TBR Football

Tottenham Hotspur are now closing in on the signing of Kawasaki Frontale defender Kota Takai.

The likes of Liverpool and Real Madrid were also interested in the 20-year-old this summer, but Tottenham have won the race for Takai.

Takai is considered to be one of the most talented young prospects to emerge from Asian football in recent years, a defender who has already won four caps for Japan.

Takai is currently in the middle of the J-League season with Kawasaki Frontale, but the defender is expected to arrive in north London next month.

The plan is for the youngster to be part of Thomas Frank’s first team initially, before a decision is perhaps then taken with regard to where he plays his football across the league season.

Tottenham fans given expert insight into new signing Kota Takai

That being said, TBR Football have spoken to Japanese football expert Sam Robson to get an insight into Takai’s style, and how he might fit in at Spurs.

Robson said it was pretty ‘unheard of’ for a player of Takai’s age to have already played for Japan’s national team, and the J-League expert also provided an interesting comparison to Arsenal’s Takehiro Tomiyasu at a similar age.

Robson said: “I’ve already seen a bit of Takai. He’s capped by Japan already which for a 20 year old defender is pretty much unheard of in Japan.

“He’s a bit over eager in the tackle, dives in a little too much, but his positioning is very good and one of if not the best defender in possession in the league.

“Talk of a record fee for a J.Leaguer. I don’t think he would be a likely starter for Spurs this year, would probably need a year out on loan.

“He’s better at this age than Tomiyasu was in some respects. Tomiyasu was probably a better fit to the Premier League physically, although ironically, the Arsenal man cannot stay fit.”

Kota Takai can compete with Luka Vuskovic at Spurs

Given that Takai is a right-footed centre-back, perhaps some Tottenham fans are already wondering if the Japan international is being lined up as Cristian Romero’s long-term replacement.

Romero is ready to leave Tottenham according to TBR Football’s information, even if it remains to be seen what happens with his future.

Micky van de Ven obviously has his first team slot cemented for the years to come, and perhaps Takai might eventually slot in alongside him.

Of course, Tottenham were impressed by Luka Vuskovic out on loan last season and he too might be hoping to partner Van de Ven in the near future.

Clearly it’s a very healthy situation for Frank to inherit, even if Ange Postecoglou’s options at the back often looked short last season.

Tottenham Hotspur look set to make their second signing of the summer transfer window.

Spurs signed Mathys Tel on a permanent deal earlier this month to kickstart their transfer business under Thomas Frank, and now, another new name could be coming in.

Indeed, 20-year-old Japanese defender, Kota Takai is set to sign for Tottenham in what sounds like a very exciting move.

Takai is apparently set for a first-team role at Tottenham, and at the age of just 20, he could grow into a star at Spurs.

This is an exciting move for Tottenham, that’s for sure. However, spare a thought for Ange Postecoglou after seeing this rumour.

Ange Postecoglou must be so confused by Kota Takai move

Tottenham are signing a young Japanese star just weeks after sacking Ange Postecoglou – there’s a real cruel irony in that.

Postecoglou has a remarkable track record of bringing in players from Japan and helping them improve – the likes of Daizen Maeda, Kyogo Furuhashi and Reo Hatate are prime examples from his time at Celtic.

On top of that, Postecoglou did some incredible work in the J-League during his time at Yokohama.

Postecoglou tried to bring some Japanese stars to Spurs. Takefusa Kubo was linked to Tottenham last year, Ko Itakura was a Spurs target at one point, while Ange Postecoglou wanted Kyogo Furuhashi at Spurs.

Tottenham didn’t sign a single Japanese player under Postecoglou, despite the manager’s eye for players from this part of the world, but now, less than a month after sacking Postecoglou, Takai is set to join.

More than anything else, Postecoglou must be confused about Tottenham’s approach here. They’ve signed a perfect player for him just weeks after he was sacked.

Thomas Frank’s transfer preference has also been ignored

Ange Postecoglou has always had a preference for signing Japanese players, as he showed at Celtic.

Meanwhile, Thomas Frank has his own transfer preference, signing players from his native Denmark.

Indeed, Frank’s Brentford squad was littered with Danish players, but after arriving at Tottenham, Spurs’ first port of call was to sell their only Danish player.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has officially joined Marseille on a permanent deal after a successful loan spell last year.

Of course, that was as a part of an obligation to buy in the loan deal, but there is some irony in the fact that Tottenham hired Frank and immediately sold their only Danish player and are now set to sign their first-ever Japanese player just weeks after sacking Ange Postecoglou.

