TBR Football

Tottenham Hotspur could be about to lose one of their top players shortly, with talks ongoing over a deal.

Thomas Frank will soon start welcoming his new squad back to Hotspur Way as Tottenham Hotspur’s players return for pre-season.

The 51-year-old will be hoping that all his key players will be back at the training centre in the coming weeks, and there are no surprise departures.

But, in the case of one of his key men, ‘significant progress’ could be about to happen this week in terms of him leaving the club, which would be a major blow.

Atletico Madrid tipped to make ‘significant progress’ to sign Cristian Romero

Atletico Madrid could well make ‘significant progress’ to sign Cristian Romero this week, Diario AS are reporting.

The Spanish newspaper claims that Rojiblancos are prepared to go ‘all out’ to bring the 27-year-old to the Metropolitano this summer.

Romero is seen as a ‘cornerstone’ of Atletico Madrid’s project, and as already made clear, he is a player whom Diego Simeone has requested.

Simeone keeps contacting Romero about a move, and the Spanish giants are now desperate to satisfy the Argentine’s desire to sign him.

Atletico are willing to pay £47 million fixed and another £13 million in add-ons to sign the defender, while Spurs are asking for £60 million.

TBR Football confirmed earlier this week that Atletico offered around £55 million for Romero, with Daniel Levy holding out for about £5 million more.

Levy won’t sell Romero for cheap and has made it clear to the Spaniards that he is willing to make the Argentine Tottenham’s best-paid player.

Thomas Frank wants to build around Romero, therefore, losing such an important player so early on would be a major blow for the Danish head coach.

Luka Vuskovic could be ready-made Cristian Romero replacement

Luka Vuskovic became a Tottenham player as of July 1, with the youngster finally joining the club, two years on from his transfer.

Tottenham signed Vuskovic for £12m back in 2023 and beat strong competition from clubs like Manchester City to land him.

The 18-year-old is one of the most talented young defenders in Europe and already has a vast amount of experience despite his young age.

The Croatian international has made 61 senior appearances at club level and has already made his debut for the national team.

Tottenham are excited by Vuskovic’s potential, given his impressive performances on loan at Westerlo in the Belgian Pro League last season.

The defender showed he is more than just a centre-back as he netted seven times for the Belgian club, thanks to his impressive aerial ability.

Tottenham Hotspur are currently working on making a marquee addition for Thomas Frank.

The North London club have been rather quiet in the transfer window up until this point, with Mathys Tel signing permanently as their only new addition.

But with Frank now a few weeks into the job and pre-season just around the corner, the Lilywhites are working to ensure he has new signings to work with.

Spurs have identified one player in particular whom they would love to give to their new head coach, and ‘serious work’ is going into a deal.

Tottenham think Mohammed Kudus would be an ‘excellent’ signing

Tottenham Hotspur want to deliver Mohammed Kudus for their new manager, Thomas Frank, and believe he would be an ‘excellent’ addition, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Frank likes Kudus and has already approved Spurs’ move to lure him away from the London Stadium this summer.

The North London club are now working hard to get a deal done for the 24-year-old, with talks ongoing with the player and West Ham United.

Kudus, who’s been called a ‘superstar’, is open to making the switch across London, as the Lilywhites continue their push to bring him in.

Romano told his YouTube channel: “Tottenham are seriously working for Mohammed Kudus, conversations are ongoing, and the player is open to making a move to Tottenham.

“Tottenham want to give the player to Thomas Frank. Tottenham believe Kudus will be an excellent addition for his summer transfer window.”

Chelsea remain in the race for Mohammed Kudus

The worry that remains for Tottenham is that Chelsea also want Kudus, and the Blues are still in the hunt to sign him, despite their deals for Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens.

As already revealed by TBR Football, the Blues had swap offers rejected by the Hammers earlier in the window, for players like Robert Sanchez, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and others.

“As I told you, Chelsea also remain interested in the player and there is one more club keeping a close eye on the situation, so the race remains open, but Tottenham are pushing,” Romano added.

