TBR Football

TBR Football can exclusively reveal that Tottenham Hotspur’s deal to sign Mohammed Kudus is stalling, and the two clubs are far apart in reaching an agreement.

Two weeks ago, TBR Football first revealed that Tottenham had held talks for Kudus; however, a deal remains some way from completion.

Spurs have now had three bids for the Ghanaian international rejected by West Ham United, and whilst talks continue, little progress is being made.

Daniel Levy is eager to sign Kudus for Thomas Frank, but there is a lot of work that still needs to happen for the 24-year-old to be playing in Lilywhite next term.

Tottenham’s deal to sign Mohammed Kudus has stalled

Tottenham Hotspur’s deal to sign Mohammed Kudus has stalled, and the two London clubs are struggling to make progress, sources have informed Graeme Bailey – Chief Correspondent at TBR Football.

As exclusively revealed by TBR Football, Tottenham’s third bid for Kudus was rejected by West Ham, who were unhappy with the add-ons.

Spurs are believed to have offered £50 million plus another £12.5 million in add-ons, which were based on them winning the Premier League and Champions League.

Levy remains locked in talks and is willing to offer all cash with no add-ons, but his current offer is well under £60 million.

The East London club have dropped their asking price, but TBR Football has been exclusively told that the two clubs are still ‘some way’ apart in their values.

Sources close to the deal confirm to TBR Football that as of Tuesday evening, there has been ‘no progress’ and the deal has stalled.

Both sides are refusing to move as it stands, with intermediaries working hard to get a deal done, but as it stands, they are not close.

Kudus is very keen to join Tottenham, but the Lilywhites are going to have to significantly up their offer for the attacker should they wish to bring him across London.

Tottenham are running out of Mohammed Kudus alternatives

Tottenham cannot afford to miss out on Kudus, having already seen deals for Bryan Mbeumo and Antoine Semenyo disappear from the table.

Mbeumo looks set to join Manchester United eventually, meanwhile, Semenyo has signed a new contract with Bournemouth.

Frank looked at bringing Mbeumo with him across London, but it quickly became apparent that his heart was set on a move to Old Trafford.

In the case of Semenyo, Bournemouth were asking for too much, and with most clubs walking away from a deal, he committed his future to the South Coast.

Therefore, Spurs just need to strike a deal for the West Ham attacker. As he showed during his first season at the London Stadium, his potential is massive.

Tottenham Hotspur are embarking on a new era under Thomas Frank, and things are starting to take shape at Spurs.

Indeed, Tottenham are back in first-team training for the first time since Frank was hired as the new manager, and there’s already been plenty to take away from these first few days of sessions.

Luka Vuskovic has already made an impression on fans, while Pedro Porro returned sooner than expected as he looks to impress his new gaffer.

Inevitably, Frank is putting his team through plenty of running drills this week as he looks to build fitness and sharpness, and there was one interesting result from one running drill.

George Abbott wins Tottenham running drill

According to a report by Football.London, George Abbott was one of the standout performers in pre-season training.

Indeed, according to this report, Abbott was clocked as the fastest player at Spurs as they completed a 1km running drill.

Of course, Micky van de Ven is the fastest player at Spurs over short-distances, but over a full kilometre, Abbott has come out on top.

The 19-year-old was also said to be looking notably less tired than many of his teammates after this drill, so he seems to have a good blend of both speed and stamina.

Tottenham have high hopes for George Abbott

Tottenham have a lot of exciting young players coming through at the moment, and George Abbott may well be a breakout star this season.

Indeed, while Mikey Moore often makes headlines and Archie Gray gets plenty of attention, Abbott is also an exciting talent.

In fact, at the start of last season, Abbott was earmarked as one to watch by Alasdair Gold, saying:

“I have a funny feeling about George Abbott this season. I think people need to keep an eye on him. I think he could be one pushed more towards the first-team this season, if he’s not on loan. They were very pleased with his last year of development,” Gold said.

“It was reflected in the fact he became captain of the U21s for the second-half of the season.

“They were very pleased with his ability to play in numerous positions, mainly a midfielder, but he can play at right-back and centre-back which could come in handy. Maybe one to keep an eye on.”

Now, after another year of development under his belt away on loan at Notts County, Abbott may be ready to showcase what he’s capable of at Tottenham under a new manager with fresh ideas.

