TBR Football

Tottenham are on the verge of appointing Thomas Frank as their new head coach, following the sacking of Ange Postecoglou.

The Danish manager faces a tough challenge, with Tottenham’s summer shaped by uncertainty over Cristian Romero’s future.

TBR Football has reported that Daniel Levy will give one final chance of convincing the player to stay but Romero is ‘fully expected’ to leave Tottenham this summer.

His departure will leave a massive void in the heart of the defence, which will need to be adequately filled by Spurs.

Tottenham could sign Nathan Collins to replace Cristian Romero

One potential replacement for Romero is Brentford centre-back Nathan Collins, who is tied to the Bees until 2029.

The 24-year-old defender has impressed in the Premier League under Frank and would seamlessly fit into Tottenham’s setup, familiar with Frank’s style of play.

Collins arrived at Brentford in the summer of 2023 for a club-record £23 million from Wolves. He immediately became a key figure, establishing himself as a defensive mainstay.

This past season, Collins played every minute of Brentford’s Premier League campaign, joining Virgil van Dijk as one of only two outfield players to do so.

Collins is described by the Brentford website as a ‘born leader‘, with the Irish international highly regarded for his leadership, leading the team from the back.

With strong ball-playing skills and aerial dominance, Collins mirrors many of the traits Spurs would want in a Romero replacement.

Nathan Collins’ statistical comparison with Cristian Romero and Virgil van Dijk

Collins was among the best defenders in the league statistically, putting in top performances for Brentford throughout the season.

He had an injury-free season, starting every single Premier League match for Brentford. Romero meanwhile had another season marred with injuries, which saw him miss a major chunk of the season.

Despite playing in a less dominant Brentford team, Collins’ numbers are comparable to those of van Dijk and Romero, proving he has the quality to strengthen any side.

Tottenham would certainly benefit from his addition. However, they will face competition for his signature if they are to make a move.

Arsenal and Newcastle also interested in Nathan Collins

Collins’ performance for Brentford this past season has attracted plenty of attention from top clubs.

TBR Football previously reported that Arsenal are monitoring Collins ahead of a potential summer move.

It has also been reported by TBR Football that Newcastle have also been tracking Collins, with the club taking a growing interest in the Republic of Ireland international in recent months.

And now Frank’s impending appointment and Romero’s potential departure could possibly see Tottenham enter the conversation as well.

Brentford boss Thomas Frank is set to take over at Tottenham.

This comes following Daniel Levy’s decision to sack Ange Postecoglou, just 16 days after the Australian delivered the club’s first trophy in 17 years.

The dismissal came on the back of Spurs’ disappointing 17th-place finish in the Premier League, a decision that left many surprised.

With Frank’s arrival, a change in style and system is expected, which could impact several players in the current squad, both positively and negatively.

Richarlison could become the main striker for Thomas Frank

One player who could benefit from the new era is Richarlison.

The Brazilian has endured a difficult spell at Spurs, with injuries and inconsistent form limiting his impact.

Postecoglou even signed Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth due to the Brazilian’s inability to dominate the striker role, with Spurs paying around £65m to sign him last summer.

However, TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey has been informed that Richarlison could be handed a fresh lease of life under Frank. In fact, there’s a suggestion that the Dane may even favour Richarlison over Solanke as his main striker.

When asked about Richarlison’s future under Frank, Bailey said: “Really interesting, Richarlison. Actually, I was speaking to someone who knows Thomas Frank very well. Just in general about everything and they were saying to me, don’t be surprised if Richarlison becomes that front man for Thomas Frank. He loves that sort of mobile closing down.

“And let’s not forget when Thomas Frank comes in. I’m not and I’m not denigrating Solanke or anything, but he might end up being the Spurs starting number nine. Richarlison wants to be starting and not just start, he wants to be the number nine.

“And I think it’s fascinating. I didn’t really take that into account. I thought Richarlison would be going. We know everything like him and a possible loan deal etc. And we know he’s already rejected Saudi. He doesn’t want to go to Saudi at this point in his career. But I think it’s one to keep an eye on.”

Richarlison’s future at Tottenham

Richarlison has struggled since his big-money move from Goodison Park in 2022 and recent reports stated that Tottenham are looking to sell Richarlison.

Saudi interest in Richarlison has been longstanding, with the most recent approach coming during the January transfer window.

Richarlison turned down a transfer to Saudi at that time, committing himself to an injury-ridden Tottenham side at that time.

While it is now suggested that he could become the key player for Frank, Richarlison’s decision to stay or leave will depend on guaranteed playing time, given that there is a World Cup next year.

New Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti will be keen on selecting him but the player has reportedly been informed that he will need to play regularly for a chance for selection.

Either way, Thomas Frank’s arrival could mark a turning point in Richarlison’s turbulent Tottenham career.

Tottenham Hotspur may not have hit the ground running in the transfer market, but they’re certainly working hard to get their new coaching team in place.

Tottenham agreed terms with Thomas Frank following the departure of Ange Postecoglou and contacted Brentford earlier this week to hold talks regarding compensation and staff.

Now, Spurs are set to bring in Justin Cochrane, Chris Haslam and Joe Newton to work alongside Frank as part of the backroom staff at Tottenham.

In doing so, Tottenham have made a £10million decision which could be extremely beneficial to the likes of Mikey Moore and other young players at Spurs.

Cochrane is the most high-profile of the three coaches set to join Frank at Tottenham, as he is also part of Thomas Tuchel’s England coaching staff.

The 43-year-old is very highly rated, with The Athletic deeming him “among the most promising in the English game”.

And Fabrizio Romano has reported that Tottenham will pay Brentford a compensation fee of £10million for Cochrane.

Cochrane will be a great fit for a Tottenham team that boasts numerous young first-team stars and plenty of top academy talents.

Cochrane has considerable experience working with young players – he was previously an academy coach at Tottenham and has also managed England at various youth levels.

While at Spurs, he helped oversee the development of the likes of Noni Madueke, Kyle Walker-Peters, Japhet Tanganga, Oliver Skipp and Josh Onomah.

In the England setup, he helped nurture the likes of Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento among many others.

Meanwhile, his time at Manchester United saw the club win FA Youth Cup for the first time since 2011, and the side in the final included Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo.

And experience aside, Cochrane is more than just a coach – he’s a great man-manager and a great teacher.

As a result, the likes of Mikey Moore, Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and many others will surely thrive under the new setup.

What has been said about Justin Cochrane

Former Spurs coach Chris Ramsey sung Cochrane’s praises in an interview with The Athletic in 2022.

“He had a massive passion for the game,” said Ramsey. “He ended up working with the young players and showed his skill and ability to teach. That is what he is – an absolutely fantastic teacher and coach.

“He wasn’t one of those people who came in and thought, ‘I’ve played the game, so I know everything’. He was respectful, but he picked it up very quickly.

“He went back to university (Cochrane graduated in 2017 from The Open University with a degree in business, leadership and management). He wanted to learn different things and he’s also an innovator.”

Meanwhile, Luke Amos – who played under Cochrane in the Spurs setup – said: “He is so good to work with and you can always approach him. Everyone connected with him easily.

“He is not going to be the same with me when I was 14 and when I’m 20 – he adapts.

“When I was going through a few things, Justin would help out – like my mentality and not getting too frustrated – because that is something I definitely struggled with when I was younger.”

And Cochrane himself previously said: “I had a passion for helping young people achieve their full potential.”

Tottenham Hotspur look to have finally secured Justin Cochrane from Brentford, and now Thomas Frank’s new assistant could help them land a target from January.

Brentford wanted Justin Cochrane as their replacement for Thomas Frank, however, the former Spurs academy coach has now agreed to join the Dane in North London.

The highly rated coach arriving at Tottenham Hotspur is now a major boost for the Danish coach and his hopes of succeeding across the capital.

Now, Cochrane could recommend that the North London club attempt to sign one of his protégés whom he worked with at Manchester United.

Justin Cochrane reveals he coached Tottenham target Alejandro Garnacho at Man United

Cochrane has revealed that he coached United forward Alejandro Garnacho during his time as head of player development at the club.

The 43-year-old moved to United in June 2022, where he spent a year, before being offered the assistant manager role at Brentford.

During his time at Old Trafford, he worked with players like Garnacho, who, of course, has now gone on to play for the first team.

Speaking to The Happiness Index in 2024, Cochrane revealed: “In 2021, I joined Manchester United and I was the head of player development there, so I moved my family from North London up to Manchester, I’ve got three sons. There’s me with one of the players, Alejandro Garnacho, when he was in the youth team.”

This is quite interesting, as back in January, TBR Football revealed that Tottenham enquired about Garnacho when looking for attacking options.

That now leaves the question as to whether the Lilywhites could now return for the Argentine this summer as they hunt for new attackers.

Tottenham have looked at Eberechi Eze, Bryan Mbeumo and Antoine Semenyo as possible transfer targets for Frank’s squad.

United wanted £70 million for the 20-year-old back in January, but that price might now have fallen with Ruben Amorim reportedly telling him to find a new club.

How does Alejandro Garnacho compare to Tottenham’s current attackers?

