THE ALONSO FACTOR: WHY SPURS MUST AIM HIGHER TO SECURE XABI ALONSO'S TACTICAL GENIUS
Xabi Alonso is a free agent! Discover why Tottenham are being urged to swap Thomas Frank for the former Real Madrid manager.
Tottenham Hotspur are being pushed to swap out Thomas Frank for Xabi Alonso.
But if the club want Alonso, they’ll need to aim higher with their transfer targets.
Alonso’s available now—he just left his job as Real Madrid manager on Monday. Funny thing is, he’d only gone back to Madrid last summer, and here he is, out the door after just eight months.
His last game? A tough one. Real Madrid lost the Spanish Super Cup final to Barcelona. Not exactly the way you want to bow out. For now, Alvaro Arbeloa steps in as caretaker boss.
Alonso’s still a hot property, though. Look at what he did at Bayer Leverkusen—won the league and the cup and led them to their first Bundesliga title in an unbeaten season in 2023/24. Even with the rocky spell at Madrid—rumours of clashes with players like Vinicius Jr and some grumbling about his insistence on playing 4-4-2—clubs still want him.
Simon Jordan from talkSPORT thinks Alonso’s nearly perfect for Tottenham. In fact, he wants him there. Jordan says, “I’d like them to go for Alonso because these owners who’ve been unfairly criticising Daniel Levy deserve a reality check. If Alonso comes in, he won’t put up with any nonsense about signing players like Conor Gallagher. He’ll want the big names, the best players. And if you thought Antonio Conte was a headache for Levy, wait till you see Alonso in charge after what we saw at Real Madrid.”
Daniel Levy, the club’s long-time executive chairman, stepped down in September after 25 years. A big change, considering how long he ran things.
Now, Spurs are close to signing Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid for £35 million. He’s already agreed to a five-and-a-half-year deal, stretching to the summer of 2031.
This would be the eighth signing for Thomas Frank, who took over from Ange Postecoglou last summer. But the pressure is mounting. Frank’s already getting flak from fans—Spurs are 14th in the league, eight points away from the top four after 21 matches, and just got dumped out of the FA Cup by Aston Villa.
Still, the club is standing by Frank for now, letting him shape the squad his way.
TRANSFER BATTLE: VILLA AND LIVERPOOL PLOT SUMMER MOVES FOR TOTTENHAM STAR LUCAS BERGVALL
Lucas Bergvall is the subject of a massive transfer tug-of-war! Discover why Villa and Liverpool are targeting the Spurs star.
Aston Villa are still watching Lucas Bergvall pretty closely and might even try to tempt Tottenham this summer if the chance comes up. Liverpool is lurking, too, ready to make things interesting.
Tottenham’s season has been rough. They brought in Igor Tudor to stop the slide after Thomas Frank’s time in charge fell apart and dragged them towards the bottom of the table.
Villa have liked Bergvall for a while now. They’ve tracked him for some time and even asked about him in January when they missed out on Conor Gallagher. Tottenham wouldn’t let him go, though.
Inside Spurs, people see Bergvall, who’s only 20, as one of their best long-term prospects. They’ve made it clear he’s not for sale. Still, a lot rides on how Tottenham finish the season and who they choose as their next manager. If things stay shaky at the club, other teams might sense an opening.
Villa think they have something to offer: European football, a team that’s clearly on the up, and the chance to be a big part of something. They know prying Bergvall away won’t be easy, but they believe their project could turn his head if Spurs keep struggling.
Liverpool is in the mix, too. They’re tracking young midfielders across Europe, and Bergvall’s on their radar. Their interest could make things even trickier for Villa if Tottenham start to waver.
Tottenham rate Bergvall as one of the best young players around and would slap a big price tag on him to scare off bidders. But after a messy run of results, the club faces more financial pressure, and there’s a feeling that nothing is truly off-limits if a huge offer comes in.
Bergvall has already played 16 times for Spurs this season, scoring once and setting up four more. He’s a Swedish international with six caps, but he hasn’t featured since January because of an ankle injury that needed surgery. He’s expected to be out for another six weeks.
Even with the injury, Villa and Liverpool are undeterred. Both clubs see Bergvall as a top young talent worth chasing.
LONDON DERBY: CHELSEA AND TOTTENHAM TO BATTLE FOR BAYERN’S KIM MIN-JAE THIS SUMMER
Kim Min-Jae is back on the radar! Discover why Chelsea and Tottenham are racing to sign the Bayern Munich defender this summer.
Are Chelsea and Tottenham about to scrap over a top defender this summer? It’s not out of the question.
Both clubs have different priorities right now, but things could get interesting if Bayern Munich decide to let Kim Min-Jae go. That would put two London rivals on a collision course, each desperate for defensive reinforcements.
Chelsea, under Liam Rosenior, appears to be a different team, boasting eight wins from eleven games in all competitions. Rosenior’s barely had time to settle in, and he’s already been tested on four fronts. They’re hungry, and the mood around Stamford Bridge has shifted.
Tottenham, though, are in a very different place. They’re flirting with the relegation zone, and this time the threat feels real. West Ham, Leeds, and Forest are all clawing for survival. Spurs have Igor Tudor in charge until the end of the season, and managing in England for the first time while juggling a pile of injuries isn’t exactly a dream start. If they stay up, and right now, that’s still a big "if", they’ll need to strengthen fast.
That’s where Kim Min-Jae comes in. Both Chelsea and Spurs are eyeing him up, according to reports. Bayern paid £43 million to bring him in from Napoli last year, making him the most expensive Asian player ever. He helped Napoli win the Scudetto before that, and he’s won titles in Germany and South Korea, too. The guy knows how to get over the line.
But things haven’t clicked at Bayern. Kim was excellent in their 3-0 win over Bremen last weekend, but he’s mostly been third-choice behind Upamecano and Tah. Ten Bundesliga starts, just two in the Champions League. Not exactly what he signed up for. Bayern insider Christian Falk says Chelsea and Spurs have both shown interest, and Kim’s on their shortlist. Liverpool have been linked to, but right now, it’s the London clubs circling.
Chelsea have a hole at the back ever since Thiago Silva moved on. Kim, at 29, would instantly become the oldest player in the squad – not a bad thing for a team packed with young talent that sometimes looks a bit lost under pressure. They need his experience.
Spurs, on the other hand, have a solid pairing with Van de Ven and Romero, but if they lose one, things get thin pretty fast. Kim would be an upgrade on their depth and could slot straight into the starting eleven. And let’s be honest, the Son Heung-min effect is real. Kim would draw huge support from South Korea, just like Son has.
Kim isn’t agitating for a move just yet, but if Bayern decide to cash in and the right offer lands on the table, don’t be surprised to see him in the Premier League next season. Whether it’s in blue or white, that’s the part nobody knows yet.