Tottenham Hotspur are finally starting to kick into gear in the transfer window, with the North London club close to making their second summer signing.

Mathys Tel’s move being made permanent from Bayern Munich for £30 million was their first addition, and now they are looking at other areas of the squad.

With Thomas Frank now in place as manager, Spurs appear to have stepped up their efforts in the transfer window to build on the Dane’s squad.

The North London club are now close to making another signing, and the supporters think they’ve just done a ‘smart’ bit of business.

Tottenham fans are excited by the signing of Kota Takai

Tottenham Hotspur fans are raving about the signing of Kota Takai, with the club closing in on their second summer arrival.

TBR Football understands that Tottenham are confident they’ll sign Takai and beat off strong competition to capture his signature.

Liverpool, Newcastle United, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich are among the clubs that have watched him in action over the last 18 months.

The 20-year-old is very highly rated in Japan and is seen as one of the best defenders Asia has produced since Kim Min-jae.

The centre-back is reportedly set to join Frank’s first-team squad this summer and will be working alongside defenders like Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Kevin Danso.

The Japanese international could also be joined by Ashley Phillips and Luka Vuskovic to form a trio of exciting, young defenders in North London.

Following the news about Takai’s arrival in N17, Spurs supporters have taken to X to share their excitement about the defender’s potential.

One fan said: “In him and Vuskovic, we also have two aerial monsters Frank will love that.”

Another claimed: “Takai looks like a world-class talent… But can he make the transition to the Premier League? If he can, this could be the signing of the Premier League season.”

A rival supporter added: “What a pickup from Spurs getting Kota Takai. Huge talent, prototypical modern centre-back, really tall, good with the ball, only 20 and has impressed a lot in Japan and for international Japan youth sides.”

There was yet more praise for Spurs signing the defender: “Takai looks a brilliant buy for £5m. Young, versatile, aggressive and capable of playing. The more I see, the more it seems like a smart bit of business!”

What Johan Lange thinks about Kota Takai

Johan Lange was the man who pushed for the signing of Takai from J1 League club Kawasaki Frontale, according to Alasdair Gold.

The Spurs sporting director believes that the player is capable of making the step up to the Premier League and following in the footsteps of other youngsters at Tottenham.

Meanwhile, Frank is believed to have given the green light for the Japanese youngster to be signed and assessed over pre-season.

Gold told his YouTube channel: “From what I understand, Johan Lange and his staff identified him as one who could step into the Premier League.

“They think he can follow in the footsteps of Bergvall, Udogie, and Sarr, players the club have signed over the years and Thomas Frank gave it the green light.”

Tottenham Hotspur’s hopes for signing one of their top transfer targets are about to be complicated by Liverpool.

With Thomas Frank now in place, the North London club can now start to accelerate their transfer plans and are particularly keen to add to their attacking line.

Tottenham have already made deals for Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso permanent, and now they are looking to bring in more new additions.

However, one of their top targets for the forward areas could now be very tricky to prise away with what Liverpool are about to do.

Tottenham Hotspur are keeping in touch with Antoine Semenyo about a potential transfer to North London this summer, sources have told TBR Football’s chief correspondent, Graeme Bailey.

However, Bournemouth are insisting on a transfer fee of £70 million, which is complicating the deal, as Spurs will not pay that amount.

Tottenham signed Dominic Solanke from the Cherries for £5 million less only last summer, and they don’t want to exceed that fee for the winger.

Semenyo has just enjoyed a very productive season on the South Coast as he netted 11 goals and got six assists in the Premier League.

The 25-year-old’s versatility is something which stands out to Tottenham, with the forward having made 19 appearances playing on the right and 20 as a left-sided attacker last term.

Bournemouth don’t need to sell any more players this summer

But here’s where Liverpool might come into the frame, as their move for Milos Kerkez is part of the reason why they can stand so firm over their £70 million valuation.

Bournemouth have agreed to sell Kerkez for £40 million, Dean Huijsen joined Real Madrid for £50 million, and Ilya Zabarnyi could join PSG for around £51 million.

The Premier League club now have very little need to sell a fourth star, therefore, they can tell Tottenham to pay up or they can move on.

Tottenham do have other targets, with Frank a big fan of Eberechi Eze, as TBR Football has revealed, meanwhile, Bryan Mbeumo remains a target.

Eze’s £60 million release clause has just been made easier to pay as Crystal Palace are willing to accept the deal paid in three instalments, with £30 million to £35 million up front.

