TBR Football

TBR Football understands that Tottenham Hotspur are soon set to confirm the return of Fabio Paratici as head of the footballing department.

TBR Football first revealed back in March that Daniel Levy had spoken to Paratici about a return to Tottenham, and now he finally has his man.

Last month, Paratici’s 30-month ban from football ended, and the 53-year-old can finally make his return to an official role.

The Italian director is set to officially make his return to the North London club as of September 1 and is expected to become Managing Director of Football.

Despite not officially being part of the set-up at Spurs, Paratici has remained an influential figure all summer and played a pivotal role in appointing Thomas Frank.

Levy believes that Tottenham Hotspur will have one of the best technical teams in the Premier League, led by Fabio Paratici, Vinai Venkatesham, Johan Lange and Frank, sources have told TBR Football’s chief correspondent, Graeme Bailey.

AC Milan were close to appointing Paratici, but Levy was determined to ensure that he instead opted to return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Paratici is Levy’s closest ally in football, and the Spurs chairman believes he is one of the most knowledgeable individuals in the sport.

Bailey told TBR Football: “Daniel Levy was never in doubt he would get Fabio Paratici back at the club; he has never had a closer relationship with anyone in football.

“He was very close to joining AC Milan at one point, but as we revealed earlier in the year, Levy was not willing to let him go.

“We revealed that Levy felt that Paratici had ‘unfinished business’ in north London and that has rung true with the Italian, who Levy firmly believes is one of the most knowledgeable footballing minds in Europe.

“Levy believes that his footballing team, led by CEO Vinai Venkatesham and Paratici, is as good as anything in the Premier League. With Johan Lange and Thomas Frank too, Spurs could not be happier.”

Fabio Paratici’s best and worst signings at Tottenham

Paratici’s hit-and-miss rate was rather mixed during his two years at Tottenham, but most supporters would generally say his time at the club was a real success.

The Italian helped to construct Spurs’ current back line, having signed Guglielmo Vicario, Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie and Pedro Porro.

Dejan Kulusevski and Pape Matar Sarr have also been top signings for the club. Sarr has been superb for Tottenham this season under Frank.

After missing out on several key targets this summer, Tottenham Hotspur certainly have work to do before the transfer window shuts.

Thomas Frank’s Tottenham side have made an excellent start on the pitch this season, they’ve earned six points from two games, including a 2-0 win at the Etihad.

However, Spurs fans would be forgiven for voicing their frustration towards the club’s progress on the transfer front.

Spurs obviously wanted to sign Eberechi Eze before he joined rivals Arsenal, and there was seemingly an opportunity to conclude a deal.

And following Tottenham’s failure to sign Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest as well, there’s obviously still work to be done.

Tottenham begin talks to sign Adrien Rabiot from Olympique Marseille

That being said, journalist Fabrice Hawkins, who is an expert in all things Ligue 1, has now claimed that Spurs are in talks to sign Adrien Rabiot.

Having amassed 56 caps for France in his career, Rabiot could still excel for a top Premier League side, as he demonstrated for Marseille last season.

Playing as both a number 10 and as an eight, Rabiot scored 10 goals and provided six assists in 31 games, and on paper he’s the kind midfielder Spurs need right now.

However, some Tottenham fans might remember when Rabiot reportedly snubbed the chance to sign for the club many moons ago.

Back in 2018 when Rabiot was 23-years-old, it was reported by ESPN that the midfielder considered Spurs ‘below’ him when choosing his next club.

Instead, Rabiot eventually left Paris Saint-Germain for Italian side Juventus.

Adrien Rabiot might not be the smartest addition for Spurs

Of course, that was a very long time ago, and if those reports were accurate, Rabiot could probably be forgiven by now.

Incidentally, Hawkins did also confirm in his report that Aston Villa were in talks with Rabiot’s camp right now – another Premier League side who have been slow on the transfer front.

For a long time, Manchester United have been linked with Rabiot, and it’s seemed as if that move has nearly happened on more than one occasion.

And perhaps there could now be an opportunity for Spurs to steal in and execute a deal, one that might prove good value, at least in terms of the transfer fee.

But given that Rabiot is now 30 and might demand big wages coming to north London, perhaps there are still better opportunities for Spurs on the market.

Tottenham were linked with Morgan Rogers recently, and whilst he would cost a lot more money, he’d represent a much more measured addition.

And if Spurs would prefer a more outside-of-the-box addition, perhaps Athletic Club’s Oihan Sancet could be an exciting option for Spurs in the number 10 role.

Tottenham Hotspur talent Alfie Devine enjoyed a strong performance despite Preston North End’s 3-2 home defeat to Wrexham.

