FourFourTwo

Tottenham Hotspur have broken a new record in order to sanction the first signing of Thomas Frank's era.

Frank, who replaced Ange Postecoglou as the new Spurs boss, will look to make the Lilywhites competitive once again, after they finished in 17th in the Premier League last season, just 13 points above the relegation places.

But questions were raised given Tottenham did win the Europa League after their success over Manchester United, with Frank now set to guide his new side into the Champions League next season.

Tottenham break 'new record' to sanction Thomas Frank's first signing

It seems odd to have replaced Postecoglou, given the former Celtic boss ended Spurs' 17-year wait for a trophy, with a whole host of players missing through injury across a disastrous campaign.

But, chairman Daniel Levy felt the club needed new direction and thus Frank was drafted in as Postecoglou's replacement. Much of the speculation has been which players could arrive in north London this summer, with one man now set to join from Japan.

As per multiple reports, via Fabrizio Romano and BBC Sport, Tottenham have agreed a deal to sign Kawasaki Frontale star Kota Takai. The 20-year-old centre-back, who is already a Japan international, is expected to arrive at the club next month.

The move, estimated to be worth in the region of £5m, will be a record fee paid for a Japanese player from the J League and Takai will provide competition alongside Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso and Radu Dragusin next season.

Takai has won four caps for Japan's senior side, making his international debut in a World Cup qualifier versus China last September. He made 28 appearances last season for Kawasaki Frontale, scoring twice.

He was also voted the J-League's 'Best Young Player in 2024', further proving his capabilities in the division.

In FourFourTwo's view, Takai seems to be a decent pick up for the Lilywhites, especially given his price tag and his international pedigree at only 20. Whether or not he can cope with the step up English football brings remains to be seen.

But Frank has helped developed players similar to Takai in the past and Tottenham will hope his influence can unearth another gem ready for next season.

There is a new dawn at Tottenham Hotspur under Thomas Frank.

The Dane has taken over from Ange Postecoglou and will already be in the process of working out how he intends to put his stamp on the north London club.

One surefire way to do that is to bring in some new players that he can mould to his own requirements at Tottenham.

Tottenham Hotspur look to Europe for new recruits

Pedro Porro was originally one of the most important players under Postecoglou for his ability to race forward from full-back and create chances, combining well with Destiny Udogie on the other flank.

But this latest reported interest suggests Spurs are open to recruiting some competition for the Spain international.

A recent report from Brazilian outlet UOL claimed Tottenham are willing to drop significant money on AS Monaco right-back Vanderson.

That report claimed that Barcelona were also circling, but the latest from Sport in Spain revealed that the Catalan giants have cooled their interest in this position, after Eric Garcia covered so well for the injured Jules Kounde towards the end of the season.

Liverpool were another club mooted, but they filled their Trent Alexander-Arnold-sized squad gap with Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen.

All that means the path appears to have cleared for Spurs, with them reportedly willing to meet Monaco’s €35m asking price.

In FourFourTwo’s opinion, it would be a surprise to see Spurs sign such obvious Porro competition, as he’s regarded as one of the team’s best players

However, if the north London club do indeed spend that sort of money on a defensive player, you’d expect the intention is for them to have a pretty immediate impact on the first team.

And Vanderson fits the bill regarding Porro’s attacking output, with the 23-year-old have experience all down the right flank; as a full-back, wing-back and even, on occasion, a winger.

Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min could soon be exiting the north London club.

Once part of a formidable partnership with Harry Kane, there is no question the South Korea international’s powers appeared to have waned last season.

Thankfully, after an almost 10-year association with Tottenham, Son finally marked his time at the club with a trophy last season, lifting the Europa League under departed boss Ange Postecoglou.

Son weighs up transfer away from Tottenham

Son has scored over 100 goals for Tottenham, and is ranked at no.35 in FourFourTwo's list of the greatest Premier League players of all time – the highest placing of any Asian player in the list.

Now 32 and somewhat struggling with the intensity of the Premier League, however, it appears Son is weighing up where to begin the twilight of his career.

According to journalist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu, Son has met with current Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho.

They know each other from when the Special One was in the dugout with Spurs from November 2019 until April 2021, when Son was in the midst of some of his best years.