Garnacho enjoyed quite a productive season at Old Trafford as he netted an impressive ten goals and got a further ten assists in 58 matches.

Son Heung-min, Dominic Solanke and Brennan Johnson were the only Spurs players to outscore the youngster last season as he demonstrated his ability for the Red Devils.

The Argentine international was so highly rated in United’s academy and Cochrane will be well aware of his talent.

There is every chance that the former United coach recommends Garnacho to Tottenham as he prepares to reunite with Frank.

Tottenham are set for a summer of significant changes, both behind the scenes and on the field.

Daniel Levy decided to sack Ange Postecoglou just 16 days after the Australian ended the club’s 17-year trophy drought by winning the Europa League.

The sacking came after a poor domestic season which saw Spurs finish 17th in the league. Brentford boss Thomas Frank is set to replace Ange at Tottenham, with the club expected to make an official announcement soon.

Frank might face early challenge with the future of several Tottenham players uncertain, including Cristian Romero.

Cristian Romero expected to leave Tottenham this summer

Romero, who is described as ‘world-class‘, has been linked with Atletico Madrid, with Diego Simeone keen on signing the World Cup winner.

The defender has two years left in his current deal and Tottenham are desperate to keep Romero and tie him down to a new contract.

However, TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey believes that Romero’s heart is set on leaving Spurs this summer.

As per Bailey, Levy will give it one final attempt to try and convince him to stay at the club, however, he feels that Romero really wants to join Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid and has already spoken to him regarding a move. Bailey said: “Daniel Levy is, for want of a better phrase, having one final crack at it. He’s going to try and get Romero to sign a new deal. He really does love him as a player.

“They know he wants to go to Spain, they know he wants to go Madrid. They know he wants to go Atletico. Daniel Levy doesn’t have an issue with Romero. He knows he’s given it a really good shift in England.

“Obviously some Spurs fans won’t agree but when Romero joined, he was sold a vision, this idea that Tottenham would be challenging for the league title by now. That hasn’t panned out.

“They know how important he is (to Tottenham) regardless of who the manager is. But I still fully expect him to go Atletico. You know, he’s talked to Diego Simone. he wants to go. I think it’s going to be very hard for Tottenham to keep him, but if anyone can, Daniel Levy can.”

Is Kevin Danso the replacement for Cristian Romero

If Romero is to leave this summer, Tottenham will be in search of a replacement for him. But they may not have to look too far.

Radu Dragusin stepped up admirably during his absence last season, however, the Romanian picked up a serious injury which will see him out of action until around December 2025.

But Spurs did sign Kevin Danso in the January transfer window, initially on loan, a move which turned permanent at the end of the season, with Spurs signing him for £21m from Lens.

And Danso proved to be an exceptional signing for Ange Postecoglou, playing a huge role in Spurs winning the Europa League.

Tottenham fans praised Danso’s performance vs Man United when he came off the bench to form a back-three with Van de Ven and Romero.

Danso has also been hailed for his leadership at the back, something Spurs will miss if Romero leaves.

Tottenham might still sign another central defender given Micky van de Ven’s injury history. Spurs made a £70m bid for Marc Guehi in January, who remains one possible option.

Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on appointing a new manager in the shape of Thomas Frank.

Indeed, after sacking Ange Postecoglou, Tottenham are closing in on appointing the Brentford manager to replace the outbound Australian.

Frank should settle in easily at Tottenham. After all, he’s already based in London and he knows a few of the Spurs players already.

Thomas Frank nearly signed Archie Gray at one point, while Frank bid for Djed Spence once too.

Interestingly, Spurs have recently released a player that Frank was a big fan of.

Thomas Frank loved Sergio Reguilon

Tottenham Hotspur recently released Sergio Reguilon, but, now, that may begin to look like an error.

Indeed, Frank was a big fan of Reguilon. In fact, he signed him on loan for Brentford two years ago.

Via The Standard, Frank hailed Reguilon when he signed him, claiming that he was a ‘perfect’ fit for him at Brentford.

“This is a very good signing for us. We’ve been talking for a while about how we need a good left-back and we managed to get a very good left-back,” Frank said.

“Sergio is a perfect fit for us: a proven Premier League player in every aspect. He fits what we want. He’s very offensive, has a very good cross and a very good left foot.”

Unfortunately, Reguilon has been released by Spurs before Frank got the chance to revive his career in north London.

Sergio Reguilon’s stats under Thomas Frank

Reguilon didn’t have the best of times at Spurs, but he certainly showcased some level of ability during his time at Brentford.

Indeed, Frank, somehow, knew how to get the best out of Reguilon, as the stats show.

