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£47m star is the perfect signing for Thomas Frank at Tottenham, Daniel Levy needs to act fast

Lucas Arnold

Thu 3 July 2025 17:15, UK

Having welcomed Thomas Frank to the club as their new manager, Tottenham Hotspur will soon get to work on crafting a squad that befits his image.

Thomas Frank was famed for getting the most out of the players already at his disposal at Brentford, it wasn’t just about who they were able to sign in the transfer market.

And that must be part of the appeal to Tottenham given that a lot of the talent in N17 wasn’t fully utilised during the Ange Postecoglou era.

Although, Spurs will still look to the transfer market to give Frank a boost, hence why Tottenham are interested in Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United.

However, there’s actually a more pressing concern that Daniel Levy needs to address first.

Tottenham need to sign Joao Palhinha for Thomas Frank’s system

In the summer, Tottenham simply must buy a number six in order to get the best from the system Frank often utilised at Brentford.

At Brentford, Frank’s number six, Christian Norgaard who’s joining Arsenal, often dropped into the back line to act as another centre-back in moments.

And although Archie Gray might one day be able to play that role, he perhaps lacks the physical profile needed right now.

Therefore, Tottenham should seriously consider a move to Bayern Munich’s Joao Palhinha.

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Now 29-years-old, Palhinha was an immense talent in the Premier League with Fulham, but he has struggled for rhythm and game time in the Bundesliga with Bayern.

As a result, Bayern are ready to sell Palhinha, a midfielder they bought for last year, and Spurs might even be able to pick up a bargain.

Tottenham do have both Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma on their books, but neither are perfect for the role.

Mohammed Kudus isn’t the player Spurs should be prioritising

To thrive under Frank, Tottenham need a physical defensive midfielder who’s able to do all of the unseen work in the middle.

Spurs’ midfield was bypassed with ease all too often in the Postecoglou era, and Palhinha’s arrival would change that immediately.

TBR Football understands that Tottenham are pushing to sign Kudus from West Ham right now, but they should be more focused on a structural signing like Palhinha who could be integral to next season’s efforts.

Of course, it’s not only Palhinha who could come in and impress, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Larsson would also be an excellent candidate for the role.

And whilst Tottenham have shown interest in Larsson, he might be incredibly expensive to sign this summer.

Frankfurt might already lose striker Hugo Ekitike to the Premier League, and therefore might be reluctant to sell the young Swedish midfielder as well.