The New York Times

Tottenham Hotspur have overhauled their medical department for the second consecutive summer following last season’s injury crisis, with key figures Adam Brett and Nick Davies having left the club.

Brett was the club’s director of performance services — responsible for overseeing sports science, medical, nutrition and psychology — while Davies was head of sports science.

Davies has moved to another club and Spurs said there will be a process to replace the pair in due course.

Nick Stubbings (pictured with Thomas Frank above) has joined Spurs from Brentford as medical lead, one of at least five members of backroom staff to have followed new head coach Frank from west London.

Spurs suffered from an injury crisis during the 2024-25 season under Frank’s predecessor Ange Postecoglou, who had to cope for long periods without key players including Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie and Guglielmo Vicario.

They lost 22 games in the top-flight as injuries took their toll, but won the Europa League after beating Manchester United in the final. A first trophy in 17 years was not enough, though, to save Postecoglou from the sack.

Brett and Davies were only appointed by Spurs last summer, with the former replacing long-standing head of medicine and sports science Geoff Scott, who was axed in an overhaul conducted by the club’s former chief football officer, Scott Munn. Munn is on gardening leave after being dismissed.

Brett began his career in rugby union and joined Brighton as their head physiotherapist before he rose to become head of medicine and performance. He left Brighton in August 2023 and moved to Spurs the following summer.

Davies previously worked for West Ham United, West Bromwich Albion and Wales men’s national team.

Tom Perryman, who has joined Spurs as a strength and conditioning coach, is another new addition to the sports science staff from Brentford.

Spurs announced last month that Justin Cochrane, Chris Haslam and Joe Newton had followed Frank from the Gtech Community Stadium.

‘A dizzying amount of change’

Analysis by Tottenham reporter Jay Harris

Tottenham’s medical department has undergone a dizzying amount of change over the last two years. It all started when Munn was appointed chief football officer in April 2023 and conducted a thorough review of their football operations. He overhauled lots of departments, including the medical and scouting teams.

In the summer of 2024, Scott left his position as head of medicine and sports science.

Scott had spent 20 years with the north London side and The Athletic reported in January that he left after clashing with then-head coach Postecoglou.

Spurs insisted Scott’s departure did not involve Postecoglou and was a result of the review and restructure of the department. Brett was appointed following Scott’s departure and reported directly to Munn.

Postecoglou’s Spurs struggled to balance the demands of competing in the Premier League and the Europa League last season.

One of the biggest issues they faced was players suffering setbacks when they returned from injury. For example, Romero injured his quad in the opening 10 minutes of December’s defeat to Chelsea on his first appearance after recovering from a toe problem.

In the same game, fellow centre-half Van de Ven suffered a recurrence of a hamstring injury.

The centre-halves did not return to regular action until March.

“That’s been our major problem this year — guys who are coming back from injury rather than us losing players as such,” Postecoglou said on December 27 before Spurs played Wolves.

“Knock on wood but the core group of players who are training and playing games have no issues. So we’re looking at those things and why they’re happening.

“It’s certainly happened too often this year where guys have come back and they’re the ones who are missing. I think just about all of them, apart from Vicario, are recurrences of an injury. Even with Romero, it was a different injury, but it’s still a guy coming back, so it’s something we’re looking at.”

There has been more change this summer as chairman Daniel Levy tries to avoid a repeat of last season’s disastrous league form.

Thomas Frank has replaced Postecoglou as head coach and Vinai Venkatesham has been appointed as the new chief executive officer. Long-serving executive Donna-Maria Cullen has stepped down, Munn has been sacked and now Brett and Davies have left too.

Frank has brought five members of his backroom staff at Brentford with him including Nick Stubbings, Tom Perryman and Chris Haslam.

Stubbings was Brentford’s head physio and he is the medical lead at Spurs, while Perryman is a strength and conditioning coach. Haslam’s official title is head of performance and first team assistant coach.

(Top photo of Stubbings and Frank: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur have completed the signing of defender Kota Takai from Kawasaki Frontale on a five-year contract running to 2030.

