The New York Times

It has been a long window for Tottenham Hotspur.

They changed managers in June, lost their best midfielder to an ACL injury in August and then sold their most popular player and captain. They went through not one but two high-profile sagas, failing to sign either Morgan Gibbs-White or Eberechi Eze. At times this summer, it felt like Tottenham were unable to land the level of player they so desperately needed. And at times, the fans were furious.

But at the end of the window, Thomas Frank has four new first-team players, following permanent deals for Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons, and loans for Joao Palhinha and Randal Kolo Muani. The team looks in better shape now than it was at the start of the window.

It has been a strikingly busy, turbulent and emotional window across the board. It is difficult to judge how much teams have been strengthened until much further into the season. But maybe, if these four players settle well, this will be the window where Spurs started to claw some ground back.

Remember Ange Postecoglou’s last words as Tottenham manager. In his weary press conference after his last game in charge — the 4-1 home defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion — he explained clearly what the club needed in the summer window. Regardless of the identity of the manager.

He pointed to the “little gap in the development” left by the summer 2024 window, when experienced players left and were replaced — Dominic Solanke notwithstanding — by youngsters. He talked about the need to “bring some experience in” this time. “Players who have played at that level, who are going to be comfortable at that level. Not players who are stepping up to that level. That’s the difference.”

That analysis was no less correct just because the man who delivered it was subsequently sacked. With Frank coming in, there was still an obvious need to add players who could hit the ground running. Tottenham had stood still in the transfer market in previous years. They needed to move fast just to catch up.

The fact they had such a dramatic end to last season made things harder rather than easier.

In an ideal world, any club would be lining up all their summer deals long before the end of the season, ideally in March. But Tottenham did not know they were playing Champions League football in 2025-26 until May 21. Postecoglou was sacked on June 6, with Thomas Frank appointed six days later. Their new CEO Vinai Venkatesham, who was heavily involved in the window, did not start until June. They were always going to have to move fast to compete with their rivals.

Their eventual focus on experience does not mean they took their eye off the youth market entirely. Their first new signing this summer — aside from finalising the permanent deals for last year’s loanees — was for Kota Takai. The 20-year-old Japanese centre-back came in from Kawasaki Frontale, a clear sign Tottenham want to keep bringing the best young talent from around the world. Luka Vuskovic, an 18-year-old centre-back lined up two years ago, finally joined from Hajduk Split before being loaned out to Hamburg.

But the priority was experience. Players who had already shown that they could do it in the Premier League, and who could help Frank from the first day of the season. Especially those who could improve Spurs’ attacking options in the final third. With Son Heung-min on the way out — he left for LAFC after the Asia tour — Tottenham needed more firepower.

In mid-June, Spurs made an enquiry to Bournemouth about Antoine Semenyo, their Ghanaian winger. They were put off by the £70million ($94.8m) price tag, and Semenyo went on to sign a new contract, but the intention was clear.

There were other players out there who fitted that bill, not least from Brentford, Frank’s former club.

Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa had both shone under Frank’s coaching in west London. He was interested in bringing both to Tottenham and did speak to them. But Mbeumo’s heart was set on Manchester United, whereas Wissa was difficult to do without sales. His proposed move to Newcastle United became a saga all of its own. He finally moved to St James’ Park on deadline day.

Chelsea were linked with Kudus, but it was Tottenham who moved first and fastest. On July 5, they had a £50m bid rejected. Four days later, they agreed a fee of £55m plus add-ons. Kudus became the first big-name signing of the Frank era.

Tottenham announced the arrival of Kudus on July 10. But that day became dominated by a different transfer story, one that became one of the most dramatic of their summer.

That was the day Spurs sent Nottingham Forest a formal offer for Morgan Gibbs-White, for an overall package — including add-ons — that would have constituted a club-record buy. Gibbs-White had a £60m release clause, and the offer was in excess of that. It felt for a brief moment that Gibbs-White was certain to join Tottenham. He even had a medical pencilled in.

It was a moment of real excitement for the Tottenham fanbase. Kudus was a good signing, but Gibbs-White would have been a real statement: a 25-year-old England international, the captain and best player of the team who finished seventh the previous season. He could bring technical skill, athleticism and leadership into any midfield. He was the level of player who you would expect to move to Manchester City or Liverpool if he did leave Forest. And now he wanted to join Spurs.

All of a sudden, it felt like a different window, a different Tottenham.

But there was a hitch. Forest’s view was that Spurs’ bid did not, in fact, meet Gibbs-White’s release clause. They refused to do business.

Gibbs-White’s club maintained this position even when Tottenham returned with a second, higher bid. Forest dug in, and considered reporting Tottenham to the Premier League. It was an unusual situation, to put it mildly. There was little more that Tottenham could do. Gibbs-White even called Frank to apologise for the move not going through. On July 26, Forest announced that Gibbs-White had signed a new contract with them.

Much of the excitement of July 10 amongst Tottenham fans had started to curdle into frustration.

This was a window when Tottenham had to address multiple issues simultaneously. And while the No 10 dilemma remained, they also needed a solution in defensive midfield.

Frank knew that the team needed more stability in the middle of the pitch, a player who could be relied on to keep his position and stop the opposition attacking through the middle. “When I came in and assessed the squad, it was an area where I thought we could need something there,” Frank said on the Asia tour. Rodrigo Bentancur could play there, but he wanted something more. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who played for Frank as a youngster in Denmark, was not an option as his loan move to Marseille became permanent.

