TBR Football

Tottenham Hotspur have never been an easy club to negotiate with.

Daniel Levy is a nightmare during transfer talks, and many players who have wanted to leave the club in the past have learnt that the hard way.

Luka Modric once said he ‘resented’ Levy for how difficult he made his move to Real Madrid over a decade ago.

Now, Bryan Gil has shared what happened when he had one foot out the Tottenham door.

Bryan Gil says Tottenham blocked his move to Valencia ‘at the last minute’

Tottenham signed Gil from Sevilla in a deal where they paid £22 million and also sent Erik Lamela the other way (Goal).

The Spaniard was viewed as a big talent at the time, and many people felt that Spurs had landed a gem for the future.

However, Gil’s time at Tottenham hasn’t been great at all.

Gil has been sent out on loan on three occasions by Spurs, the first of which was to Valencia in Spain in January 2022.

The attacker has now revealed that he had ‘packed his bags’ and was ready to return to Valencia in the following summer, and the deal was ’99 per cent done’.

But, Tottenham blocked the move in the end.

He said, as per Super Deporte: “I didn’t decide to stay. In fact, I was going to go to Valencia again for the whole year.

“During the negotiations, they told me it was practically a done deal. Tottenham needed a few days to finalise it, but it was 99 per cent done; they had already spoken with the sporting director.

“But at the last minute, they told me no, that I had to stay. It wasn’t my intention to stay; I wanted to leave, and they didn’t let me. I had my bags packed, 99 per cent sure I was going to leave.”

Bryan Gil’s stats from his last loan spell prove one thing

After blocking his move to Valencia in the summer of 2022, Tottenham sent Gil on loan to Sevilla just six months later, in January 2023.

After half a season there, the attacker joined Girona on loan for the whole of the 2024/25 season, but his numbers there don’t look great at all.

Just seven direct goal contributions in a season, even though he showed flashes of magic at times, is not a great return at all.

Tottenham Hotspur might have the opportunity to sell Guglielmo Vicario this summer immediately after Thomas Frank’s arrival.

Guglielmo Vicario arrived at Tottenham under Ange Postecoglou’s watch, a signing that was reportedly recommended to the club by Fabricio Paratici.

Initially, Vicario was a very welcome addition in N17, he looked well-positioned to replace Hugo Lloris and he immediately made a good impression at Spurs.

But his strong leadership was suddenly undermined by mistakes in north London, Vicario was struggling at set-pieces in particular and he often lost Tottenham points.

And despite Spurs’ success in the Europa League final, they were ultimately nearly cost late on by a typical Vicario error — a goalkeeper who is excellent in some areas, but flawed in others.

That being said, TBR Football recently shared that AC Milan want to buy Vicario, and Tottenham should jump at that chance.

Chelsea’s Djordje Petrovic is the smart replacement for Guglielmo Vicario at Spurs

Of course, in the event that Spurs sold Vicario back to Italy, many Tottenham fans might assume that Antonin Kinsky would merely make the step up.

However, there’s an outside of the box solution that Spurs should definitely be considering — Chelsea’s Djordje Petrovic.

In the past, Petrovic failed to win the number one spot at Chelsea, hence the club’s decision to loan him to BlueCo’s French side RC Strasbourg.

And in the 2024/25 season, there were very few goalkeepers better than Petrovic in European football, a 25-year-old who could have a point to prove back in England.

According to reports, Petrovic had told Chelsea that he wanted to be number one this season upon return — something that’s unlikely to happen given that he’s been put up for sale.

And TBR Football understands that Petrovic would probably cost around €25m (£21m) for interested clubs this summer, a player Chelsea are happy to part ways with.

Petrovic can make up for Vicario’s biggest weakness at Spurs

From watching Vicario in the Premier League, many would conclude that his failure to command his box at set-pieces was his biggest weakness.

However, judging by FB Ref’s data, it’s also Vicario’s shot stopping that needs work.

Based on Petrovic’s progress last season, he is a much more consistent performer than Vicario, who clearly is making too many errors in a Tottenham shirt.