Brentford were leaking goals during this period, but Reguilon got four assists in 16 matches under Thomas Frank, and that is a solid return.

Extrapolate that sort of data across a season, and you’re looking at 10 assists from full-back, and that’s an incredible return.

As Frank said, Reguilon, in a lot of ways, was perfect for his style of play, but, sadly, these two won’t be reunited at Tottenham.

Tottenham Hotspur could lose Son Heung-min this summer, with the South Korean attacker’s future still up in the air.

The South Korean international is most certainly not short of interest as the Saudi Pro League want Son, meanwhile, there are also clubs in Spain, Italy and Germany who like him.

At this stage, his continuation at Spurs is undecided and as TBR Football has revealed, Thomas Frank is set to speak to Son about what they feel is best for all parties.

The meeting between Spurs’ captain and the soon-to-be manager will be crucial for determining whether the 32-year-old will stay or not.

If Son and Frank choose to part ways, Daniel Levy has already indicated how much he will demand for the forward should clubs approach the Lilywhites to sign him.

Daniel Levy wants £50m for Son Heung-min

Levy has set a £50 million asking price on Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min this summer, according to FootballAsian.

The Tottenham legend is open to remaining in North London for another season and is currently preparing to play Champions League football and the Super Cup.

As mentioned, his meeting with Frank will be crucial for deciding his future, but the player is ready to stay for at least another season.

Should both parties agree to stay together for another term, Levy also plans to hand the attacker a new one-year contract to avoid losing him for free.

Back in January, Spurs triggered the option to extend his deal by another year, which will keep him in N17 until the summer of 2026.

TBR Football believes that Frank should sell Son and especially if they could land £50m for him, as that would be a major boost to the transfer budget.

The major ramifications of losing Son, though, would be losing the commercial value which he brings to the club, given just how popular he is back in South Korea.

What Son Heung-min said about staying at Tottenham for another season

Speaking after South Korea’s win over Kuwait, Son admitted that he feels he can still get back to his best at Tottenham.

The South Korean captain refused to give a defensive answer on his future; however, he suggests that he still has much to offer in Lilywhite.

The 32-year-old proved that last term as he netted 11 goals and provided 12 assists, which is some going for a player clearly not at their best physically.

Son told the media: “I think I accomplished everything I wanted to do whilst chasing my dreams of playing football this season.

“You play football to win things, you always remember the winners, the season wasn’t easy, but I was able to achieve the thing I wanted since I was a little kid, because I experienced this, I want to experience more and I think I could do better.

“In regards to this past season, I wasn’t in my normal condition most of the time. For this upcoming season, I’m starting from zero, so I hope to prepare well with a good physical condition.”

Tottenham Hotspur are looking to make a big signing in the attacking areas, however, they must move on from Antoine Semenyo after Bournemouth’s asking price is revealed.

Thomas Frank is soon set to be announced as the next manager of Tottenham Hotspur and once that deal is finally sealed, Spurs’ transfer plans could kick into gear.

Following what was a shocking Premier League campaign, the North London club’s squad is in desperate need of reinforcements.

Johan Lange is working to bring new players to Spurs with talks for Antoine Semenyo taking place, but they need to start looking elsewhere.

Tottenham must target Eberechi Eze over Antoine Semenyo

TBR Football recently revealed that Bournemouth wanted £60m for Semenyo, with Tottenham holding a genuine interest in the player.

Semenyo has just enjoyed a solid season on the South Coast with the forward netting 13 goals and getting seven assists in 42 appearances.

However, the figure of £60m plus is far more than what the Lilywhites are willing to pay for the Ghanaian international, and at this stage, a deal is unlikely.

The Cherries now expect Semenyo to remain at the Vitality Stadium for at least another season, and now it’s time for Tottenham to move on.

It’s quite clear who Spurs should target next, with that man being long-term transfer target Eberechi Eze.

Tottenham have long been after Eze, with their interest dating back to 2020 when he was on the books at Queens Park Rangers.

Earlier this year, TBR Football revealed that Eze told Palace he was ready to leave and with Champions League football on offer at Spurs, now is the time for him to make the switch.

Son Heung-min is a fan of Eze, with the Palace star having scored twice against his team last season.

How do Eberechi Eze’s stats compare to Antoine Semenyo’s?

The stats also back up the fact that Tottenham should be targeting Eze over Semenyo, with the former having a more productive season.

Eze netted 14 goals and notched 11 assists in 43 matches last term as he helped Palace to win their first-ever major trophy.

The 26-year-old scored goals in both the FA Cup semi-final and final as he also showed an ability to perform on the biggest stage.

His performances for Palace over the last few seasons have warranted a major move and now the North London club needs to be the club to take him from Selhurst Park.