At Brentford, Frank had used his captain Christian Norgaard there. Taking him to Tottenham might have been attractive, but Arsenal moved quickly, and Spurs never had an opportunity. He signed for Arsenal on July 10. But over the course of that month, another option came into view. A player with Premier League experience and who was clearly available for a move.

Joao Palhinha had not made much of an impact under Vincent Kompany at Bayern Munich but he had proven in his two years at Fulham how competitive he could be in this league. Bayern were happy to let the Portuguese go. Spurs had a free run, Arsenal having considered Palhinha before deciding to sign Norgaard instead.

Tottenham’s initial preference was for a loan, and they soon reached an agreement with Bayern, covering the midfielder’s wages for the season, with a €30m (£25.9m) option for next summer. He had a medical in Germany on August 1 and signed his deal.

Two days later, the issue of creativity in midfield became even more serious. James Maddison, slowly on his way back after a knee injury suffered in May, went down during a pre-season friendly in Korea. He had ruptured his ACL and would need surgery. Maddison would miss most of the forthcoming season. Tottenham were staring down the barrel of going into the season with no fit creative players.

Missing out on Gibbs-White was even more painful now than it had been in July. They needed to move fast.

The club had been well aware of Eberechi Eze’s talent for years. They had always admired the Crystal Palace man but never made a serious move. But in August, they finally started to push. He had an active release clause of £68m but Spurs were confident they could negotiate a lower fee. They entered into indirect talks and, on August 18, Levy and the Palace chairman Steve Parish met to agree the framework for a deal: £50m plus £10m in add-ons.

But when it came to negotiate those add-ons, agreement was impossible. The demands kept changing. The deal suddenly felt unlikely. On the morning of August 20, Tottenham decided to agree to Palace’s demands and submitted a formal offer.

But they never heard back.

All of the fans’ frustration, that had been simmering since Gibbs-White fell through, suddenly boiled over.

Spurs had missed out on not one but two high-profile Premier League-proven No 10s. Regardless of the particulars of the two cases, they looked weak and unable to close deals in the eyes of the fans. They needed to complete the next one. Levy’s reputation was at stake.

What Spurs needed was an exciting name to reset the mood. They had already asked Manchester City about Savinho, discussing with them a package worth €50m, but City had said no. They were interested in Como’s Argentina midfielder Nico Paz, too, although Real Madrid had the right to match any bid that they made, as well as future release clauses all of their own for him.

But there was another option they could turn to, a top-quality No 10 who could win games by himself: Xavi Simons.

RB Leipzig were not averse to selling Simons, but the expectation all summer was that Chelsea would move for him. As they waited, Tottenham pounced. Simons travelled to London on August 27 to discuss the move.

As with any potential signing, Spurs wanted to know the player’s motivations, rather than convincing him to join them. The talks went well, Simons was keen to join in part because of his good relationship with Dutch international team-mate Micky van de Ven. Tottenham put their official bid in the next day for an initial €60m, potentially rising to €70m. Simons had his medical that Thursday evening and the deal was completed overnight. Simons signed a five-year deal (with an option for a further two) to become a Tottenham player.

Spurs needed a mood-changing signing and they finally had one.

Simons was paraded on the pitch before the Premier League game against Bournemouth on August 30. Fans were talking about whether this was Spurs’ most exciting signing since their last Dutch No 10, Rafael van de Vaart, who joined from Real Madrid at the end of the summer 2010 window.

It still felt after Simons that there were a few loose ends for Spurs, or at least areas where they could still improve. They had numbers at centre-back but adding one more experienced alternative, someone as good as Van de Ven and Cristian Romero but who would not necessarily expect to play every game, was considered. That is a difficult player to find in the market, and while there was interest in Manuel Akanji of Manchester City, he went to Inter instead.

Instead, it was the forward line that received reinforcement on the final day of the window.

They did not secure another winger, having been told no by City on Savinho, but another striker instead. Randal Kolo Muani had been of longstanding interest to Spurs, who considered taking him on loan from Paris Saint-Germain during the January window. This time, they agreed a loan with PSG on deadline day.

Frank had said after the Bournemouth game that they would not necessarily go for a third striker, but with Solanke not having started yet this season due to a persistent ankle injury, a deal for the France international made perfect sense. It remains to be seen how he will fit in but it is inconceivable that he will not play a lot of football this season.

And now that it is finally all over, how do we assess it?

Some windows look far better in hindsight than they did at the time because they brought players to the club whose value took time to show. The 2015 window, when Spurs signed Toby Alderweireld and Son, looks far better now than it did after one year, when Son was largely written off as a flop.

But people want to see results now, especially given that last year Spurs’ focus was more on investments for the future rather than immediate upgrades. There has been a feeling for a while that Tottenham had let their rivals overtake them in the transfer market, and they needed to catch up. They entered this window under more pressure to deliver than they ever had been before. And there were moments this summer — when they missed out on Gibbs-White and Eze — that felt like they were getting nowhere.

In the end, though, Tottenham have emerged with three players who unquestionably elevate the quality of the first team in Kudus, Palhinha and Simons. Kolo Muani’s record is arguably as good as that of Richarlison or Solanke and there is every chance that he will score more goals than either of them this year.

