TBR Football

Daniel Levy has a big summer ahead of him at Tottenham Hotspur.

The Spurs chairman made the bold call to sack Ange Postecoglou earlier this month, even though he ended the club’s 17-year trophy drought.

TBR Football can confirm that Thomas Frank has agreed to become the next Tottenham manager, and the Dane will have to be backed in the transfer market.

Daniel Levy has now held talks with one potential target.

Daniel Levy met with Antoine Semenyo’s agents to discuss Tottenham transfer

Antoine Semenyo is a wanted man in this summer’s transfer window.

The Ghana international had a tremendous season for Bournemouth, for whom he scored 13 goals and provided seven assists in all competitions.

The 25-year-old’s brilliant performances have earned him a ton of praise, and multiple big clubs have shown interest in him.

TBR Football previously revealed that Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham and Newcastle are all interested in Semenyo and would love to sign him.

Now, talkSPORT have revealed that a meeting took place between Levy and Semenyo’s advisors over a summer move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Semenyo, who still has four full years left on his contract, would likely be open to a big move away from the Vitality Stadium this summer.

But, Tottenham will have to break the bank to sign him.

How much will Antoine Semenyo cost Tottenham this summer?

Tottenham already know what it’s like doing business with Bournemouth.

Spurs signed Dominic Solanke from the Cherries last summer for a club-record £65 million. It was a massive fee, and some were even surprised that Levy sanctioned such a big move.

Backing what TBR Football exclusively revealed in May, talkSPORT confirm that Bournemouth want £70 million for Semenyo this summer.

That means Tottenham will have to break their transfer record again for another Bournemouth player if they want to sign him.

It remains to be seen if Levy will agree to do that in the coming weeks.

Tottenham Hotspur are set for another busy season as they return to the Champions League and new additions are desperately required.

Johan Lange is the man tasked with finding new players for Tottenham Hotspur’s squad and it seems as though he will be signing players for the soon-to-be Spurs boss, Thomas Frank.

The Spurs sporting director now needs to act quickly and make an astute signing which could prove to be very sensible for several reasons.

Tottenham should move to sign Kyle Walker-Peters

Kyle Walker-Peters is set to be released by Southampton when his contract expires at the end of the month, according to the Southern Daily Echo.

Lange could now save Spurs a considerable amount in the transfer window by bringing the 28-year-old back to North London.

TBR Football revealed back in April that Tottenham had spoken to Walker-Peters about the possibility of returning as a free agent.

Walker-Peters was on the books at Spurs from 2013 to 2020, in which he made 12 first-team appearances for the North London club.

Tottenham sold the defender to Southampton for around £12m back in the summer of 2020 under Jose Mourinho, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg heading the other way.

The return of the Tottenham academy product could be perfect for the Lilywhites as it would provide them with full-back cover for both sides and aid their homegrown issue.

Spurs need more homegrown talents to help their European squad, and Walker-Peters would not only count as homegrown but also club-trained.

If Lange can sign Walker-Peters, it would allow them greater freedom in the transfer market as they will have sorted full-back cover without spending a transfer fee and also scope to move for foreign targets.

How many games did Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie miss last season?

At the start of last season, Tottenham ran Destiny Udogie and Pedro Porro into the ground with no cover for either player.

Ange Postecoglou didn’t fancy Djed Spence and therefore, he had limited himself to Archie Gray as his only other full-back option.

Udogie ended up suffering two hamstring injuries and missed 13 matches last season. Porro managed to avoid any injuries, but it became clear that fatigue was an issue, given his dip in performance.

Ahead of next season, Frank needs to ensure he is well stocked at full-back and Walker-Peters could be the perfect addition.

Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on the appointment of Brentford manager Thomas Frank as Ange Postecoglou’s replacement.

TBR Football understands that Frank has already held talks with Daniel Levy, and the two clubs are currently in discussions over the Dane’s release clause.

There is optimism that an agreement between Tottenham and Brentford will be reached relatively swiftly, according to TBR Football sources.

Frank’s seemingly imminent appointment has led to widespread discussion over which players he could look to sign in the summer transfer window.

For instance, Jamie O’Hara has expressed his hopes of Tottenham signing Bryan Mbeumo from under Manchester United’s noses.

