TBR Football

It has been an eventful summer for both Tottenham and Chelsea so far.

Spurs have made a change in the dugout after swapping Ange Postecoglou with Thomas Frank, and are also showing real ambition in the market, having spent £55m on Mohammed Kudus and £30m on Mathys Tel, while a £60m deal for Morgan Gibbs-White is in the pipeline too.

In regards to Chelsea, the Blues acquired Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro, before becoming champions of the world with a 3-0 win over PSG in the FIFA Club World Cup final.

Tottenham face the French giants themselves soon when the UEFA Super Cup commences on 13th of August, and Chelsea may have just given Spurs a blueprint on how to defeat the Parisians.

Thomas Frank will feel he can beat PSG after witnessing Chelsea masterclass

Few expected Chelsea to beat PSG, let alone thrash the UEFA Champions League winners by a 3-0 scoreline, but Enzo Maresca achieved the feat by adopting a 4-2-3-1 formation in New Jersey, with the inverted Reece James proving influential.

Having the England international tucked inside, supported by Malo Gusto at right-back, nullified Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and afforded Cole Palmer all sorts of space down the right, which the Chelsea No.10 took full advantage of as he scored twice and assisted Joao Pedro, all within 43 minutes.

Interestingly, Frank has the tools to do likewise, and such a system should not require much of a shift for the Dane, who typically used a 4-2-3-1 formation at Brentford.

The aforementioned Kudus boasts a similar profile to Palmer, typically lining up on the right where he cuts inside on his left foot to devastating effect, while Pedro Porro has the technical skills to carry out the same job James performed in an inverted role, with Djed Spence mimicking the Gusto role too.

No Tottenham manager has ever won a trophy in their first official match in charge, so if this blueprint does help Frank win the UEFA Super Cup, history would be made.

Tottenham could be even stronger before the UEFA Super Cup commences

Gibbs-White should be a Tottenham player before this clash in Udine, and more could follow the England international in time for the meeting with PSG.

Spurs have Adam Wharton on their radar as Frank targets a new central midfielder to pull the strings, although it may be tough to sign the England international, as he still has four years remaining on his contract at Crystal Palace, which does not include a release clause.

However, Douglas Luiz is keen on a move to Tottenham as Juventus aim to offload the Brazilian, and TBR Football understand Joao Palhinha of Bayern Munich is also an option for Spurs this summer.

Therefore, Frank could have an even stronger squad by the time the UEFA Super Cup comes around.

Everton are showing real ambition under David Moyes this summer.

The Toffees have already spent £27m to sign Thierno Barry from Villarreal, who scored 19 goals in 41 appearances last season, after releasing Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

It came after Everton also opted to sign Carlos Alcaraz from Flamengo in a permanent £15m deal, following a successful loan spell for the Argentine last season.

Now, Everton are trying to add Douglas Luiz to these signings, but Tottenham may pose a problem.

Everton ready to bid for Douglas Luiz

Calciomercato in Italy now state that Everton are deep in talks with Juventus over a deal for the Brazil international, but there is currently a disagreement on the structure of the deal.

Juventus want €40m (£35m) for Luiz – who Manchester United also like – having paid £42.4m to sign the South American from Aston Villa as recently as June 2024.

However, Everton are only willing to take the Brazilian on loan for the 2025/26 campaign with an option to buy next summer, which is the same agreement they struck with Flamengo over Alcaraz – effectively, it would be a ‘try before you buy’ deal.

Calciomercato write that this is currently a stumbling block in negotiations, as Juventus want cash immediately to reinvest in the squad this summer.

Tottenham pose a real threat to Everton

Even if Everton manage to shake hands on terms with Juventus, they must still find a way to convince the 27-year-old to move to Merseyside, which could be an issue.

TBR Football understand Luiz is keen on a move to Tottenham, and the Juventus No.26 currently has his representatives working on that deal.

Spurs are looking to sign a new central midfielder after signing Mohammed Kudus, with Crystal Palace No.20 Adam Wharton also on their radar.

Everton will surely be desperate for Tottenham focus on the England international instead of Luiz, or else an approach from Spurs could well jeopardise their hopes of an agreement with Juventus.

Following the arrival of Mohammed Kudus, Tottenham Hotspur are now pushing to sign Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest.