He is the first signing under new head coach Thomas Frank who was not on loan at the club last season under previous boss Ange Postecoglou.

As reported by The Athletic, an agreement for the 20-year-old Japan international was reached for £5million ($6.8m, 1billion Japanese yen), which represents a record fee for a player in the J League — the top division of Japanese football — moving overseas.

Takai, who was into the final six months of his contract at Kawasaki Frontale, has played 28 times at club level in 2025 and has also made four appearances for Japan.

He played a key role in Kawasaki Frontale winning the Japanese Super Cup in 2024 and was also named the nation’s best young player that year.

Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven established themselves as the first choice central defensive pairing at Spurs under Postecoglou, while Radu Dragusin and Kevin Danso are the other recognised centre-backs in the squad.

However, multiple injury setbacks in 2024- 25 meant Archie Gray, a midfielder by trade, was deployed in the centre of defence.

Danso and Mathys Tel, who both arrived on loan deals from Lens and Bayern Munich respectively in January, have each made their moves to Spurs permanent this summer, while teenage defender Luka Vuskovic will join Spurs from Hajduk Split after a deal was agreed in 2023.

(Koji Watanabe/Getty Images)

There was a segment on British game show A League of Their Own in December 2011 which serves as a reminder of why the prospect of Mohammed Kudus leaving West Ham United to join rivals Tottenham Hotspur would leave a sour taste among supporters.

Host James Corden and panellists Peter Crouch and Jamie Redknapp were discussing Scott Parker’s recent decision to join Spurs from West Ham before Corden, a West Ham fan, jokingly launched a diatribe against the midfielder.

“He’s dead to me, he is dead to me,” Corden said, before turning to the midfielder, who was sat in the audience. “F*** you Parker, f*** you!”

It was clearly a joke, said with a smirk on the face, but it spoke for the feelings of West Ham fans when it comes to their star players moving to Tottenham.

Parker had felt he needed to join Tottenham to further his international career, following West Ham’s relegation to the Championship at the end of the 2010-11 season. Despite West Ham’s poor season, he had been named Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year and opted to move to a Spurs side aiming to return to the Champions League. That may have seemed the obvious decision for Parker, but to West Ham fans it was not one they could get on board with — and they let him know next time he visited Upton Park.

Some 18 months after his departure, Parker was greeted with a chorus of boos from West Ham fans on his return to East London — and was saddened by the reaction.

“I didn’t expect the West Ham fans to boo me and obviously it was a little bit upsetting,” said a mystified Parker. “I don’t know why (they did it). I don’t know if it’s because I went to their local rivals. I’m not sure but I just would have liked to think that maybe I would have got a better reception after what I did in my time here.

“I had four fantastic years here and it will always be a club with a massive place in my heart. I was looking forward to coming back and I couldn’t wait to go out there and play so I was disappointed (to be booed).”

Twelve years later, Kudus could follow in Parker’s footsteps. Although the attacker may not feel the same level of vitriol, a hostile reception at the London Stadium on September 13 would surely await him. West Ham rejected Tottenham’s £50million ($68m) offer for the 24-year-old Ghana international over the weekend but club-to-club talks continue. Personal terms are not expected to be an issue, with Kudus more than open to a move to Spurs.

His desire to join Thomas Frank’s side stems from the attacking midfielder wanting to play in European competition. Tottenham, who finished 17th and below West Ham last season, will compete in the Champions League this season, having won the Europa League.

Kudus, whose contract expires in 2028, has a buyout clause that is only active for the first 10 days of July, valued at £80m for European clubs, £85m for Premier League sides and £120m for Saudi Arabian teams, but he has no interest in joining a club in the Middle East. Although Kudus will not force an exit, the versatile attacker has no intention of staying at West Ham beyond the summer.

As unpalatable as the move may be for West Ham fans, the club doesn’t have many other options as they look to start a proper rebuild under head coach Graham Potter.