Arsenal target Noni Madueke is a player who could depart Stamford Bridge this summer and make room for the potential arrival of Kudus.

TBR Football understands that Daniel Levy is ready to make one of Tottenham Hotspur’s top players the best-paid player in N17.

Tottenham Hotspur are keen to keep hold of their best players this summer to avoid disappointing their new manager, Thomas Frank.

Frank has made it clear to the North London club that he wants to keep the player who is subject to strong interest from another team.

However, Levy is ready to intervene in the situation and is sending a strong warning out, which could deter the interested club from making a move.

Daniel Levy wants £70m to sell Cristian Romero

Daniel Levy is eager to keep Cristian Romero at Tottenham and has placed a £70m price tag on the defender, sources have told TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey.

The Spurs chairman has warned Atletico Madrid he is prepared to make Romero Tottenham’s best-paid player, showing just how highly rated he is at the North London club.

Levy has accepted the fact that the 27-year-old could well leave, as his heart appears to be set on a move to the Spanish capital.

Bailey told TBR Football: “Daniel Levy, as we said this week, is accepting that Romero might leave, but he won’t allow him to leave for cheap.

“He’s telling Atletico he’s prepared to make Romero the highest-paid player at the football club. That’s evidence of how highly he rates him.”

Should Romero push to leave and Spurs decide to sell, then Levy’s £70m asking price is unlikely to be matched.

A deal being done for around £60m would be more likely, as Atletico are currently offering £55m for Romero.

“So that’s where Levy is pushing back. I think he’s looking for £70m. He’s not going to get that. Will he get £60m? I think that might be the key figure. Atletico are about £55m,” added Bailey.

“But Levy is emphasising to them just how highly he rates the player. Levy, as we know, will keep a player if you don’t offer what he wants.

“Atletico think they know the value of the defender and Diego Simeone is pushing massively for him, thinking we’ll get him.”

Tottenham’s plans to replace Cristian Romero

The North London club will push to sign another top defender should Romero’s move to Atletico eventually materialise.

But even if they were to lose the World Cup winner, their defensive options mean they are already well equipped for life without him.

Luka Vuskovic became a Tottenham player on July 1, two years on from the young Croatian signing from Hajduk Split for around £12 million.

Meanwhile, Kevin Danso is highly rated by Tottenham, and there’s a sense he could become a starter at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next term.

Bailey added: “Kevin Danso, they like him an awful lot, but they will sign someone else if Romero goes.

“Currently, they have (Kota) Takai, (Ashley) Phillips, Vuskovic, Danso, (Micky) Van de Ven, and (Radu) Dragusin, who could leave Tottenham. I wouldn’t rule out Dragusin going back to Italy at some point.

Three options include Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, although he is expected to leave next summer instead, Ousmane Diomande from Sporting CP and Benfica’s Antonio Silva.

“Spurs still like Guehi, but I think he will move on a free next summer, if I’m being honest,” Bailey continued.

“Do we see Tottenham getting involved in a situation like the one for Ousmane Diomande, something like that? Yes, I wouldn’t rule that out at all. Antonio Silva, you know, I think we will see something like that for them.”

Tottenham have been for sale for a long time – far longer than since last April, when Daniel Levy first announced he was seeking external investment in the club.

Privately, ENIC have said for years that they would consider selling a portion of their stakes at the right price. No wonder, really, when so much of their wealth is wrapped up in Tottenham.

In a tale as old as time, Daniel Levy’s asking price for Spurs is said to be a sticking point. But there has been genuine interest in the North Londoners, some of it public, some of it under wraps.

Via her PCP Capital Partners investment group, former Newcastle United director Amanda Staveley was said to be exploring a £500m minority stake in the club. It has been almost a year since that story first broke, however, and there has been little in the way of updates since.