Whether you think that is three or four players who improve the first team, it is a more productive window than most that Spurs have had in recent years. This is the second summer window for technical director Johan Lange, whose skills dovetail when required with those of consultant Fabio Paratici, and it has been an improvement on the first.

As Spurs fans all know, bringing in two players — never mind more — in any window who instantly improve the first team is not the normal way of things at Tottenham. The best window of recent years was 2023, when the squad was re-tooled for Postecoglou, and they signed Gugliemo Vicario, Maddison and Van de Ven, as well as Johnson, who ended up playing a bigger role than planned that year.

But beyond that? In summer 2024, it was only Solanke who came straight into the side, which cost the team dearly. The January window of 2022, quite unusually, delivered two first-team upgrades in Dejan Kulusevski and Bentancur. The summer 2022 window saw two big-name signings in Richarlison and Ivan Perisic, neither of whom did much for the team that season, and another in Yves Bissouma, whom Antonio Conte did not take to. In summer 2021, there was only Romero. In summer 2020 only really Hojbjerg. We could go on.

Maybe you have to go back to the summer window of 2012 — Jan Vertonghen, Hugo Lloris, Mousa Dembele — for something comparable.

There are still things that could be improved in this squad. They did not add another high-quality experienced centre back (if we do not count turning Danso’s loan permanent). If Romero, who signed a new long-term contract this window, and Van de Ven are injured, then it will be Danso and Dragusin again. They could probably do with another central midfielder who can pass the ball, as Saturday’s defeat to Bournemouth showed. Maybe they need another goal threat down the left, now that Son has left. Much will depend on what Frank can eke out of Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert.

But in the context of a normal Tottenham summer window, it is better than normal. The team is stronger now than it was when the last season ended, and will be better still when Kulusevski and Maddison eventually return.

Whether it will be enough to make up the gap between Spurs and where they want to be, only time will tell.

(Additional reporting: Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, Jay Harris)

(Top photo: Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)

Dele Alli, the former Tottenham Hotspur and England midfielder, has left Como after agreeing to a mutual termination of his contract with the Italian club.

“Dele is keen to secure regular playing opportunities and, as he was not part of the club’s immediate plans, both parties felt it was the right decision to part ways ahead of the transfer window closing,” read a Como statement on Monday evening.

“The club thanks Dele for his time at Como and wishes him the very best for the future.”

As a free agent who was released before the end of the Italian transfer window, Dele would be free to join another European club and feature immediately, provided he is registered in time to be included on the relevant squad lists.

The Athletic reported on August 7 that Dele was set to leave the Serie A club and continue his playing career elsewhere, contrary to reports in Italy that the 29-year-old was planning to retire.

Dele signed an 18-month contract upon joining Como as a free agent in January following his exit from Everton, and made just one appearance for Cesc Fabregas’ side – which was quickly cut short by a red card after he came on as an 80th-minute substitute in the 2-1 defeat to AC Milan in March.

The two-time PFA young player of the year has struggled for consistent game time since his departure from Tottenham in 2022. Dele had subsequent spells with Everton and Besiktas but has not played more than 20 games in a season since 2021-22. He missed the entirety of the 2023-24 campaign through injury.

Dele spent seven seasons with Spurs after joining the north London club from MK Dons as one of the brightest young English prospects at the time. He scored 10 goals and assisted 10 in his debut season, before improving on that tally with 22 goals and 13 assists the following year, as Mauricio Pochettino’s side finished second in the top-flight.

Despite hamstring injuries, Dele also played a key role in Tottenham’s run to the 2019 Champions League final. He made a total of 269 appearances for the club.

The midfielder has been capped 37 times for England, and in a Sky Sports appearance in April 2024, he revealed his ambitions of returning to the international set-up for the 2026 World Cup.

In 2023, Dele spoke about his mental health in an interview with Gary Neville on The Overlap, and revealed Everton’s support for him while he went through rehab for a sleeping pill addiction.

(Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur have agreed a deal with Paris Saint-Germain over a straight season-long loan for forward Randal Kolo Muani.

Personal terms with the striker have been agreed and the player is on the way to London to complete a medical.

The loan deal will not an include an option nor obligation to make the transfer permanent at the end of the season.

The France international has been out of favour with the European champions and spent the second half of 2024-25 on loan at Juventus.

Kolo Muani was negotiating a return to Juventus but talks collapsed over the weekend, opening the door for the north London club.

Spurs and Manchester United explored a loan deal for the 26-year-old in January before he moved to Turin.

Kolo Muani recorded 10 goals and three assists in 22 appearances for Juventus and appeared in all but one of their Serie A matches following his arrival. He joined PSG in 2023 after the French club agreed a €90million deal with Eintracht Frankfurt and signed a five-year contract.

PSG and Spurs face each other in the Champions League league phase at the Parc des Princes, Paris, on November 26 — a match in which Kolo Muani could face his parent club.

Spurs have made a positive start to the season under new head coach Thomas Frank but club-record signing Dominic Solanke is struggling with an ankle injury, and missed Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to B0urnemouth.

Richarlison is the only other natural centre-forward in Frank’s squad.

Solanke started Tottenham’s first pre-season game against Reading on July 19 before hurting his ankle which prevented him from playing in any of the matches during their pre-season tour to Hong Kong and South Korea.