Tottenham Hotspur could be set for a major boost with one of their key transfer targets eager to leave his club this summer.

The North London club will hope their transfer business can start to accelerate over the coming days, with just eight days until their first pre-season match.

Thomas Frank has already welcomed his squad back to Hotspur Way, with Kota Takai and Mathys Tel the only new additions so far.

But that could soon change with a key target making it clear that he is ready to leave following transfer talks with Tottenham Hotspur.

Mohammed Kudus is desperate to leave West Ham

Mohammed Kudus is now ‘absolutely determined’ to leave West Ham United this summer, according to The Athletic.

Kudus is keen to join Tottenham, who remain locked in talks with the Hammers over a deal for the attacker.

As TBR Football exclusively revealed, Kudus rejected an approach from Bayern Munich, as he wants to remain in the Premier League and is focused on a move to Spurs.

Tottenham had a third bid for Kudus rejected by the East London club, who were left unhappy with the add-ons being offered to them.

Spurs wanted to pay £50m plus £12.5m in add-ons, which were based around them winning the Premier League and Champions League.

The Ghanaian has just returned for pre-season training at Rush Green as he waits for the two clubs to try and reach an agreement.

At this stage, Chelsea are unlikely to move for Kudus, despite having shown an interest in bringing him to Stamford Bridge earlier this summer.

Mohammed Kudus has already proved he’s perfect for Tottenham

Kudus’ message when he first joined the Hammers was clear: He wanted to ‘entertain’ the fans.

That will be music to the ears of Spurs’ supporters who love watching entertaining players, something which is deeply rooted in their DNA.

When asked to describe himself as a player, Kudus told Iron Cast: “I like to entertain the fans as I think that is what football is about, and my dribbling ability, strength and finishing also. I’m just here to do my best to help the team. The fans should expect some entertainment!”

Kudus is a player who plays with very little fear and who loves to run at defenders with the ball. As per WhoScored, Kudus has completed more dribbles than any other Premier League player since the start of the 2023/24 season.

TBR Football understands that one of Tottenham Hotspur’s players is starting to have their head turned by the chance to play under one of the world’s best coaches.

Thomas Frank will be eager to keep hold of his best players, however, he could now face a situation where one of his top talents may need convincing to remain.

The North London club’s squad is set for a summer of change with a new manager now in charge and the team looking to push on after qualifying for the Champions League.

Destiny Udogie open to playing under Massimiliano Allegri

Destiny Udogie is attracted by the proposition of working under Massimiliano Allegri at AC Milan, sources have informed Graeme Bailey – Chief Correspondent at TBR Football.

TBR Football exclusively revealed that Udogie is Milan’s ‘dream target’ for the left-back role, having just sold Theo Hernandez to Al-Hilal.

The Frenchman’s departure added a further £22m to their coffers, which already includes the £47m they received from the sale of Tijjani Reijnders to Man City.

Tottenham Hotspur are reluctant to part ways with the 22-year-old this summer, but if the right offer arrives, the North London club could be tempted to sell.

Bailey told TBR Football: “From Udogie’s point of view, does Milan appeal to him? Quite possibly. Let’s not forget, this is a Massimiliano Allegri Milan now. It’s a different kettle of fish for Milan now that they have one of the best managers in the world, and he’s building something there.

“They’re getting towards what Milan used to be now. I think it’s an appealing option for an Italian player like Udogie.

“Before Thomas Frank arrived, I was told that one area to watch at Tottenham was the full-backs. Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie are very much of a certain type. Tottenham aren’t a selling club, but every player has a price, you know, that’s football.”

Udogie, who cost Tottenham £15m, would command a very hefty fee should Milan wish to bring him to the San Siro.

Tottenham linked to Antonee Robinson and Archie Brown

Fulham defender Antonee Robinson has been linked to Tottenham, meanwhile, TBR Football sources understand Archie Brown is a player the club are assessing.

Udogie to Milan looks to be a very tricky deal at this stage, but Spurs are weighing up their options in case the move were to materialise.

Bailey added: “I don’t think that Udogie to Milan is completely off the radar. We know that they [Tottenham] have been doing work on full-backs.

“We even saw Antonee Robinson linked not too long ago. Dare I say that someone like Robinson is a better fit for Thomas Frank than Udogie.

