Tottenham manager Thomas Frank privately doesn’t rate two of his Spurs players and a January exit could be on the cards for at least one of them, according to a new report.
Spurs played out a dramatic 2-2 draw at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at lunchtime on Saturday, and the match brought with it a reoccurring theme of their season.
The Lilywhites seriously lacked creativity for large portions of the 90 minutes and were even booed off at half-time after United star Bryan Mbeumo handed the visitors a pretty deserved lead. Djed Spence’s “lackadaisical” defending in the build up to their opener, and Pape Sarr’s questionable decision not to clear, were key in handing Ruben Amorim’s side the early advantage.
Frank’s side had chances, testing Senne Lammens after the restart, particularly Cristian Romero from close range, but it looked more than likely the Red Devils would see out a fairly comfortable 1-0 win in the capital at one stage.
However, Frank’s substitutions were on hand to very nearly clinch a last-gasp three points and turn the game on its head.
Wilson Odobert
7.4
Matthijs de Ligt
7.3
Amad Diallo
7.3
Mathys Tel
7.1
Patrick Dorgu
7.1
via WhoScored
Mathys Tel fed off Destiny Udogie’s sharp pass into the box to swivel and blast a deflected effort past Lammens, levelling the score and sparking real hope they could actually win the game.
Just minutes later, fellow sub Wilson Odobert set up Richarlison, who guided a deft header into the bottom corner to make it 2-1, with the Brazilian taking his shirt off and celebrating in raptures as the stadium went wild.
Spurs were suddenly on the verge of what looked like a very unlikely win and their first at home since the opening Premier League weekend, but their hearts were broken deep into added time when United defender Matthijs de Ligt equalised from a set piece.
For Frank, their home woes continue, having won just four of their last 20 league games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It doesn’t get any easier for them either, with a North London derby scheduled immediately after the international break and European champions PSG awaiting them in the Champions League just days later.
Off the field, Frank is now getting a good idea of which players he wants to stick with going forward as he continues his slow Tottenham rebuild.
While Richarlison put Spurs 2-1 ahead, you can make a serious case that he was largely ineffective against United, while Dominic Solanke is continuing his slow return to fitness.
Thomas Frank sees Solanke and Richarlison as "expendable" Tottenham players
In the build up to January, Tottenham have reportedly been exploring the possibility of signing a more impactful striker, and Al-Ahli star Ivan Toney is Frank’s “preferred” option.
That is according to Football Insider and journalist Wayne Veysey, who also reports that Frank views both Solanke and Richarlison as “expendable” Tottenham players.
Veysey adds that one of the duo could be sold to raise funds and make room for Toney, and it’ll likely be the latter.
Richarlison, whose contract expires in 2027, has been repeatedly linked with a Spurs exit in recent months and his form has been criticised — meaning that the 28-year-old may well be sacrificed as Frank eyes a reunion with Toney at N17.
Toney has been free scoring in Saudi Arabia since joining Al-Ahli last year, bagging 41 strikes in 59 total appearances, but his place in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad is far from certain.
The former Brentford star, bar one call-up last summer, has been excluded from the Three Lions set up and a loan move back to the Premier League could be the answer ahead of next summer’s World Cup.
Frank, meanwhile, has made no secret of his admiration for the number nine, once joking that he’s worth ‘£100 million-plus’.