Potential incomings are caveated by the club needing to sell before they can buy. The attacker is the club’s sole sellable asset, with captain Jarrod Bowen not for sale and the uncertainty surrounding Lucas Paqueta’s future. The club’s hierarchy hope to receive a significant return on the €41.5m (£35.7m at today’s exchange rate) fee they paid to prise him away from Ajax in August 2023.

Selling Kudus would enable Potter and the recruitment team to accelerate their pursuit of transfer targets. West Ham are currently lacking squad depth following the departures of Lukasz Fabianski, Vladimir Coufal, Aaron Cresswell and Danny Ings this summer. Michail Antonio’s contract expired on June 30, although his departure has not been formally announced.

It was all in stark contrast to his debut campaign, when he registered 18 goals and 10 assists across 48 appearances, with his solo goal against Freiburg and acrobatic strike against Manchester City particular highlights. It is this version of Kudus that Tottenham will hope sparks their own rebuild under Frank.

Kudus has been utilised in multiple positions across West Ham’s front line but his preferred position is on the right flank, where Bowen also does his best work. Kudus’ desire to leave also stems from an urge to play in his natural position.

In a 13-month period from August 2003 to August 2004, Frederic Kanoute, Jermain Defoe and Michael Carrick all swapped east for north London, leading to Spurs fans mockingly referring to West Ham as their ‘feeder club’. The fact so little business has been done between the two clubs tells you that this is not a situation anyone at the London Stadium wants to see repeated.

Kudus’ departure was always likely to happen this summer, but few would have envisioned the potential landing spot being Tottenham. It could also be the best way to ensure a better 2025-26.

Top photo: Bradley Collyer/PA Images via Getty Images

Tottenham Hotspur have named former Liverpool goalkeeper coach Fabian Otte, 34, as the club’s new first team goalkeeper coach and one of four new appointments to Thomas Frank’s coaching staff.

Cameron Campbell, Matt Wells, Stuart Lewis and Dean Brill have also joined the Dane’s new-look backroom team.

Spurs announced last month that Justin Cochrane, Chris Haslam and Joe Newton had all followed Frank from Brentford, and set-piece specialist Andreas Georgson had joined from Manchester United.

Rob Burch, who was goalkeeper coach under Frank’s predecessor Ange Postecoglou, has left the club.

Wells will remain on the coaching staff as first team assistant coach, having been Postecoglou’s No 2 last season.

Campbell, who has previously worked as a youth coach at RB Leipzig, Rangers and Aberdeen, joins as first team individual development coach, while former under-18s boss Lewis is now first team academy transition coach – responsible for aiding the development and integration of youth players into the first team set-up.

Brill becomes first team assistant goalkeeping coach, working under Otte, having previously been head of academy goalkeeping at the club.

Otte left Liverpool last week after one season working under head coach Arne Slot as part of a shake up of the Dutchman’s backroom staff.

Brazil legend Taffarel also left Anfield, with Xavi Valero – previously on Rafa Benitez’s coaching staff at Liverpool – returning to the Merseyside club as the new head of first-team goalkeeper coaching.

Otte arrived at Liverpool in summer 2024 following spells with the U.S. men’s national team, Burnley and Borussia Monchengladbach.

Three members of Postecoglou’s backroom staff, Mile Jedinak, Nick Montgomery and Sergio Raimundo, left Spurs with the Australian, while Ryan Mason took the head coach’s job at West Bromwich Albion shortly before his dismissal.

(Christian Verheyen/Borussia Moenchengladbach via Getty Images)

West Ham United have received an offer from Tottenham Hotspur to sign Mohammed Kudus.

The bid was worth £50million ($68m) and has been turned down but club-to-club talks continue.

Kudus is prioritising Spurs if he leaves West Ham and personal terms for the 24-year-old Ghana international are not expected to be an issue.

The Athletic reported in June that Kudus’ contract, which runs until 2028, has a buyout clause that is only active for the first 10 days of July, valued at £80m for European clubs, £85m for Premier League sides and £120m for Saudi Arabian teams.

The forward has remained on Chelsea’s radar after they stalled on completing a deal to bring him to Stamford Bridge from Ajax in 2023, before West Ham sealed his signature.