Relations between the two are thought to be “at a very advanced level” with the player open to the move and a transfer fee of £30m mooted.

Son – the third-most expensive Asian player of all time – would be Spurs’ second permanent sale of the summer window, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg set to make his Marseille loan permanent when his current contract expires at the end of June.

In FourFourTwo’s opinion, now seems the perfect time for Son to wave goodbye. Ending on the high of a Europa League trophy, that long-awaited piece of silverware at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, will cement the forward’s place as a legend of the club.

FourFourTwo understands that the Lilywhites are open to a sale, too, having triggered an option to extend the no.7's contract in January, so that they wouldn't lose him for free this summer.

Tottenham have begun exciting plans for a new centre-forward.

Thomas Frank's arrival, a full pre-season and Champions League football have given Spurs fans added excitement about what can be achieved, especially after winning silverware last season.

With captain Son Heung-min linked with a potential exit, Tottenham need more firepower in attack, especially given star striker Dominic Solanke only managed 9 in the Premier League last season.

Thomas Frank wants new striker in at Tottenham as matter of urgency

Despite finishing 17th in the Premier League, the Lilywhites did score 64 times in the division, ranking them 7th highest for their attacking output across the 2024/25 campaign. Injuries to a whole host of players curtailed their progress, especially given Ange Postecoglou jumped to defend his squad in the media.

But now, under the watchful eye of Frank, Tottenham's players will be looking over their shoulders, given the names already being linked with the club. Bryan Mbuemo is one player who could arrive in north London this summer, as well as one goalscoring machine from France.

Stade Rennes striker Arnaud Kalimuendo banged in 18 goals in all competitions last season and is already being watched carefully by multiple Premier League clubs, including Tottenham and Newcastle United, according to L’Equipe.

They now claim Spurs have ‘decided to accelerate in the last few hours’ with a move for the 23-year-old, with his value estimated by Transfermarkt thought to be only €22m (£18.7m) at present.

Although 'no official offer' has been made yet, it seems Tottenham have been handed the best chance of signing Kalimuendo, who has a contract in France that runs until 2027.

Bayer Leverkusen are another club rumoured to be interested in the forward, but for now, FourFourTwo believes Spurs and Newcastle United would be the more attractive propositions, with the wages they would be able to offer the France Under-23 international.

"Arnaud has real strengths when it comes to evading pressure, especially with his first touch," explained Rennes manager Habib Beye. "I think those qualities come through more clearly when he plays on the right. He doesn’t lose pace there like he sometimes does on the left.

"He has the potential to score 20 goals in Ligue 1, maybe more. Arnaud is a major talent in this league. He just needs to keep pushing himself."

The end-of-season international break didn’t go as planned for England right-back Kyle Walker.

Manchester City veteran Walker bore much of the brunt of the criticism – along with manager Thomas Tuchel – after the Three Lions’ friendly defeat against Senegal at the City Ground.

It’s become a theme of England matches. Walker, 35, has played 96 times for his country but his selection is often seen as a symbol of successive managers’ inability to move on from a player out of form.

Manchester City star Kyle Walker’s Tottenham confession

Picking Walker is easy to justify from a manager’s point of view. He’s enjoyed huge success in his career and offers experience at the highest level as well as the kind of pace any gaffer wants in their team.

His record in eight years at Man City is unimpeachable. Walker has won the Premier League six times, not to mention a host of cup competitions at home and abroad, but his one regret stems from elsewhere.

Walker, who spent the second half of the season in Serie A with AC Milan and is ranked at no.5 in FourFourTwo’s list of the best Premier League defenders of all time, was snapped up by Tottenham Hotspur early in his career.

He played more than 200 times for Spurs but it wasn’t until his move to Manchester that his collection of medals got started.

After Spurs finished the 2024-25 season as winners of the Europa League, Walker admitted that he was ‘envious’ and took the unusual step of confessing that he’d have swapped a trophy won with Man City for a moment of glory at Spurs.

“I’d probably give up one Premier League title, not the first, to have won that Europa League with Tottenham,” he said on the Kyle Walker Podcast.

“I know what it means. I’d probably give my second. It’s hard to give one away, but for what that moment meant – to be in that Spurs squad that won a trophy.”

