In a transfer window that’s already veered into the chaotic, Tottenham Hotspur are doing something that’s not only rare in the Premier League’s silly season – it’s borderline admirable: they’re being smart.
While the headlines have been dominated by Liverpool’s post-Klopp rebuild, Arsenal’s refusal to rest on runners-up status, Chelsea’s ongoing obsession with buying more attackers than they can fit on the team bus and Manchester United’s best impression of a toddler trying to build IKEA furniture without the manual, Spurs are quietly making themselves European contenders again.
And somehow, almost no one is talking about it.
Mohammed Kudus has joined for £55 million. West Ham may have been reluctant sellers, but for that fee, Tottenham have bought not just a player with end product but one with frightening upside.
Kudus bagged 19 goals and 13 assists across all competitions in his two seasons as a Hammer, despite being used everywhere from right wing to attacking midfield to an auxiliary striker.
He brings unpredictability, creativity and a more dynamic dribbling skillset than Tottenham previously possessed.
He also fits perfectly into the system Thomas Frank seems to be building. Kudus is Premier League-proven but still far from reaching his ceiling. And in Frank, he has a coach with a proven track record of turning promising attacking talents into stars.
Just ask Ivan Toney, who scored 20 league goals under Frank in 2022/23. Or Bryan Mbeumo, who had 20 goals and seven assists in the Premier League last season, numbers that made him a target not just for Spurs but also for Manchester United this summer.
And they’re not done yet.
The second major pursuit – and one that’s caused actual legal paperwork to fly across desks – is for Morgan Gibbs-White. A £60 million bid has gone in, matching what is believed to be a release clause in the player’s contract.
Only, Forest aren’t happy.
The Midlands club are reportedly launching a legal dispute against both Spurs and the player, alleging that the existence and details of the release clause were improperly disclosed, violating Premier League rules around confidentiality.
Spurs, for their part, have denied any wrongdoing, insisting they acted in accordance with the regulations.
Whatever the outcome of the legal wrangling, the consensus among those close to the deal is that Tottenham will get their man. It might cost them a few million more than they expected – possibly closer to £65 million – but there’s little indication Forest will be able to hold onto him if the player wants the move and the clause, in some form, stands.
And why wouldn’t Gibbs-White want the move?
He was Forest’s creative heartbeat last season, scoring seven goals registering eight Premier League assists, more than any Spurs player except Son Heung-min.
Add in his positional intelligence and relentless work rate and he fits the Thomas Frank blueprint like a glove.
Frank’s appointment isn’t a name hire. It’s a strategy hire. And everything Spurs are doing in the market reflects that.
Where past Tottenham windows have felt scattergun, this one already has a through-line: Premier League-hardened players, with technical quality and their prime years ahead of them.
Kudus. Gibbs-White. A pursuit of Mbeumo. And, reportedly, interest in Harvey Elliott, a player Football Insider reports Spurs are in talks to sign.
Elliott, still just 22, has 92 top-flight appearances and a Premier League winner’s medal to his name. He’s exactly the sort of player who could explode under Frank.
There’s also reported interest in Koni De Winter, the former Juventus centre-back who impressed at Genoa last season. According to iNews, Spurs have already made contact and the 23-year-old Belgian would represent another high-upside, low-risk addition to a defence that could use youthful depth.
There is even talk of a highly ambitious bid for Crystal Palace and England midfielder Adam Wharton, according to GIVEMESPORT.
An interesting wrinkle in all of this is how Spurs are financing their summer splurge. Because unlike years past, there’s no major outgoing sale funding these moves.
There’s no Harry Kane saga this year as all Tottenham’s current stars appear set to stay put. Spurs, reportedly, are operating with confidence due to an incoming naming rights deal for their stadium – long overdue and apparently now close to completion.
The details of that deal remain under wraps, but the club’s posture has changed.
This is not Daniel Levy tightening the purse strings and praying for top four via vibes and VAR decisions. This is Spurs spending like they mean it, targeting key upgrades without a teardown.
Compare this to Manchester United, who Spurs beat in the 2025 Europa League final. Both clubs craved a triumph in Europe’s secondary competition to mitigate against dreadful domestic campaigns and to leap back into the Champions League.
United are still chasing their tail in the transfer market, deadlocked now for more than a month and a half in their attempt to sign Mbeumo. Matheus Cunha is their only addition to date and a deadwood cast of Jadon Sancho, Antony, Marcus Rashford and others are still on the books.
Spurs, meanwhile, are making moves. Quietly. Efficiently. They want to be ready for their 2025-26 Champions League return and to do more than just make up the numbers.
While the noise centres on the usual suspects, Tottenham are executing a focused, Premier League-specific strategy under a manager who understands the league, the players and the margins that separate fourth from seventh.
In a summer of super-clubs burning money or burning bridges, Spurs are doing something both unusual and strangely reassuring: they’re acting like contenders.
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