West Ham signed Kudus for a fee of €41.5million (£35.6m, $48.8m) plus €3m (£2.5m) in add-ons in August 2023, and he immediately became a key part of David Moyes’ side, recording 18 goals and 10 assists in 48 appearances during his first season.

Utilised in multiple positions across West Ham’s frontline, Kudus had a less fruitful 2024-25 campaign, scoring five goals and assisting four in 35 appearances as his side finished 14th in the Premier League.

Before joining West Ham, Kudus scored 27 goals in 87 appearances for Ajax, helping the club to consecutive Eredivisie titles in 2021 and 2022.

Spurs have been keen to add a forward to their squad during the summer, despite being bolstered by the permanent addition of Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich for €35m, plus €10m in potential bonuses following his loan spell at the club last season.

The north London club hoped to persuade Bryan Mbeumo to join new head coach Thomas Frank in joining from Brentford, but the forward has informed Spurs he favours a move to Manchester United. Meanwhile, The Athletic reported Spurs made an enquiry over Bournemouth attacker Antoine Semenyo, who has since signed a new contract on the south coast.

(Photo: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur are set to appoint Martin Ho as the new head coach of their women’s team.

Ho, currently the head coach of Norwegian side SK Brann, has previously been an assistant at both Everton and Manchester United. He also spent a spell as the head coach of Liverpool’s Under-21 women’s team.

He will replace Robert Vilahamn, who departed the club after two years last month on the same weekend that Ange Postecoglou was sacked by the men’s side.

Ho, 35, was appointed by Brann in 2023 and guided the side to the quarter-finals of the Women’s Champions League before being knocked out by eventual champions Barcelona.

This season, Brann sit second in the Norwegian Toppserien, one point behind defending champions Valerenga.

Vilahamn led Spurs to a top-six Women’s Super League (WSL) finish and the club’s first-ever FA Cup final, which they lost to Manchester United, in the 2023-24 campaign.

The 42-year-old Swede subsequently signed a three-year contract extension through to 2027 at the north London club.

However, 2024-25 saw a downturn in results with a 10-game winless run from January seeing Spurs record an 11th-place WSL finish, just one place from the foot of the table and relegation.

(Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Bryan Mbeumo has informed Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur of his decision to sign for Manchester United if he makes a transfer this summer.

Mbeumo is under contract at Brentford until June 2026 and they have an option to extend the deal by a further 12 months.

But the 26-year-old forward has attracted interest from likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Spurs.

The Athletic revealed that he wants to join Manchester United, subject to the clubs reaching an agreement, and they contacted Brentford to discuss a switch.

An opening offer worth £45million plus £10m in add-ons fell some way short of Brentford’s valuation.

A second proposal at £55m and £7.5m of bonuses was also rejected — but talks continue as the 20-time English champions attempt to find a compromise.

Admiration for Mbeumo at Spurs increased after Thomas Frank moved from Brentford to become their new head coach.

But the Cameroon international notified Frank and Brentford that should he depart the Gtech Community Stadium now, it will be for Old Trafford.

Reports of Spurs submitting a bid have been denied in north London and they are no longer pursuing the situation — a stance that might change only if Manchester United do not complete the acquisition.

Their boss Ruben Amorim has targeted Mbeumo after landing fellow attacker Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £62.5m — a figure Brentford aim to exceed.

Funds are said to be available for Manchester United to secure the former Troyes attacker without requiring sales in advance.

However, they plan to remain disciplined and avoid overpaying for players in the market.

(Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images)

Leeds United’s highly-rated 16-year-old striker Oliver Boast is set to join Tottenham Hotspur.

Boast, one of Leeds’ prized academy assets, has chosen to continue his development with the north London club.

The player’s decision to move south meant Leeds could either negotiate a fee with Tottenham or allow a tribunal to decide compensation. They went with the former and sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity, indicated a seven-figure sum has been agreed for Boast’s switch.

