n8rngtd.topTottenham boss Thomas Frank has just overseen two pre-season friendlies in one day, but off the field, technical director Johan Lange is working to back his fellow Dane with more new signings.
Tottenham advancing move for £24m defender after 'emerging' as favourites
Spurs have been told what it would take to get a deal done.
By
Emilio Galantini
Spurs battled against both Wycombe Wanderers and Luton Town today, with the senior squad split into multiple sides as Frank looked to hand as many minutes to his players as possible.
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Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025 |
Average match rating |
|---|---|
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Son Heung-min |
7.00 |
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James Maddison |
6.98 |
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Pedro Porro |
6.95 |
|
Dominic Solanke |
6.84 |
|
Dejan Kulusevski |
6.83 |
|
via WhoScored |
|
The Lilywhites are now set to travel to Asia for a pre-season tour of the Far East, where they face off against north London rivals Arsenal in Hong Kong before taking on Newcastle in the South Korean capital of Seoul.
Spurs have a final pre-season game against Bayern Munich in Germany before their highly-anticipated UEFA Super Cup clash against European champions PSG – a match that gifts Frank an opportunity to win silverware almost immediately after his predecessor, Ange Postecoglou.
A surprise win against the Ligue 1 heavyweights would be the perfect start to Frank’s tenure in charge, and he’d ideally have a few more summer recruits through the door before they battle Luis Enrique’s men at the Stadio Friuli.
Tottenham are still trying to sign Morgan Gibbs-White despite Nottingham Forest blocking his once-imminent move to N17 earlier this month.
Forest threatened both the north Londoners and Gibbs-White’s agent with legal action for what they deemed to be an ‘illegal approach’ for the playmaker (Sky Sports), but there remains an expectation that Frank could eventually welcome him to Hotspur Way (Fabrizio Romano).
Tottenham were set to welcome Gibbs-White and Mohammed Kudus in quick succession, with a medical scheduled over two weeks ago (BBC). However, Frank is now having to wait a lot longer for the 25-year-old’s arrival with the legalities involved.
According to reports, Spurs are targeting a new centre-back too and have shortlisted a variety of targets for the number six role, including Bayern Munich’s Joao Palhinha (Alasdair Gold).
This comes after they confirmed the signings of Kudus, Kota Takai, Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel on a permanent deal from Bayern Munich earlier this window.
Mathys Tel shares conversation with Harry Kane about joining Tottenham
Speaking of Tel, the Frenchman has now lifted the lid on a conversation he had with Spurs legend Harry Kane about joining the club.
After initially backing out of a transfer to N17 in January, Tel ultimately U-turned and agreed a move to England on an initial loan deal, which included an option to buy for around £45 million.
Chairman Daniel Levy, following a mixed start for the 20-year-old, then negotiated a cut-price £30 million deal for Tel, who’s now signed for them indefinitely ahead of his first full season at the club.
Speaking to Sky Germany, as transcribed by Sport Witness, Tel says that Kane played a role in convincing him to sign for Spurs – with the club’s all-time top scorer offering a helping hand through emotional support.
“Yes, I spoke to him [Kane] beforehand,” Tel said.
“He told me, if you need anything, send me a text, give me a call. I spoke to him; he’s a top guy. (Now it’s a) new challenge, I’m ready for my team, the clubs and also the fans.”
The versatile attacker was tipped for a 40-goal season one day by ex-Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann, with supporters hoping the still-raw Tel can deliver on that glowing prediction.