And whilst Petrovic might not be the big name that some Spurs fans would want, especially given that he’s underwhelmed at Chelsea somewhat, he could be a really smart addition.

Moreover, Petrovic’s frustrations in west London might only make him even more motivated to succeed in N17 were Tottenham to make a move.

Either way, it’s clear that Spurs should cash in on Vicario this summer, whether it’s for Petrovic or someone else.

For all Daniel Levy’s talents as an administrator, Tottenham are regressing under his leadership and the ongoing system reset after a truly bizarre 2024-25 campaign must touch almost every area of the club.

May’s Europa League triumph, which proved to be Ange Postecoglou’s final hurrah as Spurs boss, has given the club a lifeline as they embark on another rebuild: cold, hard Champions League cash.

With Thomas Frank now installed as manager and a new-look board having been assembled behind the scenes, Tottenham can count on around £60m of income from UEFA before a ball is kicked next season.

That has given ENIC some flexibility when setting the budget for this summer’s transfer market.

If they had no European football in 2025-26, the owners would likely have had to put money into the club. Historically, they have been reluctant to do so, instead asking the club to subsist on its own revenue.

With Champions League income guaranteed, Spurs are courting Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo and have confirmed the permanent capture of Matthys Tel from Bayern Munich after he spent the second half of 2024-25 on loan in North London.

If they do successfully hijack Manchester United’s move for Mbuemo, he and Tel will probably set Spurs back the best part of £90m. Again, that’s with ENIC putting no money into the club and with two-and-a-half months of the transfer window remaining.

Granted, their expenditure will be subsidised by some departures, with Cristian Romero now fully expected to leave Tottenham this summer. However, offsetting that, you have the club’s transfer debt, which was one of the highest in the Premier League at the last count at £337m.

That they are able to balance those commitments with considerable expenditure is thanks to their commercial operation, which is Daniel Levy’s magnum opus in N5.

Tottenham’s annual income from sponsorship, merchandise and events has tripled since their last season at White Hart Lane from £76m to £255m in 2023-24. Significantly, the growth has been largely decoupled from performances on the pitch.

And while Spurs fans understandably roll their eyes at some of the club’s more nakedly commercial moves, it’s that revenue resilience which means they can be competitive in the transfer and wage market even in a fallow year. The problem isn’t how much Spurs have spent, it’s how they’ve spent it.

It’s through a commercial lens that Levy sees everything. The problem is that too often comes at the expense of Spurs on the pitch and the interests of fans, with resources and brain power misallocated.

And news from the football finance sphere provides the latest example.

Daniel Levy wants fewer matches, reducing size of Premier League on the table

Player welfare and workload has long been as much as a divisive issue in Premier League boardrooms as it is among players and fans. Given their abysmal injury record last season, Spurs have often been front and centre of the debate, held up as an example of the dangers of burnout.

Often, the assumption is that more matches equates to more revenue, so shareholders like Levy must be in favour, right? Well, there is in fact a growing push in the other direction.

At Spurs’ annual fan forum last September, Levy said: “We would like to see less games but higher-quality games. So if that means we have to see some changes in some of our competitions, then so be it. I think in the end that’s in the long-term interest of the players.”

On face value, what Levy’s stance chimes with concerns raised by players’ union FIFPro, who late last week released a 12-point plan designed by medical and performance experts to safeguard players.

As quoted by The Mirror, the 12-point plan’s proposals are:

Off season break – minimum of four weeks’ rest between seasons

Black out – break must include two weeks with no contact with club or national team

Pre-season – minimum of four weeks’ training

Monitoring – clubs must give players option of wellness program in break

Rest and recovery – minimum of two days between games

Injury recovery – players must be cleared by doctor before resuming training

Day off – players must have mandatory one day off each week

Mid-season break – one week off mid-season each year

Travel – must be taken into account when scheduling fixtures

Travel rules – recovery after long haul flights

Young player safeguards – workload restrictions on under-18s

Safeguards on under-21 players

But why, when fewer matches equals fewer revenue opportunities, is Levy in favour?