Tottenham Hotspur have wasted no time in putting together their new coaching setup following the sacking of Ange Postecoglou.

Tottenham have quickly moved to replace Postecoglou with Brentford manager Thomas Frank, and now his coaching team is also close to being confirmed.

Tottenham agreed terms with Frank following the departure of Postecoglou and contacted Brentford earlier this week to hold talks regarding compensation and staff.

Now, Jay Harris and David Ornstein of The Athletic have reported on the coaches who are set to join Frank at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

One of these coaches is especially highly rated and is said to be among the best young coaches around, along with being “all about fresh ideas”.

Justin Cochrane set to join Tottenham alongside Thomas Frank

Harris and Ornstein took to X to report that Justin Cochrane, Chris Haslam and Joe Newton will join Frank’s backroom staff at Tottenham.

Cochrane is especially highly rated, with The Athletic’s report deeming him “among the most promising in the English game”.

Cochrane previously worked at Tottenham’s academy and has also worked in the England setup, from the Under-15s all the way up to the senior setup with Thomas Tuchel.

Why Tottenham fans should be excited about Justin Cochrane rejoining Spurs

Cochrane is a superb young coach with considerable experience both at youth level and at senior level.

He also knows Tottenham well, having worked in the academy in his formative coaching days.

Former Spurs youth goalkeeper Luke Amos worked with Cochrane and he couldn’t sing the 43-year-old’s praises highly enough.

“With Justin, it was all about fresh ideas,” Amos told The Athletic back in 2022.

“He would watch Barcelona or Real Madrid in the Champions League on a Tuesday and then in training on Wednesday he would say, ‘I saw this last night, let’s try it’. To have a coach who wants to try different things is refreshing.

“He reminded us that football is about fun, but you need to train properly. I’ve never seen him lose his head, but if training wasn’t right or someone was being sloppy, he would definitely tell them. He sets high demands. That’s what the best coaches do.

“He is so good to work with and you can always approach him. Everyone connected with him easily. He was my coach at different age groups.

“He is not going to be the same with me when I was 14 and when I’m 20 – he adapts.

“When I was going through a few things, Justin would help out – like my mentality and not getting too frustrated – because that is something I definitely struggled with when I was younger.”

Newcastle United’s Jacob Murphy has been ranking some of the best wingers of all time and has made an interesting claim about one Tottenham star.

In a TikTok video posted by Goal, Murphy took part in a head-to-head style challenge, pitting legendary wide men against each other in knockout fashion.

Among the comparisons, he was asked to choose between the likes of Mohamed Salah vs Ronaldinho, Arjen Robben vs Eden Hazard, and Gareth Bale vs Neymar.

Jacob Murphy picks Heung-min Son over Angel Di Maria

Murphy made a few bold choices, opting for Salah over Ronaldinho, Robben over Hazard, and Bale over Neymar.

But one decision that stood out was his pick of Tottenham’s Heung-min Son over former Manchester United winger Angel Di Maria.

Son did lose out to Salah in the next round and understandably so given the Ballon d’Or level form Salah has been in.

The Egyptian was eventually picked as his winner with Murphy choosing Salah over Bale in the final round.

Son over Di Maria is no surprise though with longevity alone a major factor. Son has been consistently performing for Tottenham for a decade.

The South Korean has made over 300 appearances in the Premier League, scoring 127 and assisting 77 and consistently performing, despite playing in a largely underwhelming Spurs side during much of that time.

In contrast, Di Maria’s brief stint in the Premier League was far less memorable. The World Cup winner joined Manchester United in 2014 but managed just 27 league appearances, scoring three and assisting ten.

Across all competitions, he made 32 appearances, scoring four and assisting eleven. However, that one-season spell doesn’t do justice to his quality, having been a key player in Real Madrid’s success prior to the move.

Tottenham open to selling Heung-min Son despite trophy-winning campaign

Despite his consistent performances for the club, Tottenham are now open to selling Son this summer after deciding against extending his current contract.

Tottenham triggered a one-year extension in Son’s contract earlier this year, which saw his contract extend till 2026.

But concerns over the 32-year-old’s fitness and a dip in performance levels last season have prompted Spurs to consider cashing in.

Saudi have previously shown interest in Son and could be an option for the South Korean, if they are to revive their interest in him. And as per a recent report, Saudi Pro League have made an approach for Son.

Should he leave Tottenham this summer, it would mark the end of an era, but also see him leave on a high.

Son captained the club to Europa League glory this past season, helping end Spurs’ 17-year wait for a major trophy.

The South Korean will forever be remembered as a Spurs legend.