Earlier, the private equity firm MSP Sports Capital was linked. They conducted due diligence on Spurs with a view to a full takeover, but nothing materialised. Similarly, another U.S. investment firm, Liberty Media, has also been loosely linked. Again, though, no dice.

Crystal Palace shareholder David Blitzer is another name mentioned in football finance circles, though he would need to first divest his stake in the Premier League club he already co-owns. But given that John Textor will soon be out the way, the prolific sports investor may now be in no hurry to leave Selhurst Park.

One name that has never gone away is Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), the sovereign wealth-backed fund fronted by Paris Saint-Germain and beIN Sports supremo Nasser Al-Khelaiffi.

Al-Khelaifi has met with Levy for investment talks a few years ago, though both parties have always denied the substance of the meeting. If they were ever to pitch up in North London, it would be an extraordinarily complex deal because of their involvement with PSG.

And as a new development highlights, another layer could complicate the would-be investment.

Could QSI’s interest in Tottenham be a conflict of interest at Premier League level?

In Ligue 1, Al-Khelaifi is the dominant presence at shareholder meetings because of both his link with PSG and his position as the president of one of the league’s biggest broadcasters, beIN.

In fact, in the absence of DAZN, who recently cancelled their partnership with Ligue 1, beIN are the league’s only domestic broadcaster.

BeIN are also a major partner of the Premier League and recently struck a new £550m deal to air the competition in the Middle East and North Africa.

If QSI took over Spurs or bought into the club on a minority basis, could their links to the broadcaster be considered a conflict of interest? Probably not – but the government blocked BSkyB’s proposed takeover of Manchester United in 1998 because the Sky Sports connection was deemed too deep. In the modern era, Aston Villa are co-owned by the private equity firm Atairos, who are funded by Comcast, who own Sky.

“We’ve got the same situation with PSG,” says University of Liverpool football finance lecturer Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to TRB Football.

“With the broadening of portfolio interests we’re seeing today, and with sport – football in particular – now viewed as part of the entertainment industry, it makes sense that whoever is broadcasting that entertainment would want a closer relationship with it. You can see the logic from BeIN’s point of view: having both a content producer (the club) and a content distributor (the broadcaster) under the same umbrella.”

When will the Spurs takeover or minority investment actually happen?

As well as the price issue, there are several factors said to be holding up the potential sale of Tottenham – some of them coming from the buy side, others from the sell side.

Among those is the fact that the lenders that supplied Spurs with the loans for their new stadium have change-of-control clauses that would allow them to renegotiate at a higher rate if there is a takeover. For Spurs, that would likely mean paying much higher interest, as Levy secured such a sweet deal the first time around. Simply put, the deal might be too good to walk away from.

On the flip side, several sets of talks are said to have collapsed over confusion over who would actually run the club after the deal is complete.

Multiple reports have suggested that Levy would demand a management contract to continue acting as chairman in the event of a full or partial sale. So what is in it exactly for a new partner, especially if it is a minority deal with limited control?

The club also has 30,000 minority shareholders who may need to be bought out in the event of a full takeover. If QSI are interested, it seems likely they would want 100 per cent control.

So, there are myriad factors that suggest that a deal is not close.

Even when a suitable partner is found, the machinations of the deal itself will likely take several months to play out, with both in-house and external checks demanding a lot of time.

Tottenham Hotspur are trying to sign Mohammed Kudus this summer as they look to bolster their attacking options.

Thomas Frank has approved Tottenham’s Kudus move, and the North London club are now working on a deal to bring him across the capital.

TBR Football revealed that Tottenham have held advanced talks for Kudus, and there is a sense that Frank could help him to become a star.

However, Spurs’ North London rivals Arsenal, who also want Kudus, may have just given the Lilywhites a big problem in their pursuit of the 24-year-old.

Arsenal’s Noni Madueke bid could fund Chelsea’s Mohammed Kudus move

Chelsea are one of the clubs looking at a deal for West Ham United attacker Mohammed Kudus, TBR Football can reveal.

