TBR Football

TBR Football understands that Tottenham Hotspur are working on a deal to sign a young player whom Jose Mourinho has previously called ‘quality’.

Pre-season is just around the corner at Hotspur Way, and Thomas Frank will be eager for new additions to start arriving through the door soon.

Spurs are set for a huge season once again with Champions League football back on the menu at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Daniel Levy is now attempting to bring in fresh faces for his new Danish head coach, and work is continuing on one of their transfer targets.

Tottenham continue work on Dennis Cirkin deal

Tottenham Hotspur are continuing to do work on the signing of Sunderland left-back, Dennis Cirkin, sources have told Graeme Bailey – Chief Correspondent at TBR Football.

The North London club need to bolster their homegrown quota for the Champions League next season, and Cirkin would be ideal, especially given he would also count as club-trained.

The 23-year-old could be a solid backup option behind Destiny Udogie and allow Djed Spence the chance to continue competing with Pedro Porro for the right-back spot.

Cirkin came from Spurs’ academy and was sold to the Stadium of Light back in 2021, following at least three years in North London.

Last season, the left-back played a key role in helping Regis Le Bris’ team to secure promotion as he made 39 appearances, scoring three and assisting two.

TBR Football revealed back in March that Tottenham were keen on Cirkin, and now the Lilywhites are in contact over a deal for the defender.

Meanwhile, Sunderland are ready to move on from the defender and are starting to sound out replacements.

The Black Cats have already signed Reinildo from Atletico Madrid this summer, and TBR Football now understands they are in talks with Melvin Bard, the highly-rated left-back who Manchester United have also watched.

Jose Mourinho’s praise for Dennis Cirkin at Tottenham

Speaking back in 2019, Jose Mourinho hailed Cirkin as a ‘quality’ young player and expressed his excitement to work with him at some stage.

The legendary Portuguese coach said he was excited to help him develop as a player, but never quite got the chance to hand him his Spurs debut.

Speaking back in November 2019, 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.”

Having welcomed Thomas Frank to the club as their new manager, Tottenham Hotspur will soon get to work on crafting a squad that befits his image.

Thomas Frank was famed for getting the most out of the players already at his disposal at Brentford, it wasn’t just about who they were able to sign in the transfer market.

And that must be part of the appeal to Tottenham given that a lot of the talent in N17 wasn’t fully utilised during the Ange Postecoglou era.

Although, Spurs will still look to the transfer market to give Frank a boost, hence why Tottenham are interested in Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United.

However, there’s actually a more pressing concern that Daniel Levy needs to address first.

Tottenham need to sign Joao Palhinha for Thomas Frank’s system

In the summer, Tottenham simply must buy a number six in order to get the best from the system Frank often utilised at Brentford.

At Brentford, Frank’s number six, Christian Norgaard who’s joining Arsenal, often dropped into the back line to act as another centre-back in moments.

And although Archie Gray might one day be able to play that role, he perhaps lacks the physical profile needed right now.

Therefore, Tottenham should seriously consider a move to Bayern Munich’s Joao Palhinha.

Now 29-years-old, Palhinha was an immense talent in the Premier League with Fulham, but he has struggled for rhythm and game time in the Bundesliga with Bayern.

As a result, Bayern are ready to sell Palhinha, a midfielder they bought for £47m last year, and Spurs might even be able to pick up a bargain.

Tottenham do have both Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma on their books, but neither are perfect for the role.

Mohammed Kudus isn’t the player Spurs should be prioritising

To thrive under Frank, Tottenham need a physical defensive midfielder who’s able to do all of the unseen work in the middle.

Spurs’ midfield was bypassed with ease all too often in the Postecoglou era, and Palhinha’s arrival would change that immediately.

TBR Football understands that Tottenham are pushing to sign Kudus from West Ham right now, but they should be more focused on a structural signing like Palhinha who could be integral to next season’s efforts.

Of course, it’s not only Palhinha who could come in and impress, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Larsson would also be an excellent candidate for the role.

