissa at £50million, but within football, people expect him to go for less than £40million.

“That seems to be the belief from speaking to various clubs around the league.

“I’m also told that Wissa is talking to five Premier League clubs, three of which are Newcastle, Tottenham and Nottingham Forest.

“He’s got such great figures analytics wise. He’s fit all the time, he can play a variety of positions… the clubs love him. And he’s ready to go.

“Clubs see him in different roles. Tottenham see him centrally, I think Newcastle do as well, while Forest would see him as out wide really.”

What Yoane Wissa could bring to Newcastle

Wissa has gone from strength to strength at Brentford since his move from Lorient in 2021, going on to register 49 goals and 13 assists from 149 outings.

The 28-year-old is a versatile forward who boasts impressive pace and power, and was among the most clinical finishers in the league last season.

Wissa has received plenty of plaudits over his time at Brentford, with new Tottenham boss Thomas Frank previously saying he is capable of “magic moments” (Northern Echo).

The 28-year-old should be able to make an instant impact for any Premier League club he moves to.

And with Newcastle in the Champions League, Wissa would get the chance to prove himself at a level even higher than the English top flight.

Tottenham Hotspur don’t appear to be messing about in this summer transfer window.

Spurs have spent big money to sign Mohammed Kudus from West Ham, while Tottenham want Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest too.

That may not be the end of Tottenham’s midfield rebuild either as Adam Wharton is a ‘dream’ target for Thomas Frank.

Tottenham want Adam Wharton, but, as you can imagine, Crystal Palace aren’t too keen to sell the midfielder.

Marc Guehi has been linked with a move away, while Arsenal want Eberechi Eze as well, so Palace aren’t keen to lose any more star players.

Writing on the Ranks FC Ultras Patreon Page, Dean Jones has shared an update on Wharton and this deal.

Crystal Palace want massive fee for Adam Wharton

According to Jones, Crystal Palace now want more than £80m for Adam Wharton.

The internal belief at Palace is that they should be looking for a Declan Rice type fee for Wharton after Rice joined Arsenal for £105m two years ago.

“Tottenham like Adam Wharton a lot. But Crystal Palace are playing hardball,” Jones wrote.

“We’re talking a valuation that could go north of £80 million. Palace believe there’s no reason they shouldn’t aim for a Rice-style fee after what West Ham pulled off a couple of years back. And to be fair… they might have a point.”

Adam Wharton compared to Declan Rice

Crystal Palace want a Declan Rice type fee for Adam Wharton, but the reality is that they may not be entitled to such a figure here.

Wharton is a brilliant player, but when you look at the stats, it’s clear that Rice was the superior midfielder when he was at West Ham compared to Wharton at Palace.

More goal contributions, more defensive actions and more attacking impact, Rice, statistically, outshines Wharton in a number of key areas.

Tottenham are very keen on the England international, but it’s hard to see a deal being done if Palace continue to demand astronomical amounts for Wharton.

TBR Football understands that Tottenham Hotspur have shown an interest in signing Adam Wharton this summer, however, Crystal Palace’s price tag is likely to deter them.

The 21-year-old enjoyed another stellar season in South London, and he has now established himself as one of the top young talents in the Premier League.

Tottenham Hotspur are keen to bolster their options in midfield during this transfer window, and he is one of the names they like.

But Steve Parish has made his stance very clear on selling the player this summer and has set a hefty price tag on one of his key assets.

Sources: Adam Wharton is in no rush to leave Crystal Palace

Adam Wharton is in no rush to leave Crystal Palace this summer, despite interest from major clubs, sources have told TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey.

Meanwhile, the South London club would likely demand at least a nine-figure sum to sell him at this moment in time.

The futures of Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze, who has a release clause, remain unresolved, and Palace won’t want to lose a third star.

Manchester City scouted Wharton, as TBR Football revealed, but Pep Guardiola’s team have since moved on to other targets.

Speaking exclusively to TBR Football, Bailey said: “Adam Wharton is not leaving Crystal Palace this summer. What I’ve been told from the Palace end is that it would take an astronomical amount of money to get him out.

“Obviously these these things change very quickly, but we’re hearing at the moment that if you were to go to Palace and (Steve) Parish, you’d be looking at over £100 million.

“I don’t think anyone’s willing to do that for Adam Wharton this summer, as it stands. He’s a player Tottenham likes, but I think he’s one who they’ll address again, just not this summer.

“I don’t believe the player’s in a massive rush to get out either, because he had a very stop-start season last term.”