Interestingly, Spurs have a player who Brentford previously tried to sign, and now he could well get the chance to shine under Frank.

Tottenham have Djed Spence in their ranks, and he will be eager to stake a claim for a regular starting spot next season.

Back in January 2023, Brentford were reported to have made a loan bid for Spence, but Tottenham rejected the Bees’ approach.

Indeed, it was reported that Spurs rejected Brentford’s offer because they wanted to sign Spence permanently in the summer.

At the time, Spence was struggling for game time at Tottenham.

Now, the ‘incredible’ Spence is a first-team regular and Frank will surely be eager to take a good look at him in pre-season.

What Thomas Frank has said about Djed Spence in the past

Whereas Postecoglou enjoyed playing a high line, making Pedro Porro perfect for him, Frank is a versatile manager who can vary things up.

As per The Athletic, Spence offers ‘something different to Udogie and Porro, which was reflected in the number of take-ons he attempts.

‘Spence likes to drive with the ball into central areas and draw defenders towards him before sliding the ball into the space they have vacated,’ they wrote.

Meanwhile, Porro’s ‘biggest strength is the quality of his crossing and set-piece delivery while Udogie excels at underlapping Son Heung-min on the left wing.’

In addition, Frank praised Spence – along with numerous other Tottenham players – back in February, after Brentford’s home loss to Spurs.

“Their midfield – Dejan Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma – that is a very, very, very good Premier League midfield,” he told reporters.

“And then I know they have not had a centre-back, maybe Archie Gray and Ben Davies played the best defensive game of the season.

“So, Pedro Porro is fantastic at right back, he has got Trent-ish offensive qualities and Djed Spence has done well.”

TBR Football understands that Son Heung-min is open to working with the next head coach, although his future at Tottenham Hotspur remains undecided.

TBR Football fully expects Thomas Frank to be that man, with the Danish manager having agreed personal terms with the North London club.

One of the 51-year-old’s first jobs will be to sit down with the South Korean legend and discuss whether they think it is right or not for him to stay.

There is also a strong possibility that the 32-year-old may have already played his final game for Spurs, with the Lilywhites open to letting him leave.

Son Heung-min’s Tottenham future remains undecided

Son Heung-min is ready to play under Frank at Tottenham Hotspur, however, if the pair decide for him to move on, he is also prepared to make his exit, sources have told TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey.

TBR Football can also reveal that Saudi Arabia’s Pro League have held talks with his camp and they want him, meanwhile, there is also interest back in Germany, as well as Italy and Spain.

Back in January, the North London club opted to take up their option to extend his contract by an additional year, until the summer of 2026.

At this stage, the South Korean captain’s future remains undecided, and Frank will need to hold talks with the forward about plans for next season.

Importantly, Son still believes he has plenty to offer at Tottenham and can recapture his form following a tricky season.

But at the same time, Spurs are ready to make moves in the transfer market and could bring in players who may keep their captain out of the team.

Speaking exclusively to TBR Football about Son’s future, Bailey revealed: “Son could very well have played his last game for Tottenham and well, if it was the Europa League final, it would be fitting.”

“I am told he still believes he is more than capable of recapturing his best form – but Spurs are ready to make moves this summer and Son leaving could materialise.”

Tottenham are already working on Son Heung-min replacements

As TBR Football revealed earlier this week, Tottenham like Antonie Semenyo, however, his price tag, which is in excess of £60m, is currently putting them off a move.

Spurs’ interest in the Bournemouth attacker is genuine, but they are unwilling to pay the Cherries the same fee which got them Dominic Solanke last summer.

Signing Mathys Tel permanently is another deal which the North London club are working on with the French youth international having impressed them behind the scenes.

Jermaine Jenas played with a lot of very talented players at Tottenham.

Indeed, Jermaine Jenas was lucky enough to share the pitch with the likes of Gareth Bale, Ledley King and even Luka Modric at one point.

Jenas himself was a top player too, in fact, Jenas was rather underrated in his pomp.

However, according to Jenas, speaking on The Dressing Room Podcast, he played with one big-name player who was actually rather disappointing at Tottenham.

According to Jenas, Edgar Davids was a very disappointing player technically, claiming that he was nowhere near as skilful as some of the marketing campaigns around the player at that time would have you believe.