“We’ve seen Archie Brown linked too. There are a lot of options that Spurs are looking at. They’re not desperate to replace him, but they’re doing their due diligence to make sure they have cover there.”

Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Nottingham Forest and West Ham United are just a few of the clubs who have been linked with Southampton star Tyler Dibling.

Dibling was one of Southampton’s standout players during a season in which they only just avoided Derby County’s all-time low Premier League points total.

The 19-year-old is expected to leave Southampton this summer amid widespread Premier League interest, with Man United, Tottenham, Nottm Forest and West Ham all in pursuit.

Now, former West Ham director Tim Steidten has made a transfer claim about Dibling which will be of interest to all of the chasing pack.

Tyler Dibling tipped to make Premier League move instead of Bundesliga switch

Sky Sport Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg took to X to share the latest on Tyler Dibling’s transfer situation.

He said Southampton are yet to receive a concrete offer for Dibling, who they value at £47.5-56million, but there have been many enquiries.

Plettenberg then shared quotes from Steidten, who told Sky Sport Germany that he expected Dibling to be too expensive for the Bundesliga.

“He is an outstanding player – with that street football mentality, that special dynamism,” said Steidten.

“He is a player who can suddenly stop, turn, and accelerate again. His first touch is exceptional. He has immense potential.

“I believe he will end up being too expensive for a German club, which is why I think he will move within England.”

How Tyler Dibling could become Paul Gascoigne 2.0

Tottenham are one of the teams who are keen on Dibling. Indeed, TBR Football previously confirmed that Spurs felt they were favourites for Dibling.

Theo Walcott previously claimed Dibling reminded him of Paul Gascoigne, one of Tottenham’s cult heroes from the 1990s.

“Do you know what, he’s the closest to a Gascoigne type or a Grealish type,” Walcott previously told the Premier League media team.

“He doesn’t just like to go forward, he likes to track back, the things I would despise to be honest.

“He’ll probably end up getting a move sadly, but it’s the sign of an academy that has produced some really good players.”

Tottenham Hotspur have had their fair share of legends and cult heroes over the years, including a fair few in the 21st century.

Indeed, two of Tottenham’s alumni from the 2000s and 2010s went on to become two of the greatest players of their generation.

Gareth Bale and Luka Modric both got their big break at Tottenham before going on to join Real Madrid, where they became huge players for the club.

Kyle Walker, one of their former teammates at White Hart Lane, has now summed up Bale and Modric with one word apiece.

Kyle Walker hails ‘phenomenal’ Luka Modric and ‘rapid’ Gareth Bale

Walker, who played for Tottenham before joining Manchester City, has now swapped the Etihad Stadium for Burnley.

As part of his media duties at his new club, Walker was given a number of names of former colleagues, and he had to use one word to describe each of them.

When it came to Modric, Walker went with “phenomenal”, a word he wanted to also use for Bale.

As he couldn’t repeat himself, Walker went on to describe the Welsh icon as “rapid”.

Walker was also asked to describe Kieran Trippier (“specialist”), Harry Kane (“goalscorer”) and Scott Parker (“leader”).

@burnleyofficial One word to describe these players and managers with Kyle Walker 🎙️ #BurnleyFC #premierleague #football ♬ Coffeshop Jamz – dopestuff

The third Tottenham icon Kyle Walker ranks among his best ever teammates

Walker has often spoken about how amazing Bale and Modric were as teammates at Tottenham, and in 2024 he spoke about another Spurs icon he rated highly.

The player he named was Ledley King, one of the finest defenders who has ever plied his trade for the North London club.

“I’ve been very fortunate to play with a lot of great players,” Walker told BBC Sounds.

“At Tottenham – Gareth Bale, Luka Modric, and I think Ledley King was so underrated.

“For Thierry Henry to say he’s the best player he’s played against, you’ve got to be doing something right.”

Tottenham Hotspur need a new number six this summer, and the perfect player for Thomas Frank has already made himself available.

Finally, Thomas Frank will get the chance to assess his new squad in the coming weeks with pre-season preparations now well underway.

Several players will get the chance to impress this summer under the new manager and with plenty of pre-season matches on the horizon.

One area of Tottenham Hotspur’s squad that the Dane will need to consider strengthening is in midfield, and the ideal player is ready to make his Premier League return.

Tottenham must follow up on Douglas Luiz interest

Douglas Luiz could be one of the hottest names of the summer transfer window, with the Brazilian having had a torrid time in Turin.