Tottenham regret not signing Adam Wharton in 2023

Tottenham will likely be kicking themselves, having failed to secure a deal for Adam Wharton in 2023 when he was at Blackburn Rovers.

The Lilywhites are known for having a great scouting set up in England, but they opted not to take a punt on the player, despite having had him on their radar.

Instead, Palace signed Wharton for £22m, and now they have an exciting young English talent at their disposal.

Bailey added: “Tottenham have a very good scouting system in England. Tottenham knew all about Wharton, and they were interested in it, as alluded to a long time ago.

“Tottenham probably have some regret about not moving for him because, as we’ve seen with the likes of Bergvall and Gray, they’re willing to roll the dice on these younger players.

“At the time, the ball sat up nicely for Palace, and it was in a sweet spot for them to grab him, which they did.”

Morgan Gibbs-White’s potential transfer to Tottenham Hotspur remains in limbo, with Nottingham Forest desperate to keep him.

Tottenham paid Gibbs-White’s £60m release clause, but Nottingham Forest are claiming that this clause should not have been known about.

The Midlands club want to find out how Spurs knew about this information, and for now, they consider the move for their captain to be off the table.

As he awaits a resolution over his potential move to North London, Gibbs-White will ensure that one thing doesn’t happen in the meantime.

Morgan Gibbs-White doesn’t want to leave Nottingham Forest on bad terms

Morgan Gibbs-White wants to make sure that he doesn’t leave Nottingham Forest on bad terms, according to Ben Jacobs.

Gibbs-White returned to training on Monday as pre-season commences at Forest and is present again on Tuesday.

As we saw with Viktor Gyokeres at Sporting CP, the striker went on strike to force through a move to Arsenal, but Gibbs-White is unwilling to damage his reputation with the Midlands club.

As TBR Football exclusively revealed on Monday, Gibbs-White told Evangelos Marinakis he wants to join Tottenham, and he is waiting for the issue to be resolved.

Forest have been offering Gibbs-White a new contract, however, at this stage, the 25-year-old has shown a reluctance to discuss a deal.

For now, Spurs and Forest remain in talks over a potential deal for the captain, as the player awaits clarification over his future.

One thing that could happen is that Tottenham pay over Gibbs-White’s clause in an attempt to appease Forest, and the knowledge that their captain wants the move.

Tottenham should turn to Xavi Simons as Morgan Gibbs-White alternative

If the deal for Gibbs-White were to fall through, Tottenham should turn to Xavi Simons, who could be the perfect alternative for the England international.

The Dutch star would offer something quite different to Gibbs-White in terms of his versatility, but he can fill roles across the front line.

The 22-year-old could even be the perfect long-term successor for Son Heung-min, with his favoured role being off the left.

RB Leipzig are believed to want around £60m for the attacker, which is similar to what Spurs offered to sign Gibbs-White.

Eberechi Eze and Morgan Rogers are two other players whom the Lilywhites should target.

One of Tottenham Hotspur’s players has made a dramatic recovery from injury, which could be a major boost for Thomas Frank.

Thomas Frank arrived at the North London club with several key players sidelined and currently undergoing rehabilitation work at Hotspur Way.

Given Spurs’ injury record last season and so many matches on the horizon, the Danish manager will be keen to have as many players available as possible.

One of the players who suffered a bad injury last term has just returned to training outside, and fans have been shocked by how quickly he has recovered.

Radu Dragusin returns to Tottenham training after ACL injury

Radu Dragusin has returned to training outside, doing ball work, just five months on from surgery on an ACL injury.

Tottenham Hotspur fans have been impressed to see that the Romanian defender is already well advanced in his recovery from the major injury.

Dragusin suffered a bad knee injury back in February, which cut short his season at just the wrong moment for Spurs, who already had so many injuries.

Reports claim that Dragusin is expected back in August, and given that he’s already doing work with a ball, that could mean he’s ready to start playing again next month.

TBR Football revealed back in June that Tottenham wanted to sell Dragusin, although Frank might want to assess him first.

Spurs are well stocked in central defence, and given the interest in him from Italy, that is why the decision to move him on may have already been taken.

Spurs supporters have now taken to X to share their amazement at how quickly Dragusin, who cost £26m, has managed to recover from such a serious issue.

One fan said: “He’s an athletic freak (like Ivan Perisic), so I’m sure his recovery is going well and maybe more accelerated than normal, BUT I hope we don’t try to rush him back too soon. Although no doubt he wants to be involved in the remaining four World Cup qualifying matches for Romania.”

Another claimed: “We have some serious units at centre back now between him, Luka (Vuskovic), (Kevin) Danso, and (Kota) Takai.”

