Hotspur HQ

For the most part, Tottenham Hotspur have been focused on bringing in stars who can strengthen the squad for new manager Thomas Frank, contrary to the sell-to-buy rhetoric that was surrounding Spurs coming into the summer 2025 transfer window.

Already, Tottenham have pounced on West Ham star forward Mohammed Kudus as a big signing for the present and future to transform an attack lacking wide difference-makers, they sealed the permanent transfer of the equally exciting Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich, and they are set to nab proven Premier League starter Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest next.

But Tottenham do indeed have to make sales, too, and there are going to be high-profile moves away from North London in order to balance the budget and potentially help Spurs afford better additions, such as a new No. 6.

According to The Telegraph's Matt Law, center midfielder Yves Bissouma is likely to be a "high-profile casualty" in this transfer window as Tottenham rebuild their team in the image of what Thomas Frank wants.

The sale everyone expects at Tottenham

Bissouma's name being floated as a likely sale is far from surprising, and many Tottenham fans have both expected this transfer and have welcomed it. Although Bissouma isn't a terrible player and stepped up enough to be a key part of the Europa League triumph in the absence of injured stars Lucas Bergvall and Dejan Kulusevski, it's obvious the 28-year-old doesn't have a long-term future at Tottenham.

In fact, his future in the Premier League or even in any of Europe's top five leagues, for that matter, is entirely debatable. If Tottenham can get a cool 20-30 million pounds out of Bissouma and parlay that into money they can use to sign, say, Adam Wharton or Joao Palhinha, most Spurs fans would gladly take that "trade".

Bissouma is hardly that big of a name anyway, and if there were big names Tottenham fans were afraid to lose this summer, then those fears have mostly been allayed. Spanish giants Atletico Madrid have largely backed out of the Cristian Romero transfer sweepstakes, while Son Heung-min appears likely to stay with Spurs for one more Champions League campaign before potentially bolting for a big-money deal in Turkey or Saudi Arabia.

Although Bissouma had his use as a backup engine player box-to-box, he didn't read the game well enough or have the technical quality as a passer to start every week at the level Tottenham need to reach and maintain top-five status in the Premier League.

Tottenham Hotspur are making moves out of nowhere, going from one of the quietest big clubs in the Premier League to potentially signing two highly talented, relatively young, exciting, and well-established Premier League stars in West Ham's Mohammed Kudus and Morgan Gibbs-White of Nottingham Forest.

And it doesn't look like Tottenham will be resting on their laurels thereafter. Nor can they afford to. Although Spurs won the Europa League, they were a ghastly 17th in the Premier League and are at risk of Champions League humiliation without substantial upgrades, specifically to the base of an oft-overrun midfield.

Give Me Sport's Dean Jones reports that Tottenham have found a potential solution to the No. 6 problem that plagues them in midfield, as they have made contacts with Bayern Munich and enquired about the availability of Joao Palhinha, who was briefly one of the best 6's in the Premier League at Fulham before making an expensive move to Bavaria, where, like so many others, he has failed to get the requisite minutes to make an impression.

Current Tottenham man Mathys Tel, who just moved permanently to North London this summer, knows that position all too well, and perhaps Thomas Frank and Spurs can benefit from Palhinha's plight and return him to the Premier League and his former glory.

The profile Thomas Frank eyes

Palhinha is reportedly the profile Frank wants for Tottenham in the defensive midfield, which would then point to the new Spurs coach desiring a destroyer type in the middle of the park who can help the likes of Lucas Bergvall and James Maddison focus more of their efforts on offense and chance creation.

At the right price, most Spurs supporters wouldn't necessarily roll their eyes at a Palhinha transfer, but the young Adam Wharton of Crystal Palace is the more appealing player, particularly over the long term, who Tottenham fans desire at the base of a new-look midfield under Frank.

That said, Palhinha and Wharton are both very different profiles - and both profiles that Tottenham need in a midfield that was so thin and so poor in quality last season that it was a chief architect of the club's 17th-placed finish.