Edgar Davids was disappointing at Tottenham

Jenas spoke about the players he shared a dressing room with at Spurs.

According to the former England star Edgar Davids was disappointing as a player on a technical level, but he did note he was a great leader in the dressing room.

“As I walked in straight away, to be fair to Edgar Davids, Edgar, what I loved about Edgar, there was two sides with Edgar. One was disappointing, and one was like, I can see why you are what you are,” Jenas said.

“The disappointing side is I grew upon the adverts of Edgar. Yeah, but then when I played with him, as much as I loved him, technically I just didn’t see it.

“Was that because it was the end of his career?” Jenas was asked.

“I don’t know because I played against him at Juve as well. And when I look back, all those tricks and stuff, weren’t really a big part of his game, if I’m honest with you,” Jenas said.

“If you ask him to hit a 60-yard diagonal, he could only hit it about 30 yards. You know what I mean? It wasn’t really his bag.”

Edgar Davids’ career achievements

Jenas says that Davids was a disappointing player on a technical level, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t an all-time great of the game.

Indeed, while the midfielder may not have been as skilful or as tricky as many of the adverts of the time would suggest, he still achieved incredible things during his career.

Technical ability is, of course, very important, but there’s a lot more to the game than that too, including leadership, workrate and ability to read a game.

Ultimately, you don’t play for teams such as Barcelona, Juventus and Ajax unless you’re a special player, and that’s what Davids was.

Thomas Frank replacing Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham could open up many a door for Spurs in terms of transfers.

Tottenham have already been linked to Bryan Mbeumo as they close in on appointing the Dane, who helped the Cameroon international score 20 Premier League goals last season.

Some already at Spurs may also thrive, as Frank has previously praised Richarlison whilst at Brentford.

There was also a player Ian Wright backed to end up at Tottenham even before Thomas Frank moved into the frame to replace Ange Postecoglou in Mikkel Damsgaard, somebody who could quite feasibly join the 51-year-old in N17.

Ian Wright tipped Mikkel Damsgaard to end up at Tottenham, and here’s why he could be spot on

Speaking on his Wrighty’s House Podcast back in October, Wright said he could see Damsgaard joining Tottenham soon.

The 61-year-old claimed: “You know who I’m going to go with, Damsgaard at Brentford. That five-year deal he signed is starting to look really good now.

“I remember he scored that freekick against England, and at the time I think Barcelona were all over him, the two Milan teams were all over him, Spurs. Yeah, with the form he has now, you could see him (going) somewhere like Spurs.”

Tottenham almost signed Damsgaard from Sampdoria after his electric displays at UEFA EURO 2020 – according to Fabrizio Romano – but it was Brentford who eventually secured his signature, sealing a £13m agreement in August 2022.

Given the fact Spurs are long-term admirers of the Denmark international, and the man who signed him for Brentford is now close to becoming manager of Tottenham, this is definitely a deal we can see materialising soon, either this summer or in 2026.

Thomas Frank managed to turn Mikkel Damsgaard into one of the best creators in the Premier League

It took Damsgaard – who has been likened to Kevin De Bruyne – some time to adjust to English football.

The 24-year-old’s first 54 appearances under Frank yielded just four assists and not a single goal.

However, the Brentford No.24 impressively scored two goals and provided 11 assists in 38 Premier League appearances last season, making 34 starts as the Bees finished tenth.

Only Jacob Murphy and Mohamed Salah assisted more goals in the Premier League last term with 12 and 18 assists respectively.

Therefore, Damsgaard is clearly on an upward trajectory, and with Tottenham already firm admirers of his talent, it wouldn’t be a surprise whatsoever to see Frank take his fellow countryman to north London with him.

There were ‘quite a few people’ at Tottenham Hotspur who were left ‘surprised’ by Daniel Levy’s response to the sacking of Ange Postecoglou.

After two weeks of deliberating, Levy sacked Postecoglou as manager of the North London club despite the Australian winning them their first major trophy in 17 years.

Ultimately, it was the performances in the Premier League which cost Postecoglou his job as the team ended up with their lowest ever finish in 17th place.

Finishing just one place above the relegation zone was deemed unacceptable and following a review, the club announced Postecoglou would be leaving.

But, in their official statement, there was a key detail missing, which left many inside the club quite shocked.