Enzo Maresca’s side are continuing to monitor the situation, having seen bids with players included, such as Robert Sanchez, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and others, rejected by the Hammers.

Despite agreeing deals for Brighton’s Joao Pedro and Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens, the Blues remain open to adding more players to their attack.

Now, Arsenal’s move to sign Noni Madueke could actually help the West London club to afford their own move for Kudus.

Reports claim that the Gunners have submitted a bid for the Chelsea forward, who is believed to have a value of around £50 million.

West Ham are currently asking for just over £60 million for Kudus, and therefore, selling Madueke could put them in a strong position to bid for the Ghanaian international.

Tottenham Hotspur have made Kudus their prime attacking target for this transfer window, but now, they could face strong competition from the Blues.

When Chelsea have previously stolen Tottenham targets

The North Londoners will be well aware of Chelsea’s spending powers, having previously seen the likes of Willian, Eden Hazard and Pedro Neto stolen from under their noses.

Harry Redknapp claims he nearly signed Hazard back in 2012, only for Daniel Levy not to pay the asking price, and he ended up joining the then-European champions, Chelsea.

The following year, the Blues infamously hijacked Spurs’ move for Willian, as they brought him across London after he’d had a medical at Tottenham.

Last summer, Tottenham wanted Tosin Adarabioyo, but again, the Blues acted decisively and managed to sign him on a free transfer ahead of them.

Thomas Frank should be delighted by the young talent who has just become a Tottenham Hotspur player.

Tottenham Hotspur have had a quiet summer of arrivals; however, July 1 means that several deals have just become official.

The North London club did some excellent work over recent years signing up-and-coming young talents, but the latest to arrive looks arguably the most promising.

Thomas Frank is renowned for being a brilliant coach in terms of developing players, and getting his hands on Spurs’ latest new addition could see him work wonders.

Luka Vuskovic officially becomes a Tottenham player

As of today, Luka Vuskovic has officially become a Tottenham player, two years on from his £12 million move from Hajduk Split.

Tottenham believe Vuskovic is a ‘top talent’ following his impressive loan spell in the Belgian Pro League with Westerlo.

The 18-year-old already has 62 senior appearances despite his young age, which also includes his debut for the Croatian national team.

Vuskovic made his Croatia debut in June as he came on as a substitute in their 5-1 win over the Czech Republic, much to the excitement of Spurs’ supporters.

The defender, who stands at 1.93 metres tall, has already proved he is more than capable of dealing with the physicality of senior football.

Making the step up to the Premier League should be no issue, although he may need time to adapt to the speed and need for quality on the ball.

Vuskovic, who’s been called a ‘top talent’, netted seven times last season for Westerlo, with most of his goals coming from his superb aerial ability. The teenager won 110 aerial duels last term, which saw him rank fourth highest in the Pro League.

Spurs have had issues with set pieces over recent seasons, but the arrival of the young defender could help fix that weakness.

Luka Vuskovic could be a key player for Thomas Frank

Vuskovic could become an important player for Frank next term, and that could be even more important should Cristian Romero leave.

Romero’s Tottenham future remains uncertain, with Atletico Madrid currently making a strong push to sign him for around £55 million.

The North London club will be hoping that the youngster can follow the same path as Destiny Udogie and Lucas Bergvall in making an immediate impact in N17.

Kota Takai is joining Tottenham this summer as well, with Ashley Phillips returning from his loan spell at Stoke City in the Championship.

Frank could switch to a back-three at Spurs, so having plenty of options in central defence at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be so important.

Vuskovic could become a great partner for both Romero and Micky van de Ven.

Tottenham Hotspur are looking to sign an attacker this summer, and their search has now led them away from Eberechi Eze.

TBR Football reported that Tottenham have cooled their talks for Eze, with another target now being worked on for Thomas Frank’s squad.

Tottenham have held a long-term interest in Eze, with the 27-year-old being someone they have been following since at least 2019, when he was at QPR.