There was yet more surprise to see him back training: “Dragusin tore his ACL five months ago and now he’s out training on grass with the ball. He’s definitely way ahead of schedule.”

Finally, another added: “Wonder if he got a future under Frank. Perhaps his style suits him better.”

Luka Vuskovic and Kota Takai could replace Radu Dragusin at Tottenham

Frank’s list of central defenders continues to grow with Kota Takai and Luka Vuskovic being added to the mix.

The two young defenders are likely to now take the 23-year-old’s place in the squad, allowing him to make his return to Italy.

The Dane now has so many options in defence, which could allow him to make the switch to a back-five in some games next term.

Frank has shown he can be tactically flexible at Brentford, and that is one of the key reasons why the Lilywhites brought him to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

TBR Football sources have revealed that Atletico Madrid are backing away from Cristian Romero, with a sense that they have tried their best to sign the Argentine.

Spurs have been desperate to keep their vice captain, and now they look set to do so, with the Spanish club assessing other options.

Mohammed Kudus is already getting well acquainted with life as a Tottenham Hotspur player after leaving West Ham United.

Tottenham pre-season training has just begun and Mohammed Kudus is already impressing in north London.

Kudus looked sharp when blitzing past the likes of Destiny Udogie, and Thomas Frank will undoubtedly be excited to work with the former West Ham player.

Of course, on the Hammers’ part, they will also be somewhat relieved to have completed a deal — West Ham can now go to work on improving Graham Potter’s squad with the funds they’ve raised.

Kudus was a key player for West Ham, but there’s a feeling in east London that now was the right time to cash in order to improve their playing staff elsewhere.

That being said, Jeff Stelling and Alan Pardew have just been discussing a comment Kudus made during his Spurs medical.

West Ham fans might cringe at Kudus’ words, who was having his heartbeat checked by the club doctor.

The doctor said: “I’m just going to listen to your heart, okay?” To which Kudus replied: “You’ll find Spurs there.”

And whilst Tottenham fans might find that comment endearing, Pardew thought it was actually quite disrespectful to his old club, where he has just spent two seasons.

Stelling originally said: “A few days ago he could hear the Hammers, couldn’t he? Inside that heart.

“13th of September, West Ham against Spurs, I bet he’ll get a hot reception back there.”

Pardew replied: “When you move football clubs it’s very very important to show a bit of respect, do you know what I mean?

“And that is disrespectful, what he’s done there. I don’t think he actually meant it, I think it was just a jokey throwaway line, and unfortunately for him, it’s going to turn out more than that.”

West Ham will need to spend their Kudus money wisely

All said and done, Kudus will probably be forgiven pretty quickly by West Ham fans if the club are able to reinvest the funds they received from Spurs wisely.

After Declan Rice, Kudus became West Ham’s second biggest sale of all time this summer, and supporters in east London will be expecting a flurry of signings as a result.

Of course, West Ham are interested in signing Harvey Elliott from Liverpool this summer.

And although Liverpool’s asking price is relatively high, perhaps Elliott might follow El Hadji Malick Diouf to the London Stadium.

And incidentally, left-sided defender Diouf might actually be the man tasked with nullifying Kudus’ threat when Spurs do arrive in east London in September.

Tottenham Hotspur have made their first blockbuster signing of the summer in the shape of Mohammed Kudus.

Tottenham have splashed the cash to sign Mohammed Kudus from West Ham, and the attacker is already in training for his new club.

It may well take Kudus some time to adjust to his new surroundings, but in a video released by Spurs on YouTube, Kudus has already showed some bright signs in training.

Kudus appeared to link up well with Yang-Min Hyeuk during this session, while one moment in particular stood out as the forward used his pace brilliantly to get past Destiny Udogie at one point.

In fact, Kudus completely outran Udogie in this moment making the £15m man look slow in comparison.

Mohammed Kudus tears past Destiny Udogie in Tottenham training

Spurs put out a lengthy video documenting Kudus’ first training session at Tottenham after signing.

Kudus is an excellent player, and he showed his talent in this session with multiple moments of brilliance.

However, perhaps the most impressive moment in this video was one instance where Kudus used his pace to brilliantly get past Destiny Udogie, despite giving the Italian a serious headstart.

Kudus showcased his blistering pace here, and that is an exciting new dynamic that he will be adding to Tottenham’s attack from here on in.

Mohammed Kudus compared to Tottenham’s fastest players

Kudus joins Tottenham and immediately becomes one of the quickest players in this Spurs squad.

Indeed, while Tottenham have plenty of speedsters in the team, Kudus is up there with the quickest.