Daniel Levy not included in Tottenham’s Ange Postecoglou statement

Daniel Levy’s failure to give his thoughts on Ange Postecoglou’s sacking in Tottenham Hotspur’s official statement left ‘quite a few’ people at the club ‘surprised’, according to Alasdair Gold.

The Spurs chairman almost always gives his take on why the club made a certain decision, however, he was not included in the official statement.

Earlier this summer, Levy gave his thoughts on Donna Cullen stepping down as Executive Director and then Ryan Mason departing for West Bromwich Albion.

The Tottenham journalist also admitted to being surprised at Levy not taking ownership of the decision to sack the manager who delivered just his second major trophy.

Gold told Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham: “It’s just madness, isn’t it really? But yeah, from what I understand, there were quite a few people within the club that were surprised that Levy didn’t put his name to it because it kind of wasn’t taking responsibility for the decision, which to be fair, he has done in the past. I looked back and all of the Pochettino, Conte, Mourinho ones, it all had his kind of name with quotes under it.

“And as you said, you know, Ryan Mason, Donna Cullen, this week are the most recent examples of, you know, not just thanking the manager as well for giving you your first or biggest trophy, only the second trophy, his entire quarter of essentially tenure as chairman. I thought it was all a bit like, ‘Really?’ Take ownership of it. I was quite surprised at that.”

How Daniel Levy actually felt about hiring Ange Postecoglou originally

Another interesting detail from the situation has emerged as Paul O’Keefe has revealed that Levy didn’t want Postecoglou in charge, initially.

His new chief football officer, Scott Munn, selected the 59-year-old, and the Spurs chairman felt he had to ultimately back the call to appoint the Australian coach.

O’Keefe told the Last Word On Spurs: “Daniel Levy didn’t want Ange, it was Scott Munn’s pick. He had reservations putting Ange Postecoglou in charge of Tottenham.

“He felt he had to back his new guy (Munn) and his new regime. He wasn’t keen and had to be convinced, I think he’s probably thinking to himself, ‘I knew I was right all along’.”

Thomas Frank could be quite frustrated to see that one of Tottenham Hotspur’s former players is in talks over a move to FC Barcelona.

Tottenham and Frank have agreed terms over a deal to bring the Danish manager across London and to make him the next manager after Ange Postecoglou.

Daniel Levy sacked Postecoglou following a shocking Premier League campaign and now Frank is the man tasked with helping Spurs climb the table next season.

The 51-year-old will be eager to add to his squad during the summer transfer window, although he will be disappointed to see a player the club got rid of last summer now set for a big move to Spain.

Former Tottenham winger Ivan Perisic holds talks with Barcelona

Ivan Perisic has held talks with FC Barcelona manager Hansi Flick about joining the Spanish champions on a free transfer, according to Santi Aouna.

The Croatian international was ready to commit to PSV Eindhoven for another season, however, the Catalan giants have now entered the race.

The 36-year-old is now holding out for a move to La Liga in what could be his final swansong at the top level.

Perisic has had quite the career playing for clubs like Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Tottenham and Borussia Dortmund.

Last season, the winger was excellent as he helped PSV to win the Eredivisie title and reach the Champions League Round of 16.

Across all competitions, the forward managed an impressive 16 goals and 11 assists as he showed he still has it despite his age.

During the 2022/23 season under Antonio Conte at Spurs, the winger produced 12 assists as he impressed in a wing-back role.

Ivan Perisic could have been perfect for Thomas Frank at Tottenham

Perisic could have been a perfect fit for Frank’s system at Tottenham, especially playing in the left-back role.

Frank tended to use Keane Lewis-Potter as his left-back at Brentford having converted him from playing as a winger.

Lewis-Potter flourished in that role at the G-Tech Community Stadium, playing as an attacking full-back, and Perisic could have fit the same role perfectly.

Thomas Frank looks set to get the Tottenham job as Spurs move quickly to replace Ange Postecoglou.

Frank was adamant he’d stay at Brentford at one point, but when a team as big as Tottenham come calling, it’s hard to say no.

Spurs will be moving onto their sixth permanent manager in six years, and Thomas Frank will be hoping to do a better job than many of his predecessors.

Luckily, Frank has the chance to get off to a great start at Tottenham as his first competitive game will be in the UEFA Super Cup.

