New Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank could be given the chance to reignite transfer interest in a target who has previously turned him down as he looks to build his squad at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Frank was confirmed as the new Spurs head coach this week, with the Dane replacing Ange Postecoglou at the helm. Following the change, the new boss will now have the chance to add players to his squad in the summer window, which reopens on Monday.
Spurs have already been linked with an interest in Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo. The forward has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United this summer, but reports say that Frank could look to hijack that deal and bring his former player with him to Tottenham.
Mbeumo is, however, said to be keen on a move to Old Trafford, meaning that Spurs could have a fight on their hands. Should they be unsuccessful in hijacking the deal, then the club could already have an alternative option, and he’s reportedly available at a much cheaper price.
According to Dutch outlet ED , PSV are willing to cash in on winger Johan Bakayoko for a £17 million fee this summer. The 22-year-old has just one year remaining on his contract with the Eredivisie club, hence the cheaper price.
This season, he has scored nine goals in 30 league appearances. He is a player that would have been watched closely by Frank, with the manager making a move for the winger in 2023.
Brentford had a £30 million bid accepted by PSV, but the player himself turned down the chance to move to the Gtech Community Stadium. Speaking about the failed transfer after, Frank outlined the difficulties for a club like Brentford.
“We want players who can step directly into the starting XI, and, in the current market, the prices are ridiculous, so that makes it difficult,” he said, via The Athletic .
“Then we sign young players who, over time, can be good enough for the starting XI. So it’s a balance. But we are willing to wait (for the right player). We want to build a good squad we believe can get better and is sustainable over time financially. That’s very important for us.
“We have a lot of good stories about the players we’ve developed and how much we have grown as a club. We play in the Premier League; we are a good team, and we have a fantastic culture. All that we can compete on, but we struggle with the wages. It is a challenge we embrace.
“The top eight (clubs) are impossible to compete with — financially out of the question. The next eight, so we have the top 16 teams, are also very difficult for us to compete with. The good news is we have a very well-run club which means we are not that restricted (by financial fair play rules on spending money).
“But we don’t have £100million to spend on one player and that is just the way it is because we are a smaller club.”
Around a year after turning down the opportunity to move to the Premier League, Bakayoko hinted that he was ready to make the next step in his career.
Speaking to ED last summer, he said: “It is also possible that I will leave next year, but I still have to discuss it carefully with my agent. It will also partly depend on PSV, where I will play next season.
“I can handle a place at the top. If I were to leave Eindhoven, it would only be to a club that plays for trophies, just like PSV. Becoming champion is what I want. And win the Champions League. I have the qualities for that.
“PSV has won the title and achieved something again in Europe. That mission has been completed, but now we have to see whether there will be a next mission and what the club has left for me.”
Frank’s move to Spurs is likely to give him some more room financially in the transfer window, as well as Bakayoko’s openness to take the next step, pointing to a different outcome if Frank tries to sign the player again this time around.
Thomas Frank is Spurs’ new head coach! But what job does he have on his hands? Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham discussing Frank’s task ahead! Or click here to watch on YouTube!
Learn more