Juventus are open to letting him leave during this transfer window, and many clubs have been alerted to that fact.

Over the weekend, TBR Football exclusively revealed that Tottenham and Man United like Luiz, and have been told that he wants to return to the English top flight.

Juventus have accepted the fact that the 27-year-old wants to leave Italy this summer and have told his representatives to start work on finding him a new club.

TBR Football has learned that Luiz’s name came up in conversation with Spurs during talks with Juve, who are keen on Yves Bissouma.

Fabio Paratici offered Bissouma to Juventus, with the North London club hopeful of offloading him as he enters the final year of his contract.

Therefore, Spurs now have the perfect chance to sell the 28-year-old and upgrade him by bringing in a player with impressive Premier League experience.

Yves Bissouma compared to Douglas Luiz in the Premier League

Luiz’s stats from his final season at Villa Park prove exactly why Juventus were so keen to sign him in the first place.

The difference between what he offers as an overall package compared to Bissouma is chalk and cheese.

The former Villa player alternated between operating as a holding midfielder and in a more advanced midfield role under Unai Emery.

But alongside either Lucas Bergvall or Rodrigo Bentancur, his versatility could make him a strong option for Frank.

Spurs’ squad needs more experience and a player who has the quality of Luiz. Paratici should be working hard to bring him to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham Hotspur have just confirmed that one of their players has left the club despite only just reporting back for pre-season training.

Thomas Frank is expected to make several changes to his Tottenham Hotspur squad over the coming weeks.

Pre-season is now well underway at Hotspur Way with the first friendly against Reading now just nine days away.

Frank will assess various players as he decides whether to keep them in North London or not, but one player has already been offloaded.

Tottenham fans fume at Alejo Veliz deal

For the third time since his move to Tottenham, Alejo Veliz has left the club on loan in what has been a truly disastrous signing from the Lilywhites.

Veliz re-joins Rosario Central on loan without an option to buy, and Spurs fans are so frustrated that they have been unable to move him on permanently.

It’s clear that the Argentine isn’t going to make the grade in English football, so trying to recoup a fee for him would be the ideal next step.

Tottenham signed Veliz for £13m back in the summer of 2023, and since then, he has featured just eight times for the North London club.

Loans to Sevilla and Espanyol haven’t been much of a success either, with Veliz netting just once in La Liga across 33 matches.

Gil has found himself in a similar situation where the Lilywhites have continued to loan him, with no club willing to pay a fee.

Tottenham fans have now slammed the club for signing him in the first place and believe he will continue to go on loan until his contract expires.

One fan said: “What an awful bit of business Veliz was. Came out of the Kane money as a potential replacement, and now we’re giving him back for nothing. We used to be good at buying and selling, now we are shocking.”

Another added: “Veliz should never have been signed in the first place. An honest tryer, but he’s never been a PL standard player. Poor analysis and scouting once again.”

There was further disappointment towards the deal: “It’s funny how we credit Paratici for all the good business, but stuff like this, we let him get a pass. He’s been mostly good, but his lows have been some of the worst in the history of the club.”

Finally, another added: “It was ridiculous to bring him straight over as a 19-year-old with no experience of European football and no clear plan for his development. Sat around for six months, Seville for six months, Espanyol for the next season… How is any young player going to adapt and develop like that?”

Bryan Gil’s praise for Alejo Veliz

Gil and Veliz won’t have spent too much time together at Tottenham, but they did cross paths initially during the Argentine’s first summer at Hotspur Way.

Given that both players are Spanish-speaking, the pair quickly seemed to strike up a friendship at Tottenham.

Back in 2023, Gil called Veliz ‘the tank’, posting an image of the duo working in the gym together at Spurs’ training complex in Enfield.

The Spanish international is likely to now follow Veliz in heading out on loan again this summer, with the winger having just returned from being on loan at Girona.

Gil actually made six Champions League appearances for the Spanish club last term, whilst also notching six goal contributions in La Liga.

Sheffield United and Tottenham rarely do business with one another.

Spurs took Will Lankshear from the Blades in 2022, but before that, a double deal to sign Kyle Walker and Kyle Naughton in 2009 was the last transaction between the two clubs.

Now, however, Tottenham could be about to sell Ashley Phillips to Sheffield United after an interesting development involving Burnley No.5 Maxime Esteve.