“Daniel Levy would love a smaller Premier League,” says University of Liverpool football finance and Price of Football podcast host Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to TBR Football.

“Although, that might have seen them relegated in 2024-25 if there was an 18-team division.

“They want a smaller Premier League because it increases the opportunities for pre and post-season tours. Spurs are a global brand and they don’t want to be wasting their time playing small clubs when there are more lucrative opportunities.

“We’re moving to an expanded Club World Cup and potentially an even bigger format in the Champions League, wherein rather than having four home and away matches, you could have six very easily.

“It’s all about yield per fan, per match. It’s not about who the opponents are. If the opponents are more glamorous then Bournemouth or Crystal Palace, that’s more money to be made as far as Daniel Levy is concerned.”

Tottenham to push for expanded Club World Cup?

As Maguire mentions, we’re currently in the midst of the first edition of the expanded Club World Cup.

Aside from concerns about the new FIFA competition being a blatant cash grab, the event poses further concerns about player welfare, with participating European clubs’ squads stretched paper-thin.

However, several Premier League clubs are actively lobbying FIFA to expand the event to 48 teams and, in particular, raise the limit of two clubs per nation allowed to compete.

Tottenham are one of the side for whom this would make commercial sense.

If the winner of the inaugural 32-team Club World Cup is from Europe (the distribution mechanism is weighted towards them), they will earn a maximum of £97m, making it the most lucrative event per match in football history.

If, say, four English clubs were allowed to compete in the tournament, it would give Spurs a good chance of qualification in each four-year cycle.

Currently, they are the sixth-highest English club in UEFA’s coefficient rankings, which is how FIFA determine which clubs will qualify for the next tournament in 2029.

Tottenham are looking to add another attacker to the squad for Thomas Frank.

Spurs have already signed Mathys Tel in a £30m move from Bayern Munich, after the France U21 international did enough to impress during his loan spell in the second half of last season.

However, Tottenham are still looking to bolster the attacking department further for Thomas Frank after the Dane replaced Ange Postecoglou, and talks are now set to commence with Rennes over the signing of Arnaud Kalimuendo.

Tottenham Hotspur to open Arnaud Kalimuendo talks after Newcastle held discussions

L’Equipe now claim that Tottenham are ready to start speaking to Rennes about a deal for the France U23 international.

The French news outlet state that Newcastle have already held talks with the Ligue 1 outfit over a deal for Kalimuendo – who Leeds also want to sign – and Bayer Leverkusen have been in negotiations too.

However, Tottenham have now decided to ‘accelerate’ their pursuit of the 23-year-old in the last few hours, and are set to get in touch with Rennes to discuss how much it would take to sign the striker.

Kalimuendo scored 18 goals in 34 appearances across all competitions last season – also providing four assists – as Rennes finished 12th in Ligue 1.

Arnaud Kalimuendo might be the Yoane Wissa alternative for Thomas Frank

Tottenham want to sign Bryan Mbeumo to bolster the wide attacking areas, but Frank is also keen on bringing Yoane Wissa to Spurs with him from Brentford as well.

It will surely be difficult to sign one of Wissa or Mbeumo – who scored 19 and 20 Premier League goals respectively last season – let alone both, although the data suggests Kalimuendo could be an alternative to Wissa, at least.

Statistics site FBREF show that the DR Congo international is a similar player to the Rennes No.9 in terms of data, with both thriving when it comes to non-penalty goals, progressive carries up the pitch and take ons.

Therefore, it is entirely possible that Spurs have received a negative response from Brentford regarding Wissa, and have consequently decided to step up interest in Kalimuendo.

Tottenham and Chelsea are bitter rivals.

There is even a Premier League game dubbed the Battle of the Bridge given the gruesome nature of some challenges during that particular London derby, as Chelsea and Tottenham went face to face back in May 2016.

Despite this hatred, Tottenham could actually be about to do Chelsea a favour in the transfer market regarding the pursuit of AC Milan No.16 Mike Maignan.

