‘Daniel Levy to back Thomas Frank on Tottenham signings to beat Arsenal and Chelsea’
Daniel Levy has been told to back new boss Thomas Frank in the summer transfer window so Tottenham can compete with rivals Arsenal and Chelsea.
Spurs‘ Europa League triumph over Manchester United was not enough for Ange Postecoglou to keep his job as head-coach, as he was sacked by Levy on 6 June following “a review of performances and after significant reflection”.
Football Insider reported prior to that confirmation that Frank was in pole position to land the Spurs job, and he was officially appointed by the Lilywhites on Thursday (12 June), putting pen to paper on a three-year contract to bring his nine-year association with the Bees to an end.
The transfer window reopens on 16 June and runs until 1 September, with Spurs needing to add to their squad so the Danish boss can improve on their 17th-placed finish in the Premier League last term.
Tottenham are planning to hijack Man United’s swoop for Bryan Mbeumo, as revealed by Football Insider, and signing him would surely be an ideal way for Frank to start in North London, given the pair’s relationship and the way he brought the best out of the attacker at Brentford.
Daniel Levy urged to give Thomas Frank a healthy transfer kitty in the summer window
Alongside their pursuit of Mbeumo, Spurs have also recently been linked with a move for Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White by the Daily Mail, but he would likely command a fee of upwards of £70million after a stellar season at the City Ground.
Speaking live on talkSPORT on Friday (13 June), former striker and current pundit Gabby Agbonlahor urged Tottenham chairman Levy to back Frank in the summer window so Spurs can compete in the Champions League and with capital rivals Arsenal and Chelsea next season, saying: “I think the expectations will be higher for next season. They are going to want to have a good go at the Champions League.
“Daniel Levy will want him (Frank) to get out of that group stage. He’ll look at the likes of Aston Villa, how well they did in the Champions League, but he is going to need the right backing. Can Daniel Levy help him get rid of the players that aren’t good enough for where Spurs want to go, and bring in the players that he wants to bring in?
“Also, it’s always been the same target with Spurs, hasn’t it? Top four every season. Last season was an absolute shambles in the Premier League, losing 22 games, but it has always been that. And can we beat Arsenal, our local rivals, for a change? Can we beat Chelsea? Can we try and get some of them results over the line Thomas? Because it hasn’t been great for Spurs in recent seasons against those teams.”
Host Jeff Stelling then asked the former Aston Villa striker if he believes Frank can succeed in North London, and Agbonlahor lent his support to the Dane with further pressure placed on Levy to support his new boss, saying: “I think he can, but I think he is going to need the right backing. He’s going to look at that squad of players, and he is going to be happy, Jeff, that it is the 13th of June. He’s got time.
“He is going to need the backing. Looking at the players that he has got, are all of them players at Spurs good enough for the Champions League? Richarlison, is he a player that he likes or is he a player that he wants to move on? Can he get a better striker to challenge Solanke?
“He’s got a lot of decisions to make, hasn’t he? And a lot of transfers, I feel.”
Tottenham should look to raid Brentford this summer to help Frank’s cause
Football Insider verdict
Spurs have made a habit of poaching top players from Premier League clubs with less spending power in recent years, with the likes of James Maddison, Dominic Solanke and Brennan Johnson signed from Leicester City, Bournemouth and Forest in the last two summer windows respectively.
They will likely look to follow a similar approach this time around, and Brentford seems like a great place to start their business under Frank, considering his ties to their players and the potential signings on offer.
Mbeumo is an obvious target following his impressive campaign, but his slightly older, less sought-after strike partner Yoane Wissa, who was the subject of a £40 million bid from Forest in January, would also be a stellar signing to bolster the Dane’s strikeforce.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 39 | 20 | 5 |
Despite Football Insider’s recent reveal that Frank is unlikely to raid Brentford this summer, he will be looking to bolster his squad in numerous positions following Spurs’ injury issues last term, and so should target highly-rated Bees defender Nathan Collins, who the Dane once insisted has “so much potential.”
Regardless of who they target, Spurs need to back Frank this summer with a sizeable budget to spend on incomings, with the fees from potential sales of first-team players also then put back into the playing squad.