Tottenham Hotspur are ready to back Thomas Frank in this summer’s transfer window.

The Dane has replaced Ange Postecoglou at Spurs, and although Frank has publicly praised many Tottenham players, he needs more help.

Mathys Tel has already arrived on a permanent deal, but the Europa League winners could do with more reinforcements in attack.

Now, it looks like Daniel Levy is ready to break the bank to sign one player.

Tottenham have made a bid to sign Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford

Bryan Mbeumo is expected to be on the move this summer.

The Cameroon international was outstanding for the Bees in the Premier League last season, scoring 20 goals and providing eight assists.

His brilliant performances have put him on the radar of several big clubs, and it is almost certain that he will be joining one of them this summer.

TBR Football first broke Tottenham’s interest in Mbeumo after Frank’s arrival, and it looks like Spurs have followed up on their interest.

The Mirror have claimed that Daniel Levy’s club have tabled a £65 million-plus bid to sign Mbeumo, who was hailed as the ‘most underrated player in the Premier League’ and compared to Bukayo Saka by Martin Keown on TNT Sports (01/01/2025, 17:05).

If that offer does get accepted, Mbeumo will become Tottenham’s record signing, surpassing the initial £55 million plus £10 million in add-ons they agreed to pay for Dominic Solanke last year.

However, it still remains to be seen which club the player wants to join — reports have claimed that Mbeumo prefers Manchester United over Tottenham.

The other attackers Tottenham are looking at if Bryan Mbeumo rejects them

The bid clearly suggests that Tottenham are very keen to sign Mbeumo, but they are not putting all their eggs in one basket.

Spurs have other options in attack as well – two of them to be exact.

The report claims that Antoine Semenyo is being targeted by Tottenham, and he would be a brilliant signing for them.

The other player Spurs are looking at is Eberechi Eze of Crystal Palace. The Englishman has been on the club’s radar for a long time now, and they could finally act on their interest if they can’t land Mbeumo.

Like the Brentford star, both Semenyo and Eze are expected to cost club-record fees for Tottenham if they want to sign them.

TBR Football understands that Daniel Levy still sees Fabio Paratici as a hugely important figure at Tottenham Hotspur.

Fabio Paratici was the sporting director at Tottenham Hotspur for almost two years before he was hit with a ban from football by FIFA for 18 months.

During that time, the Italian director remained a close ally of Daniel Levy and continued to give him advice over footballing matters.

But this summer, the 52-year-old will be able to permanently return to working in football and Spurs already have big plans for him.

Fabio Paratici has an agreement with Tottenham over return

Paratici already has an agreement with Levy to take on his next role at Tottenham, sources have told TBR Football’s chief correspondent, Graeme Bailey.

The North London club are just waiting for all the legal matters to clear to allow for his return, and then, plans are in place for him to return.

The former Juventus director remains a hugely important figure to Levy, with the Spurs chairman desperate to ensure he does eventually return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Bailey told TBR Football: “Paratici is Daniel Levy’s closest confidant in football, there is nobody he trusts more.

“He is already actively involved this summer, and that will continue beyond. But clearly, an agreement on a permanent new deal can and will be done after the transfer window.

“Spurs will need to do it, he is hugely respected in football. Paratici had interest from the Saudi Pro League, Italy and England. Daniel fought for him in the summer when AC Milan came calling for Paratici and he does not want to lose him now.”

New CEO Vinai Venkatesham is already close with Paratici, and he too is keen for the sporting director to return to set up at Spurs.

Meanwhile, as TBR Football has previously revealed, current sporting director, Johan Lange, is expected to take a more commercial role, whilst Paratici focuses on the football.

Fabio Paratici’s top five Tottenham signings

Paratici’s number one addition as sporting director has to be Cristian Romero, who played such a key role in helping win the Europa League.

The Argentine was signed for around £42 million back in 2021 and has gone on to become one of the best defenders in the club’s recent history.

Dejan Kulusevski was another player he signed from Juventus, and last season, the Swede was one of the most creative players in Europe.

Rodrigo Bentancur joined with Kulusevski during the same January 2022 transfer window. Bentancur could be Tottenham’s next captain, showing what a big influence he has had on the dressing room.

Meanwhile, the full-back duo of Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie has also been a major success in North London, with Paratici signing both players.

Cristian Romero is being linked with a move away from Tottenham Hotspur this summer, as Atletico Madrid target the defender.

The World Cup winner has become such a key part of Spurs’ squad in North London, as shown by his performance in the Europa League final against Manchester United.