Morgan Gibbs-White was crucial for Nuno Espirito Santo’s overachieving Forest side last season, hence why Tottenham would like to sign the England international.

Of course, Forest are currently furious with Tottenham’s Gibbs-White approach, meaning any deal might be delayed for a while yet.

But Spurs are determined to sign the 25-year-old, who will have an eye on Thomas Tuchel’s England World Cup squad.

Gibbs-White currently has four caps for his country, two of which have come since Tuchel replaced interim boss Lee Carlsey.

Thomas Frank plans to play Morgan Gibbs-White in James Maddison’s role

That being said, The Sun are now reporting that new Spurs boss Thomas Frank has already decided where he wants to play Gibbs-White next season.

In what will make interesting reading for James Maddison, Frank sees Gibbs-White as a ‘dynamic’ number 10, a role he often played for Forest.

Of course, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers star is also able to play in a deeper role as a number eight.

However, it seems as if Frank will want to play his new big money signing in his strongest position, if the deal gets over the line.

Interestingly, the report also explains that Frank wanted Gibbs-White during his time in charge at Brentford.

Therefore, it’s reasonable to think that although Tottenham’s Gibbs-White interest predates Frank, he might be the one pushing for the signing now.

Despite the criticism he’s often received from fans in N17, it’s clear that Daniel Levy is prepared to back his new manager.

And perhaps Tottenham will still sign Yoane Wissa from Brentford too, another Frank favourite.

James Maddison might be a peripheral figure under Thomas Frank

Of course, Frank’s Gibbs-White decision will have a big impact on James Maddison next season.

Although they get on well on a personal level, Maddison might be gutted to see Tottenham sign Gibbs-White, a player who many consider to be an upgrade.

And when you consider that Dejan Kulusevski also often outperformed Maddison as a number 10 under Ange Postecoglou, it could be worrying times for the England hopeful.

Maddison endured many England frustrations whilst Gareth Southgate was in charge of the national team — he never seemed to be one of his favoured options.

And now Maddison might not have the club platform to prove a point to Tuchel either, even if Spurs have the added games in the shape of Champions League football next term.

Thomas Frank is set to make sweeping changes at Tottenham Hotspur this summer, and one key tactic has just been spotted.

Tottenham Hotspur have been hard at work attempting to make big changes to the squad in N17 in the transfer window.

Mohammed Kudus has been signed; meanwhile, a deal for Morgan Gibbs-White to join Tottenham remains in the works, despite some slight issues.

But now the Danish coach looks ready to add a tactical detail which could take this Spurs team to the next level, something which they’ve been missing out on under previous regimes.

Destiny Udogie reveals Thomas Frank’s long throw plans for Tottenham

Snapchat footage filmed by Destiny Udogie has revealed Thomas Frank’s plans to implement long throw-in tactics at Tottenham.

The Italian defender was filming the great vibes going on in the dressing room at Hotspur Way, only to let slip the plans for training.

‘Long throw audition’ is one of the training drills listed on the board, which suggests that the Danish coach is attempting to find all the marginal gains at Spurs.

The North London club have rarely given much attention to detail when it comes to set-pieces, so this will have excited many supporters.

Tottenham will get their first chance to show what they’ve learned under Frank in five days when they travel away to Reading.

Arsenal have shown the importance of making set-piece situations count, and now Spurs look set to try and follow suit.

Thomas Frank can improve Tottenham at set pieces

Frank’s Brentford team were often so impressive from set-piece situations, and the Dane could really help to improve Spurs in this area.

Only four teams scored more goals than them, but when it came to defending them, the Bees were the best in the league, as they let in just two.

For Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs, this was a major concern, and when speaking about set-pieces back in 2024, the Australian manager told Sky Sports: “I don’t see it as an issue.”

Tottenham’s defending at set-pieces became an issue, with Guglielmo Vicario struggling with defending balls being hurled into the penalty area.

Teams began to target the Lilywhites in this area of the game, but hopefully, under their new manager, this could quickly change.

TBR Football understands that Morgan Gibbs-White has made it clear to Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis that he wants to join Tottenham Hotspur.

Gibbs-White returned to Forest training this morning with his move to Spurs currently being stalled by the Midlands club’s dispute over the player’s release clause.

Tottenham triggered Gibbs-White’s £60m release clause, although Forest claim this was confidential information and want to find out how Spurs knew.