And whilst Tottenham have shown interest in Larsson, he might be incredibly expensive to sign this summer.

Frankfurt might already lose striker Hugo Ekitike to the Premier League, and therefore might be reluctant to sell the young Swedish midfielder as well.

Cristian Romero’s name is likely to dominate the headlines at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this transfer window.

Romero is strongly linked to Atletico Madrid, who are desperate to make the Argentine their marquee signing this summer.

However, Thomas Frank wants to keep Romero in North London, and the Lilywhites are also pulling out all the stops to make it happen.

As reported by TBR Football, Daniel Levy has offered Romero a huge contract that would make him Tottenham Hotspur’s highest-paid player, and the 27-year-old has now made his feelings clear about the deal.

Cristian Romero doesn’t want to sign new Tottenham contract

Cristian Romero has made it clear to Tottenham and Levy that his desire to leave is not about money, but about wanting to take the next step in his career.

TBR Football revealed last month that Spurs were ready to make him a significant contract; however, Romero’s heart was set on a move to Atletico Madrid.

According to Fernando Czyz, Romero is believed to have told Levy: “It’s not a matter of money but of professional challenges. I love Tottenham and it will always be in my heart.”

Levy has now reluctantly accepted that he might have to sell the World Cup winner this summer, although Atletico are yet to make an acceptable offer.

TBR Football’s understanding of the situation is that the Spanish club are offering £55 million for the defender, but Levy is holding out for around £70 million.

Spurs might now need to start thinking about replacements for the Argentine international who evidently wants to make the switch to the Metropolitano.

Castelo Lukeba could replace Cristian Romero at Tottenham

Tottenham are one of the clubs attracted to the possibility of signing RB Leipzig defender Castelo Lukeba, according to Foot Mercato.

Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Spurs are the three clubs that have expressed an interest in the young Frenchman.

The 22-year-old has a £78 million release clause with the German club, although they are open to negotiating for a lower fee.

Luka Vuskovic became a Tottenham player this week as his £12 million transfer to the club finally became official after two years.

The young Croatian international could be another solid answer to Spurs’ bid to replace Romero if he does leave.

TBR Football understands that Tottenham Hotspur have just had a bid worth £55 million rejected for one of Thomas Frank’s key targets.

The North London club are soon preparing to return for pre-season training, and they will be doing so with a new manager in charge in Thomas Frank.

Spurs will also be hopeful that by the time pre-season rolls around, there will also be some fresh faces walking through the door at Hotspur Way.

Daniel Levy is currently working on a deal to get one of the Danish head coach’s top transfer requests through the door, but his latest offer has just been refused.

Tottenham have second Mohammed Kudus bid rejected

Graeme Bailey – Chief Correspondent at TBR Football – has now been informed that Tottenham Hotspur have had a bid of £55 million rejected for Mohammed Kudus.

The Lilywhites’ offer is believed to have been a fixed fee of £50 million plus £5 million in add-ons, with the bid having been logged earlier this week. Spurs offered £50 million last month, which, of course, was also refused.

West Ham United decided to reject the latest offer and are standing firm over their asking price, adamant that any accepted offer must at least start with a six.

The Hammers want around £65 million for Kudus and feel they are being quite reasonable, given his £84 million release clause at the London Stadium.

As TBR Football has already revealed, Kudus really wants to join Tottenham and views the move as a great opportunity for his career.

West Ham need to sell Kudus to help fund their own moves in the transfer market, owing to their current financial situation.

Talks between Tottenham, Kudus and West Ham remain ongoing, and despite interest from other clubs, the North Londoners remain the most advanced in a deal.

Levy believes Frank could turn Kudus into a star, given the work that he did at Brentford with the likes of Ollie Watkins, Bryan Mbeumo and Ivan Toney.

When Mohammed Kudus was tipped to win the Ballon d’Or

Kudus is so highly rated back on the continent of Africa, and last season, the forward was tipped to, at some stage, eventually win the Ballon d’Or.