Signing both wouldn't be contraindicated at all, and while cost may be prohibitive, that could also be mitigated if Tottenham can sell unwanted players like Yves Bissouma and Richarlison for satisfactory transfer fees. Palhinha would be easy enough to sign, given how little of a role he has for Bayern.

At the behest of new manager Thomas Frank, Tottenham Hotspur are working to bring in Nottingham Forest star attacking midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White for a cool 60 million pounds on a release clause that nobody knew about until Spurs swooped in - and one that Forest are preparing to sue Spurs over in laughable manner.

The Gibbs-White signing is another clear sign that Tottenham are surprisingly going to back Frank in a way that they didn't back other managers, including legendary figures Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho.

Mohammed Kudus and Gibbs-White are two talented, rising Premier League stars who can change the face of Tottenham, but it looks like Spurs won't be done there when it comes to fortifying the starting lineup with players Frank specifically wants.

According to a report from Sam Tabeteau and Dom Smith of the Evening Standard, Tottenham remain interested in Brentford striker Yoane Wissa, who is something of a second dream option for Frank to revamp the Spurs attack alongside Bryan Mbeumo, who already appears destined for Manchester United.

Tottenham are looking beyond the starters

Wissa was recently the subject of a 20 million pound bid from Nottingham Forest, of all clubs, but the Bees obviously turned aside such a laughably low offer for a top Premier League striker who is coming off 19 goals in a single season.

Whether Wissa's signing would impact Mbeumo's future and Brentford's willingness to part ways with the star right winger remains to be seen, but that could only been an additional benefit to Tottenham making a swoop for Wissa.

There is, after all, room for a 19-goal striker at Tottenham. Richarlison's future appears to be away from the club after multiple poor seasons and a lengthy injury record, while Dominic Solanke could benefit from the competition - or even a potential striker partner next to him in Wissa.

The fact that Tottenham are going after players like Wissa and Gibbs-White when they already have decent options in those positions in James Maddison and Solanke is huge and shows a growth mindset focused on having multiple top options to weather the injury storms in the future that have derailed Spurs seasons in the past.

Also, it wouldn't hurt to get another one over on Nottingham Forest, who have quickly become the most unlikable team in the Premier League with their antics, including this latest attempted lawsuit against Tottenham over a fair transfer for Gibbs-White's release clause.

For months, Tottenham fans have been quietly worrying about the future of superstar center back Cristian Romero, who became even more important and appreciated to the fanbase with his heroics in the Europa League, winning the competition's official Player of the Tournament award.

Romero was aggressively courted by Atletico Madrid, with Argentinian manager Diego Simeone badly wanting to bring the world-class center back to the Spanish capital as a counterweight to Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal, and the superstar forwards at La Liga title rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Atleti, however, never submitted serious transfer offers for Romero, as Daniel Levy and Tottenham surprisingly held their end of the bargain, never wavering from their 70 million euro evaluation of the player, which was only strengthened by Romero's performances on the grand stage of the Europa League.

Now, according to The Athletic's Jack Pitt-Brooke, Tottenham supporters have received the definitive positive update on the 27-year-old defender, as Los Rojiblancos have ended their not-so-dogged pursuit of the Spurs vice captain. Better yett, Pitt-Brooke reports that Tottenham are now prepared to hand Romero a contract extension, as opposed to transferring him.

There's only one thing left for Tottenham to do

It's a fitting end to the Romero transfer saga. Tottenham fans were once worried about losing the star center back after the club axed Ange Postecoglou, with whom Romero had a close relationship with. Postecoglou's firing already represented a tough blow to the fanbase, so Spurs supporters would have been doubly devastated by losing one of their best players.

Romero's current contract with Tottenham will end in two seasons after the 2026/27 campaign, and with Mikey Moore being the only player to tie up to an extension after Lucas Bergvall already got his deal, it makes sense to reward Romero after his great performances in the Europa League and after he showed loyalty to Tottenham.