Of course, Micky van de Ven is one of the fastest players in the world, so he is still top of the pile here, but Kudus slots in just behind the Dutchman as the second-fastest player at Spurs now.

Destiny Udogie is no slouch himself, but in this instance, Kudus seriously outpaced the Italian, leaving him for dead as he tracked back.

Kudus will be hoping to hit the ground running at Spurs, and there are some exciting signs already on show in the Ghanaian’s first training session.

Nottingham Forest are trying everything to ensure that Morgan Gibbs-White remains at the City Ground this summer, despite strong interest from Tottenham Hotspur.

Tottenham activated Gibbs-White’s release clause, however, Forest are furious as they believe this should not have been publicly known.

The Midlands club have now submitted a complaint to the Premier League about Tottenham Hotspur.

Evangelos Marinakis is furious about Gibbs-White’s situation, as he doesn’t want to lose his best player for just £60 million.

Morgan Gibbs-White not interested in Nottingham Forest’s contract offer

Nottingham Forest have been trying to offer Morgan Gibbs-White a new contract for the last year, but the midfielder has not been interested, according to Tom Barclay.

Currently, his heart appears to be set on a move to Tottenham Hotspur, who remain hopeful that a deal for the 25-year-old will eventually get done.

Gibbs-White returned to training with Forest, and it appears that he will not be going on strike, like Viktor Gyokeres, to force through a move.

But as TBR Football exclusively revealed on Monday, Gibbs-White told Marinakis he wants to join Tottenham, which could help to accelerate the move.

Barclay told his YouTube channel: “I understand that Forest have been trying to get Gibbs-White or have been keen to offer him a new contract for the last year.

“He’s got two years left on his current deal, and they were even willing to either get rid of the release clause completely or up the release clause.

“But he’s not been interested in doing that during this time; he is keen on this particular move (to Tottenham), so that’s where we’re at for the moment.”

Nottingham Forest make Thiago Almada approach

Reports from Portugal claim that Nottingham Forest want to sign Thiago Almada from Botafogo, and he could be the replacement for Gibbs-White.

The Argentine midfielder has interest from elsewhere, though, as Atletico Madrid are also keen on him.

The number ten has a price tag at Lyon worth around £26m, making him a very attainable option should they lose their captain.

Almada netted one goal and got five assists in 16 appearances in Ligue 1 last season while on loan at Lyon.

Mohammed Kudus becomes Thomas Frank’s third summer signing at Tottenham Hotspur, with plenty more new arrivals still expected.

Following several weeks of negotiations, Mohammed Kudus has finally become a Tottenham Hotspur player.

The 24-year-old will get his first chance to play for the North London club on Saturday when they travel away to Reading in a friendly.

However, the new Danish head coach has just been warned about his latest arrival and why he could prove to be a ‘strange’ signing.

Mohammed Kudus is a ‘strange signing’ for Thomas Frank

Former Arsenal player Perry Groves believes that Tottenham signing Mohammed Kudus is a strange addition for Thomas Frank’s team.

Tottenham had three bids for Kudus rejected before they eventually agreed a £55m deal to sign the winger from the East London club.

The TalkSPORT pundit has questioned the forward’s attitude and his work ethic out of possession, something that the Dane won’t stand for.

He also believes that West Ham United supporters won’t be too upset to see him leave after he had a rather underwhelming campaign at the London Stadium.

Groves told TalkSPORT: “Kudus has gone there, which I think is a bit of a strange signing. Because not last season, the season before, he had a good season. If you ask West Ham fans, they won’t be crying their eyes out.

“I saw him a few times again, and his attitude wasn’t great. Under Julen Lopetegui, and when Graham Potter went there, he played him out of position a few times as a false nine.

“But again, his reaction when he’s going one versus using the ball, his reaction getting back and helping his team out wasn’t great.

“Now, Thomas Frank won’t stand for that whatsoever, but going forward, he can be exciting. The jury is out.”

Frank could have his work cut out at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with Kudus, but his track record with improving attacking talents makes him the ideal coach.

The 51-year-old has already helped improve players like Ivan Toney, Ollie Watkins and Bryan Mbeumo during his time at Brentford.

Mohammed Kudus looks sharp in Tottenham training

Kudus completed his first training session on the grass with his new Spurs teammates on Monday, and the forward was looking sharp.

He looks to be settling in well in N17 already and has been taken under the wing of the experienced Ben Davies.

The Ghanaian is known for his impressive dribbling ability, and that was on show at Hotspur Way in front of the cameras.

Kudus has completed more dribbles than any other Premier League player since the start of the 2023/24 season, with 216.