During the 2023/24 season, Kudus lit up the London Stadium as he managed 18 goals and 10 assists in 48 appearances.

The West Ham attacker is also believed to have the ability to become the best African player, which Frank could be the coach to help unlock.

Speaking back in February 2024, Kudus’ former youth coach, Jeremy Seethal, told The Athletic: “Give it two years, Kudus will be the best African player.

“I’m confident that one day he will win the Ballon d’Or. Everyone has seen his growth. Now he’s shining at the highest level. He’s a superstar.”

When Tottenham Hotspur signed a young Gareth Bale from Southampton back in 2007, few would have predicted that he would go on to become one of the 21st century’s best players.

Bale, who arrived at Tottenham as a left-back, struggled to make an impact initially, so much so that he was linked with a move to Birmingham City.

However, Bale eventually got into his stride and, within a few years, made a name for himself as one of the Premier League’s most exciting forwards.

Bale eventually earned himself a move to Real Madrid, becoming the world’s most expensive player for some time.

And later on in his career, after winning all there was to win at the Bernabeu, Bale returned to Tottenham on a season-long loan.

Now, Bale has delivered a one-word verdict on both Spurs and on Harry Redknapp, the manager who got the best out of him at N17.

Tottenham a hotbed of ‘memories’ for Gareth Bale as Harry Redknapp deemed a ‘legend’

Gareth Bale took part in TNT Sports’ latest Word Association game, in which he was asked to sum up a number of related topics with one word.

When it came to Tottenham, Bale said “memories”, and when it came to Harry Redknapp, the Welsh icon described him as a “legend”.

Other Spurs-related topics included Luka Modric, who Bale deemed “class”, Ledley King, who was dubbed “underrated”, Peter Crouch (“tall”) and White Hart Lane (“atmosphere”).

@tntsportsfootball Champions League, Cristiano Ronaldo & Luka Modric… Gareth Bale plays Word Association 🗣️ #garethbale #cristianoronaldo #ronaldo #cr7 #bale #spurs #championsleague ♬ original sound – TNT Sports Football

What Sir Alex Ferguson once said about Gareth Bale which stunned Harry Redknapp

In Bale’s early days at Tottenham, he incurred an unwelcome record – Spurs failed to win any of the first 24 games he featured in.

And Redknapp revealed that Sir Alex Ferguson actually suggested he wouldn’t put Bale on the pitch for Manchester United, had this streak of bad luck occurred at Old Trafford instead of N17.

“Gareth had that horrendous statistic hanging round his neck of not winning a game, which ultimately stretched to 24 games, when we went to play Manchester United at Old Trafford,” Redknapp wrote in The Telegraph.

“After the game, Alex said to me, ‘b—-y hell, Harry, it must be difficult for you to put him on the field’.

“Alex was big on superstitions and I am still not sure to this day whether he was joking or not, but it was clearly a huge topic.

“It was not a nice thing for Gareth to deal with and it must have affected him.

“Whether he started the game or came off the bench, Spurs did not win, and it became a bit of a joke outside the club – and inside the dressing room as well.

“Gareth just got on with it. Eventually, we won a game with him in the team, beating Burnley 5-0, and he never looked back.”

In the end, that statistic is now one of the most insignificant of footnotes in Bale’s career.

Tottenham Hotspur fans have an exciting season to look forward to, with new manager Thomas Frank set to lead the club into the Champions League.

As reigning Europa League champions, Tottenham have qualified for Europe’s premier club competition despite their poor domestic campaign in 2024/25.

In addition, Thomas Frank has a great record in the Premier League, which means there are high hopes that Spurs will have a better domestic campaign next time round.

According to Alasdair Gold, everyone who has met Frank so far has been very impressed, claiming he’s a very detailed manager who is a good character too.

Now, Tottenham fans have expressed their delight at some off-the-pitch news which many feel has been long overdue.

Tottenham fans buzzing over return of the Bill Nicholson Gates

On Wednesday, Tottenham’s media team announced that the famous Bill Nicholson Gates would be installed at their new stadium.

