Latest news with #JohanLange
The Sun
4 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Spurs yet to approach Brentford over taking Thomas Frank as Mauricio Pochettino rules himself out of return to London
BRENTFORD are yet to hear from Tottenham over Thomas Frank, while Mauricio Pochettino has taken himself out of contention for a return to North London. Spurs have made Dane Frank their top target to succeed Ange Postecoglou and are expected to make their move this week. 5 5 5 They reached out to Frank's representatives while Europa League -winning chief Postecoglou was still in his job. But SunSport understands there is still yet to be contact between the two clubs. Frank has a pricey release clause - though it is believed to be less than the £10million mooted - and it remains to be seen if the Bees would be amenable to an offer below the set amount. The 51-year-old is understood to be interested in taking over from Postecoglou, who was sacked on Friday despite ending Spurs' 17-year trophy drought last month. Frank has worked wonders since taking charge at Brentford in 2018, winning them promotion and earning two top-ten finishes in the Premier League, including this season. He is currently the third longest-serving manager in the top four tiers of English football, behind Simon Weaver of Harrogate Town and Manchester City icon Pep Guardiola. Ex-Brondby boss Frank and Spurs' technical director Johan Lange go way back, having shared an office together when coaching at Copenhagen-based side Lyngby two decades ago. Should Spurs manage to hire Frank, it . 5 The Cameroonian, who has also been a target for Newcastle, has just had his best season ever, netting 20 Premier League goals. Ipswich chief Kieran McKenna would be a leading contender to take over from Frank if a vacancy arises in West London. BBC star shares shock theory as to why Tottenham waited exactly 16 days after Europa League win to sack Ange Postecoglou But SunSport understands the ex-Spurs academy coach would not be the only name in the frame. Fulham boss Marco Silva has also been considered by Spurs as a possible target, but has fallen behind Frank in the order of preference. An emotional return for USA manager Mauricio Pochettino had been suggested, but the Spurs hero has now ruled out making it happen - claiming a summer move is "not realistic". Poch, who took Spurs to the Champions League final during a five-year spell as boss between 2014 and 2019, is currently tied down to a contract as boss of the US national team. The Argentine, 53, is just a year away from the World Cup which takes place in the States, Canada and Mexico, and had been tasked with leading the US to glory. Rubbishing the idea of a return to Spurs, Poch said: 'After I left in 2019, every time that I was free, and the place of the position of the manager or head coach in Tottenham Hotspur, my name is appearing on the list. 'If you have seen the rumours, I think there are 100 coaches in the list. I think, don't be worried about that. 'If something happened, for sure you will see, but we cannot talk about this type of thing, because I think today, it's not real. 'It's not realistic. Look at where I am, where we are. And the thing is, the answer is so clear, no? But we're talking about it because it's my club, like Newells or Espanyol.' 5
Telegraph
a day ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Thomas Frank ally is leading search for new Tottenham manager
Tottenham Hotspur have cleared the decks for Ange Postecoglou's successor to arrive with a new backroom team by dismissing three of the Australian's staff, but Johan Lange has remained as sporting director to lead the search for a new head coach. Assistant coaches Mile Jedinak, Nick Montgomery and Sérgio Raimundo have followed Postecoglou out of the exit. Senior assistant coach Matt Wells and goalkeeping coach Rob Burch have remained in position, although it remains to be seen whether or not that changes when a new appointment is made. Sources believe that Thomas Frank is interested in taking over from Postecoglou and that he would ideally want to take a number of members of his Brentford backroom staff with him to Spurs. As revealed by Telegraph Sport, Tottenham sacked Postecoglou and chief football officer Scott Munn on Friday, but Lange has not been part of the cull. His position remains unchanged and he is expected to be helped by Fabio Paratici. Paratici has remained a consultant to Spurs and chairman Daniel Levy, and is expected to return to a full-time post at the club this summer once his worldwide football ban is lifted. Spurs understood to be 'carefully assessing' options Frank is considered a leading candidate to succeed Postecoglou, although his exit fee – believed to be in the region of £10 million – may still provide a stumbling block and interest has existed in Fulham manager Marco Silva and his Bournemouth counterpart Andoni Iraola. Tottenham are said to be carefully assessing their options, with Levy aware of the expense involved in hiring Frank, and Lange perfectly positioned to assess his capabilities for the post. Lange and Frank used to share an office when they were coaching together at Danish club Lyngby, and are said to have maintained a good relationship. That could be a boost to Frank, although Lange may also be aware of any of the potential drawbacks in Tottenham replacing Postecoglou with a coach who has never managed in a full European competition and is yet to win a title. As well as presenting their preferred candidate for the head coach role to Levy and the Spurs board, Lange and Paratici are expected to take responsibility for the club's summer transfer window. That may include decisions over the futures of defender Cristian Romero, who is wanted by Atlético Madrid and captain Son Heung-min, who has left some players and staff with the impression he could leave Spurs amid interest from Saudi Arabia. Telegraph Sport reported that Levy is facing the threat of a Tottenham player revolt over the decision to sack Postecoglou and the way in which it was done, and Son has led a number of dressing-room tributes to the Australian. In a message posted on Instagram, Son wrote: 'Gaffer. You've changed the trajectory of this club. You believed in yourself, and us, since day one and never wavered for a second. Even when others did.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Frank emerges as candidate - who else is in Spurs frame?