However, the North London club have now turned their attention elsewhere, and Spurs supporters have plenty to say about the latest twist.

Tottenham fans prefer Mohammed Kudus to Eberechi Eze

Tottenham Hotspur fans believe West Ham United attacker Mohammed Kudus would be a better fit for Frank’s team over Eberechi Eze.

TBR Football revealed that Tottenham have held advanced talks for Kudus and he is now the most advanced attacking option for them.

Frank has approved the move for Kudus and talks have started with both the player and the Hammers to learn the conditions of a move.

The East London club are believed to want around £60m for Kudus, who is open to joining Tottenham, which is £20m less than his current £80m release clause at the London Stadium.

Now, the 24-year-old has been made a priority signing ahead of Eze, and Spurs supporters believe the club are making the right choice to move for the Irons’ attacker.

One fan said: “Kudus is a better fit for us and the way I assume Frank would play. I love Eze, but with Maddison and Kulusevski in place, I don’t see where he fits in. Kudus improves our attack instantly.”

Another added: “I rate Eze and Simons, but Kudus is easily the best at right wing, which is what we need.”

There were yet more shouts to sign Kudus over Eze: “Something about Kudus that makes me think he could be a superstar more than someone like Semenyo. See the fit much more with Kudus than Eze or Simons.”

Finally, another said: “We need a right winger, badly. Frank could turn Kudus into an elite goal scorer. To be honest, the idea of Eze is always there, but it’s been dragged for so long.”

How Eberechi Eze compares to Mohammed Kudus

It’s tricky to compare both players based on last season, as Kudus had a tough campaign in a West Ham team that struggled.

Meanwhile, Eze played an integral role in Crystal Palace’s first FA Cup-winning season.

But it’s the Ghanaian’s dribbling ability which should be factored in here, as this is what Spurs are missing.

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

For the Lilywhites, their highest during that period has been Dejan Kulusevski with 86, highlighting the need for a winger who can carry the ball.

Tottenham Hotspur’s transfer plans are starting to take shape, and one of their key attacking targets has revealed that he is open to joining.

It’s been a rather quiet transfer window up until this point for Spurs, with Mathys Tel signing permanently their only completed arrival.

Thomas Frank will be keen to add to his squad as they prepare for the Champions League and to improve on last season’s 17th-place finish.

The new Danish head coach has just been handed a major boost after learning that one of his priority targets has told the club he is open to joining.

Mohammed Kudus is open to joining Tottenham

Mohammed Kudus has made it clear that he is open to joining Tottenham Hotspur this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The journalist has revealed that Spurs have started talks with the player’s agents to understand the conditions of a move for the Ghanaian international.

Initial talks between the two parties have been positive, with personal terms and the potential project in North London being discussed.

Frank has approved Tottenham’s move for Kudus during transfer talks with the board, and now they appear to be accelerating their move to land him.

Kudus had a poor campaign last term as he netted just five goals and got three assists, but during the 2023/24 season, he was excellent, netting 18 times.

Tottenham will now continue talks with West Ham and the player about a transfer this summer as they look to hand their new manager a marquee addition.

Arsenal have also held talks to sign Mohammed Kudus

TBR Football understands that West Ham want over £60m for Kudus, which is considerably less than his £80m release clause.

Also, as revealed by TBR Football, Arsenal have held talks for Kudus, meanwhile, Chelsea are also reported to still be in the race.

The Gunners are keen to sign another winger this summer, and the 24-year-old is a player who they really like. But right now, they risk losing him to Spurs.

Meanwhile, the Blues could yet have a say on proceedings despite the signings of Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens, with one more attacker being targeted.

Tottenham Hotspur are looking to sign a big attacking player this summer and Mohammed Kudus has emerged as a top target.

TBR Football understands that Tottenham have held advanced talks for Kudus, and the North London club’s footballing department rates the West Ham United attacker highly.

Thomas Frank approved Tottenham’s Kudus move, and the Lilywhites have now taken big steps to find out the conditions of a transfer.