Boast, who turned 16 last month, is only seven months younger than Harry Gray and has followed in his fellow striker’s footsteps through the academy. Leeds can normally show their best young players a pathway to the first team, but Boast is behind one of England’s best young strikers in the pecking order.

Gray made his senior debut last term and is expected to only increase his minutes in the coming campaign. Rather than compete with Gray over the coming years, Boast has opted to try his hand in the capital with Tottenham.

Those who have coached Boast at Thorp Arch describe him as a modern No 9, who can lead the line and can play as a lone striker. Boast’s speed has been described as one of his best attributes, as he runs off the shoulder of the last man and gets in behind opposition defences.

His rise through the academy has accelerated over the past two seasons. He made his debut for the club’s under-18s last August, at 15 years old. He was then named in England’s under-16 squad last December, scoring his first goal during that camp too.

Boast went on to make his debut for United’s under-21s in April, still aged only 15. That progression was the culmination of a goal-laden campaign with the under-18s, which included a maiden hat-trick in late April.

(Photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Most Premier League fans won’t have heard of Kota Takai until this transfer window.

But the 20-year-old, who is set to join Tottenham Hotspur from Japanese side Kawasaki Frontale for a J1 League record £5million ($6.8m, 1billion Japanese yen), has quickly developed into a star in his home country.

Having missed the opening weeks of the 2023 season representing Japan at the Under-20 Asian Cup, upon his return Takai broke into Kawasaki’s first team aged just 18 and immediately established himself as a starter in central defence. He made 13 starts for Kawasaki in 2023, before being dropped to the bench towards the end of the season.

Although Kawasaki have been one of Japan’s most successful teams over the past decade, winning the J1 League four times between 2017 and 2021, the 2023 team was not vintage. They finished eighth in the then 18-team league, but Takai’s talent often shone through, earning him a place in Japan’s Under-20 World Cup squad that summer.

Since then, his career has taken off. He was part of the Japan team that won the Under-23 Asian Cup in 2024, playing every minute, apart from the second group game where he was rested. He then got his first cap for the senior national team in a 7-0 win over China later that year.

Though 2024 was another middling season for Kawasaki, finishing eighth for the second season running, Takai earned a call-up for the Paris Olympics to represent Japan, who were beaten 3-0 by Spain in the quarter-finals. For his performances across 2024, he won the J1 League’s Best Young Player award.

Now he’s a household name in Japanese football, with four caps for the national team. He also played for Kawasaki in the Asian Champions League final. They lost 2-0 in the showpiece game against Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal, but beat Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr en route to the final (pictured top).

“I would put him at the top of the young, emerging talents in Japan,” says Dan Orlowitz, a Japanese football journalist. “There was no question that he was going to Europe. He is definitely on track to become a star, relatively speaking, for the national team.”

Takai, who has been taking English lessons and models himself after Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk, was reportedly attracting interest from around Europe before he agreed terms with Tottenham. While the jump from J1 League (ranked 14th in the world by Opta Analyst) to Premier League (first) is significant, he has the attributes of a modern centre-back.

First, he’s comfortable in possession, a prerequisite for any emerging centre-back playing for a Premier League and Champions League side.

“In terms of building up and contributing to the attack, he’s a reliable short passer,” says Orlowitz. “He’s not really going to contribute when you’re in the final third, but he’ll be able to move the ball forward.”

Kawasaki build from the back, and Takai or centre-back partner Yuichi Maruyama frequently finish games with the highest number of touches. Takai also has the ability to play line-breaking passes when given time and space.

Still, it’s an area of his game not entirely refined yet. In Kawasaki’s defeat by Vissel Kobe this month, Takai attempted 69 passes, completing just 56 (81 per cent). In their 1-0 win against Yokohama FC the week earlier, it declined to 20 from 27 (74 per cent). In their 2-1 away win over Sanfrecce Hiroshima on May 31, he completed 45 of his 49 passes (92 per cent).

Fluctuation in this area is understandable given his age, but his tendency to rush passes when under intense pressure was displayed against higher-quality opposition in the latter stages of the AFC Champions League.