Remember, Romero could have made a big stink after Spurs fired Postecoglou, especially with the way they did it, and Atletico Madrid are a prestigious club in their own right. But Romero is going to commit to Tottenham and new manager Thomas Frank, and, hopefully, the positive momentum between both player and club can continue in the form of a contract extension that ties the Argentinian superstar to the North London giants through his prime and the club's apparent new sporting project under Frank. So far, it's been all positive news for Tottenham Hotspur fans this week.

For months, Atletico Madrid have been doing their best to sign Tottenham star center back Cristian Romero away, and, around May, it looked like the Rojiblancos might actually be successful in stealing one of the best center backs in the Premier League.

Diego Simeone and Atelti were dogged in their approach to signing Romero, who seemed to be winking hard at a move to the Spanish capital. But Tottenham became all that much more interested in holding onto Romero when they saw just how valuable he can be, as he was the Europa League Player of the Tournament en route to Spurs winning the Europa League for the first time in 41 years.

Even firing Ange Postecoglou hasn't hurt Tottenham's ability to hold onto Romero. Though Simeone and Atleti have been pushing hard to sign the Argentinian star away from North London, Romero has remained loyal to Spurs and seems excited to work with new manager Thomas Frank.

According to a report from MARCA's David G. Medina, via The Spurs Express, Atletico Madrid don't have any intention of meeting hthe 70 million euro valuation that Tottenham have set for the 27-year-old center back. In fact, Atleti's gameplan seems to be eerily similar to crosstown rival Real Madrid's; they think that they can get Romero for cheaper and believe that if Romero really wants to play for them, he will force Spurs to sell for the price Atleti want.

Atletico Madrid are not Real Madrid

Well, here's a news flash for Atletico Madrid, but in case those geniuses haven't figured it out over the decades of their stubborn inferiority complex, they aren't Real Madrid. What works for Madrid as far as signing global superstars like Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kylian Mbappe as free agents won't work for Atletico, because Atleti don't have the pull that Real do.

But maybe more importantly, Real Madrid are also able to convince players to run down their contracts and sign them for free because free agents get higher wages and more money in bonuses that would have went to a transfer fee.

Romero isn't in that situation, so Atleti's strategy is pretty foolish. If anything, it's outright insulting. Instead of paying for Romero, Atleti are basically sending an implicit message to Romero that they don't value him. They think he's only worth 50 million euros as a player when his own club think he's worth 70 million and have made him a vice captain.

Tottenham have more fans around the world than Atleti. They play in a club with higher revenues. Atleti may be a more successful club sporting-wise, but, well, Spurs are the ones holding a major European trophy, and Atleti have to face the reality that the only way Romero joins them is if he is desperate to. And he is not. He has no reason to be.

It's been a summer of loan conversions for Tottenham so far, but the first fresh face is through the door. Kota Takai has completed his arrival from Japanese outfit Kawasaki Frontale.

Indecision over the future of Ange Postecoglou has thrust the club into a state of catch-up, and the permanent additions of Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso, following six-month loans, are the only pieces of business conducted by Spurs this summer. Luka Vuskovic has also made his move official after putting pen to paper two years ago.

Takai is thus the first 'new' arrival of the window, with the centre-back only emerging in the consciousness of many supporters after news of a £5m deal being agreed with Kawasaki broke last month.

Tottenham confirm signing of Japanese defender Kota Takai

"We are delighted to announce the signing of Kota Takai from J1 League side Kawasaki Frontale, subject to international clearance and work permit," the start of a club statement wrote.

The 20-year-old centre-back has signed a contract through to 2030.

While Takai is a name the majority of us aren't familiar with, there's reason for optimism regarding his prospects in north London. He's quickly blossomed into a household name back in his homeland, having played for times for his country. Takai has played 81 times for Kawasaki, one of Japan's most successful teams of the 21st century, and helped them reach the AFC Champions League final earlier this year.

Takai helped shut out Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr en route to the final, where they were beaten by Al Hilal.

Standing at 6'3, there's hope the young defender will be able to hang physically in the Premier League. At the same time, those who have watched Takai closely have labelled him an archetypal modern-day defender. He's slick in the build-up phase and progressive when necessary, but the question is whether he can perform with the consistency that's required to excel in the English top flight.

