The winds of change are sweeping through north London this summer. Thomas Frank has left Brentford to replace Ange Postecoglou in the Tottenham Hotspur dugout.
The Danish tactician will want to put his own stand on Tottenham’s squad. Not least when it comes to the transfer market.
After all, a degree of freshening up is required, at a club that finished 17th in the Premier League last season despite their Europa League final triumph.
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Tottenham have already signed teenage defender Luka Vuskovic, while Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel have both made their loan moves permanent. But there’s still plenty of room for further upgrades before the new season gets underway.
That includes at the base of midfield. An upgrade on the inconsistent Yves Bissouma could help shield a defence that conceded an eye-watering 65 goals in the league last season. It would also free up the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Matar Sarr to play more of a box-to-box role.
But which No.6 should Spurs sign?
Dream: Adam Wharton
If we allow ourselves to dream for a minute, the ideal candidate would be Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton. He was also AI’s suggestion when we asked it to recommend one signing for every Premier League club.
Although injury issues restricted the England international to just 20 league appearances last season, Wharton proved to be particularly adept at regaining possession for the Eagles when on the pitch.
In fact, only 10 Premier League players won possession more times in the middle third per 90 minutes than Wharton last season — the Englishman averaged 3.46 for that metric. Only Bentancur (3.65) won possession more times in the middle third among Tottenham’s players last season.
Wharton also averaged 1.36 interceptions per 90 and committed just 0.81 fouls, which would place him fourth and seventh, respectively, among Tottenham’s squad. He won possession in the attacking third 0.68 times per 90 and also won possession 2.78 times in the defensive third per 90. Again, that ranks him highly against Tottenham’s players from 2024-25.
But that only tells half the story. Wharton is a metronomic presence with the ball at his feet, and someone who looks to play probing balls into attacking areas — despite often operating from deeper positions.
No Crystal Palace player attempted or completed more passes into the final third per 90 than Wharton’s 16.63 and 11.4, respectively, in 2024-25. And his 0.34 through-balls attempted per 90 ranked him third among Tottenham players in 2024-25.
Realistic: Douglas Luiz
A more realistic option may be Douglas Luiz, who endured a challenging first season in Serie A with Juventus.
The Bianconeri spent big of Luiz last summer, paying £42.4million to sign the Brazilian from Aston Villa. But they now appear keen to recoup their money, with a party of ways looking best for both parties.
You don’t need to cast your mind too far back to see how a return to the Premier League could re-energise Luiz. He was a colossus across the pitch for Aston Villa in 2023-24, winning the ball in the defensive third 84 times and 23 times in the attacking third — leading his teammates in both metrics. That worked out to 2.52 possessions won in the defensive third per 90 and 0.69 times in the attacking third.
Luiz actually won possession more times in the attacking third per 90 at Juventus last season, at 0.7 per 90 — though only just. He also saw an improvement in his possessions won per 90 in the middle third, rising from 2.31 in his final season at Aston Villa to 2.79 with Juventus last season. But his possessions won in the defensive third dropped to 1.92 per 90 last season. But it’s worth noting that this all came in significantly fewer minutes.
Luiz also attempted more passes and final third passes than any other Villa player that season, showcasing the broad skill set he would bring to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
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Wildcard: Hicham Boudaoui
A possible wildcard signing could be Nice’s Hicham Boudaoui, who is making waves in Ligue 1.
The 25-year-old boasts a similar profile to the aforementioned candidates, in that he combines defensive domination with composure in possession and an impressive passing range.
Boudaoui averaged 3.4 possessions won in the middle third last season and 2.4 times in the defensive third per 90. That would rank him second and sixth respectively among Tottenham players in the Premier League last season. He would even rank fifth for his 0.66 possessions won in the attacking third per 90.
Boudaoui finished second in Ligue 1 for completed through-balls last season with eight. Only Lyon’s (now Manchester City’s) Rayan Cherki completed more in the French top-flight. At 0.3 completed per 90, only James Maddison could match Boudaoui.
He’s not a player many Tottenham fans will have been too focused on, but it’s worth a look.