TBR Football

Thomas Frank will be starting to accelerate his plans for next season at Tottenham Hotspur with pre-season now just around the corner.

The former Brentford boss faces a massive task at Tottenham Hotspur, trying to get them back on track in the Premier League whilst also attempting to make them competitive in the Champions League.

The Danish manager will also be hoping that the North London club will soon start to make moves in the transfer window, following what has been a slow start.

The Lilywhites had already signed James Maddison and Guglielmo Vicario by this stage of the window after the appointment of Ange Postecoglou.

The 51-year-old has now decided that he wants to build his team around one of Spurs’ current stars, but there is one reason why that could be rather tricky.

Thomas Frank wants to build around Cristian Romero

Thomas Frank is keen to make Cristian Romero one of the key components of his new team at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, according to Alasdair Gold.

TBR Football understands that Atletico Madrid are trying to sign Romero this summer and are now making a big push to do so.

The World Cup winner’s stance over leaving Spurs at this stage remains unclear, but Frank must try to convince him that staying in N17 will be a great option for him.

Gold told Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham: “I think the key thing for me is that Thomas Frank really wants to keep him; he wants him to become a lynchpin of this new look Tottenham going forward. He can absolutely be that.

“With two years left, Spurs have still got the power, so it doesn’t really matter too much if the player is absolutely desperate and anxious to leave – I’m not saying he is.

“It could be that Romero feels like he wants a shot at the Champions League at Spurs, it may be that he feels he’s got enough time in his career to head off to La Liga at a later stage. But we’ll need to hear from him and not put words in his mouth.”

“But we certainly know that the club and Thomas Frank want to keep him.”

Romero, who’s been called ‘exceptional’, could be superb under Frank given his aggressive playing style and ability on the ball.

Tottenham must stand firm over Cristian Romero valuation

For their part, Tottenham must try to stand firm over Romero, who cost £42m, and not allow the defender to leave for under his valuation this summer.

The defender’s performances in the Europa League, and especially the final, highlight why he is seen as one of the best defenders in world football.

If the North London club decide to sell him, then Romero’s value must reflect how important he is to the team and his status in the game.

The Lilywhites should be demanding that Atletico Madrid pay a transfer fee that would see him break into the top five most expensive defenders.

Tottenham Hotspur are looking to bolster Thomas Frank’s attacking options by signing West Ham United forward Mohammed Kudus.

TBR Football understands that Tottenham really like Kudus and believe that their new manager could turn the forward into a ‘world star’.

The North London club have been looking at several different options this summer, with the likes of Bryan Mbeumo, Eberechi Eze and Antoine Semenyo all considered.

But now, talks over a deal for Kudus have started to advance, and the true feelings of the Danish head coach about the move have been revealed.

Thomas Frank approves Tottenham’s move to sign Mohammed Kudus

Thomas Frank has approved Tottenham Hotspur’s move for West Ham United attacker Mohammed Kudus during transfer talks with the club’s board, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lilywhites will have discussed a range of attacking players with the 51-year-old, but Kudus is one that he told them he appreciates.

Spurs made contact with the player’s new agency and the West London club to find out the conditions over a move for the Ghanaian international.

Romano told his YouTube channel: “Tottenham made some steps to reach an agreement with West Ham and Mohammed Kudus over a move this summer.

“What happened in the recent days is that Tottenham made contact with Mohammed Kudus, who in the recent days signed with ROOF – one of the biggest agencies in Europe.

“So Tottenham have Mohammed Kudus on their list. He was one of the names mentioned in the meeting with the new coach, Thomas Frank. Approved as a player, also appreciated by the coach.”

Tottenham tried for Mbeumo initially, as revealed by TBR Football, but now, the club looks to have moved on to Kudus, with the Brentford attacker expected to join Man United.

West Ham fans want Kudus sold for his release clause, although TBR Football sources have been told that the Hammers want over £60 million, which is £20 million less than his clause.