Thomas Frank is eager to keep Cristian Romero at the club, and losing such an important player so early on would be a significant blow for the Danish head coach.

The North London club’s fans are now making a strong point to Spurs chairman Daniel Levy about what he should do after seeing one of the latest transfers to go through involving Liverpool.

Tottenham fans want Cristian Romero’s value increased after Jarell Quansah sale

Tottenham Hotspur fans want Levy to increase Romero’s value after seeing Liverpool sell Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen for £35 million.

The Reds managed to offload a player who started just four times in the Premier League under Arne Slot for a significant fee.

Tottenham want £50 million for Romero, which is just £15 million more than what the Premier League champions got for Quansah.

If Spurs were to sell Romero for £50 million, he wouldn’t even crack the top ten most expensive defenders and would be behind Marc Cucurella, Lucas Hernandez and Mathijs de Ligt.

Despite the 27-year-old having two years left on his contract and being five years older than the former Liverpool defender, he is one of the top central defenders in the world, and his value this summer should reflect that.

After seeing that Liverpool had agreed to sell Quansah to Leverkusen for £35 million, Spurs fans have taken to X to make their feelings clear about the Argentine defender.

One fan said: “Atletico Madrid seriously offered £38.3 million for Cristian Romero.”

Another stated: “£35 million for Quansah, £60 million for Zabarnyi, but yet Romero is worth only £50 million?”

There were further question marks over Romero’s value: “If Qunasah’s value is £35 million, then what is the value of Cristian Romero?”

Finally, another fan added: “£35 million for Quansah? If we sell Romero for anything less than £75 million, I’m out.”

Tottenham will find it hard to keep Cristian Romero

The issue facing Tottenham, as revealed by TBR Football, is the fact that Romero’s heart is set on joining Atletico Madrid.

The North London club will now find it tricky to stand in his way, with Diego Simeone turning up the heat by contacting Romero regularly.

Atletico have a strong contingent of Argentines at the Metropolitano Stadium, and that is likely to be something which is attracting him to the Spanish club.

Tottenham need to be demanding at least £60 million to sell Romero, as they will find it near impossible to find a replacement close to his level.

Even then, £60 million doesn’t give them a great deal to play with after sorting a new defender to take his place in the team.

TBR Football understands that Tottenham Hotspur had been hoping to beat FC Barcelona to another young talent, like they did with Lucas Bergvall, but he is now close to joining the Spanish club.

Back in January 2024, both Tottenham and Barcelona wanted Lucas Bergvall, but Spurs were the club that managed to seal his signature.

The 19-year-old has been a huge success in North London, and the Lilywhites have now been eyeing more young talents to add to their squad.

Spurs had held talks with one of Bergvall’s Sweden U-21 teammates, however, this time, they are set to miss out on him to Barca.

Roony Bardghji agrees personal terms with Barcelona

TBR Football’s chief correspondent, Graeme Bailey, understands that Roony Bardghji now has his heart set on a move to Barcelona after he learned that they had engaged in talks to sign him.

The Catalan giants are now leading the race to sign him, ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, having done work on the medical side.

Bardghji suffered an ACL injury in April 2024, which sidelined him for almost one year. Once Barca received reports that his knee was fine, they made an offer.

Personal terms are close to being agreed with the young Swede, and they are now talking about whether the move will happen this summer or in January, as it stands, a summer move is most likely. His current deal with FC Copenhagen is due to expire in January 2026.

Tottenham had talks with Bardghji, but were made aware of Barca’s interest, which didn’t put them off. Spurs beat Barcelona to Bergvall, but this time, the Spanish giants are set to win the race for the teenager.

There was also Chelsea, Newcastle, Juventus, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund and Porto, who had all held talks over Bardghji, who’s been called ‘incredibly talented’.

Lucas Bergvall could be gutted that Tottenham are missing out on Roony Bardghji

Bergvall could be gutted that Tottenham are set to miss out on Bardghji as the pair will know each other well from their time together at youth level.

Both players have featured for Sweden U-21s, although they only made three appearances together, with both being quite young teenagers at the time.

Spurs also have Dejan Kulusevski from Sweden in their squad, who is believed to have played a key role in convincing Bergvall to make the switch.

The North London club pulled off a late switch to sign the teenager, but this time around with Bardghji, that looks unlikely to happen.

Tottenham Hotspur and Thomas Frank are looking to add to their forward line this summer, but perhaps Eberechi Eze wouldn’t be the most sensible addition they could make.