Picking and choosing between titles is a marker of just how much Walker and Man City have benefited from his move away from North London in 2017.

Walker tends to be popular with supporters of his former clubs, including several where he played on loan before making the grade at Spurs and becoming a senior player at a club that won it all.

But his latest loan at San Siro was short-lived and Walker’s immediate future is up in the air. The Rossoneri chose not to sign him on a permanent basis and he only has one year left on his contract at the Etihad Stadium.

Another loan away to end time at City is a real possibility but no decision has yet been made about the final year of his deal.

Tottenham Hotspur are in confirmed talks to bring a striker back to the club.

The news comes not long after the north London club announced former Brentford boss Thomas Frank – ranked at no.30 in FourFourTwo's list of the best managers in the world right now – as their new man in charge, following the sacking of Ange Postecoglou.

It would be the first signing of the Frank era, with the club agreeing a deal to sign defender Kevin Danso from Lens shortly before the new head coach’s arrival.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer talks confirmed by Bayern Munich

It was only last season that Spurs splashed £65m on frontman Dominic Solanke, so it might come as some surprise that the Europa League winners are dipping their toe back into the market less than 12 months later.

But the man in question is an adaptable forward who has already appeared in line-ups with the former Bournemouth man, so they are unlikely to be direct rivals for minutes.

Mathys Tel spent the second half of the season on loan with Tottenham from German giants Bayern Munich, and the London club are now keen to sign him permanently.

Talks between the two clubs for the forward have been confirmed by Bayern sporting director Max Eberl.

As quoted by German outlet Abendzeitung Munchen, Eberl said: “We’re talking to Tottenham, that’s no secret. We’ll see how that pans out.”

SportBILD revealed recently that Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is personally interested in signing Tel, but Sky Germany report that Spurs want to renegotiate the €50m purchase option agreed in the original loan deal.

In FourFourTwo’s opinion, while Tel didn’t exactly light the Premier League up in his few months in England, notching two league goals in 13 appearances, he is still only 20 years old, so has a lot of development ahead of him.

It seems Bayern are keen to get Tel off their hands, so if Frank’s side can agree a cut-price deal and help the Frenchman realise his full potential, this may be looked back on as a shrewd deal.

Christian Eriksen is now on the hunt for a new club after being released by Manchester United, and there are some eye-catching developments at Tottenham Hotspur.

It was announced by the Red Devils in their final game of the season that the 33-year-old’s expiring contract at Old Trafford would not be renewed.

That decision leaves Eriksen free to agree a deal with another club, and there are plenty of familiar faces at Tottenham.

Thomas Frank adds another familiar face for Eriksen at Tottenham

Despite winning the Europa League, Spurs took the cold decision to sack manager Ange Postecoglou and, according to Fabrizio Romano, current Brentford boss Thomas Frank is the man to succeed him.

Eriksen not only has history with Spurs, from his almost seven-year stint there from 2013, but also with Frank, a fellow Dane he was managed by in a short spell at Brentford and who also had a strong involvement in Denmark’s youth system.

Frank’s arrival at Eriksen’s former club, just as the midfielder becomes a free agent, has naturally piqued interest in the ex-United man’s thoughts.

Speaking to Danish outlet Ekstra Bladet, as quoted by Sport Witness, Eriksen said: “I have had Thomas at various times, and I think he is the perfect match for Tottenham, and it would be great if Thomas takes on that challenge.

“His personality, his way of playing and his way of being. And the club considering where they were last season – they won a trophy of course – but they are in the process of building something up, and I am sure that Thomas is a good man to bring in.”

Turning to his own situation, Eriksen said Thomas “should call if something happens”, before revealing that he had not yet received any communication from his fellow Dane.

In FourFourTwo’s opinion, aside from the coincidental circumstances of Thomas, Spurs and Eriksen’s contract all meeting at the same moment, it’s not a move that would make loads of sense for the north London side.

Although he played in a deeper role at times for United, his natural berth is the no.10 spot, which both James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski have comfortably covered.

Further back in midfield, Spurs have the likes of Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma, with talented prospects Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray also coming through. Any vacancy for Eriksen is not immediately apparent, and he may even stifle the progress of the younger pair.

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a bitter blow ahead of a huge summer.