Preston North End are out of the Carabao Cup after squandering a 2-1 advantage over Wrexham at Deepdale.

Paul Heckingbottom’s side were brilliant in the first half, but caution over potential injuries in attack resulted in Wrexham seizing the initiative.

Kieffer Moore’s late winner knocked PNE out of the competition, but Tottenham Hotspur loanee Alfie Devine caught the eye for the Lilywhites.

Spurs have sent Devine on loan to North End for the season, with a permanent option – expected to be out of PNE’s reach – included in the deal.

Preston North End fans rave about Tottenham Hotspur loanee Alfie Devine

Devine floated around the midfield to great effect in the first half, consistently finding space to hurt Wrexham in the inside-left channel.

The Spurs talent ghosted past Wrexham players for fun and picked up an assist, crossing for Liam Lindsay to score PNE’s second goal.

North End fans have taken to social media to rave about Devine, with one fan remarking, ‘Devine is a bit special, isn’t he?’, while another urged PNE to strike a deal now.

‘Buy Alfie Devine NOW, what a player,’ they wrote as Devine ran the show in the first half against Wrexham.

Others fear that PNE won’t be able to afford a deal for Devine and joked about starting a fundraiser to keep him at Deepdale.

‘I’m sure that if we all whack £100 into a GoFundMe, we might be able to afford Alfie Devine’s right leg. Quality player,’ said one fan.

‘Think we should start fundraising now to make sure we’ve got enough money to buy Devine! The lad is quality,’ added another.

North End’s transfer record stands at just over £2million, spent on signing Montenegrin striker Milutin Osmajic in 2023.

PNE will have to break that record in order to sign Devine, but fans already appear to have fallen in love with the Spurs loanee.

Alfie Devine may be ready to settle down away from Tottenham Hotspur

Devine was even named Man of the Match for PNE, with the midfielder’s performance earning widespread acclaim.

Tottenham fans were not impressed with Devine’s exit, as some felt that he deserved more of a chance in the Spurs first team.

Devine joined Tottenham from Wigan Athletic in 2020, with the midfielder arriving at the age of just 15.

Devine scored against Marine at 16 years and 163 days, but he has only made one more first-team appearance since that day.

Now 21, Devine may be ready to settle down away from Tottenham, having completed a fourth loan exit.

Spells with Port Vale, Plymouth Argyle and Westerlo didn’t take Devine any closer to first-team reckoning at Spurs, with PNE now offering him the chance to find a permanent home in Lancashire.

TBR Football understands that Tottenham Hotspur have been offered the chance to sign Jadon Sancho.

Sancho is keen to leave Old Trafford this summer, but his desire to keep his wages is complicating his potential exit.

TBR Football revealed earlier this month that Sancho doesn’t want to give up his £300,000 per week, which caused his transfer to AS Roma to stall.

Work is now being done on sorting a move for the winger, and he has been offered to Thomas Frank’s team in their search for a left winger.

Sources: Savinho, Bilal El Khannouss and Jadon Sancho options for Tottenham

Jadon Sancho to Tottenham Hotspur is a situation to keep an eye on in the coming days, as the winger has been offered to the North London club, sources have told TBR Football’s chief correspondent, Graeme Bailey.

Following the departure of Son Heung-min to LAFC, Spurs feel the need to add a new top left-wing option to Frank’s squad in the final few days of the window.

Sancho, who was tipped to reach Jude Bellingham’s level, has been put to the Lilywhites as a potential signing, although work is still being done on other deals first.

The 25-year-old scored five goals and ten assists in 42 appearances on loan at Chelsea last season, before the Blues opted to send him back to United.

Tottenham also remain in talks with Savinho and held fresh talks with Manchester City following their 2-0 win over the weekend.

Bailey told TBR Football: “Savinho is still of major interest to them. They think there’s a possibility, and the player wants to go to Tottenham. We need to keep an eye on that. Jadon Sancho’s name has been offered to them, but we’ll see what happens in the coming days.

The Lilywhites are also looking to sign a number ten, and Leicester City’s Bilal El Khannouss is an option being discussed internally.

“Spurs still want a number 10 and a left-sided player, and I think they’ll get at least one. Bilal El Khannouss is still being discussed; there are options out there for them. Deals like this are always fluid; nothing is nailed on yet,” added Bailey.

Tottenham cannot afford to mess up Savinho deal

At this late stage of the transfer window, Tottenham cannot afford to mess up their deal to sign Savinho from Man City.

Spurs have been working hard on a deal for the 21-year-old, and the Brazilian is keen on a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

City remain reluctant to sell Savinho, but Spurs need to make an offer to the former Premier League champions which will satisfy their demands.