Mohammed Kudus could be the perfect competition for Brennan Johnson

Despite having a poor season in front of goal, the 24-year-old proved why he is such a good player with his impressive dribbling ability. The Ghanaian completed far more take-ons than Brennan Johnson, also with a much higher success rate.

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

Tottenham are lacking a winger in the mould of the former Ajax star, and Kudus could be the perfect alternative to Johnson.

It’s tricky not to knock the Welshman, however, as he produced so many key moments last term for Spurs, netting 18 goals in total.

Johnson and Kudus rotating in the right wing spot could be perfect, especially with so many games following the return of Champions League football.

Thomas Frank is set for several key decisions when Tottenham Hotspur players return from pre-season training in early July.

Tottenham Hotspur’s squad is expected to change dramatically this summer with a new manager now in charge.

The North London club’s new Danish head coach will face big calls over the future of several young talents.

Thomas Frank has told the Lilywhites not to accept any loan offers, at least for now, for one player in particular, as he wants to take a closer look at him during pre-season.

Thomas Frank wants to assess Will Lankshear during Tottenham pre-season

Will Lankshear will be followed closely by Thomas Frank during Tottenham’s pre-season, and the North London club are refusing loan offers at this stage, according to Alasdair Gold.

The 20-year-old has several clubs from England and Europe who want to sign him on loan, and West Bromwich Albion are also keen to get him back.

Ryan Mason is now the West Brom manager at the Hawthorns, and therefore, the Baggies’ interest in the striker will have only increased.

Gold said in his YouTube channel: “[Will Lankshear] has got a number of clubs across England and Europe that want to take him on loan.

“West Brom are interested in taking him back, and Ryan Mason is, of course, there now.

“But from what I understand, Thomas Frank wants to take a look at him first. He wants to have a little look at him before deciding what’s going to happen with him loan-wise.”

Lankshear was called ‘immense’ during his six-month spell in the West Midlands. However, he failed to find the back of the net in 11 appearances.

The youngster needs game time to improve as a goal-scorer, but the new Spurs boss is keen to take a look at him before making up his mind.

Thomas Frank tried to sign Will Lankshear at Brentford

Tottenham beat Brentford to the signing of Lankshear, Sky Sports claimed back in August 2022, despite Frank’s team having a bid accepted.

Spurs ended up paying £2 million to sign the then-teenager, although the Bees believed they were going to sign him before the North London club made a late move.

The report adds that the West Londoners felt the striker had ‘huge potential’ and there was much excitement at the club when they felt they were signing him.

Thomas Frank will be well aware of Lankshear and will finally have his chance to work alongside the promising, young striker.

Lankshear netted his first professional goal last season during Tottenham’s Europa League campaign, scoring in their 3-2 away loss to Galatasaray.

Tottenham chairman and co-owner Daniel Levy’s reputation as a dealmaker is legendary, though not always for the right reasons.

Spurs’ commercial income and stadium revenue have boomed on the 63-year-old’s watch, outperforming just about every other club at the elite end of the football finance spectrum.

Tottenham now have the core turnover of one of the world’s biggest and best clubs but, besides last season’s lightning-in-a-bottle Europa League triumph, not the corresponding trophy record.

However, if Daniel Levy can find the right formula, commercial income could turn the North Londoners into a genuine football superpower. The problem isn’t how much Spurs spend – it’s how they spend it. Yes, the wage bill as a percentage of revenue is low, but that’s a perfectly viable model which, when coupled with smart recruitment and ever-rising turnover, can still bring success on the pitch.

Thomas Frank is the latest man to try and coordinate the football operation, hopefully bringing some Brentford-style resource-efficiency with him.

With Champions League revenue guaranteed in 2025-26, the manager and sporting director Johan Lange have a respectable transfer budget at their disposal. They’ve already spent around £70m, making Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso’s loans permanent and adding youngsters Luka Vuskovic and Kato Takai.

Spurs have huge PSR headroom too, but there is a possibility that the owners will be forced to inject cash into the club to cover costs if there aren’t also player sales this summer, especially if the likes of Mohamed Kudus and Eberechi Eze end up signing for big fees too.