Brentford boss Thomas Frank has emerged as Tottenham's leading candidate to replace Ange Postecoglou as sources have told BBC Sport that Spurs are strongly interested in Frank and that initial work has been already been undertaken to enquire about his has a good relationship with Spurs technical director and fellow Dane Johan Lange, which could be a deciding factor when club chairman Daniel Levy comes to decide who he the likes of Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola, Crystal Palace's Oliver Glasner and Fulham's Marco Silva are among others understood to be in the Tottenham have even given consideration to reappointing former manager Mauricio Pochettino, who is currently in charge of the United more here
New York Times
5 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Tottenham Hotspur Transfer DealSheet: Summer window latest, key targets and likely exits
With reshuffling in the boardroom, and possibly in the dugout, it may be that transfers are not yet at the forefront of the minds of the power brokers at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. That will need to change soon, given that Tottenham's 2024-25 season ended not just with a first trophy in 17 years, but also a worst league campaign since their most recent relegation in 1977. This is a squad that clearly needs bolstering and, as head coach Ange Postecoglou has said himself, could also do with an injection of top-level experience. The Athletic looks ahead to what may happen in their corner of north London this summer… Johan Lange has overseen recruitment since becoming Tottenham's technical director in November 2023. He receives support from chief scout Rob Mackenzie and head of football insights and strategy Frederik Leth, with Postecoglou and chairman Daniel Levy providing their input when required. Lange's arrival prompted massive change within the recruitment department. Lots of long-serving scouts left as the club pivoted to a data-centric operation. Advertisement Over the last two years, they have been heavily focused on signing players under the age of 23. Goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky is the prime example of their new approach. Not many Premier League observers had heard of the Czech Republic Under-21 international when he joined from Slavia Prague in January for €16million (£13.5m), but he immediately impressed on his debut against Liverpool in the first leg of a Carabao Cup semi-final. Kinsky is young (he turned 22 in March) and scored extremely well on their data metrics. Lange does not crave the limelight in the same way as Fabio Paratici, Tottenham's former managing director of football. The signing of Wilson Odobert last August exemplifies Lange's low-key style. That deal with Burnley was done swiftly and discreetly, with very little coverage in the media before it was officially announced by Spurs. The lack of depth in Tottenham's squad was brutally exposed last season as they struggled to deal with the demands of playing regularly in the Europa League, suffering a major injury crisis. The Champions League will be a significantly greater challenge come September, and they need quality reinforcements for it. Postecoglou explicitly mentioned this after their defeat to Brighton on the final day of the season, when he spoke about needing players 'who are going to be comfortable at that (Champions League) level, not players who are stepping up to that level.' Spurs desperately need a centre-forward capable of easing the pressure on £65million club-record signing Dominic Solanke. Backup striker Richarlison only made 15 appearances in 2024-25, for a grand total of 500 minutes, because of calf and hamstring injuries. Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma are not perfect fits for the holding midfield role and both only have a year left on their contracts. Spurs need to consider whether it is worth keeping them or finding an upgrade. Brennan Johnson was their top scorer in the Premier League with 11 goals but can be guilty of fading in and out of games. Maybe the Wales international would benefit from added competition on the right wing. Dejan Kulusevski can provide cover for Johnson but his performances up until January made it clear he belongs in a central attacking midfield role. This is the multi-million pound question. At the time of writing, there is still a lack of clarity over Postecoglou's future. Everybody is in a state of limbo as we wait to see what will happen to the man who guided Spurs to their first trophy in 17 years. If winning that Europa League final helps keep Postecoglou in the job, then expect him to focus on recruiting experience for his third Tottenham season. Advertisement Spurs over-relied on a core group of young players in the campaign just ended, including Destiny Udogie, Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray, who will need more help in the future. If Levy decides to sack Postecoglou, his replacement will surely want signings who suit his preferred style of play. It is not an ideal situation to have this much uncertainty heading into a transfer window. Prospective targets will wait to see what happens with Postecoglou before deciding whether they want to join Spurs or not, and that might open the door for other teams to make a move. Spurs enquired about signing Yoane Wissa in January but Brentford made it clear they would not sell the DR Congo international forward in the middle of a season. Wissa, who finished the campaign with 19 goals in 35 appearances, has one year left on his contract, though Brentford have the option to extend it by an extra 12 months. He would be a shrewd signing as he is capable of playing in multiple positions across the front line but the size of the transfer fee and then his required salary might be off-putting as he turns 29 in September. A big decision needs to be made about their two defensive midfielders. Bentancur performed