The North London club’s transfer plans are expected to soon kick into life as they prepare for life back in the Champions League.

Thomas Frank is the manager who has been tasked with helping Spurs to also get back on track in the Premier League following a poor campaign.

The Danish head coach will need some big additions to his squad, and one of those players he is hoping that will be is Eberechi Eze, but maybe he should be looking elsewhere.

Tottenham should target Mohamed Kudus over Eberechi Eze

Tottenham Hotspur should be following up on their reported interest in West Ham United forward Mohamed Kudus.

TBR Football understands that Kudus is set to leave West Ham this summer and Spurs need to put themselves in the mix.

The Ghanaian International could be the perfect alternative to Eze, and in terms of squad building, doing a deal for him instead could make more sense. Frank loves Eze, as per TBR Football sources.

Spurs need an elite right winger for next season, meanwhile, on the left-hand side, Spurs already have a plethora of strong options.

Tottenham signed Tel permanently as they paid Bayern Munich £30 million to secure the Frenchman’s signature, in addition to the £8 million loan fee.

The Lilywhites already have five solid left wingers, but at right wing, Brennan Johnson is now their first-choice option with Dejan Kulusevski playing more centrally.

Johnson has shown himself to be an elite goal scorer, however, there are question marks over his suitability to be starting every game.

That’s why, rather than adding another left winger and number ten in Eze, Frank needs to be assessing whether he actually needs to be targeting a right-sided attacker.

How does Mohamed Kudus compare to Eberechi Eze?

Kudus, who has an £80m release clause, could be a brilliant option for Spurs, although the 24-year-old is coming off what was a disappointing season with the Hammers.

He scored just five goals and got four assists in 35 matches, which is a significant drop-off from the numbers which he put up in the season prior.

The winger produced 18 goals and 10 assists in his debut campaign in East London, which saw Kudus attract interest from Liverpool and Arsenal.

Eze, on the other hand, had a superb campaign with Crystal Palace as he scored 14 goals and got 11 assists.

But Spurs need to overlook Kudus’ disappointing campaign and instead focus on their need for a top right-sided attacker, and the West Ham man could be exactly that player.

Mathys Tel will be one of several Tottenham Hotspur players aiming to impress new boss Thomas Frank in the coming months.

After making 20 appearances on loan for Tottenham last season, Mathys Tel has agreed to commit his permanent future to Spurs.

Under Ange Postecoglou the 20-year-old showed real signs of promise on the left, but it will be interesting to see how Frank intends to get the best out of the Frenchman.

As well as his ability right now, Tottenham have bought Tel permanently from Bayern Munich owing to his rich potential, the reason the German champions recruited him in the first place.

And if Spurs aren’t able to sign Bryan Mbeumo from Frank’s old club Brentford, perhaps they can make the most of a talented left-footed forward already on their books.

Mathys Tel praised for his serious hard work for France U21s

That being said, Tel played as France’s central striker in their 3-2 win over Denmark at the U21 Championships.

France booked a spot in the semi-finals with their late comeback win over their Danish counterparts on Sunday evening, and it was actually Tel who scored the winner.

On the back of that goal, French outlet Maxifoot shared an interesting verdict on Tel’s ‘dangerous’ performance, celebrating how he didn’t give up when things were looking bleak.

Handing Tel a 6.5/10 rating, which was pretty high in comparison to some of his teammates, they wrote: “The French U21 center-forward had one merit: he didn’t give up!

“Faced with the physical Danish defense, the Tottenham player was generally not found by his teammates.

“However, the former Munich player was dangerous with a close-range shot and then a volley saved by Jungdal.

“He thought he had scored in the second half, but Lepenant was flagged offside by VAR for this action.

“But ultimately, at the end of the match, the ex-Rennais player was the hero with the winning goal from a curling shot. A well-deserved reward for his efforts.”

Wilson Odobert slammed for ‘disappointing’ display for France

Whilst Tel was celebrated as the hard-working hero on Sunday night, it wasn’t such a joyous occasion for Spurs teammate Wilson Odobert, at least in terms of his individual showing.

The same outlet handed Odobert a 3/10 for his efforts, bemoaning a ‘disappointing’ display.

Maxifoot wrote: “A disappointing performance for the Tottenham winger. On the right side, the young talent of the French team was not successful in his individual attempts by multiplying failures.

“Too imprecise, he lost numerous balls and never seemed able to make the difference in the penalty area, with the exception of a long-range shot pushed away by the goalkeeper.”