Why? Because, while commercial income has soared in recent seasons, Tottenham’s absence from the Champions League has been costly.

They have the chance to correct that next season and, they will hope, build a platform for sustained success.

But commercial growth will be central to that ambition and, as the latest news shows, Spurs are looking to extract every single penny from their commercial operation going into the new campaign.

Back in 2022, Spurs signed a commercial deal with Ineos to showcase their Grenadier electric 4×4 vehicle.

Back then, Ineos were mostly known within football as the owners of Lausanne Sport and OGC Nice, if at all. Now, however, CEO Sir Jim Ratcliffe is now more or less a household name as co-owner of Manchester United.

One complication of Ratcliffe’s £1.25bn investment in United was that he was effectively continuing funding a direct rival in Spurs through the Ineos sponsorship. As a result, Ineos immediately looked for a way out of the partnership.

In March of this year, Ineos terminated the deal, but it has since emerged via official court documents that Spurs are seeking around £11.5m in compensation from the British multinational firm.

“They have had to recall a lot of units,” says University of Liverpool football finance lecturer Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to TBR Football about how the Spurs-Ineos saga might end.

“If you look at sales, they are considerably down. The factory has been closed because they have too much inventory, so there is no point having the production lines open.

“Ineos aren’t in a bad financial position, but it’s not a great position either. They are very, very cost conscious and that’s why they have terminated a lot of these deals.

“I think they were probably a bit naïve if they thought that they could just terminate the contract without incurring the wrath of Daniel Levy. Anyone who has negotiated with Levy will know that he is across the small print of every contract.

“It’s clearly going to be a battle between the two sets of lawyers about whether a settlement can be made that will be satisfactory to both parties.

“As far as Spurs are concerned, they are hell-bent on seeing their commercial income rise every year, and recouping as much as they can from the Ineos agreement is part of that strategy.”

In the last published financial year, Spurs generated commercial revenues of £255m. The details of their legal challenge to the early termination of the Ineos deal suggest that almost £4m in revenue was attributed to the Ineos sponsorship.

Tottenham at risk of being left behind in multi-club arms race

While Spurs have been one of the Premier League’s commercially successful and innovative clubs in recent years, they appear to be getting left behind in another department.

In 2024-25, 16 Premier League clubs, including Ratcliffe’s Man United, will be part of a multi-club network of some description. Spurs, however, are not part of that bloc.

ENIC, Tottenham’s ultimate owners, are no strangers to the multi-club model and its potential pitfalls. In the early 2000s, they sold off their interests in several European clubs – including Rangers, Slavia Prague, and Basel – because of UEFA’s crackdown on shared ownership.

Now, football is at an inflection point when it comes to the multi-club model. On the one hand, Crystal Palace might be barred from competing in next season’s Europa League because of their ownership link with Lyon, but on the other, the multi-club model is being proliferated more and more every season.

Tottenham Hotspur are attempting to sign Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United.

TBR Football understands that Tottenham have held advanced talks to sign Kudus, and West Ham United are open to selling the forward.

West Ham must sell Kudus to help fund their own transfer moves as they look to reshape Graham Potter’s squad for next season.

Kudus would become the first player since Scott Parker in 2011 to make the direct switch across the capital and West Ham’s supporters have plenty to say about it.

West Ham fans want Tottenham to pay up for Mohammed Kudus

West Ham fans are adamant that Mohammed Kudus should not be sold to Tottenham Hotspur for a cheap deal and have called for them to pay up.

TBR Football can reveal that the Hammers want in excess of £60 million for the Ghanaian international, despite the winger having an £80 million release clause at the London Stadium.

Daniel Levy and Spurs’ football department are big admirers of Kudus and believe that the 24-year-old could be a huge success under Thomas Frank.

Arsenal also held talks for Kudus, however, the Lilywhites are now the team who have shown the biggest interest in the forward, and talks are already at an advanced stage.

The right winger had a tough campaign last term as he netted just five goals and got three assists. During the 2023/24 season, he managed an impressive 18 goals and 10 assists.

