TBR Football can exclusively reveal that Tottenham have joined the race to sign a Premier League star Thomas Frank knows really well.
Tottenham officially announced Frank as their new manager, following the sacking of Ange Postecoglou.
While Spurs won the Europa League and ended their trophy drought, Spurs were awful in the Premier League, finishing a disappointing 17th, with 22 defeats.
Tottenham have been linked with several Brentford players. TBR Football previously confirmed that Bryan Mbeumo is one to watch for Spurs, and now they are plotting another potential reunion.
Nathan Collins in action for Brentford vs Nottingham Forest
Photo by Andrew Kearns – CameraSport via Getty Images
Tottenham want to sign Nathan Collins but face competition from Arsenal
TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey understands that Spurs have joined the race to sign Brentford star Nathan Collins.
With Cristian Romero fully expected to leave Tottenham this summer, Collins has been identified as an ideal target by Spurs.
However, they face stiff competition from the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool, who are also keen on signing the Irish star.
Arsenal’s interest in Collins has been previously reported by TBR Football, with the report stating that Mikel Arteta is closely looking at the player having been left impressed by his performances.
There is interest from other clubs as well, with Newcastle also looking at Collins along with Marc Guehi.
The 24-year-old centre-back is currently tied to a long-term contract with Brentford until 2029, and the Bees are expected to demand a significant fee, having paid £23 million to sign him from Wolves in the summer of 2023.
What Thomas Frank has previously said about Nathan Collins
The Ireland international has been excellent for Brentford, and perhaps had his best season for them this past season.
Collins played every single minute of the Premier League season, joining Virgil van Dijk as one of only two outfield players to do so.
Frank has shown strong belief in Collins, praising his reliability and steady performances throughout the season.
The Danish coach also highlighted Collins’ leadership qualities, noting that it’s no surprise he was trusted to captain Ireland previously, given his maturity and presence on and off the pitch.
At just 23 at the time, Frank acknowledged that Collins was still in the early stages of his development but already handling the pressures of top-flight football impressively. Frank said (quotes via VAVEL): “This season he’s been going from a good performance to another good performance. I’m very pleased with him.
“As a character and a person, I understand why he was the captain of Ireland [versus Greece] – he’s got everything to be a good leader.
“He’s still young. 23? that’s nothing. I was baby when I was 23. Sometimes these footballers, we expect everything from them and that’s just because everyone’s filming and taking pictures.
“They’re young men at best, some of them young boys, and they are developing in a highly pressurised world. I think Nathan is on a really good track.”