After the sacking of Ange Postecoglou, there is yet another summer rebuild on the cards for Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy, as he must now, first and foremost, appoints a new head coach in north London.

With Brentford boss Thomas Frank the leading favourite, you would think players would be jumping at the chance to sign for the Lilywhites, with Champions League football on the horizon.

Tottenham Hotspur braced for rejection

For one player, that statement seemingly couldn’t be further from the truth.

Departing with victory in the Europa League final wasn’t enough to save Postecoglou’s job, with yet another new manager set to arrive at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this month.

Recruiting well in preparation for European football will be paramount to Spurs’ hopes for success in 2025/26, but they’ve already received one setback from Italy.

According to Italian outlet Quotidiano Sportivo, Tottenham target Francesco Coppola has snubbed the club’s advances in order to remain with Serie B side Pisa.

Coppola, who spent time in the academy at Juventus before moving to Pisa, impressed on loan in the third tier of Italy this season, spending time with Vis Pesaro. He played 35 times in total for Roberto Stellone’s side, scoring three times.

Having now rejected advances from Lens in France and Tottenham, Coppola is firmly focussed on helping Pisa in their return to Serie A, having seen his parent club ensure a return to Italy’s top flight following promotion.

Valued by Transfermarkt at just €200k (£196k), Tottenham clearly had plans to develop the youngster, with scouts having been watching his progress closely in Serie C this season.

But for now, Coppola looks set to remain in Italy and challenge himself amongst the best in Serie A.

In FourFourTwo’s view, we will perhaps see how well his skillset copes with top-level football in Italy next season and Spurs could yet revisit the move in January.

Tottenham Hotspur have agreed terms with Thomas Frank to become their next manager.

Ange Postecoglou was sacked by Tottenham last week after winning the Europa League for the Lilywhites and ending the club's 17-year wait for silverware, with Spurs releasing an intriguing statement blaming the Australian's dismissal on league form.

The club finished 17th in the table last term and are now preparing for a return to the Champions League, with Brentford boss Frank to take charge of the club imminently.

Thomas Frank to become the next Tottenham Hotspur boss, under two remaining conditions

Frank is the second-longest reigning head coach in the English top flight behind Pep Guardiola, having taken charge at Griffin Park in 2018 and led the Bees to the Premier League in 2021.

Having never played at the highest level, Frank has managed to keep Brentford up every season since their promotion, with a 41.64 per cent win rate, and was a member of the BBC's Euro 2024 punditry team last summer.

Now, journalist Ben Jacobs has confirmed on a post on X (formerly Twitter) that the Dane has verbally agreed terms with Spurs.

The deal will be subject, however, to Tottenham matching Brentford's release clause for the manager, though Jacobs claims Frank is now “expected to replace Ange Postecoglou”.

Discussions over backroom staff are said to be ongoing, too.

Ranked at no.29 in FourFourTwo's list of the best Premier League managers ever, Frank is tactically astute and an excellent man-manager who has pivoted between a 3-5-2 formation in big games and his more familiar 4-2-3-1.

Tottenham Hotspur have sacked Ange Posetcoglou.

The Australian became the first manager to win Tottenham a trophy in 17 years last month when Spurs beat Manchester United 1-0 in Bilbao to lift the Europa League title.

But after finishing 17th in the league with 22 losses and a goal difference of -1, there have been major concerns from the club about Postecoglou going forward.

Tottenham release statement on Ange Postecoglou

“Following a review of performances and after significant reflection, the Club can announce that Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties,” Tottenham said in an intriguing statement that outlined exactly why the former Celtic man was leaving, despite the Europa triumph.

Spurs went on to note the good start to the 2023/24 season in which Postecoglou led the club to the top of the Premeir League table before referencing that, “we recorded 78 points from the last 66 games,” noting, “Whilst winning the Europa League this season ranks as one of the Club’s greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph.”

“It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond,” the statement continues.

“This has been one of the toughest decisions we have had to make and is not a decision that we have taken lightly, nor one we have rushed to conclude. We have made what we believe is the right decision to give us the best chance of success going forward, not the easy decision.”

Thomas Frank has been linked with the hot seat, along with Oliver Glasner.

Tottenham can at least offer Champions League football to the next man in the dugout, having qualified for the competition via their win in Bilbao.