Marinakis was furious that Gibbs-White’s release clause became known to the Lilywhites, as TBR Football revealed, and his legal action will seek to determine how that came about.

Exclusive: Morgan Gibbs-White tells Nottingham Forest he wants Tottenham move

Morgan Gibbs-White has made it clear to Nottingham Forest that he wants to join Tottenham Hotspur, TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey can confirm.

As it stands, Tottenham remain confident that a deal will get done, and TBR Football can confirm that the 25-year-old has informed Evangelos Marinakis he wants to leave.

First, Marinakis wants answers as to how the North London club found out about his £60m release clause, which he is furious about.

However, TBR Football has been told that, given it exists and both the player and Spurs want to activate it, there is little that can be done.

So whilst the midfielder has returned for pre-season training, he has made it clear to Forest that he wants to join Tottenham.

This is part of Marinakis’ anger; he is annoyed that a club the size of Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City or even Bayern Munich didn’t come in for him.

City were keen on Gibbs-White, however, Pep Guardiola’s side never formulated their interest in signing the former Wolves player.

The England international is reportedly keen to play under Thomas Frank and also in the Champions League.

Morgan Gibbs-White could be the perfect James Maddison alternative

James Maddison will love that one of his close friends could be joining him at Spurs, however, the 25-year-old could take his place in the team.

Frank might want a player to fill the number ten role in his team who is likely to have a more reliable injury history.

The 28-year-old has missed 24 matches since signing for the North London club back in the summer of 2023 from Leicester City.

The vice captain missed the Europa League final with a knee injury, which left Ange Postecoglou short in terms of a creator.

Mohammed Kudus has been announced as a player of Tottenham Hotspur following a £55m deal from West Ham United.

TBR Football understands Tottenham had three bids for Kudus rejected until they finally convinced West Ham United to sell the forward.

Tottenham agreed a £55m deal for Kudus, and the player completed his medical last Friday before being announced.

The 24-year-old will have the chance to make his debut for the Lilywhites next Saturday away at Reading, but before that, the Hammers’ fans will not like what he said during his medical.

Mohammed Kudus reveals Tottenham love during medical

Mohammed Kudus joked that Tottenham are in his heart during his medical ahead of his move to the North London club.

As TBR Football revealed, Kudus really wanted to join Tottenham, and he finally got his wish as they agreed a £55m deal to sign him.

TBR Football also exclusively reported that Kudus shunned interest from Bayern Munich, as he wanted to remain in the Premier League.

The official announcement video included Kudus claiming he ‘only wanted Spurs’, something which didn’t go down well with West Ham’s supporters.

Now, during his medical, the club’s doctor told him that he was going to listen to his heart, to which Kudus replied: “You’ll find Spurs there!”

West Ham needed to sell Kudus to help fund their own moves in the transfer window, TBR Football reported back in June.

The 24-year-old had an £84m release clause, but the East London club were aware that no club would be willing to pay that sort of money.

David Sullivan initially wanted £65m for Kudus, however, Spurs were one of the only clubs showing a proper interest, so his hand was forced.

West Ham want Liverpool’s Harvey Elliot to replace Mohammed Kudus

West Ham want to sign Harvey Elliott from Liverpool to replace Kudus, according to reports.

Elliott has admitted he could leave Liverpool this summer, revealing he will discuss with his team the next steps for his career.

The 22-year-old played a key role in helping England U-21 to win the European Championships in Slovakia over the summer.

The Liverpool attacker netted five times in six matches for the young Three Lions team, and now he is subject to strong interest from Premier League clubs.

The Morgan Gibbs-White to Tottenham Hotspur saga has just taken another twist this morning as the North London club attempts to push the deal through.

Tottenham paid Gibbs-White’s £60m release clause, however, Nottingham Forest think the clause should have been confidential and are disputing how Spurs found out.

Gibbs-White is confident he’ll join Tottenham, as exclusively revealed by TBR Football, but it’s not just a waiting game for him as the two clubs look for a resolution.

The midfielder has now done something during the saga which has Spurs supporters talking, and most are quite pleased with his latest move.

Morgan Gibbs-White returns to Nottingham Forest training

Morgan Gibbs-White has returned to Nottingham Forest training this morning, despite being in the middle of a potential transfer to Tottenham Hotspur.