The England international made his return as a substitute in the UEFA Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain on August 13. Solanke came off the bench in Spurs’ league victories over Burnley and Manchester City, too.

After the Bournemouth defeat, Frank downplayed the severity of Solanke’s injury, saying: “It’s not like he re-injured it.”

“It’s not progressing as quickly as we hoped for, but we are still positive that it can be solved in the next two weeks,” Frank added.

The hope was that Solanke would return after the international break for Spurs’ game against West Ham United on September 13.

Kolo Muani scored two goals in 10 appearances for PSG in the first half of the campaign, primarily utilised as a substitute, but was left out of matchday squads by Luis Enrique for four Ligue 1 matches in December and January.

The striker started his career at Nantes, before joining Frankfurt on a free transfer in 2022. He recorded 26 goals and 17 assists in 50 appearances for the German club.

Kolo Muani has continued to appear regularly for France and earned his 31st cap against Germany in the Nations League in June.

Analysis

Spurs struggled to cope with a crippling injury crisis last season and, at the moment, it feels like nothing has changed. James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin are recovering from long-term knee injuries, while new signing Kota Takai missed the entirety of pre-season with a foot issue.

Solanke is the latest name to be added to the growing list and a prolonged absence would give Frank a huge headache.

Richarlison scored twice in Spurs’ opening weekend victory over Burnley and assisted Brennan Johnson’s goal in the 2-0 win at Manchester City. However, Richarlison’s limitations were exposed in Saturday’s defeat to Bournemouth as he struggled to hold the ball up and bring others into play.

Solanke is Tottenham’s club-record signing and Frank has barely had any time to properly work with him due to the forward’s ankle injury. If Solanke misses a significant chunk of the season, Frank will potentially have to use Mathys Tel as an alternative option to Richarlison upfront.

Tel has not looked entirely convincing since he joined Spurs from Bayern Munich, initially on loan before the move became permanent, in February. Richarlison’s injury record since he joined Spurs from Everton in July 2022 has not been great either.

After the defeat to Bournemouth, Frank suggested he was happy with his forward options but Spurs might have to act decisively on the final day of the window because of the uncertainty around Solanke.

(Chris Ricco/Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur have completed the signing of Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig.

The clubs agreed a deal worth €60million (£51.8m; $70m) for the 22-year-old Netherlands international attacker, who has signed a five-year contract at Spurs with the option of a further two seasons.

As part of this summer’s transfer coverage on The Athletic, in addition to breaking news, tactical analysis and in-depth reads, our Transfers TLDR series (you can read them all here) will bring you a quick guide to each of the key deals.

Give me his backstory in 100 words…

Considering that he has moved from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain to PSV, back to PSG, and then to RB Leipzig, played in two major tournaments, and drawn interest from most top clubs in Europe, it is quite easy to forget that Simons is only 22.

Even for the most talented of players, a creative midfielder who was lauded as the best 10-year-old footballer in the world and one of the top prospects in Europe while at Barcelona’s academy, the journey has not been straightforward. Simons left Barca for PSG aged 16, but after struggling for senior minutes, he moved on to PSV in 2022. A stellar season in his homeland saw the French club activate his buy-back clause. They immediately loaned him out to Leipzig.

Simons continued to excel in Germany, leading Leipzig to sign him permanently this January, but he informed them at the start of summer that he wished to leave. Now, his rollercoaster journey around Europe has landed him in north London.

Cerys Jones

What should and shouldn’t I expect to see?

Creativity is Simons’ major strength. The technique that made him internet-famous before his senior career truly took off is still there, and his reading of the game is superb. That, combined with direct pace on the transition, means Tottenham fans should expect to see him pulling the strings of their counter-attacks. He can also be a composed finisher.

Expect head coach Thomas Frank to take a little while to work out how to get the best from him. As my colleague Sebastian Stafford-Bloor has written, Simons played a very specific role at Leipzig that does not easily translate to many other clubs. At Spurs, the most obvious place for him is on the left wing, but Frank will want to make the most of his creativity, and that could involve rotation into central areas.

Cerys Jones

How will he fit in tactically?

Frank’s tactical flexibility and Simons’ versatility should make this a good match.

The Netherlands international can play as the No 10 that Tottenham need with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski both lost to knee injuries for months to come, or as a left inside-forward in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Simons is a skilled chance creator when drifting into the half spaces with a keen eye for picking out team-mates in packed areas. That, along with his agility, dribbling and flair, helped him record 18 assists across the past two Bundesliga seasons, along with a healthy personal goals return.

Simons’ defensive work-rate is excellent too, with only Florian Wirtz of Bayer Leverkusen, Werder Bremen’s Romano Schmid and Granit Xhaka, also of Leverkusen, winning more possessions in the final third than his 51 in the German top flight across that same two-year period.

He is not the quickest, or the best crosser, and he has struggled against physical opposition, but Simons has the skill to thrive, much like Mikkel Damsgaard did for Frank’s Brentford side last season.

Anantaajith Raghuraman

What’s his injury record like?

Little to worry Spurs supporters here. Simons needed surgery on ligament damage in his left ankle last October after a Champions League game against Liverpool, which ruled him out until January, but he has no other significant injuries on his record.