better last season, which might mean it is time to wave goodbye to Bissouma. Richarlison put his injury problems behind him to start both legs of the Europa League semi-final and then the final but it may also be time for him to leave. The Brazilian tends to score when he plays, but has struggled with fitness issues for all three seasons he's been at Spurs. Manor Solomon has just helped Leeds United win promotion from the Championship and is a prime candidate to be sold when he returns from that loan. Cristian Romero is the vice-captain and was instrumental in Tottenham's European success. The Argentina international recently turned 27, has two years left on his contract and publicly flirted with the idea of playing in Spain's La Liga in April. Spurs fans would be gutted to see Romero leave, but he could command a substantial fee if he did, and his inconsistency might make it tempting to cash in. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's loan to Marseille last summer will be made permanent in this one for a fee of €20million. When everybody returns from loan, Spurs will have a massive squad. There are some players, such as Bryan Gil, who will probably leave permanently in this window and others, including youngsters Will Lankshear and Yang Min-hyeok, who could benefit from another loan where they will receive regular game time. Does Jamie Donley deserve to be part of his parent club's first-team squad now after a wonderful season with third-tier neighbours Leyton Orient? The club agreed a deal with Hadjuk Split two years ago to sign Luka Vuskovic, and he will finally arrive this summer. The centre-back had to wait until he turned 18 in February before he could join Spurs. Vuskovic impressed on loan with Belgian side Westerlo last season and it will be interesting to see if he is immediately included in the first-team squad at Tottenham or heads out on another loan. Advertisement Vuskovic is highly rated and has been called up by Croatia's national team for the first time ahead of their World Cup qualifiers in June. The original plan was for Tottenham to sign Kinsky in this window but Guglielmo Vicario's ankle injury forced them to bring their plans forward to January. Mathys Tel was borrowed from Bayern Munich in a deal including an option to buy, so they need to consider whether to take it up. Kevin Danso's loan from Lens contained an obligation to sign him permanently, which will be activated in the coming weeks. Winning the Europa League final last month should significantly boost Spurs' spending power. When the club released their accounts for the 2023-24 season in March, Levy said: 'I often read calls for us to spend more, given that we are ranked as the ninth-richest club in the world. However, a closer examination of today's financial figures reveals that such spending must be sustainable in the long term and within our operating revenues. Our capacity to generate recurring revenues determines our spending power. We cannot spend what we do not have, and we will not compromise the financial stability of this club.' If Spurs had not beaten Manchester United in Bilbao and so been out of Europe for next season, it would have been difficult to foresee them spending significant amounts on players this summer, at least without making sales first. But now they are in the Champions League as Europa League winners, with a guaranteed four home games in its league phase, the situation is a bit brighter. PSR headroom has never been a problem for them. The Athletic has estimated Tottenham have wiggle-room of more than £200million to spend. The issue has been whether they have the actual cash to do that, even with revenues breaking £500m in the last two seasons. But the prospect of that flow of Champions League money coming back online next season should make for a more comfortable summer. The prize pot for UEFA's blue-riband club competition this season was around €2.4billion. Every club who qualified for the league phase was rewarded with €18.6m, then got an extra €2.1m for every win, with draws worth €700,000. Even if Spurs lose every game in the 2025-26 Champions League, they would still earn a significant amount of money, and that's before you add gate receipts, merchandise income and food sales. If Postecoglou goes, his replacement will feel confident about being sufficiently backed in the transfer market.
BBC News
28-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
What is your Spurs moment of the season?
Tottenham supporters will simply remember this season as the one where they ended their 17-year trophy drought and qualified for the Champions League. In a season of protests, anger and dismal domestic form, Spurs have somehow survived at the expense of Manchester United. Ange Postecoglou led his side to a 1-0 win over United in the Europa League, flirting with calamity but ending up celebrating and qualifying for the Champions League, securing between £80m-£100m in the process. All Spurs fans will be grateful to the Australian manager. However, some will still think the cold, pragmatic decision is to sack him, while others will disagree. That uncertainty is felt within Postecoglou's camp and he spoke of needing more control at the club in a season which ranks as their worst in the Premier League era, finishing 17th, just one place above the relegation zone. Twenty two defeats, the league position and the dismal total of 38 points are all the worst Spurs have endured since the league's inception. Tottenham fans will not care too much but chairman Daniel Levy is left with a big decision, although he will listen to opinions on the rest of the board and senior staff like head of football Scott Munn and technical director Johan Lange, over whether to sack or keep the manager into next season. It is a decision Levy has to get right as he himself has faced calls to leave the club at various intervals during this turbulent season.