Tottenham decide they are open to selling Guglielmo Vicario to AC Milan, and a deal would surely free up Mike Maignan exit

The France international almost moved to Stamford Bridge recently.

Chelsea pushed to sign Maignan from AC Milan before the start of the FIFA Club World Cup, with a deal only possible until the deadline on Tuesday 10th June.

An agreement did not materialise, although TBR Football understand Chelsea plan to resume talks with AC Milan once the FIFA Club World Cup is over, and Tottenham could now help a deal progress.

TBR Football have been told that AC Milan are keen to sign Tottenham No.1 Guglielmo Vicario, and Spurs are open to selling the Italy international for the right price.

Should Spurs hand AC Milan a ready-made Maignan replacement, it will surely make the Serie A side more likely to sanction a move to Chelsea for the Frenchman.

Chelsea also plan to resurrect talks for another player

Maignan is not the only player Chelsea were hoping to sign before the FIFA Club World Cup kicked off.

Chelsea came close to signing Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund before the June 10th transfer deadline, but were unable to agree a fee with the Bundesliga side.

However, like Maignan, we understand the Blues plan to pick negotiations back up once the tournament in the United States ends on July 15th.

Tottenham Hotspur players now find themselves on a level playing field after Thomas Frank replaced Ange Postecoglou.

The slate has been wiped clean, meaning even those the Australian rarely fielded could soon become key players if they manage to excite the Dane from day one.

Mathys Tel has already impressed Frank enough for Spurs to spend £30m on a permanent deal for the Frenchman, after his loan spell last term.

Now, Antonin Kinsky could get an opportunity to become No.1 under Thomas Frank after Tottenham made a decision on Guglielmo Vicario.

Antonin Kinsky must be on tenterhooks as Spurs could sell Guglielmo Vicario to AC Milan

TBR Football understand Tottenham are open to selling Vicario this summer after AC Milan expressed an interest in signing the Italy international.

It is still early days yet, but if this sale materialises, it would open the door for Kinsky to really make the No.1 shirt his own in north London.

The 22-year-old was signed in a £12.5m move from Slavia Prague back in January amidst a time where Vicario and Fraser Forster were both unavailable for Postecoglou, and made ten appearances before the Italian eventually returned to full fitness and reclaimed his starting berth.

Kinsky kept three clean sheets and conceded 17 goals in these ten outings.

£12.5m is a sizeable investment for such a young goalkeeper – Vicario himself only cost £17m as a full Italy international aged 26 – so if AC Milan do take the Tottenham No.1 this summer, the Czech glovesman is likeliest to be selected by Frank as his replacement.

What Ange Postecoglou and Djed Spence said about Antonin Kinsky

Djed Spence would surely back Kinsky for the No.1 role if Vicario does return to Italy, having already praised the Tottenham No.31 shortly after his winter arrival.

The 24-year-old said: “He brings composure. As a keeper, he’s very good with the ball, so I think that’s one of his main strengths as well.”

Postecoglou also praised Kinsky, adding: “I’ve been really happy with Toni… really, really pleased to get Toni into the club, because we think he’s going to be an outstanding goalkeeper and (there is) nobody better to work alongside than Vic.”

TBR Football understands that Guglielmo Vicario is high on AC Milan’s transfer target wishlist, with new manager Max Allegri keen on the Tottenham Hotspur shot-stopper.

AC Milan are losing Mike Maignan, despite his move to Chelsea falling through last week as he is still expected to be sold this summer.

The Rossoneri have started drawing up a list of targets, and the 28-year-old is a player who is right near the top of the names that they are after.

Vicario had a rather mixed campaign in North London last term as he made many incredible saves but also had some rather suspect moments at times.

Tottenham have considered selling Guglielmo Vicario

Some of Tottenham Hotspur’s hierarchy have been considering Guglielmo Vicario’s position, but a new goalkeeper was not seen as something at the top of their ‘to-do’ list

However, sources have told TBR Football that there is a deal to be done and AC Milan are looking at potential options with Vicario very high on their list.