Tottenham are confident they’ve done nothing wrong and believe that Nottingham Forest are now just delaying the inevitable of a transfer to North London.

But, in the meantime, Forest have ordered Spurs to cut off all contact with their captain, who is now back in the Midlands and ready to train with the club.

The 25-year-old was given additional time off following his involvement with England during the international matches in June.

Despite the slightly concerning sign of Gibbs-White being back in training, Tottenham fans are pleased he is showing professionalism amid the saga.

Viktor Gyokeres refused to report for Sporting training as he looked to push through his move to the Gunners, but Gibbs-White has opted to take a different approach.

One fan said: “Nothing to worry about, he seems like a top professional deal will be done this week.”

Another supporter was in agreement and wrote: “Agreed, this seems like a green flag. Top professional, gonna be a great addition.”

One fan admitted he was not concerned by Gibbs-White’s latest move: “Professional reports into his current employers. Outside of it all being very tense and awkward, nothing really to report until the deal is done.”

Finally, another fan added: “I’m pleased that he is showing professionalism.”

Nottingham Forest launch Morgan Gibbs-White legal complaint

Nottingham Forest have launched their legal complaint over Tottenham’s approach for Gibbs-White, according to Tom Barclay.

The Premier League and FA must now decide whether Spurs wrongly found out about the player’s release clause, which Forest claim shouldn’t have been public knowledge.

Tottenham have been told they could sign Gibbs-White by paying over his £60m, which could satisfy Forest.

Fabrizio Romano claims that Tottenham want to proceed with the Gibbs-White deal and insist they have done nothing wrong in the transfer.

“Romano told his YouTube channel: “Tottenham maintain their position. They are convinced about their behaviour.

“They want to proceed with the deal, they want to sign the player. Nottingham Forest are prepared to fight. So, let’s see what’s going to happen there.”

Tottenham Hotspur remain patiently waiting in their bid to complete a deal to sign Nottingham Forest captain Morgan Gibbs-White.

Tottenham triggered Gibbs-White’s £60m release clause, although Forest believe the clause should have been confidential and want to know how Spurs found out.

As exclusively revealed by TBR Football, Gibbs-White is confident he’ll join Tottenham, but he’s now having to wait for the issue to be resolved between the two clubs.

The 25-year-old is just waiting for permission to return to London and finalise the transfer, and Spurs have been told what they could do to finally land the player.

Tottenham could pay over Morgan Gibbs-White’s clause to appease Nottingham Forest

Tottenham Hotspur have been told that they could pay over Morgan Gibbs-White’s release clause in a bid to appease Nottingham Forest, according to Ben Jacobs.

The North London club could make the situation go away by opening talks with the fellow Premier League club and reaching an agreement in excess of £60m.

At this moment in time, the midfielder is just waiting for permission to travel to North London to complete the move. He is keen to play for Thomas Frank and in the Champions League.

Jacobs told TalkSPORT: “Tottenham deny any wrongdoing, I still feel this deal can be done and will be done, but it’s on Forest now.

“Tottenham do not have permission to even engage with the player right now to attempt to formalise this, so the two clubs are either going to have to agree on something, and maybe it’s a case of something around the release clause.

“If Tottenham want this to all go away, they can, instead of waiting for Forest to either drop it or resolve it, just actually make another offer and see whether that’s good enough.

“But they would need to go higher than the release clause, or they can see if Forest actually understands that Gibbs-White wants the move, he wants to play for Thomas Frank, he wants Champions League football.”

Morgan Gibbs-White could be bad news for James Maddison

Gibbs-White’s arrival at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium could be bad news for James Maddison, whose place in the team he could take.

The midfielder could fill several roles in Frank’s team, but his primary role is likely to be in the number ten spot, which is the same as the 28-year-old.

One of the key issues Maddison has had since his move to North London is his inability to stay fit, having suffered two different injuries last term.

The Danish manager could be looking to sign a more reliable option for his key creator and player who can fill the number ten position.

Tottenham Hotspur are hoping that Morgan Gibbs-White’s transfer will be allowed to go through despite Nottingham Forest’s protests.

Thomas Frank is believed to be a big admirer of the midfielder and is eager to bring him to N17 this summer.

The North London club are now working behind the scenes to ensure that his move to the capital gets completed despite a hiccup in proceedings.

Should Gibbs-White end up signing for the Lilywhites, there is one player he will be very excited to link up with next season.