Of course, this isn’t the most high-profile competition in world football, but Frank could, theoretically, win a trophy in his first ever game as Tottenham manager – a feat that only three other gaffers in Premier League history have achieved.

Thomas Frank could win a trophy in his first Tottenham game

Thomas Frank could win a trophy in his first game for Tottenham as he’s set to face off against PSG on August 13th in the UEFA Super Cup.

Of course, a UEFA Super Cup isn’t a season-defining piece of silverware, but it is a trophy nonetheless, and Frank would love to get his hands on a bit of silverware to kickstart his Spurs career.

Inevitably, there’d be a huge morale lift that would come with beating an all-conquering PSG side too.

Interestingly, three managers in Premier League history have managed to achieve this feat of winning a trophy in their very first game at a club – David Moyes, Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti.

Unfortunately, an early trophy win doesn’t necessarily guarantee you success at your new club, as these three managers can attest to.

How managers fared after winning trophy in their first game

Winning a trophy in your very first match, in theory, should be a great way to start your managerial career at a new club.

However, as Moyes, Mourinho and Ancelotti have all shown, it doesn’t quite work out that way.

Indeed, all three managers were sacked within three years of getting their respective jobs.

David Moyes lasted less than one season at Old Trafford, Jose Mourinho would win two further trophies before being dumped mid-way through his third season in charge at United, while Carlo Ancelotti was sacked after two years, despite the fact he won the Premier League and the FA Cup in his first season.

Ancelotti was brilliant at Chelsea, but even that couldn’t save him.

Football can be a fickle game, and as Frank steps up into a job at one of the ‘Big Six’, he must be cautious about how quickly things can turn at this level.

Tottenham Hotspur are about to appoint a new manager, and it looks like Thomas Frank is set to get the job.

Indeed, Thomas Frank is in line to become the new Spurs boss, and if he makes this move, he may well look to bring a few players with him from Brentford.

Frank has always had a big say in Brentford’s transfer business – hence why so many Danish players have been signed over the years, and while that may not be the case at Spurs as Fabio Paratici looks set to return, he’ll undoubtedly have some influence.

Of course, Brentford’s crown jewel at the moment is Bryan Mbeumo.

Mbeumo is a wanted man, and Manchester United are very keen on Mbeumo at this moment in time.

Speaking on The United Stand, Ben Jacobs has been discussing the idea of Mbeumo heading to Spurs instead of United, but the journalist maintains that a hijack is unlikely.

Tottenham unlikely to hijack Bryan Mbeumo deal

Jacobs shared what he knows about Mbeumo as he gets set to leave Brentford.

According to the journalist, Mbeumo has his heart set on Manchester United, and it’s unlikely that Spurs would be able to hijack this deal or influence the player’s decision.

“Regarding the Spurs part in all of this. You can never say definitively that Thomas Frank won’t influence Tottenham’s transfer business,” Jacobs said.

“My understanding is very clear as of now, Tottenham know Mbeumo’s preference is Manchester United, as do all other suitors.

“Just because a new manager comes in, especially under Daniel Levy, it’s very unlikely they’ll turn around to Thomas Frank and say ‘is getting Mbeumo a deal breaker and can you hijack Manchester United’s plans.’

“I’m not expecting Thomas Frank’s expected arrival at Tottenham to hugely influence the Mbeumo situation, the most important thing is that Mbeumo wants to join Manchester United and if the clubs agree the fee, regardless of the Tottenham situation, Mbeumo will still pick Manchester United.”

Bryan Mbeumo’s record under Thomas Frank

Bryan Mbeumo has his heart set on joining Manchester United, but, for the good of his career, perhaps he should consider Spurs as an option.

Indeed, Tottenham may well be the better landing spot for Mbeumo at the moment.

Not only can Spurs offer Champions League football next season, they can offer a manager who knows and trusts Mbeumo in a way Ruben Amorim simply can’t at the moment.

Mbeumo’s record under Thomas Frank speaks for itself.

The attacker has averaged a goal contribution every other game under Frank while playing for, with all due respect, a mid-table Premier League side.

Mbeumo could thrive at Tottenham at the highest level under a manager who adores him, so, if this opportunity comes up, he’d be a fool not to take it.