Now, the Hammers’ supporters have taken to X to call for their owners to make sure that they don’t allow Spurs to take advantage of them in a deal for Kudus.

“We have a history of selling quality players cheap to Spurs. Carrick, Defoe, Parker. Prefer to keep him rather than sell him for £50 million.”

“Needs to be the release clause, though. Anything less and we shouldn’t sell to a rival.”

There were further calls for a big price tag to be placed on the forward: “We shouldn’t sell for less than £60 million, we’ll regret it as he’d do so well for Spurs.”

Finally, another added: “If no club is willing to pay the £65m we supposedly want for him, then don’t sell him and give him another season to show what he can do. That would surely be like a new signing.”

Mohammed Kudus could be the perfect winger for Tottenham

Kudus’ superb dribbling is what could make him the perfect winger for Spurs, who have missed that trait from their wingers.

In the last two Premier League seasons, the winger has completed more successful dribbles than any other player in the last two Premier League seasons, with 207.

Dejan Kulusevski is the closest Tottenham player to Kudus in terms of successful dribbles with 86, but that isn’t close to half the amount the West Ham player managed.

Adding an attacker with such explosive dribbling ability could be a game-changer for the North London club, and there’s a reason why Fabio Paratici thinks Frank can replicate, with Kudus, what he did with Mbeumo at Brentford.

TBR Football understands that Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici are big fans of a Premier League attacker and think Thomas Frank could help him to explode in North London.

Tottenham Hotspur are working to bolster Thomas Frank’s attacking options in N17 following his arrival from Brentford.

The North London club are especially keen to add to the right side of their attack, where they would like to bring in a player who the Dane would consider a starter.

Spurs tried and failed to sign Bryan Mbeumo and now they are looking at another right-sided attacker from the Premier League.

Tottenham really like West Ham United attacker Mohammed Kudus

Tottenham’s footballing department, including Fabio Paratici, really like West Ham United attacker Mohammed Kudus, TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey can reveal.

TBR Football revealed that Tottenham and Arsenal held talks about Kudus and were weighing up offers for the 24-year-old.

Spurs are now the club who have held the most advanced talks to sign the winger who is valued in excess of £60 million, despite his £80 million release clause.

West Ham need to sell Kudus to raise funds for Graham Potter’s transfer budget, as TBR Football reported, and they are open to letting the attacker leave.

Daniel Levy is also believed to like the attacking midfielder, and thinks Frank could replicate with Kudus what he did with Mbeumo at Brentford.

The Danish manager and his staff helped coach the Cameroonian international to score 20 Premier League goals last season.

Kudus had a rather quiet season at the London Stadium last term, but during his first campaign in East London, he managed 18 goals and ten assists.

Mohammed Kudus would be a better fit for Tottenham than Eberechi Eze

Kudus could actually be a better fit for Tottenham than Eberechi Eze, given the winger’s versatility to fill multiple roles across the attack.

TBR Football has revealed that Eze is a target for Tottenham and he is believed to be ‘very keen’ on a move to North London.

The North London club’s priority is to land a right-sided attacker who could start under Frank, and Kudus is far more comfortable on that side than Eze.

The Crystal Palace forward is a superstar, but Kudus has the potential to keep getting better and under Frank, he could become outstanding.

North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham are set to go head to head as they have eyes on the same transfer target.

Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze has attracted interest from both clubs this summer. Tottenham have a longstanding interest in Eze, with their interest dating back to his QPR days.

They have since then made several efforts to lure him, including giving Eze’s entourage an exclusive box at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium during a match between Palace and Spurs in 2024.

However, they face competition from their London rivals, with Arsenal also showing an interest in signing Eze.

With both clubs keen on signing the Premier League midfielder, former Palace manager Alan Pardew has now advised Eze which club he should sign for.

Eberechi Eze urged to sign for Tottenham instead of Arsenal

Pardew was asked which club Eze should sign for between Tottenham and Arsenal.