The defensive fundamentals are sound, and there's plenty to work with, but some might be concerned with a perceived lack of pace.

Nevertheless, Takai won't be expected to contribute heavily right away. Danso and Vuskovic's arrivals have congested the depth chart behind Cristian Romero, whose future remains in doubt, and Spurs will likely sign another centre-half should they part ways with the Argentine.

The 20-year-old is not the big name every supporter craves, but it's a move boasting minimal risk and high upside.

Daniel Levy is reportedly prepared to make Cristian Romero Tottenham's highest-paid player, but the defender has said that money is not the driving force behind his desire to leave the club this summer.

Doubts continue to simmer over the Argentine's future in north London. Since joining the club in 2021, Romero has offered his dominant best and frustrating worst, but the former manifested wonderfully during the back-end of 2024/25. Alongside Micky Van de Ven, Romero was instrumental in our Europa League success, and he donned the armband in the final with Son Heung-min starting on the bench.

It was a legacy-defining run of form from the defender, who has also helped Argentina to World Cup glory and a couple of Copa America triumphs. When fit and firing, there's no denying his status as one of the world's best. However, injuries in recent times have limited his availability.

Still, Romero is absolutely a player they must continue to build with. His close bond with the now-departed Ange Postecoglou may complicate matters, but Spurs are trying to tie the 27-year-old down for Thomas Frank's project.

Tottenham doing everything they can to keep Cristian Romero

Tottenham are doing everything they can to keep Romero, with TBR Football reporting that Levy has already offered to make the defender the club's highest-paid player. The Argentine is understood to be making £165,000-a-week under his current contract, but would earn more than £190,000-a-week if he was to pen an extension.

However, Romero has already responded to the club's lucrative offer, turning it down. He wants to take the next step in his career, and money is not a major factor in his wish to leave.

Journalist Fernando Czyz reports that the defender said this to Levy: “It’s not a matter of money but of professional challenges. I love Tottenham and it will always be in my heart.”

While the sources aren't top-tier, the aforementioned reports do check out. Romero has spoken previously of his intrigue about playing in Spain, and we know that Atletico Madrid want to sign him this summer. Diego Simeone has made his feelings clear about potentially signing his compatriot to bolster Atleti's defence.

A move to the Spanish capital makes plenty of sense for Romero, who has spent four years in north London and may well feel as if now's the right time to depart off the back of our Europa League glory. Atletico is a switch that would appeal to many an Argentinian given their strong contingent at the Metropolitano.

However, the La Liga outfit will have to stump up serious cash to bring Levy to the negotiating table. He wants £70m for Romero, but Atleti have so far reached £55m.

Son Heung-min wants to stay at Tottenham this summer, but any decision over his future may be taken out of the captain's hands.

The South Korean superstar is an all-time Spurs great. His decade of service has thrust Son into a realm that only a few have ascended into while donning Lilywhite, and the forward finally got his hands on some silverware at the end of the 2024/25 season in the form of the Europa League.

Injuries meant the skipper didn't play all that much during the run-in, and he was limited to a cameo off the bench on that magical night in Bilbao.

While a supreme force at his very best, many have suggested that the 32-year-old's demise has been too distinct to ignore over the past 18 months. As a result, there's been speculation over his future this summer, with Spurs aiming to cash in this summer to avoid losing him for nothing in 2026.

Son Heung-min wants to stay at Tottenham this summer

There's been interest from MLS, Saudi Arabia and Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce, with Los Angeles FC believed to be making the strongest push for Son.

However, according to South Korean journalist Han June, Son has put any potential move on hold with his current priority to remain at Tottenham. A meeting is lined up with new manager Thomas Frank next week, and that discussion will likely shape the direction the two parties go this summer.

Frank's utilisation of his wingers, who function more as inside forwards, suits Son, and there's potential for a productive rejuvenation with the Dane at the helm. However, the 32-year-old simply isn't the player he was even two seasons ago, with his physical decline evident almost every time he takes to the field.