Cerys Jones

Someone who knows him says…

“He’s really hungry,” Fred Rutten, who was an assistant coach at PSV during Simons’ time there, told The Athletic in 2023. “He wants to be the best. He’s only 20, but he can already read games. Not many players can do that at that age; they only think about themselves. He has something that not a lot of players have — they get nervous when they come into the box; he never gets nervous, and he knows exactly what he’s going to do. He’s not the type of player that needs many chances to score goals.”

Cerys Jones

What do we know about the finances of this deal?

Spurs have paid Leipzig €60million for Simons, who only completed a permanent move to the German side in January, when they signed him for €50m (£43.3m; $58.5m at current rates) from Paris Saint-Germain following a successful 18-month loan spell.

Simons has signed a five-year contract, committing to life in north London until June 2030, though the agreement includes an option to extend that by two further seasons.

Chris Weatherspoon

What impact will this have on both clubs’ PSR calculation?

Assuming agent costs of 10 per cent, alongside the Premier League’s transfer levy, Simons will cost Tottenham £59.1million in total fees. That is, obviously, before taking into account the cost of his weekly wage, which will push their overall expenditure on him a fair sight higher.

That £59.1million will be amortised across Simons’ five-year contract. Spurs will book £10.2m in amortisation costs in 2025-26, then £12.2m annually until the end of the 2029-30 season.

Simons joined Leipzig permanently just seven months ago, though the fact he only signed a two-and-a-half-year deal at that time means his book value has already declined a fair way. We estimate it at around £35.5million, once agent fees are added to the amount paid to Paris Saint-Germain.

PSG are due a sell-on fee from this deal, which is 10 per cent of any fee Leipzig earn above that €50million paid earlier this year. Leipzig’s earnings are reduced further as this is an international transfer, meaning five per cent of the £51.8m fee goes to clubs involved in Simons’ development between the ages of 12 and 23.

PSG’s sell-on clause entitles France’s European champions to around €0.8m (£700,000), and they’ll bank around a further €1.9m (£1.7m) in solidarity fees. Barcelona will get around €630,000 (£550,000) in those too, while PSV Eindhoven will see roughly €300,000 (£260,000).

After all that, Leipzig, who will retain a small portion of the solidarity fee, are able to book around €15.3m (£13.2m) profit on Simons in their 2025-26 financials.

Chris Weatherspoon

(Top photo: Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Thomas Frank has said that they will not sign a new centre-back before the transfer window closes.

The Athletic reported on August 5 that Spurs wanted to add another defender to their squad to provide back-up to first-choice centre-backs Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero. Van de Ven missed a large chunk of last season with a hamstring injury while Romero struggled with toe and quad issues.

Radu Dragusin is recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury which he suffered in January. The Romania international should start training with his team-mates again in the next couple of weeks but he will be slowly eased back into competitive action.

Spurs signed Kota Takai from Japanese side Kawasaki Frontale in July but he has not played yet due to a foot injury while 18-year-old Luka Vuskovic has been allowed to join Hamburg on a season-long loan. It means Kevin Danso is the only fit alternative to Van de Ven and Romero.

“We have right now three centre backs: Micky, Romero, Danso and Ben (Davies) can play there if necessary,” Frank said ahead of Spurs’ game against Bournemouth on Saturday. “We have Kota the young central defender we bought this summer and is running now and training with the team next week. There’s not many left behind. And then Dragusin is coming back in a couple of months (to playing games) so that should be enough.”

Frank was then directly asked if they needed to sign another defender.

“Not as it stands, no,” the 51-year-old said.

Spurs confirmed the signing of the Netherlands international Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig on Friday while full-back Destiny Udogie has returned to full fitness after a knee injury. However, they suffered from a crippling injury crisis during the 2024-25 campaign which disrupted their progress in the Premier League under then head coach Ange Postecoglou.

Frank has tried to carefully manage the squad since he replaced Postecoglou on a three-year contract in June. For example, he named Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur on the bench for their 3-0 victory over Burnley but they both started last weekend’s 2-0 win against Manchester City.

Is Tottenham’s squad big enough to cope with the Premier League and the Champions League?

“The perfect picture, unfortunately it’s not often perfect, is that you have 20 players plus three (goalkeepers),” Frank said. “Two in each position. All of them robust. Of course you get injuries. And then you probably don’t need 20 top players because they also need the balance of getting enough minutes to feed their ego, where they are in the stage of their career. So that’s the perfect scenario but it’s not often you get that.

“We had too many injuries last year. You can’t get around that. Hopefully we solve the problem with the process we put in place. That can help. But we need to be aware there is a long season, hopefully with 60-plus games so we need to be good enough at building the players, rotating at the right time, which is an art and very difficult, and good enough to have the right amount of players. You can’t have too many because that’s also not good.”

(Photo: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Jose Mourinho has left his position as Fenerbahce head coach after just one season at the club.

The 62-year-old was appointed at the Istanbul club in 2024 and oversaw a second-place finish in the Turkish Super Lig, 11 points behind champions Galatasaray.

Fenerbahce were eliminated from the Turkish Cup at the quarter-final stage and exited the Europa League in the round of 16 to Rangers.

Mourinho’s exit comes days after the club missed out on a spot in the Champions League league phase after a playoff defeat to Benfica, meaning they will compete in the Europa League this campaign.

Fenerbahce have four points from their opening two league matches of the campaign, and return to action on Sunday with a trip to Genclerbirligi.

Mourinho’s exit comes a day after Istanbul rivals Besiktas terminated the contract of head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The Istanbul club have not won the Turkish Super Lig since 2014 with a Turkish Cup in 2023 their only major success in the past decade.