The Bill Nicholson Gates stood proudly in front of White Hart Lane for generations, but have been kept in storage since 2015.

Now, they will be coming home, with Tottenham announcing they would be reinstated at the stadium in the coming weeks.

Fans are delighted with the news, with one writing on X: “Absolutely love this decision and post!

“Was only thinking about these the other day and shame they can’t be upheld, due to size of the stadium etc.

“Will be great to see them again & bring back so much nostalgia.”

Another supporter said: “Those were the days! Best manager in the history of the club.”

The praise kept coming, with one fan saying: “About time something I kept contacting the club over glad we are getting them back.”

Another wrote: “I know we’re all waiting for a big signing, but this is amazing. Thank you.”

One felt it was long overdue, saying: “Like a new signing well done only took 5 years to bring a set of old gates back.”

Another said: “Gates are a portal! The spirit of our players shall return!! COYS.”

Where the Bill Nicholson Gates will be located at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Tottenham confirmed on their official website that, after working in close consultation with the Fan Advisory Board, the gates would be installed within PAXTON17, between the Ticket Office and historic buildings at the north of the stadium.

Spurs also said enabling works have now commenced with a view to the gates being in position ahead of the club’s first home Premier League match of the season against Burnley on Saturday 16 August.

‘The gates will provide a fantastic photo opportunity for fans on matchdays and a key point of local interest – forming part of our Heritage Tour that offers fans and visitors an in-depth journey through the Club and the area’s storied past, architectural gems and the remarkable individuals who have shaped its legacy,’ the Tottenham media team added.

Tottenham Hotspur’s hunt for an attacking signing goes on, with a move for one of their top targets now looking to be dead in the water.

With pre-season just around the corner, Thomas Frank will be hoping that the North London club’s plans can start to move forward quickly.

The Danish head coach will need time to assess his new squad at Hotspur Way, however, the need for attacking reinforcements is clear.

But now, one of the transfer targets with whom Spurs had held talks to sign looks to be off the cards following his latest move at his current club.

Tottenham fans want Daniel Levy to move swiftly on from Antoine Semenyo

Tottenham Hotspur fans are urging Daniel Levy to move swiftly on from Bournemouth attacker Antoine Semenyo, who now looks unlikely to join.

Semenyo has signed a new contract with Bournemouth, which follows his impressive campaign on the South Coast with the Cherries.

The 25-year-old managed to score an impressive 13 goals and a further seven assists in 42 appearances across all competitions.

His form saw him attract a lot of Premier League interest, with Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle all holding talks with his representatives.

However, TBR Football understands that Bournemouth valued Semenyo at £70m, which put plenty of clubs off from making a move.

The South Coast club never seemed likely to let him leave, having already lost Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid and Milos Kerkez to Liverpool.

Spurs appreciated Semenyo, but they did not like him enough to pay £70m. Now, following his deal being signed, the Lilywhites’ supporters have taken to X to call for the club to move swiftly on.

One fan said: “Semenyo has officially signed a new contract with Bournemouth. Kudus and Simons are our only two links left. Personally, I would like Simons more, but I do think Kudus can bolster the squad.”

Another added: “Thought he was overpriced, hopefully this helps speed up the process. Semenyo right now is worth £45m, maybe £50m, but £70m killed him, he just ain’t worth that yet.”

There were further calls for Spurs to start looking elsewhere: “This practically rules out any chance of Semenyo joining Tottenham in this window, and, honestly, I don’t see any problem with that. They were already asking for a fortune with the old contract (£70m or more), imagine now with the new one… Time to focus on Kudus, Simons, or Eze.”

Another fan again questioned the forward’s price tag: “£70m for Semenyo is ridiculous. Nobody would pay it.”

Tottenham must target Mohammed Kudus over Eberechi Eze

So now the question is, where do Tottenham turn next, and the answer looks to be between Eberechi Eze or Mohammed Kudus.