Not only would they be missing out on a huge young talent, but also the prospect of waiting yet more time on a deal, having seen Eberechi Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White slip through their palms.

Tottenham Hotspur continue to chase attacking signings to bolster Thomas Frank’s squad ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline.

Thomas Frank has made a great start to life as Tottenham Hotspur boss, claiming Premier League wins over Burnley and Manchester City.

Tottenham are still chasing further additions, with a clear focus on signings who can make an impact in the final third.

Eberechi Eze was close to joining Tottenham last week, before Arsenal swooped in and hijacked the playmaker’s move.

Spurs remain interested in signing Savinho, even with Manchester City not entirely keen on the idea of selling the Brazilian.

Tottenham have also looked at Nico Paz of Como, but they may look to raid another Premier League rival before Monday’s deadline.

Tottenham Hotspur interested in Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo

Fabrizio Romano now claims that Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo has been discussed inside Tottenham in the last 48 hours.

Speaking on YouTube, Romano stated that Tottenham appreciate Semenyo and he is just one name on the Spurs radar right now.

West Ham United playmaker Lucas Paqueta is another name mentioned alongside Semenyo, with Spurs looking for both number 10s and wingers.

However, Romano claims that a deal for Semenyo is ‘going to be difficult’ this late in the window, with Bournemouth given little time to find a replacement.

“In the last 24, 48 hours, Tottenham also made some calls for other players,” said Romano.

“They wanted to understand the situation of Lucas Paqueta at West Ham, and also, a player they appreciate and they know very well, and was really a target, but now, obviously, it’s late in the market, so it’s going to be difficult, is Semenyo at Bournemouth – another name mentioned internally at Tottenham in the last 24 hours,” he added.

Semenyo has already made a great start to the season, scoring twice for Bournemouth in their 4-2 defeat to Liverpool.

Manchester United continue to track Semenyo and could move for him in the future – if Tottenham don’t get there first, anyway.

Thomas Frank is a big fan of Antoine Semenyo

Semenyo is a different kind of player to Savinho, with the City talent a skilful dribbler in tight areas around the box.

Ghanaian international Semenyo has proven to be a menace on the counter-attack, and his ball-striking ability on either foot is truly brilliant.

Semenyo’s end product is also much more consistent, as he hit 11 goals and six assists in the Premier League last season.

Tottenham will value that record, and new boss Frank has actually admitted his admiration for Semenyo in the past.

Speaking on Brentford’s official website in November 2024, Frank praised Semenyo as a ‘fantastic player’ who could play in any position in the final third.

“Semenyo can play wherever he wants to play – he’s a fantastic player. I think he’s been the best individual player for Bournemouth this season. He is definitely a player we need to look out for and do our best to close down,” said Frank.

Tottenham Hotspur remain intent on signing Savinho from Manchester City this summer, but Manchester City are making the deal tricky.

TBR Football understands that Tottenham are quietly confident of signing Savinho after holding fresh talks with them after their 2-0 win at the Etihad Stadium.

However, Pep Guardiola is continuing to block Savinho from leaving, which is causing the deal to stall with very little time remaining in the transfer window.

The Brazilian is believed to be keen to make the switch to North London, and he should be even more inspired to make the move after Richarlison’s great news.

Thomas Frank helps Richarlison back into the Brazil squad

Richarlison has been recalled for the Brazilian national team after Carlo Ancelotti named his squad.

Recently, Wayne Rooney hailed Richarlison’s improvements under Frank, with the striker having now produced three goal involvements in his first two Premier League matches.

Richarlison has been told he needs to stay consistent, but his return to the Brazilian squad should inspire him to keep fit and maintain his form.

TBR Football understands that Frank loves Richarlison’s style as a striker and is quickly overtaking Dominic Solanke as his first-choice number nine.

Richarlison, who cost Tottenham £60m, already knows Ancelotti well from their time together at Everton, but he will be eager to impress the Italian during the upcoming matches.

Brazil are set to face Chile and Bolivia in World Cup qualifying matches, two sides which are currently sat outside the top six in CONMEBOL qualifiers.

Savinho should be inspired to push for Tottenham move

Savinho’s role at City is uncertain, which won’t help his chances of getting back into the Brazil squad if he isn’t playing regular minutes.

The competition for spots in attack is fierce, with Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo Goes both being omitted from the latest squad.

Savinho should be looking at Richarlison’s situation, of how Frank has taken him from Tottenham outcast to being back in the Brazil squad.

The 21-year-old will be eager to be picked for Selecao at the 2026 World Cup, and his hopes of doing so will be boosted by working under Frank.