Mourinho won 37 of his 62 matches at the helm, a win rate of 59.7 per cent.

Mourinho has won 26 trophies across a managerial career which has spanned more than two decades. He won the Champions League with Porto and Inter Milan, in addition to league titles with Chelsea and Real Madrid.

He also had stints in charge of Manchester United — winning the EFL Cup and Europa League in 2017 — and at Tottenham Hotspur.

His previous job, at Roma, saw him guide the Italian club to a first European title since 1961 with the Europa Conference League in 2022.

The following season they lost the Europa League final to Sevilla in a penalty shootout.

In October 2024, Mourinho said that he would be “ready to go” back to the Premier League when he left Fenerbahce.

(Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur are set to complete the signing of Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig.

The clubs have agreed a deal worth €60million (£51.8m; $70m) for the 22-year-old Netherlands international attacker.

Personal terms are also in place and Simons completed a medical on Thursday ahead of finalising the proposed transfer to the north London side, which is now only subject to Simons closing off the last details of his exit with Leipzig

The Athletic reported on Thursday Spurs had submitted an opening bid for Simons after Leipzig had granted him permission to travel to London as they looked to resolve his future.

​​Spurs are interested in the playmaker as they aim to strengthen head coach Thomas Frank’s attacking options before the September 1 transfer deadline — having missed out on deals for Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze and lost James Maddison to an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Chelsea have also been interested in a move for Simons this summer, and on Thursday reached an agreement with AC Milan over the transfer of forward Christopher Nkunku.

The Netherlands international is available this summer, despite only joining the Bundesliga club on a €50m permanent deal from Paris Saint-Germain in January.

The Athletic reported in July that Bayern Munich had enquired about Simons after he expressed a desire to leave their Bundesliga rivals.

Spurs and England midfielder Maddison is expected to miss the majority of the season following surgery on his ACL, while Eze joined Arsenal from Crystal Palace and Gibbs-White signed a new contract at Nottingham Forest.

Spurs have already completed the permanent signings of attackers Mohammed Kudus and Mathys Tel, who spent the second half of 2024-25 on loan at Spurs from Bayern, alongside the loan arrival of Joao Palhinha.

Simons spent time in Barcelona’s La Masia academy before stints at Paris Saint-Germain, PSV Eindhoven and Leipzig.

‘Simons yet to find his best role’

Xavi Simons was meant to be one of the hottest properties during this window. When he told RB Leipzig that he was ready to leave, back in May, a deal for one of Europe’s most talented playmakers was expected to be concluded even before the summer had even begun.

It still hasn’t happened. Why?

Like a few of his team-mates, Simons suffered from Leipzig’s relatively poor season (they finished seventh, which was the lowest Bundesliga finish since being promoted in 2016), even though his individual production was relatively healthy.

The bigger problem has been that teams don’t really know what to do with him. Simons has played in a Leipzig system that uses a very specific type of No 10 — part wide-forward, part supporting striker — and there aren’t many teams in the top-five leagues who can accommodate such a player.

With that doubt, clubs baulked at the prospect of paying such a large fee for a player who remains somewhat theoretical. What actually is he? What is his best role? And it seems only now, with Leipzig more lenient on their asking price and keen to move on, that interest is being properly formalised.

(Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur will face a few familiar opponents in the group stages of this season’s Champions League.

They will make return trips to Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt and Norway’s Bodo/Glimt, who they beat in the quarter-finals and semi-finals of last season’s successful Europa League run.

Thomas Frank’s team will also travel to Paris for a UEFA Super Cup rematch against Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain.

The teams they will face — not in chronological order — are Borussia Dortmund (H), Paris Saint-Germain (A), Villarreal (H), Frankfurt (A), Slavia Prague (H), Bodo-Glimt (A), Copenhagen (H), Monaco (A).

Which game most excites you?

Tottenham have been to Monaco, Bodo/Glimt and Frankfurt (twice) in recent years, so the most exciting away trip is Paris Saint-Germain… the team they played in the Super Cup earlier this month.

But that was Spurs’ first-ever game against PSG, and this will be their first-ever away game at the Parc des Princes. They are the reigning European champions, playing a level of football last season not seen by anyone in years. It should be a memorable night for Tottenham fans who travel, and a chance to tick off a ground that, on a big European night, can create a special atmosphere

Which game worries you?

Spurs made the trip to Bodo/Glimt look easy when they went there in the Europa League semi-finals last season. Might the Norwegian champions be out for revenge when Spurs return there in the league phase? They could well be desperate to prove why they had such a fearsome home record before Spurs flew up to face them. And if they finally hit the levels they had shown in the past, it could be a much trickier return to the Arctic Circle for Tottenham.

What is Thomas Frank’s biggest issue to confront in the tournament?

Tottenham clearly struggled last season with balancing the twin demands of domestic and European competition. The squad was not deep enough to do both simultaneously, and Spurs suffered an injury crisis that derailed the whole season.

Of course, Ange Postecoglou still found a way to manage the squad through to glory in the Europa League final in Bilbao. But it came at the cost of Spurs having to de-prioritise the Premier League, leading to their 17th-place finish. It was a unique situation which will surely not be repeated this year.

So Frank will have to find a way to balance the Champions League with the Premier League, managing his players through two difficult fixtures every week.