Frank's outlook for the forward is, of course, significant, and Son deserves to go out on his terms. However, Daniel Levy will do everything in his power to ensure the South Korean icon doesn't depart as a free agent in 2026. Son may not be attracting the interest of Europe's elite this summer, but there's scope for Spurs to garner a decent enough fee for him.

Thus, even if the 32-year-old wants to stay, the decision may be taken out of his hands. It may seem harsh, but Levy, as he proved with the decision to sack Ange Postecoglou, isn't sentimental. If selling Son makes financial sense this summer, that's the course the chairman will likely take.

Ten days after sacking Tottenham’s first European Cup-winning manager since REO Speedwagon’s Hi Infidelity topped the charts, Daniel Levy sat down for an in-house interview with newly appointed CEO Vinai Venkatesham and proclaimed: “It’s not enough. It’s what we haven’t done that’s more important. We need to win the league.”

It was an uncharacteristically bold declaration from the chairman, given the club’s dearth of silverware during his 25-year tenure, the “We Want Levy Out!” chants echoing through Tottenham Stadium, and the public condemnation he received during fan protests for prioritizing commercial interests over investment in the squad. He will have seen the “24 Years. 16 Managers. 1 Trophy” banners and heard the “Can Beyoncé Play Up Front?” chants reverberating not far from where he plans to build a 30-story hotel with club revenue. It would help explain why he felt compelled to add “the reason we do all these other events is to provide additional financial resources to the club, which in turn goes back into the team. Everything is about the team.”

If Levy intends to stay true to his word, he would be wise to task his new Football Insights and Strategy team with identifying key areas of improvement for the squad. Using empirical data from the last 12 years, we found four factors that directly equate to Premier League success.

Wage Bill

Historical Evidence: Although Manchester United’s historically league-leading payroll proves the highest wage bill doesn’t ensure Premier League success, building squads with median-salaried players almost guarantees a mid-table finish. Except for Leicester’s 2015-16 title-winning season, every Premier League-winning team in the last dozen years has paid one of the five highest wage bills in England. Exorbitant transfer fees make the headlines, when the primary indicator of a player’s quality is the size of their contract. A club’s fortunes lie on a razor’s edge, to borrow a Herodotus quote; to compete for silverware requires prescience in the transfer market and paying higher salary-to-transfer ratios for world-class players.

Tottenham Takeaway: Levy can boast that he’s spent £463 million in the transfer market since the 2021-22 season, behind only Manchester United and Chelsea. But during that time, the club’s wages-to-revenue ratio has fallen from 57 to 42 percent, the lowest in the Premier League. Spurs currently have the seventh-highest payroll in England at £93.2 million, around 14 percent lower than sixth-place Aston Villa. If Son Heung-min and Cristian Romero depart, Tottenham will lose two of its three highest wage earners, leaving James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski as the only players earning more than £100,000 per week. In comparison, Arsenal paid 18 players at least £100,000 per week last season. The bottom line is that if Levy refuses to increase Spurs’ wage bill, Newcastle or Aston Villa could replace Tottenham in the Big Six.

*Data provided by Capology.

Home Form

Historical Evidence: One of the most accurate indicators of Premier League success is home form. Nine of the last 12 title-winning teams finished the season with the highest home point total, and the other three ranked a close second, separated by a combined total of five points. Collectively, those teams accumulated an average of 48.33 points at home, while conceding less a goal per match. So to have a realistic chance of finishing the season at the top of the table, teams need to take more than 45 points from a possible 57 at their home ground. That means winning at least 14 out of 19 matches while only losing once.

Tottenham Takeaway: Tottenham’s home record last season ranked fifth-worst in the Premier League. They gained an abysmal 21 points at home, just over half of the 39 they earned the previous season when they finished fifth in the league. They had a zero goal differential at Tottenham Stadium, where they won only six of 19 games while conceding 35 goals. Spurs’ profligacy is particularly troubling given that they only conceded 30 away goals last season. Thomas Frank will need to double last season’s home points total to have any chance of qualifying for a European spot next season.