Spurs’ new boss has a brilliant track record for developing attacking talent, having worked wonders with the likes of Bryan Mbeumo, Ivan Toney, Yoane Wissa and Ollie Watkins.

Tottenham Hotspur have had an underwhelming summer window so far, but TBR Football projects that big transfer funds should be available to spend in the final week.

Mohammed Kudus and Joao Palhinha are the only two new arrivals through the door at Hotspur Way this summer, despite links to Eberechi Eze, Morgan Gibbs-White and Nico Paz.

Spurs will also be rather disappointed with their failed attempts to offload players, with Son Heung-min to LAFC for £20m their only permanent sale.

To assess the lay of the land heading into the final six days of the summer window, TBR Football’s football finance expert, Adam Williams, has been discussing the North London club’s financial situation.

Tottenham could afford to spend another £100m this week

Williams has projected that Tottenham Hotspur could afford to spend around £100 million, without needing to shift their deadwood first.

Spurs’ inability to move players on who Thomas Frank deems surplus to requirements will be a concern for the fans, but at this stage, it’s unlikely to affect their ability to spend big in the final few days.

Williams told TBR Football: “Historically, Spurs have funded most of their transfer business through instalments. That means they have very high transfer debt. In 2023-24, which is the last published financial year, it was £337m. That was behind only Chelsea in the Premier League.

“At the same time, they were only owed £58m by other clubs. So you have a net commitment of nearly £280m there. £146m of that was due before the end of 2024-25, so that will have significantly impacted cash flow in a year with no Champions League income.”

TBR Football understands that Tottenham are quietly confident of signing Savinho following further talks with Manchester City. They also want to add a number ten to Frank’s squad.

“If they spend another £100m or so on Savinho and another midfielder, their spend this summer is going to be close to £200m if they don’t make any further sales. It’s likely that at least a third of that has been paid upfront. Looking at the business they’ve done, I don’t think that transfer debt figure is going to move too much,” Williams claimed.

“The annual wage bill is going to rise above the record £251m in 2022-23. My conservative forecast would be about £300m. On top of that, they had operating expenses of £160m in 2023-24. Costs have risen since then. Being back in the Champions League costs a lot in terms of logistics, while services and utilities are more expensive than ever. Let’s say £175m. So that’s £475m in costs before any fees associated with transfers. Add £150m there and they’re over £600m in terms of total costs. Then, you’ve got interest at about £30m per season.

“These are very rough calculations and there’s some margin for error, but they won’t be too far off. So they need £630m or so to cover those costs, plus investments in infrastructure, like the on-site hotel.”

Daniel Levy will be aiming for £650m in revenue

To cover these costs, Daniel Levy will be aiming to generate a record revenue of £650m, especially with the club having returned to the Champions League.

“So how are they affording this? Personally, I don’t think they need any financial help from the owners just yet. They’ll be aiming for revenue of £650m with a good season on the pitch. Getting out of the league phase in the Champions League is absolutely key here. Commercial revenue is going to continue growing, as is matchday,” added Williams.

“They have a credit facility – which is basically an overdraft – with about £50m of capacity they can draw from, although that comes with interest. Their cash balance was £79m at the end of the last accounting date too, though that will have come down in the last 12 months.

“So while I think they’re probably pushing the limits of what’s available with their current cash reserves and revenue, I don’t think their current level of spending necessarily requires a cash injection from ENIC. If there had been an injection of money through equity, that would be documented in Companies House. They would have one month to file that with Companies House, so unless it has taken place in the last month, we would know about it.”

ENIC unlikely to have made Tottenham cash injection just yet

Currently, it’s deemed unlikely that ENIC will have made a cash injection into Tottenham just yet, given that it would be a complete change of tack.

TBR Football’s football finance expert finished by adding: “It’s possible that there could have been an investment from ENIC via a loan agreement, but that would be a complete departure from what we have seen from ENIC in 25 years at the club.

“I think it’s possible that there could be a plan to inject money into the club at some point in the season, depending on revenue projections, but I’m fairly confident it hasn’t happened yet.

“There was talk of a naming rights deal being close, but there have been many, many false dawns in the past. I don’t think we’re likely to see that until next season at the earliest. It would be a left-field move to do it mid-season.”

After finishing 17th in the Premier League last season, Tottenham have got off to an incredible start this year.

Indeed, Spurs have taken six points from two games under Thomas Frank, and things appear to be looking up in north London.

Frank has turned things around at Spurs very quickly, and speaking on the Football Daily Podcast, Theo Walcott has singled out one player in particular for praise.

Walcott says that he’s noticed a big change in Richarlison as of late, claiming that he’s now working harder than he ever did before.