Here, Al Ahli’s Ezgjan Alioski is chasing down Takai, who is receiving a pass from midfield.

Alioski quickly closes the distance, prompting Takai to take the ball wide, isolating him against his opponent. Under pressure, Takai attempts a tricky pass over Al Ahli winger Galeno and into the path of team-mate Asahi Sasaki, but mishits the pass and puts it out of play.

However, in the semi-final, he showed he can be composed and skilful in these situations. In this grab, Al Nassr attacker Jhon Duran tries to sneak up on Takai on his blind side to win the ball.

Takai casually feints backwards — deceiving Duran, who then changes the direction of his run — before bringing the ball forwards and away from the Colombia international’s pressure. He follows it up with a stylish chipped pass through the Al Nassr midfield block, setting his team away on an attack.

Takai has a high ceiling as a distributor, provided he improves under pressure and continues developing his touch and feel for medium to long-distance passes.

An area that we may not be able to assess properly before he plays in England is his ability to adapt from a physical perspective, but there are encouraging indicators that he has the qualities to adjust.

“One of the biggest challenges for him is adjusting to the physicality and speed of the Premier League,” says Orlowitz. “On any given Saturday, he can deliver a monster performance, but in the Premier League, he has to be able to do that week in and week out. It’s going to be an adjustment, but he’s got the physique.”

Takai stands at 6ft 3in (190cm), and he’s not afraid to put his body in the way to dispossess opponents. In this grab, he wins the ball after a shoulder-to-shoulder battle with Duran, whose physicality caused problems for Premier League defenders while at Aston Villa, before bringing the ball out of defence into midfield.

He’s also improving as an aerial presence and has found the net twice with headers from set pieces this season.

However, his primary strength as a defender is his anticipation and timing, particularly in recovery situations. He does not have the electric pace of Micky van de Ven, but he can close distances quickly for a player of his size and win the ball cleanly with impressive slide tackles. Here is one example of this in action.

Here’s another instance:

He can also read the game and step ahead of attackers, using his strength and power to win the ball, as shown in this grab:

Again, after dispossessing his opponent, he shows the vision and composure to move the ball on quickly to a team-mate, relieving opposition pressure.

Here, he calmly wins possession from Ronaldo, who had tried to break past Takai with a stepover move.

Having kept Ronaldo and Sadio Mane relatively quiet in the Asian Champions League semi-final, Tottenham have a barometer of Takai’s quality. It should provide some confidence that he can find his way in the Premier League, where his physical and technical attributes will be tested.

Emerging ahead of Cristian Romero and Van de Ven will not be easy, not to mention the group of international centre-backs waiting behind them in Kevin Danso, Radu Dragusin, Ben Davies and Luka Vuskovic, who made his Croatia debut earlier this month and can now play in England after turning 18 in February.

Still, Takai is a special talent, and Thomas Frank may be the perfect coach to maximise his abilities.

(Top photo: Takai and Cristiano Ronaldo by Yasser Bakhsh via Getty Images)

It has already been a summer of profound change at Tottenham Hotspur and we are not even yet in July.

The Europa League final in Bilbao was only five weeks ago. The man who delivered that, Ange Postecoglou, has already been dismissed. He has been replaced by Thomas Frank, from Brentford, who arrives with the hope that he can build a more robust, consistent Spurs team next season.

But there has also been a change in the club’s executive roles too. Long-standing board member Donna-Maria Cullen announced her departure at the end of the season. Vinai Venkatesham, formerly of Arsenal, has come in as the new chief executive officer. And last week, the club finalised the exit of chief football officer Scott Munn, who is now on gardening leave.

In a sense, Munn’s departure is no surprise. The Athletic reported in April that Munn’s future at the club was in “severe doubt”. And he has ultimately gone the same way as his compatriot Postecoglou. Churn in these roles is nothing new. Tottenham seem to embark on a new organisational overhaul most summers. Munn’s two-year spell at Spurs owes to the last such overhaul, back in 2023.