Ange Postecoglou really liked Vicario and described him as a ‘wonderful asset’ for the club, which leaves some question marks over Spurs being open to selling him.

Gianluigi Donnarumma would be Milan’s ‘dream’ signing, TBR Football has been told, but it is far from certain that Paris Saint-Germain will allow him to leave.

Even if the European champions were to make him available for transfer, the competition for the 26-year-old’s signature would be substantial.

With that in mind, Milan are now looking at other targets, and Vicario is seen as one of their best options on their shortlist.

How could Tottenham and Thomas Frank replace Guglielmo Vicario?

Should Spurs allow Vicario to make the switch to the San Siro, Thomas Frank could either bring in a new goalkeeper or stick with what he already has available.

Back in January, Tottenham signed Antonin Kinsky and the young Czech Republic goalkeeper could be perfect for Frank’s team.

The 22-year-old made quite an impression on his debut for the club after keeping a clean sheet against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup.

Frank could also turn to the transfer market and use the funds from the sale of the Italian goalkeeper to sign a replacement.

Spurs paid £17m to sign Vicario back in the summer of 2023 and would surely expect at least double that fee to sell him.

Mathys Tel became the first signing of the Thomas Frank era at Tottenham Hotspur following a £30m deal with Bayern Munich.

Despite having a rather underwhelming loan spell in North London, Tottenham Hotspur opted to sign the French youth international on a permanent deal.

Bayern fans were sad that Tel was sold, having shown a fair amount of promise during his time at the Allianz Arena.

Now, Frank is the man tasked with unlocking Tel’s potential, and the former Brentford boss’ feelings have just been made so clear.

Thomas Frank is excited to work with Mathys Tel at Tottenham

Thomas Frank is believed to be excited by the prospect of working with Mathys Tel at Tottenham, according to Football.London.

The Danish manager has been studying the 20-year-old and his verdict was that the Frenchman would be a good signing for the Lilywhites.

TBR Football revealed on Sunday that Tottenham paid £30m for Tel to make the deal permanent following a £8.5m loan deal.

Some Tottenham fans are unconvinced by Tel and feel as though he didn’t quite show enough during his loan spell last term.

The youngster scored three goals and got one assist in 20 appearances for the North London club under Ange Postecoglou.

But there have been some suggestions that the Australian manager had been deploying him in the wrong role and under the guidance of Frank, Tel could explode.

Why Mathys Tel could become the next Ollie Watkins under Thomas Frank at Tottenham

Frank has an excellent track record for developing young attackers and there is some serious hope that Tel could become the next Ollie Watkins.

Spurs journalist Tom Barclay has backed the 51-year-old manager to replicate what he did with Watkins with the youngster at Tottenham.

Barclay told his YouTube channel: “The one that I would hope Tel would look at for inspiration when it comes to Frank’s development is Ollie Watkins.

“The reason I say that is because Watkins, when he first for the club, before Frank took over as the main coach, he was a winger, he’d come from Exeter for a modest fee and generally having to play out wide, he even said back then that he never felt he’d get the chance to play through the middle because they had such excellent strikers at the time.

“It was only until his third and final season, when Neal Maupay was sold, and Thomas Frank gave him the confidence to play through the middle, that Watkins thrived.”

Everton are hoping to bring Richarlison back to Merseyside and Tottenham Hotspur fans have been discussing whether or not to sell him.

Everton want two strikers this summer in a bid to bolster David Moyes’ attack and Richarlison is one of the players who is top of their list.

The Brazilian made 152 appearances for the Toffees, scoring an impressive 53 goals, which earned him a £60 million move to Tottenham Hotspur.

But now, Everton want Richarlison to make his long-awaited return to the football club and following the news, Spurs supporters have made their feelings clear about selling him.

Tottenham fans want Richarlison sold to Everton

Tottenham fans have been urging their new manager, Thomas Frank, to offload Richarlison to Everton whilst he has the chance.