Tottenham may have decided to sell Ashley Phillips as talks begin over Maxime Esteve deal

L’Equipe in France now state that Tottenham have opened talks with Burnley over a deal for the French centre-back.

Spurs saw a bid rejected for Esteve on transfer deadline day in February – believed to be worth £20m – but have now returned to the negotiating table in a development which could end up benefitting Ruben Selles at Bramall Lane.

Sheffield United are willing to spend £6m on Phillips this summer as the Blades aim to bounce back from losing the playoff final last season and win promotion to the Premier League next term.

Should Tottenham sign Esteve, it would mean Thomas Frank has Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Kevin Danso, Radu Dragusin, Luka Vuskovic and Kota Takai in his centre-back department along with the England U20 international, which seems far too populated, especially when you consider the Dane only typically uses two central defenders in his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.

Therefore, the fact talks have restarted with Burnley suggests Tottenham are prepared to sell Phillips – who Dejan Kulusevski admires – to Sheffield United.

What Maxime Esteve has already said about Tottenham

Tottenham must agree a fee with Burnley, but personal terms with Esteve shouldn’t be an issue based on what the Frenchman confessed recently.

Esteve said he admired Spurs and Van de Ven when speaking to Foot Mercato back in May, saying: “I dreamed of England really when I was a kid, I watched on TV. My favourite player was Gareth Bale when he played in Tottenham at the time.

“My dream is more to play for a top six club in England. There’s a player I love very much in the Premier League… Micky van de Ven, the centre of Tottenham.

“He is very fast, and I like him because I have the impression that I have a bit of the same speed qualities, even if he goes much faster. I feel inspired by him, because he’s a player who has about the same profile as me.”

Soon, Esteve could be playing alongside the Netherlands international, in a development which could see Phillips depart without a senior appearance to his name.

Tottenham Hotspur are getting going in the summer transfer window as they enter a new era under Thomas Frank.

Spurs have already made two signings this summer in the shape of Mathys Tel and Kota Takai, and, by all accounts, Takai could be a great signing.

Tottenham are also chasing further additions, notably in the attack, and Mohammed Kudus has emerged as a key target.

Tottenham made a bid for Kudus last week, but that was knocked back, and, as of yet, no concrete headway has been made on this front.

However, according to Alex Crook, speaking on TalkSPORT, this is a deal that will probably get done this summer.

Mohammed Kudus likely to join Tottenham this summer

Crook was discussing Tottenham’s move for Kudus.

The journalist says West Ham are still reluctant to sell the attacker to Tottenham, but he admits that a deal is probably going to happen.

Indeed, Crook notes that West Ham do need to raise some money this summer, and selling Kudus is the way to do that.

Kudus is an ‘incredible’ player, who certainly should command a big fee this summer.

“Well this is the classic Daniel Levy negotiation here. The up front offer is a guaranteed £50m,” Crook said.

“West Ham maintain they want at least £60m, but the add-ons, as you say, I understand they’re dependent on winning the Premier League title, which Tottenham have never done, and winning the Champions League, something that David Sullivan has said to his Spurs counter-part ‘come on let’s have realistic add-ons.”

“There is a reluctance from West Ham to sell Kudus to Tottenham because they know it will go down badly with the fanbase.”

“Kudus has made it pretty clear that he wants to make that move, but there’s still some negotiating to be done.”

“Realistically do you think Spurs will sign him?” Crook was asked.

“Probably, because I think West Ham need to sell, they spent a lot of money last summer, not many of those signings have worked, the Declan Rice money is gone, and they have a new manager Graham Potter who wants to bring in players of their own,” Crook said.

West Ham’s record sales

West Ham want at least £60m for Mohammed Kudus, and that would make him the second-most expensive player departure in the Hammers’ history, by some distance too.

Indeed, West Ham’s record sale is Declan Rice to Arsenal for £105m, but, beyond that, the Hammers haven’t been the best at cashing in on top talents.

Tottenham have been testing the water with Kudus, and, by the sounds of it, their interest isn’t waning after this bid.

As Crook says, Kudus wants to join Tottenham, and he will probably get his wish, but, at the moment, there is an impasse in negotiations that still needs to be overcome.

West Ham will be able to reinvest once they sell Kudus, and this may be a situation where all parties are hoping for a resolution sooner rather than later.