During the 2022-23 season, the club commissioned an external review into all their footballing activities. Daniel Levy was quoted on the club website as saying that this was “to ensure we apply our values of innovation, drive and excellence”. And it led to the opening of a new role of chief football officer, who would coordinate all football departments. In April 2023, Munn was appointed, officially starting his work in September.

After the appointment of Postecoglou, Munn’s main work involved a thorough review of the club’s football departments. This led to an overhaul, with plenty of staff leaving the club. The work on the medical department remains ongoing, as shown by last season. But the improvement in Spurs’ scouting in recent years — as shown by signings like Wilson Odobert, Antonin Kinsky and Lucas Bergvall — suggests that they are better at identifying young signings than they used to be.

Munn ruffled some feathers during his two years at Tottenham, but that may be inevitable in a role that requires firing and hiring.

Munn’s second season at Tottenham ended on a high, with Spurs winning the Europa League final in Bilbao, an achievement that will mark the careers of everyone involved in it. But now there is a new structure at Spurs and they will not be looking for a new chief football officer to replace Munn.

The key person in the new structure is Venkatesham, for whom the new job of CEO has been created. Frank, the new head coach, will report into Venkatesham, as will Johan Lange, the technical director, and Rebecca Caplehorn, who oversees football administration and governance. So will Andy Rogers, who is managing director of Tottenham Hotspur Women, and Paul May, in charge of training centre operations.

In Frank’s first interview as Spurs head coach, he talked about the importance of the structure behind the scenes and what they can achieve if everyone works together. “You can’t do anything alone, in my opinion,” Frank said. “The alignment is key, from top to bottom. Of course, it starts from Daniel (Levy), and Vinai and Johan and me. The more the four of us can be aligned, just like a unit, an unbreakable unit, the stronger we will be.”

Venkatesham also spoke of the importance of alignment during a joint interview he did with Levy, published by the club last week.

“I think we’re going to form a really powerful partnership,” Venkatesham said of his relationship with Levy. “I’ll be taking more of the lead day-to-day on operational matters on the pitch and off the pitch. But we’ll be working on everything together, certainly there won’t be any decisions of any significance that happen at the club that we’re not completely joined at the hip on.”

Venkatesham has only just started at the club but this is already one of the most significant ever changes in how Tottenham are run. His arrival in such a powerful CEO role means a more modern management organisation, rather than Tottenham’s distinctive streamlined feel. For years, there has been a hope at Spurs to strengthen the executive side of the club. Venkatesham’s arrival marks a meaningful step in that direction.

Staff have already been impressed with Venkatesham’s openness and transparency behind the scenes, and his willingness to trust and empower colleagues. Even his six-minute video with Levy on YouTube felt like a new step towards open communication for the club, given how little is traditionally heard from Spurs’ long-standing chairman.

This is already a very different club than it was two cycles ago, back when Fabio Paratici was brought in as managing director of football at the end of the 2020-21 season, with the hope that he could drive up standards around the whole club, as well as taking charge of recruitment. The initial plan was that Paratici would bring Antonio Conte with him, although in reality Conte eventually arrived five months after Spurs first approached him, with Nuno Espirito Santo taking the first 10 league games of the 2021-22 season.

Even though Paratici was forced to resign from his official role in April 2023, he has never truly gone away. Munn’s two years as chief football officer occurred to an extent in Paratici’s shadow. Because Paratici has continued to work as a consultant for the club, advising largely on recruitment, while he serves a 30-month ban from official football activity. (The work that he has been doing is consistent with the limited scope of his ban).

But Paratici’s ban ends next month, meaning that he would, in theory, be allowed to return to the type of work that he did for Spurs between 2021 and 2023.

As Paratici reaches the end of his ban, there has been constant speculation as to whether he may be restored to a role like the one he used to occupy at the club. He spoke to Milan about taking on a big new role there this summer but it came to nothing. The question is whether there is space for someone like Paratici, with his unique skills and persona, inside Tottenham’s new modern structure.

After taking a big step forward, does it still make sense to take another step back?

(Top photos: Getty Images)