Who could be a breakthrough talent for Spurs in the Champions League?

Pape Matar Sarr had a brief taste of Champions League football under Antonio Conte, but he has improved so much since then and has been one of the most impressive players in Frank’s brief Spurs tenure so far. He has started all three games in an advanced midfield position and made himself an absolute nuisance to opponents, making the most of his energy and intelligence in winning the ball back.

He has shown that he can flourish on the big occasions, crossing for Brennan Johnson’s winner in Bilbao. And he will play a big part in anything that Spurs do in Europe this season.

Which team do Tottenham most want to avoid in the latter stages?

No Tottenham fan would relish a two-legged tie against Arsenal, or for that matter, Chelsea.

Spurs’ record against those two in recent years is not much to boast about. But with so many English teams kept apart in this year’s league phase, if they all progress, then the chances of a London derby in the knockouts will obviously go up.

What would be considered a successful finish?

Tottenham have only had two Champions League campaigns since they lost the final to Liverpool in 2019 — and they have both been utterly forgettable.

In both campaigns, Spurs were eliminated at the last-16 stage without putting much of a fight either time: to RB Leipzig in 2020 under Jose Mourinho, and to AC Milan in 2023 at the end of Antonio Conte’s tenure.

There have barely been any positive memories from those campaigns either. A late 2-1 win in Marseille in November 2022 is probably the closest you can get. So, at a minimum, it would be nice if Spurs could feel like they have at least made a real impression on the competition this time. A few memorable nights in the league phase would be a start. Progression to the next stage is important. And getting to a first Champions League quarter-final since 2019 would surely be seen as a success.

Prediction time… how far will Tottenham get?

Their draw does not look especially intimidating, given what they could have got. And unless the schedule really gets on top of them, Spurs should have enough to make it through to the knockout stages. They might not quite have the experience and quality to get top eight, which means they may be at the mercy of a favourable draw in the ‘punishment round’ early in 2026.

But let’s be optimistic and say they will get through that. Maybe a third straight last-16 exit will be where they end up.

(Top photo: David Lidstrom/UEFA via Getty Images)

This weekend’s action delivered plenty of drama for Fantasy Premier League managers — injuries to key assets, breakout performances from potential differentials, and early warning signs for some highly owned players.

It’s still early days, but these moments are crucial in shaping our squads for the weeks ahead.

Newcastle United host Liverpool tonight in the final game of Gameweek 2, but we already have plenty to discuss. Let’s take a look at the standout stories and how they could impact your transfers, captaincy picks and long-term strategy.

Cole Palmer’s injury raises midfield questions

A shock absentee after picking up an injury in the warm-up before Chelsea’s 5-1 win against West Ham United, there’s no clear timeline for the return of Cole Palmer (£10.5m). Keeping a close eye on team news and press conferences is crucial before making any transfers.

If Palmer is out for more than one game, then he’s most likely a sell. There is a case to keep him if he’s only out for one game and you have a good player who can cover.

There is an international break after Gameweek 3, leaving plenty of recovery time.

If Palmer is out for a while, then Joao Pedro (£7.5m) could become a standout pick. He delivered a huge 15-point haul and played the full 90 minutes against Graham Potter’s side. His minutes seem secure and he could be next in line behind Palmer for penalties.

Against West Ham, he started just behind striker Liam Delap (£6.4m), showing how head coach Enzo Maresca is willing to use him in a variety of positions.

Tottenham Hotspur’s stock continues to rise

Continuing their impressive form under Thomas Frank, Spurs kept another clean sheet to round off a solid performance against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

Their upcoming fixture run looks excellent too as they come up against Bournemouth (H), West Ham (A), Brighton & Hove Albion (A), Wolverhampton Wanderers (H), Leeds United (A) and Aston Villa (H).

This is a great time to invest in their assets. On the attacking side, Mohammed Kudus (£6.6m) continues to look like the best option — he seems likely to play regularly and is taking corners, too, which could help his assist numbers.

Brennan Johnson (£7.0m) is also looking good, with two goals in his first two games. Although his minutes are not as secure, he should continue to start unless Spurs sign another left-sided attacker.

There’s still reason to be cautious on Richarlison (£6.6m), despite plenty of praise from Frank after two goals and an assist in his first two games. With Dominic Solanke (£7.4m) in the squad, Richarlison is at risk of being benched or losing his place.

If you are looking to make a defensive transfer this week, Spurs have excellent options at different price points. Pedro Porro (£5.5m) comes at a premium but takes set pieces. Cristian Romero (£5.0m) should rack up defensive contribution points — he hit the threshold against Manchester City, bagging himself a total of seven points. Micky van de Ven (£4.5m) represents great value and is nailed-on to start.

Aston Villa’s struggles and what to do with Ollie Watkins

After failing to score in their opening two games, Aston Villa have been a major disappointment. Watkins (£9.0m) has been sold by more than 431,000 FPL managers but is still the game’s fourth-highest owned forward.

Two blanks will raise questions over his place in FPL squads.

However, with an appealing home fixture against Crystal Palace next up, selling him this week might be premature. At this early stage of the season, owners should give him at least another week. Accumulating free transfers can be valuable and Watkins is, historically, a very reliable asset.

Patience could pay off, as we saw with the hauls from Joao Pedro and Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres (£9.0m) this week.

