Tottenham Hotspur are back in the Champions League next season and riding high off their Europa League triumph in Bilbao last month, with new head coach Thomas Frank now preparing to build upon their fantastic end to 2024/2025.
The Dane is tasked with picking up where Ange Postecoglou left off, and he stands to inherit an awkward dressing room atmosphere considering just how popular his predecessor was with the Spurs squad.
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James Maddison, Pedro Porro, Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray were among the players who spoke out in support of Postecoglou, but that wasn’t enough to convince chairman Daniel Levy not to part ways with the 59-year-old who ended their 17-year wait for a major trophy.
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Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025 |
Average match rating |
|---|---|
|
Son Heung-min |
7.00 |
|
James Maddison |
6.98 |
|
Pedro Porro |
6.95 |
|
Dominic Solanke |
6.84 |
|
Dejan Kulusevski |
6.83 |
|
via WhoScored |
|
The Lilywhites cited their torrid domestic form as the main reason behind Postecoglou’s dismissal, and it is hard to argue with a record-breaking 22 Premier League defeats which handed them a lowly 17th-placed finish in the table.
Frank must now win over the members of his new team in quick fashion, and it is very likely that the former Brentford favourite will bring in new players of his own.
Right now, Spurs are being repeatedly linked with a vast array of wingers, including the likes of West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus, Man City star Jack Grealish, Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, Southampton’s Tyler Dibling and Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo.
However, while the signing of another wide forward could be imperative, especially given Son Heung-min’s potential exit to Saudi Arabia, it is also believed that the north Londoners are keen to strengthen at centre-half again.
Tottenham were seriously hamstrung by repeated injuries to their backline last term, with Micky van de Ven, Radu Dragusin, Kevin Danso and Cristian Romero all sidelined for extended periods, which even required teenage midfielder Gray to provide cover at one point.
The 19-year-old filled in excellently, and you’d think the arrival of Danso in January would negate the need for another body in that area. However, Romero could well leave Spurs for Atletico Madrid, so Frank would need a replacement for the Argentine.
Tottenham preparing bid for Parma defender Giovanni Leoni
As per CaughtOffside, towering Parma defender Giovanni Leoni is now on their radar as a possible new defensive addition.
The Italian has been called a “rising star” by sources within the industry, as quoted by this report, and the young 6-foot-5 colossus is a man in demand. Antonio Conte’s Serie A champions Napoli, Inter Milan and AC Milan are all expressing Serie A interest, while Bournemouth and Wolves are believed to be keen on tempting Leoni with a move to England.
Tottenham are even understood to be preparing a £21m bid for Leoni, but this won’t be enough as Parma demand closer to £30 million at least. The teenager was a regular in the top flight last season, and Parma are aware that they have a real talent on their hands, even if the right offer could put them under some pressure to sell.
Serie A has been a fruitful pool of talent for Levy in recent years, so this could be one to watch over the coming weeks, if Spurs decide to go in with a bigger bid.