Brennan Johnson and Morgan Gibbs-White’s connection

Brennan Johnson and Morgan Gibbs-White have previously spoken about the strong connection which they share on the pitch.

Johnson and Gibbs-White played together at Nottingham Forest for one season but formed a strong relationship on and off the pitch.

Forest had a tough first season back in the Premier League, but the duo played a key role in helping ensure they remained in the Premier League.

Johnson, who Tottenham signed for £45m, and Gibbs-White scored five and assisted nine times between them during the 2022/23 season, although they did combine on just two occasions.

Gibbs-White told Nottingham Forest’s YouTube channel: “We have a good relationship. I think it all started on the pitch, we built that connection, and it’s just followed off the pitch as well.

“You have to realise what each other’s strengths are and play to those, and I know Bren’s quick and loves running in behind, so I know my job is to get the ball and look for the space in behind to feed him through and put him in on goal.

“It’s just about learning about each other, learning about what we both like doing, and it’s worked so far.”

Tottenham Hotspur could now reunite the duo in North London, and with the duo having significantly grown since then as individuals, this could be a partnership which explodes next term.

The Tottenham forward netted 18 times last term, meanwhile the Forest captain managed ten assists in the Premier League.

Morgan Gibbs-White brings great leadership skills to Tottenham

Gibbs-White’s skillset as a player will add so much to this Tottenham team, but one key thing he will be able to add is his skills as a leader on the pitch.

Forest won’t just be gutted to have lost their talisman, but also their captain, something which makes him such a special addition for Spurs.

This Tottenham team needs personalities and people who will lead by example, and Gibbs-White’s performances for Forest last term showed he is willing to do that.

TBR Football exclusively revealed that Gibbs-White still expects to join Tottenham, despite Forest disputing that Spurs approached him illegally.

Tottenham paid Gibbs-White’s release clause, worth £60m, on Thursday, and the Midlands club want to know how Spurs knew about this secret clause.

The 25-year-old would be an outstanding signing for the Lilywhites, who now face an anxious wait to learn why he will be playing at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next term.

TBR Football understands that one of Tottenham Hotspur’s transfer targets is considering a ‘very good’ contract offer from a club abroad.

Tottenham Hotspur have just had a crazy week in the transfer window, with Mohammed Kudus signing and a deal for Morgan Gibbs-White coming close.

As exclusively revealed by TBR Football, Gibbs-White still expects to join Tottenham, despite Nottingham Forest being unhappy at the situation.

However, a player whom they’d opened talks to sign is now considering an offer from elsewhere, in what could be a slight blow to their transfer plans.

Sources: Kyle Walker-Peters has ‘very good offer’ from Besiktas

TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey can confirm that Kyle Walker-Peters has received a ‘very good offer’ from Besiktas.

The defender is now considering the contract offer, which is believed to be better than anything from England. Walker-Peters left Southampton after his contract expired and is a free agent.

The Lilywhites sold the defender to the Saints back in 2020 in a deal worth around £12 million, and he went on to make over 200 appearances for them.

As TBR Football reported, Tottenham had talks with Walker-Peters about a return move to North London, but these talks did not progress.

Spurs added the 28-year-old to their transfer plans with the need for cover at full-back, and also with him counting as club-trained in the Champions League.

The North London club are going to face possible issues with registering everyone they’d want in their squad for Europe next season. Walker-Peters, who was called ‘extraordinary’, is now looking less likely to happen with a move to Turkey on the cards.

Sources: Dennis Cirkin could be Tottenham’s alternative option

TBR Football revealed earlier this month that Tottenham were also in talks to sign Dennis Cirkin, who was being considered as an option for the full-back area.

The 23-year-old has had several impressive seasons with Sunderland in the Championship, and he is finally set to become a Premier League player.

But, it might not be for the Black Cats with Spurs thinking about bringing him back to N17, four years on from selling him.

Jose Mourinho praised Cirkin back in 2019, when he called the Tottenham academy star a ‘quality’ young player and expressed his excitement to work with him at some stage.

Mourinho told the media: “I couldn’t be at the game, but I watched on video our youth team playing in the [UEFA Youth League], and we also have [Dennis Cirkin].

“OK, he’s 17, but he’s a kid with a lot of quality, and I look forward to bringing him to train with us, and to help his development.”