TBR Football understands that Kudus is Tottenham’s most advanced option now, with talks ongoing with both West Ham United and the player.

Kudus really wants to join Tottenham and at this stage, Spurs have no fear of their move for the Ghanaian international being hijacked, with Chelsea still keen.

Meanwhile, Tottenham’s Eze talks have cooled, with Kudus now their top transfer target in the final third.

Kudus could actually be perfect for Frank’s team due to his superb dribbling ability, which is something Spurs have been missing.

Since the start of the 2023/24 season, no Premier League player has completed more dribbles than Kudus, with 207 in total.

Dejan Kulusevski has managed the most for Spurs during that time; he has completed just 86 dribbles.

New Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank will soon get to work in N17, assessing the squad he’s inheriting from Ange Postecoglou.

Despite Spurs’ Europa League win under Postecoglou, many Tottenham fans believe that the squad’s talent wasn’t being utilised to its full potential.

Of course, that’s something Thomas Frank will need to prove — his first task will be improving the players he’s already got in north London.

And fortunately for Spurs fans, Frank did an exceptional job of doing exactly that at Brentford.

But Daniel Levy will also make life easier for Frank by trying to add one or two stand-out talents during the transfer window — when the likes of Johan Lange will be working tirelessly.

Eberechi Eze would be a much better signing than Mohammed Kudus

That being said, Tottenham are interested in signing Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United this summer, a deal that is beginning to gather pace.

In fact, Frank has just approved a move for Kudus, meaning there’s a real possibility that the Ghana international could become a Spurs player.

However, Tottenham might be making a mistake if Kudus is being signed instead of Eberechi Eze this summer.

For a long time, Spurs have been interested in Eze and a lot of fans in N17 probably believed that the Crystal Palace player would one day wear their club colours.

However, Spurs now look to be edging towards Kudus having cooled their interest in Eze — and from the outside looking in, the club’s logic is hard to follow.

Kudus does have a lot of talent, but Eze is the standout attacking midfielder who is somewhat available in the Premier League this summer.

Mohammed Kudus isn’t a huge upgrade for Thomas Frank

If Tottenham sign Kudus, he will predominantly come in to compete with Brennan Johnson in a right wing role, even if he is versatile across most attacking positions.

However, if Eze arrived in north London, he’d be an immediate and undisputed starter in a number 10 or eight role, perhaps replacing James Maddison.

Eze would immediately improve Tottenham’s starting eleven, whereas Kudus might prove similar to Johnson, Mathys Tel and even Maddison in a lot of ways.

Kudus is a supremely talented player but after a strong first season for West Ham, he was quite inconsistent last term — something that could never be said of Eze.

Eze is ready to leave Palace this summer, and it’s not very often that a player of his quality is available.

In fact, Tottenham can even pay Eze’s release clause in installments, and it is really hard to understand why Frank’s new side have suddenly lost interest.

And given his eye for talent, the Danish manager should already be demanding that Spurs change course in the transfer market — Eze is worth the hassle.

Eze will cost around £60m this summer, and it seems as if a similar fee might also be enough to tempt West Ham to sell Kudus.

But as things stand, Spurs will potentially be sending their bid to the wrong London rival.

Tottenham Hotspur had a terrible season last time around, but they capped it off in some style.

Indeed, Tottenham won their first trophy in 17 years with a Europa League triumph in Bilbao.

Brennan Johnson was the man of the hour after his winning goal vs Manchester United, while Ange Postecoglou will go down in history for delivering the first piece of silverware to Tottenham’s new stadium.

Daniel Levy didn’t take much credit, but, like it or not, he has had a big part to play here.

Speaking on Open Goal, Jermain Defoe has been discussing the Tottenham chairman, and he shared an interesting exchange he had with Levy after the Europa League final.

Jermain Defoe shares Daniel Levy text exchange

Defoe shared the message he received from Levy after Spurs won the Europa League.

Defoe has often defended Levy from criticism, and he remains close with the Tottenham chairman.