Adding to the points in Watkins’ favour, there doesn’t seem to be any standout replacements this week. After his two goals in the 5-0 win against Leeds, Gyokeres faces Liverpool (A) next — not a great entry point — and switching for Joao Pedro, who has Fulham at home, could be a sideways move.

Chris Wood (£7.6m) has a fine fixture against West Ham (H) up next, but then Nottingham Forest travel to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal in Gameweek 4.

Arsenal’s injury concerns

The celebrations after thrashing Leeds were dampened by injuries to Bukayo Saka (£10.0m) and Martin Odegaard (£8.0m).

Mikel Arteta’s post-match comments and the nature of Saka’s hamstring issue strongly suggest he will miss at least a few weeks, which would make him an easy sell for managers.

I would wait for further updates during the week before you make any moves.

One name quickly rising in popularity is Gyokeres, who opened his Premier League account and looks set to be Arsenal’s primary penalty taker, potentially even when Saka returns.

With Liverpool up next, waiting a week before bringing him in makes sense.

(Top photo: Brennan Johnson and Micky van de Ven; Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

When Tottenham Hotspur’s first goal against Manchester City was initially ruled offside, it didn’t stop their head coach Thomas Frank from encouraging and praising his players.

Quick build-up moves that focused on wide combinations to slice through an opponent were a trademark of Frank’s Brentford last season, and there were signs in Spurs’ pre-season that it would be an important attacking solution for them this campaign.

Tottenham’s third goal against Burnley in the opening weekend of the Premier League was one variation of the quick build-ups Frank has brought to the side, where Richarlison dropped to link the attack before Pape Matar Sarr found Brennan Johnson’s run behind the defence.

Johnson’s opening goal against City in Saturday’s 2-0 win followed the same attacking principles, but the combinations came in the wide area and followed a different pattern.

Against City’s 4-3-3 press, where the far winger moved inside, there was an extra fraction of a second for Spurs’ full-back when he received the ball.

During Tottenham’s build-up, City duo Oscar Bobb and Omar Marmoush didn’t stick tight to Djed Spence and Pedro Porro to be able to press inside the pitch when the ball moved to the other flank.

Frank’s side exploited that by starting their quick build-ups through Porro, before using Mohammed Kudus and Sarr further up the field to manipulate City’s defence. Once the right-back received the ball, Kudus dropped to drag Rayan Ait-Nouri out of position, while Sarr attacked the vacant space.

In this example, Marmoush’s role in City’s press means Porro has an extra second on the ball, which allows the right-back to find the dropping Kudus. Meanwhile, Sarr moves forward to attack the vacant space, but the lack of pace in the move means Ruben Dias can easily pick him up.

On top of that, Ait-Nouri stops Kudus from progressing the ball and Tottenham have to start all over again.

In another example, you can see Marmoush’s narrow position as Micky van de Ven goes back to his goalkeeper, Guglielmo Vicario.

The Egypt winger doesn’t move towards Porro to be in a position to press Romero if Vicario plays the ball to Van de Ven or Spence, which is logical because Erling Haaland is blocking the passing lane into the right side.

Rodrigo Bentancur’s smart movement, however, allows Tottenham to find Romero, with Marmoush not in a position to defend Porro. Romero then combines with the Uruguay midfielder to find the free right-back.

Once Porro is in a position to progress the ball, the second part of Tottenham’s quick build-up kicks in.

Here, he returns the ball to Bentancur, who immediately plays it behind City’s defence. As planned, Kudus drops to drag Ait-Nouri forward while Sarr attacks the vacant space.

Even if Dias is free to defend the Senegal midfielder, the idea is for Sarr to attack the space on the run (dynamically) against a centre-back who is starting from a rest position (static).

Bentancur’s pass was overhit and Sarr may have been offside, but these attacks were a warning sign of what was coming next.

Tottenham’s opener came from the exact move they had been trying to execute in the first half.

In the build-up to the goal, Tottenham again start the attack through Porro because Marmoush’s pressing role allows the right-back an extra second on the ball.

Considering Porro’s technical ability, that is enough time.

As the right-back shapes himself to progress the ball, Kudus drops to move Ait-Nouri’s replacement, Nathan Ake, out of position and vacate the space for Sarr to attack. The Senegal midfielder complements that by sprinting forward as Porro plays the ball towards the target area.

Attacking the pass from a more dynamic position (on the run) than Dias helps Sarr beat the centre-back to the ball, and outjump him to flick it into the path of Richarlison.

Tottenham’s centre-forward then plays the ball across goal to find Johnson, who scores with a one-touch finish.

Johnson’s goal changed the momentum of the game in Tottenham’s favour, before Joao Palhinha added the second from a high-press situation. Frank’s side maintained the same pressure in the second half to wrap up a victory where the goals represented two key features of this Tottenham team.

As Frank explained in his post-match press conference, the three key themes he wanted to build his principles around against City were the “defensive side of the game, being brave in phase one (build-up) and two (ball progression), and set pieces.”

His encouragement of the players, after Johnson’s goal was initially ruled offside, was because they were getting better at executing the passing pattern which is based on Tottenham’s attacking principles.

Frank then looked to his bench to check if the goal would stand. The answer made him give two thumbs up to the players.

The quick build-up move Tottenham were trying from the beginning of the match ended up being key to their victory.

(Top Photo: Clive Mason/Getty Images)