The Hammers are believed to value the player at over £60 million, but Spurs should be trying to make that fee cheaper by offering them a player in exchange.

Tottenham should offer Yves Bissouma in Mohammed Kudus deal

Tottenham Hotspur should consider offering Yves Bissouma as part of a deal to sign Mohammed Kudus from West Ham.

Bissouma was a player whom the current West Ham boss, Graham Potter, used to love during their time together at Brighton.

The midfielder became an integral part of his plans at the AMEX Stadium, and that’s why the Malian international was in such high demand.

The 28-year-old’s stats during the 2020/21 season were so impressive as he ranked first for tackles won, second for total tackles and fourth for interceptions.

Bissouma was a real warrior in the middle of the park under Potter, and the Hammers’ manager could love working alongside him again.

TBR Sources understand that Tottenham are open to selling Bissouma and the Lilywhites should test the waters to see whether the East Londoners would be willing to take him.

Reports elsewhere suggest Everton are keen on Bissouma, so even if he isn’t wanted by West Ham, Spurs could just raise funds for their Kudus move by selling the midfielder.

Mohammed Kudus is now Tottenham’s priority signing

TBR Football can reveal that Kudus is now a priority signing, and Tottenham’s move for Eberechi Eze has cooled.

The North London club still appreciate Eze, along with Antoine Semenyo and Xavi Simons, but the 24-year-old is now the most advanced option for them.

Levy and Fabio Paratici are both big fans of the former Ajax attacker and believe that Frank could work wonders with the player in N17.

The former Brentford coach has previously turned the likes of Ollie Watkins, Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbeumo into superstars.

The Danish coach’s brilliant coaching ability, along with Kudus’ extraordinary potential, could make it a match made in heaven for Spurs.

TBR Football understands that Tottenham Hotspur have now slowed their talks to sign a player who Thomas Frank had told the board he was keen on.

Thomas Frank will be hopeful that Spurs will soon start to accelerate their plans to reinforce his squad with pre-season just around the corner.

The Lilywhites’ squad requires work following last season’s 17th-place finish in the Premier League, and Champions League football is back on the menu in N17.

But talks for one of his key attacking targets have now ‘decelerated’, with the North London club starting to consider other options instead.

Tottenham have now slowed their talks to sign Eberechi Eze

Graeme Bailey, TBR Football chief correspondent, understands that Tottenham Hotspur have now slowed their talks to sign Crystal Palace winger Eberechi Eze.

Frank was a fan of Eze’s, and he had told the North London club to make him a transfer target this summer. There was also the fact that Eze was ‘very keen’ to join Tottenham, if the option arose.

Tottenham have long been after Eze with their interest dating back to at least 2019, when he was playing for Queens Park Rangers in the Championship.

Spurs had made the 27-year-old a target again for this summer, but that interest is now starting to dwindle, and other attacking options are being explored.

As reported by TBR Football, Tottenham have held talks for Mohammed Kudus, with Levy a big fan of the West Ham attacker, and he feels Frank could do wonders with him.

At this early stage of the window, Kudus is the most advanced option, but the club are still considering Eze, Antoine Semenyo and Xavi Simons.

Arsenal, Newcastle and Aston Villa are in the picture for Eberechi Eze

Eze, who’s been called a ‘superstar’, has plenty of other strong options, with Arsenal, Newcastle United, Aston Villa and clubs from abroad all in the frame.

The Gunners have been keeping things bubbling away with the attacker as they consider a move for him at some stage.

Newcastle are looking to sign attacking players this window and Eze is a player who they appreciate, meanwhile, Villa are also thinking about him.

Palace chairman Steve Parish is in no hurry to sell, and just like Marc Guehi, there will be no bargains or easy deals; even with Eze, getting a payment plan will be tough.

The FA Cup winner has a release clause worth £60 million with an extra £8 million in bonuses. Palace are open to Eze’s release clause being paid in instalments, but even then, the deal remains tricky.