The main consensus appears to be that the striker’s poor injury record for the North London club means that he needs to be sold.

TBR Football has reported that Frank will assess Richarlison during pre-season, although there is a sense that the 27-year-old could actually benefit from the Danish manager’s arrival.

Previously, Frank has praised Richarlison, backing him to fill the boots of Harry Kane back at the start of the 2023/24 season.

That hasn’t quite worked out to be the case, and despite his performance in the Europa League final, Tottenham fans are keen for him to be sold to Everton.

One fan said: “Surely he doesn’t need a pre-season to know he and at least eight others aren’t good enough for this Spurs squad.”

Another claimed: “If we can get £30m or swap him for (Iliman) Ndiaye or part of a (Jarrad) Branthwaite deal, he has to go.”

There were further shouts for Richarlison to be sold: “We should be biting their hands off. We need someone better than him; he’s been very poor. Why we signed him in the first place is beyond me.”

Finally, another fan called for him to be sold: “We’ve got to get what we can for him. He’s injured more than he’s fit.”

Tottenham should consider Iliman Ndiaye swap deal with Richarlison

Iliman Ndiaye could be a great option for Tottenham if the Toffees were open to letting him leave in exchange for the Brazilian.

Ndiaye was one of Everton’s bright lights last season as he netted nine times in the Premier League.

The Senegalese international has proved himself to be a very useful, versatile asset for Moyes’ team, and that could also be great for Tottenham.

Tottenham Hotspur have completed their first signing of the summer as Mathys Tel arrives from Bayern Munich.

The France U21 international has signed a six-year contract with Spurs after a fee of £30m was agreed between Tottenham and Bayern Munich, handing Thomas Frank his first permanent capture since officially replacing Ange Postecoglou on Thursday.

Tottenham fans have already expressed some doubt over Mathys Tel – and Bayern Munich supporters have now shared their thoughts too after the German giants announced the sale on X (previously known as Twitter).

Bayern Munich fans upset as Mathys Tel sold to Tottenham

The 20-year-old may only have scored two goals in 13 Premier League appearances after joining Spurs on loan last season, but Bayern Munich fans are still gutted to see him leave the Allianz Arena permanently.

One Bayern Munich supporter kicked off the discussion by posting: “Sorry, but this is a huge mistake. I would have given him another chance with us. Mathys definitely had Bayern in his heart like few others. I fear we’ll regret that.”

Another backed that up by writing: “Thank you, it’s a pity that we sold you but all the best to you. I’d love (for you) to come back.”

A third Bayern Munich fan opined: “The boy has potential, but he was given little trust or playing time, and yet he (still) showed what he was capable of!

“He even learned German just to understand and communicate better with his teammates. It just hurts.”

Tel bravely engaged with Tottenham fans during a difficult period last season, so even at just 20 years of age, the Frenchman is clearly a strong character who cares deeply.

Furthermore, another Bayern Munich fan said: “But we keep someone like (Serge) Gnabry and (Leon) Goretzka. I can’t understand it.”

A fifth simply wrote “you losers have destroyed the next talent” when aiming plenty of anger at Bayern Munich.

The Bavarians spent £25m to sign Tel from Rennes when he was just 17 years of age, but were unable to aid his development, handing him just nine starts in the Bundesliga in total.

Lastly, a sixth Bayern Munich fan posted a similar statement, writing: “Everyone involved failed at every level. How can you let a talent down like that?”

Clearly, a number of Bayern Munich supporters think their club have made a significant error in selling Tel to Tottenham.

Mathys Tel arrival could soon be clouded by Bryan Mbeumo deal as Tottenham attempt Manchester United hijack

Tel is currently the talk of Tottenham after becoming the first signing of the Frank era, but a headline arrival could soon trump him.

Tottenham think they can sign Bryan Mbeumo – who scored 20 Premier League goals under Frank for Brentford last season – despite Manchester United seemingly being in pole position to sign the Cameroon international, after he made it clear he wanted a move to Old Trafford.