THOMAS FRANK SENDS CLEAR MESSAGE AFTER LEWIS FAMILY’S STUNNING £100M MOVE
Tottenham boss Thomas Frank confirms he will "have the ultimate word" on transfers despite a front-office shuffle. He also backs the return of Fabio Paratici and gives a fitness update on Randal Kolo Muani.
Despite a significant off-field shuffle, Thomas Frank maintains his position as Tottenham's top dog. Fabio Paratici, who is back, and Johan Lange were introduced as the club's new joint sporting directors this week. Ahead of tomorrow's match against Aston Villa, Frank clarified that he will still need to approve any significant transfer choices going forward, saying: "I will always have the ultimate word." You are aware of that, but ultimately, teamwork is necessary.
Following the Lewis family's initial £100 million investment in Spurs earlier this month, it is very likely that there will be extensive international discussion over potential new additions. There may still be more money to come. It should come as no surprise that Frank appreciates the affirmation of their long-term dedication to a team that is working to realise its potential as a major force in the world. The Dane went on: "First and foremost, I believe it is really great that the Lewis family is demonstrating a clear desire to support and do everything in their power to help the club succeed because they want us to be as successful as possible. That, in my opinion, is evidence that they are giving the club financial support.
Just weeks after a judge in Rome accepted a plea deal that spared "good guy" Paratici from serving an 18-month prison sentence for false accounting, Frank has supported Tottenham's decision to reinstate him in an official working capacity.
When asked about Paratici's troubled past, Frank continued, "I think it is something, of course, I have heard about." I do not know a lot about the specifics, but from my interactions with him, I know Fabio to be a decent man. I am excited to collaborate with him and believe he has a lot of quality.
This weekend, Frank is trying to break a managerial curse on the pitch for the second time in a row. He defeated Daniel Farke for the first time in six encounters before the international break.
Frank has never defeated Unai Emery's Villa in five attempts (two draws, three losses); this is the most times the Dane has ever faced an opposing manager without winning. Additionally, the Spurs manager has only triumphed once in his last eight Premier League encounters against the Villains, which is his joint-lowest win percentage (12.5%) against any Premier League team.
However, after a dead leg, France international forward Randal Kolo Muani will return, bolstering his ranks. The Paris Saint-Germain loanee has returned to training after playing just 13 minutes since joining N17.
"It is wonderful that Kolo Muani has been training with the team for the past two weeks," Frank clarified. He continues to improve, and it is good that he will be considered for the team.
"I am thrilled that we were able to sign Kolo because I believe he is an excellent player. Hopefully, he will demonstrate his abilities, and I am eager for him to play some regular minutes."
Dominic Solanke is back on the pitch in light training after a minor ankle surgery, so the match comes too soon for him. Regarding Solanke, Frank remarked: "Dom is a naturally fit player." The fact that he has not practised with the team since July must be taken into account. It will require some time for him to catch up.
AWONIYI DOUBLE LEAVES NOTTINGHAM FOREST ON THE VERGE OF PREMIER LEAGUE SAFETY
Nottingham Forest moved closer to safety with a 3-1 win over Chelsea, while West Ham fell into the relegation zone after Spurs won.
_1777914166.webp)
Nottingham Forest came out of the weekend looking pretty safe after pulling off an impressive 3-1 win at Chelsea. They’re almost clear of the relegation mess. Tottenham’s big away win at Aston Villa shook things up too, and now West Ham are back in the bottom three, running out of time faster than ever.
Forest have stepped up just when they needed to, leaving West Ham and Tottenham behind with a string of solid performances. Honestly, no one saw this coming, especially since Vitor Pereira shuffled his lineup with eight changes, fresh off a Europa League win against Aston Villa.
Even so, Forest were ahead within 90 seconds, thanks to Taiwo Awoniyi’s quick strike. By the 15th minute, Igor Jesus calmly buried a penalty after Malo Gusto’s reckless foul in the box. Chelsea had a chance to get back in it, but Cole Palmer wasted a penalty right before the break after a scary head collision involving Jesse Derry.
Awoniyi doubled down and scored again early in the second half, pushing Forest six points ahead of West Ham with just three games left.
West Ham’s weekend started badly; they looked flat and lost to Brentford. Things got worse Sunday night when Tottenham pulled off their first back-to-back Premier League wins since August 2025, beating a heavily rotated Aston Villa side 2-1.
Forest is now out of West Ham’s reach, or almost. Tottenham’s still close enough for Nuno Espirito Santo’s team to worry, but with three tough games coming up, Spurs could stay up even without another win, unless West Ham digs deep and pulls off something unexpected before their home finale against Leeds.
Right now, Forest can practically taste safety. Spurs finally see a way out after weeks of struggle. As for West Ham, they’re left hoping for a miracle, a last-minute twist to dodge the drop.
CESC FABREGAS CONFIRMS INTEREST IN PREMIER LEAGUE RETURN AMID CHELSEA'S MANAGER SEARCH
As Chelsea searches for a new manager, Cesc Fabregas breaks his silence on his future at Como and his Premier League ambitions.
Cesc Fabregas recalls exactly how a conversation with Jose Mourinho prompted him to join Chelsea, despite having the opportunity to return to Arsenal.
After winning six trophies in just three seasons, the Spanish World Cup winner left Barcelona for the second time in 2014. That summer, Fabregas made a move back to the Premier League, signing with Chelsea for about €33 million.
He already knew English football well. Fabregas had arrived at Arsenal as a 16-year-old from Barcelona in 2003 and made 212 Premier League appearances for them. When he decided to leave Barcelona, Manchester City also wanted him, but Chelsea convinced him, mostly thanks to Mourinho.
Talking with talkSPORT’s Rory Jennings on YouTube, Fabregas laid out how it all happened. “Honestly, when I made up my mind to leave Barcelona, my first thought was just to go back to Arsenal. They had this buyback clause; they had two weeks to use it after I told them I was leaving. They knew about it but didn’t take it. That surprised me a little, but in the end, I had to think about my career. I was 27, at the peak of my career, and I wanted to continue performing and winning trophies. City and Chelsea were both options.
“But when Mourinho spoke to me, that was it. He showed me his plans for the team and told me about Diego Costa, Courtois, and Filipe Luis and how, with those guys, we’d win the league. He was right, by the way. We won both the Premier League and the Carling Cup.”
Fabregas wasted no time winning over Chelsea fans. On his debut at Burnley, he set up two goals, including a stunning assist for Andre Schurrle. He finished his first season at Chelsea with five goals and 24 assists, along with Premier League and League Cup medals.
Things dipped the next season. Fabregas got just 15 goal contributions, and Chelsea slipped all the way to tenth. But when Antonio Conte took charge in 2016-17, they bounced back, and Fabregas picked up another league title.
He added an FA Cup win in 2018, his second, after his earlier one with Arsenal, and left for Monaco a few months later. His last Chelsea match came in the FA Cup against Nottingham Forest. When he got subbed off, he couldn’t hold back tears.
Chelsea supporters still sing about him; that “Oh, Fabregas is magic...” chant sticks around. And with his name in the conversation for a possible return, maybe they haven’t seen the last of him yet.
Must Read