According to the former striker, Levy text him to say how much the win meant to him after the match.

“Do you know what it is with Daniel. People don’t know Daniel. He has this sort of perception. Daniel is a proper businessman. I know people have opinions, but if you want to go into business and run a club, who would you look at? The best training ground, the best in class, the best coaches in the academy, the best stadium, he’s managed to do that,” Defoe said.

“Now that Tottenham have won a trophy, it meant so much to him, I messaged him before the game and he said to me that ‘this means so much to me, he said this means so much to me and the football club,’ and you saw some clips afterwards and you could see afterwards he was buzzing.”

Jermain Defoe is excited for Thomas Frank’s arrival

Levy was over the moon after winning the Europa League, but that happiness soon faded as he made the difficult decision to sack Ange Postecoglou.

Postecoglou went from hero to zero at Tottenham as he went from lifting a major trophy to the unemployment line almost overnight.

Thomas Frank has replaced Postecoglou, and Defoe has already got behind the manager.

“I spent a day with him last season, I went to Brentford with Justin Cochrane, who is the coach. I spent a day, just to watch training and how they did things there, and it was amazing. I was so impressed,” Defoe said.

When asked if Frank would be a good fit for Tottenham, he said: “Unbelievable! Unbelievable man, unbelievable coach. For all the Tottenham fans listening, you’ve got a top manager there.”

Tottenham may have had a disappointing campaign last time around, but it could well be onwards and upwards from here after their Europa League win.

Plenty of Tottenham Hotspur players are set for clean slates under Thomas Frank during pre-season training.

In the next few weeks, Spurs players are due to arrive back at Hotspur Way to begin preparation for next season, in which Thomas Frank will be assessing his new squad.

The 2025/26 campaign is set to be a big one for the North London club as they return to the Champions League, along with the hope of improving on last term’s 17th-place finish.

Spurs supporters have now been discussing one player who could suddenly benefit from the arrival of Frank and play a key role next term.

Tottenham fans think Pape Matar Sarr could become key under Thomas Frank

Tottenham Hotspur fans actually think that Pape Matar Sarr could become a key player under Frank next season and he hasn’t yet shown his full potential.

The midfielder played a pivotal role in the Europa League final for Spurs as he played the ball in which Brennan Johnson eventually turned home to win 1-0.

Last pre-season, Ange Postecoglou called Sarr ‘unbelievable’, although the youngster struggled to break into his plans on a regular basis.

The 22-year-old still managed to play 55 times last term, but was often in and out of the starting line-up, and there is a sense he can still improve so much.

Spurs fans share that sentiment and have taken to X to share their views on the young Senegalese international.

One fan said: “So much potential with this lad under Frank. Has the engine to run for days. The fact that Ange never coached him was criminal. He will be so pivotal for when we play a 3-5-2.”

Another claimed: “Did it with Johnson at his lowest point and he won us the UEFA Europa League. Invest in Sarr, this man is going to be phenomenal next season.”

There was yet more praise for Sarr: “Think he is gonna shine under Frank in the double pivot role. We have so many options now with Bergvall, Gray, Bentancur and Maddison.”

Finally, another supporter added: “There’s no reason Archie Gray and Pape Sarr can’t become the mystical ‘proper’ midfielder everyone keeps talking about. They are extremely high-ceiling players and anyone who thinks the club is dropping significant money on a player to block their development is insane.”

Tottenham still need to sign another midfielder this summer

Regardless of the role that Sarr could play, Tottenham still need to sign another midfielder this summer.

Spurs need a holding midfielder who can add some real steel to the middle of the park for the Lilywhites, which was certainly missed last term.

Frank’s system means that his midfield set up could change a fair bit, with a double pivot used at times, or that could change to a three at times.

Therefore, plenty of options in the middle are needed, but with Yves Bissouma potentially leaving Tottenham, the signing of a number six could be key.

Lucas Bergvall is likely to be the first name on the teamsheet next season, and it will be about finding him a partner who is happy to sit and do the dirty work.