He explained that Arsenal already have sufficient quality in Eze’s position and therefore don’t need to sign him, making Tottenham a more suitable destination if the Crystal Palace star decides to move.

Discussing the player’s future on talkSPORT, he said: “I think everybody, and I’ll talk for my Arsenal friends, not from my own thinking. My Arsenal friends all assume that if they get the right number nine, they got a great chance of winning the league. And I do agree with that.

“Would they take him nearer to that title? Um, possibly. But I think they got enough quality with Odegaard and everybody else over there. So therefore, I have answered your question. I think he should go to Spurs if he leaves the great Crystal Palace.”

Eberechi Eze is keen on signing for Tottenham

Tottenham are in a good position to sign the midfielder, with Eze said to be ‘very keen’ on a Spurs move.

Palace are also open to Eze’s £68m release clause being paid in instalments, a financial structure that is likely to appeal to Daniel Levy.

The 27-year-old has been consistently performing for Crystal Palace, becoming a key player for them and playing a massive role in their FA Cup win last season.

Not only would he provide much-needed competition for James Maddison, but he would likely be ahead in the pecking order.

It remains to be seen whether Spurs will make the move for him this summer or not, but he would no doubt be a great signing for them.

Atletico Madrid have made an offer to Tottenham Hotspur for Cristian Romero, and an agreement is believed to be close.

Romero has long been an Atletico Madrid target, and now the Spanish giants have made a strong push as they attempt to sign the Argentine from Tottenham Hotspur.

The World Cup winner held talks with the North London club about staying, however, he made it clear that he wanted to leave.

Now, following Atletico’s substantial bid for the defender, the club’s fans have been giving their strong reaction to how they feel about the potential deal.

Atletico Madrid fans think £55m is too much for Cristian Romero

Atletico Madrid fans think that paying £55 million for Cristian Romero would be too much, and other options should be targeted instead.

TBR Football understands that Atletico have offered £55 million for Romero and an agreement is close, with Daniel Levy holding out for £59 million.

Diego Simeone has been desperate for Romero to sign at the Metropolitano this summer and has been in regular contact with the defender over a move.

The 27-year-old now feels that a move to play for Atletico is too good to turn down, and he has refused the chance to sign a bumper new deal at Spurs.

Now, the club from the Spanish capital have made a big play to sign the defender, and Atleti fans have taken to X to share their thoughts on the offer.

One Atletico fan said: “Spending £47 million plus £8 million in bonuses for Cuti Romero or any 27-year-old centre-back seems ridiculous to me. This is the minimum Tottenham could ask for, which could even be higher.”

Another claimed: “Would it bring a big leap in quality to the defence? Yes. Would I sign him for £55 million? No way.”

There were further question marks over a move for Romero: “He’s better than what we have, but Tottenham are asking for a lot, I prefer Hincapie, who is cheaper, younger, and for me, better.”

Finally, another fan claimed: “Zero excitement. It seems insane to pay that fortune for Cuti Romero. With his aggressiveness and his mental lapses, he’ll spend more time in the stands than on the pitch. Hopefully, he proves me wrong.”

Cristian Romero’s injury record should concern Atletico Madrid

Romero’s poor injury record should be quite a concern for Atletico Madrid and probably why they are unwilling to go beyond £55 million.

The 27-year-old missed a shocking 27 matches due to injury last term, which included just 18 appearances in the Premier League.

Romero’s lack of availability could be a potential reason for Spurs to consider selling him and signing a more reliable option.

Meanwhile, the La Liga club’s fans are right to raise concerns over him and the possibility of looking elsewhere for other targets instead.

Eberechi Eze is one of the big talking points at Tottenham Hotspur for this summer’s transfer window.

Spurs are keen to add to Thomas Frank’s squad following his arrival from Brentford and also to help him improve the club’s league position next term.

Champions League football also returns to N17, so the North Londoners will need to be ready to fight in that competition as well.

One player who the Tottenham faithful will be eager to see signed is Eberechi Eze, and the latest on Spurs’ move for the attacker has now been revealed.

