Thomas Frank
Tottenham Hotspur has once again found itself at the center of takeover speculation, with the club recently rejecting a £3.3 billion bid from a consortium of NFL and NBA investors. This offer, which included an additional £1.2 billion earmarked for transfer funds, is the third such approach the club has declined since Daniel Levy stepped down as chairman earlier this month. Despite interest from various parties, including an Asian consortium and Newcastle director Amanda Staveley, the club remains unsold.
Thomas Frank said: “It is the third such approach that Spurs have rejected since Daniel Levy left his role as chairman earlier this month, with an Asian consortium of investors as well as Newcastle director Amanda Staveley with PCP International Finance both turned away. Earick’s consortium now has until October 24 to either announce a firm intention to make an offer for Spurs or announce that it does not intend to do so. Ahead of Spurs’ latest home Premier League clash against Wolves and amid the backdrop of a third rejected takeover approach, Frank said that from his conversations with the Lewis family he is certain they are in it for the long haul. ‘Very, very, very invested. They really want to achieve something special,’ he said. ‘They want to build, want to add, and I like the phrase, building layers, because you never go straight to the top. You can’t jump five steps. That’s impossible. So building layers is very important. I think that’s also more organic and more sustainable over time. If you’re an owner or a leader, it’s important to be visible so people can see you,’ the Tottenham head coach said. ‘So I think it’s positive.'”
In the midst of these takeover talks, Tottenham is preparing for their upcoming Premier League match against Wolves. The team faces uncertainty regarding striker Dominic Solanke’s fitness, as he deals with an ankle issue. Frank clarified that while the problem is within the ankle, it is not related to ligaments.
Frank said: “I think sometimes, let’s say you’ve got a calf sprain or hamstring or even ACL, it’s very simple, very easy to deal with. Sometimes it’s just a little bit more tricky. So this is a little bit more tricky without being a problem. That was one of the big areas we looked into when we came in. It’s between the coaching, performance and medical departments. It’s how we train, how well we train and how well we plan that. All that so far has been good. Touch wood we haven’t had any soft tissue or muscle injuries which are the big ones we’d like to avoid. So we have two relatively unlucky ones. So can we nail and get on top of the muscle injuries? Probably impossible to not have any of those injuries but so far so good and we’re very aware of it.”
Meanwhile, new signing Xavi Simons has been impressing both fans and the coaching staff. Frank, who has a history of developing playmakers like Christian Eriksen, sees potential in Simons to adapt quickly to the Premier League’s demands.
Frank said: “He’s got a few things, I would say. So every single time [Xavi] receives the ball, it seems like he got half a second more before he passed it or took players on. So I like that a lot. I think the way he also can see passes not many others are seeing, I think is important. And also the way he carries the ball forward, I think is a key thing. So those are the big things, and then of course he will arrive and score goals and all that, but I think those three things are key areas.”
Frank remains optimistic about Simons’ ability to adjust to the intensity of English football, highlighting his performances in recent matches as promising indicators of his potential impact on the team.
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