Richarlison was criticised heavily in the past for Spurs, but now, he’s found a new lease of life.

Theo Walcott has noticed Richarlison difference at Tottenham

Walcott spoke about Richarlison and how he’s already changed under Thomas Frank this season.

The pundit says that Richarlison has been a frustrating player in the past, but, now, he’s noticed he’s working harder than ever before.

“I played with Richarlison and at times he could frustrate the hell out of you. He really could because he’s a kind of player who’s a slight maverick in the team, but the big change in him, he’s working his socks off and it starts from the front. It always tends to start from the front,” Walcott said.

“I think someone like Thomas Frank, he just gets the best out of individuals and then brings those individuals together.”

Richarlison’s record alongside Theo Walcott

Walcott knows Richarlison better than most. After all, these two played together quite a lot at Everton.

Indeed, while Richarlison and Walcott certainly feel like players from different eras, they were actually teammates at Everton for quite some time.

As Walcott says, Richarlison could be frustrating as a player, but he did have a decent record alongside the winger at Everton.

Djed Spence has played with some fantastic players during his career so far.

Indeed, as a part of both Tottenham Hotspur and the England youth sides, Spence has shared the pitch with some greats of the game.

James Maddison is a top talent, while Cristian Romero is a brilliant player who has won the World Cup.

Speaking to JD Sports, Djed Spence has been asked to name the best player he’s ever played with.

Interestingly, the full-back couldn’t name just one player as he picked two Tottenham icons as the best he has ever shared a pitch with.

Djed Spence names his best teammates ever

Spence was asked to name the best player he’s ever played with.

Unfortunately, the defender couldn’t stick to just one name as he gave special mentions to both Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son.

“Best player you have played with?” Spence was asked.

“Harry Kane or Sonny,” Spence said.

Spence didn’t spend that long with Kane at Tottenham before his move to Bayern Munich, but he spent a lot more time last season alongside Son, where he could see his brilliance first-hand.

Djed Spence record alongside Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son

Spence named Kane and Son as two of the best he’s ever played with, but his actual record alongside these two players is strange.

Spence only ever played five games alongside Kane in his entire career, and, in fact, they only ever spent 16 minutes on the same pitch in those five matches.

Spence played a lot more football alongside Son, playing 32 matches with the South Korean, but, even then, in those 32 games, Son only scored six goals.

Son has since joined LAFC in a £20m move.

Of course, Spence also saw these two players in training every day, and it’s a testament to their quality that they have received this sort of praise despite not playing much football with Spence at all in his career.

TBR Football understands that Tottenham and Arsenal could once again go head-to-head in the transfer window after also doing so for Eberechi Eze and Piero Hincapie.

Tottenham Hotspur need to step up their transfer plans quickly in the final six days of the window, having added just two new players to Thomas Frank’s squad so far.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are looking to add the finishing touches to Mikel Arteta’s squad, with a defender seemingly the priority.

TBR Football has now been informed that the two North London clubs remain keen on the same player and could make their move for him in the coming days.

Sources: Tottenham and Arsenal remain keen on Nathan Collins

Brentford have made it clear they are not looking to let captain Nathan Collins leave this week, despite renewed interest in the Irish defender, sources have told TBR Football’s chief correspondent, Graeme Bailey.

Earlier this summer, TBR Football revealed that Arsenal and Tottenham were keen on Collins, and that remains the case, with both clubs still in the market for a left-sided defender.

Arsenal and Tottenham have held talks about Piero Hincapie, but Bayer Leverkusen are demanding his release clause in full, which is over £50 million and could be an issue.

Liverpool have also shown an interest in Collins, although Marc Guehi remains their top target this summer. The Reds have also signed Giovanni Leoni, but are keen to sign one more defender.

TBR Football can now reveal that Brentford have made it clear to this point that Collins is not for sale, and Keith Andrews would be loath to entertain losing his fellow countryman.

Bailey told TBR Football: “There is major interest in Collins, he has improved every season he has been in the Premier League, and I am told that the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool are all major admirers.

“Collins has just been handed the captain’s armband at Brentford, but I am told his situation is one to keep an eye on in the final week.”

Nathan Collins’ record playing under Thomas Frank

Frank is a big fan of Collins, having previously labelled him as ‘very good’ during their time together at Brentford.

The 24-year-old made 70 Premier League appearances playing under the Danish manager and quickly became a key player for him.

Spurs need to add to their defensive options, as TBR Football understands that Tottenham are unconvinced by Radu Dragusin and are open to sending Luka Vuskovic out on loan this summer.

That would leave Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso and Kota Takai as their only defensive options.