*Data provided by Statmuse.

Goals Conceded

Historical Evidence: Legendary Alabama football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant is credited with coining the phrase: “Offense sells tickets. Defense wins championships.” Although the quote has become something of a cliché, the theory holds true in the Premier League, where half of the last 12 title-winning teams conceded the fewest goals in the Premier League. In fact, no team has lifted the trophy when finishing lower than third in goals allowed. Recent champions have conceded an average of 32.25 goals per season, due in large part to exceptional goalkeeping. Only six shot-stoppers have won the Premier League since 2013-14, and four of them (Petr Čech, Thibaut Courtois, Ederson, Alisson) have been named IFFHS World’s Best Goalkeeper.

Tottenham Takeaway: Tottenham conceded 65 goals last season, their second-most in the Premier League era. Those woeful numbers can be attributed to injuries that caused starting center-backs Micky van de Ven and Christian Romero to miss 46 games combined. When they played together—including the 3-4 Chelsea debacle when both went off with injuries—the pairing only conceded 19 goals in 18 matches. Spurs defensive structure will be more pragmatic under Thomas Frank than Ange Postecoglou. Guglielmo Vicario will play fewer short passes from goal kicks, while defenders will seldom be seen in the opponent’s box during open play. However, losing Cristian Romero would be catastrophic, and Frank will need to add another defender to cope with the minimum 49-game season that awaits.

Managerial Pedigree

Historical Evidence: What do Manuel Pellegrini, José Mourinho, Claudio Ranieri, Antonio Conte, Roberto Mancini, Pep Guardiola, Jürgen Klopp, and Arne Slot all have in common aside from winning the Premier League? They were all title-winning managers in Europe before coming to the Premier League (Ranieri won Serie B), and none of them are British. Nationality aside, the most successful managers know how to cope with grueling league campaigns and knock-out cup competitions, they attract the world’s best players, and they understand which metrics produce the best results. Statistically speaking, their teams typically dominate touches in the penalty area and complete the highest percentage of progressive passes in their opponent's half, per Wyscout.

The rumors linking legendary left winger Son Heung-min with a move away from Tottenham Hotspur have mostly quieted in recent weeks, but Spurs supporters know full and well that the South Korean superstar could be destined to leave this summer with just one year left on his contract.

There is no indication that Daniel Levy and Tottenham will try to push Son to go, and it is important for the captain and clug icon to be able to walk away on his own terms. Since Tottenham won the Europa League in historic fashion with Son as captain and just fired Ange Postecoglou to signify another era for the club, it may be a natural point for Sonny to exit.

Son can cash in one major paycheck before retiring if he moves abroad, and, so far, the kinds of clubs interested are the ones you'd expect to be in on a soon-to-be 33-year-old forward coming off a declining season.

Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia and Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce in Turkey have both been linked, and now MLS clubs in the United States are beginning to make the rounds as potential landing spots for the former Champions League Finalist.

MLS are still loading up on European stars

According to a report from TBR Football's Graeme Bailey and Jamie Brown, MLS club LAFC have held talks with Son regarding a potential move this summer.

LAFC are one of the biggest clubs in the United States and have signed several high-profile players from top European clubs in recent years. Currently, the Black and Gold Falcons have former Tottenham legend Hugo Lloris in goal. Winger Javairo Dilrosun, formerly of Hertha Berlin and Feyenoord, is another LAFC player with a European pedigree, though he is on loan from Liga MX's Club America.

Clearly, LAFC have the money to acquire Son, and they are as ambitious as ever at landing big stars from Europe, given the likes of Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, and Luis Suarez have set up shop as the Barcelona Retirement Tribute Band in Miami.

It's anyone's guess as to what Son will want to do next season, and there's a case to be made for and against the nearly 33-year-old staying. By staying, Son can help the team with leadership and quality in the Champions League, but leaving would give the club some money and allow them to get a head start on replacing the legend, perhaps with Mathys Tel stepping into the starting role full-time.