Tottenham’s pursuit of Eberechi Eze is just ‘interest’ for now

At this stage, Tottenham Hotspur are showing nothing more than just an ‘interest’ in Crystal Palace winger Eze, according to Alasdair Gold.

The North London club could suddenly kick into gear and firm up their interest in the winger, but as things stand, there is nothing advanced.

There is the possibility that Spurs could be looking at other targets over Eze, or the finances of the deal aren’t quite right yet, but the actual reason remains unclear.

TBR Football understands that Eze has a £60m release clause, which could be paid in instalments, although that isn’t something which Spurs seem to be thinking about right now.

Gold told his YouTube channel: “From what I understand, there’s nothing more than interest at this stage from Tottenham. Sometimes when I get told that by various people, it’s because the club have got an inkling that they want to go elsewhere.

“It could just be the finances aren’t quite where they want them to be at this stage of the window, or it could be a variety of things – I’m not saying it’s one of those things.

“Presumably there will be more to it and it will come out in the fullness of time, or maybe that’s just the case for now and they do kick into gear and make a move for him.”

TBR Football recently revealed that Arsenal now want Eze as they look for a left winger, and that could be quite painful for Spurs supporters to see him head just down the road instead.

Tottenham should look at Xavi Simons as Eberechi Eze alternative

If Spurs are unwilling to go for the 27-year-old, then turning their attention to the younger and potentially even more exciting Xavi Simons could be a great option for them.

The Bundesliga attacker is just 22, which could be more appealing for the Lilywhites, who tend to prefer targeting players who have room to develop.

Reports claim that Tottenham are interested in Simons, who is pushing to leave RB Leipzig this summer after they missed out on Europe.

Simons has a reported £60m price tag, but that, of course, leaves room for a potential negotiation, unlike Eze, who has a release clause.

The Netherlands international scored more league goals than Eze last term, highlighting what a massive talent he is, whilst he also scored against England at Euro 2024 in the semi-finals.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star could fill several roles for Spurs as he can play either through the middle or as a left-sided attacker.

Tottenham Hotspur are now close to making another summer signing following the approval of Thomas Frank.

Mathys Tel’s move being made permanent was Spurs’ first addition of the summer, and now a second deal is seen as ‘certain’.

The North London club need a big summer of recruitment following the arrival of Thomas Frank and Champions League football being back on the menu at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Lilywhites are now close to making a new addition to their defence, and the player in question is now ready to travel to London to complete the move.

Kota Takai is ready to travel to England for Tottenham medical

Kota Takai will play his final game for Kawasaki Frontale on July 5 ahead of his transfer to Tottenham Hotspur, which is now ‘certain’, according to Sponichi.

The 20-year-old is expected to feature in Kawasaki’s J1 League match against Kashima Antlers before packing his bags for England.

After the match, the defender is due to travel to London to undergo his medical tests and to sign his contract with Spurs.

TBR Football understands that Tottenham beat off strong competition for Takai, with the likes of Liverpool, Newcastle United, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich all going to watch him.

Takai, who Johan Lange pushed to sign, has been refusing to speak to the media about his transfer to Spurs.

Takai impressed against Cristiano Ronaldo when he faced the legendary Portuguese attacker in the AFC Champions League at the end of April.

TBR Football has been told by Japanese football expert, Sam Robson, that Takai has ‘very good’ positioning in defence and is arguably ‘the best defender in possession’ in the J1 League.

Kota Takai joins Luka Vuskovic in arriving at Tottenham

Luka Vuskovic is expected to become a Tottenham player soon, almost two years on from him being signed from Hajduk Split.

Tottenham paid £12m to sign Vuskovic back in 2023 and he has since been on two different loan spells where he has impressed.

Vuskovic’s potential excites Tottenham, as his performances for Westerlo in the Belgian Pro League last term showed just how good he could become.

The 18-year-old netted an impressive seven times despite playing as a central defender, and he now joins Spurs’ promising defensive ranks.