Frank’s new Mbeumo: Spurs will see £25m bid accepted for 33-goal "beast"
Tottenham Hotspur have their sights set on clinching more silverware in 2025/26, with Thomas Frank replacing Ange Postecoglou in the dugout after the latter won the Europa League.
Of course, that doesn’t paint the full picture by half: Postecoglou’s chaotic tactics led to his demise, for his Spurs side finished 17th in the Premier League and endured miserable fortunes throughout the campaign.
However, Tottenham exhibited incredible resilience and togetherness to pick themselves up from the wayside and end 17 years of barrenness on the trophy front.
The players did so well, and so did Ange, who has departed a hero, immortalised in the club’s sweeping history.
And with a place in next year’s Champions League secured, Tottenham must now accelerate their summer transfer plans and bring in some impactful additions to kickstart the Frank era.
The latest on Spurs' search for wingers
Tottenham were left bruised after Bryan Mbeumo intimated that he would only leave Brentford this summer to sign for Manchester United, ignoring intrigue from Spurs and Newcastle United, both of whom will play in the Champions League; the Red Devils will not.
Now, fears are rising concerning West Ham United’s Mohammed Kudus too. The Ghanaian winger has been the subject of a rejected £55m bid from Spurs but is now of increasing interest to Chelsea.
Frank clearly wants to strengthen his attacking ranks with athletic and potent wingers capable of dynamising his frontline.
If Tottenham fail to sign Mbeumo (which certainly seems the case), Frank will still expect to see a goalscoring winger added to his ranks, easing the goalscoring workload of Dominic Solanke in the middle.
And Daniel Levy may well have found a shrewd solution.
Spurs learn conditions for new winger
According to Football Insider, Tottenham have been informed by Celtic that they will have to pay something in the region of £25m if they wish to sign Daizen Maeda this summer.
The free-scoring Japan forward is one of the dominant Scottish champions’ prized assets, and with Brentford, West Ham and Fenerbahce overseas all interested too, there’s every chance the valuation will balloon over the coming weeks.
Celtic’s stance might appear absolute, but there is a gulf in finances between the English and Scottish footballing border, and given Frank needs such a profile in north London, there’s every chance an affordable deal could be struck.
What Daizen Maeda would bring to Spurs
While Maeda is principally a left-sided forward, Heung-min Son’s future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is in the air, and thus, he could be the perfect addition given that Timo Werner has departed after his two-year loan spell.
It was Postecoglou who signed Maeda on loan from Yokohama F Marinos back in January 2022, before the transfer was made permanent that summer.
While he’s perhaps struggled for consistency at times in Scotland, who could argue against the 27-year-old’s prolific ability after the recent season? Indeed, Maeda scored 33 goals and provided 12 assists for his teammates across 51 outings.
His goalscoring aptitude suggests Frank could fashion him into his new version of Mbeumo.
League Stats 24/25 – Daizen Maeda & Bryan Mbeumo
Stats (* per game)
Maeda
Mbeumo
Matches (starts)
34 (30)
38 (38)
Goals
16
20
Assists
10
7
Shots (on target)*
1.7 (0.8)
2.2 (1.1)
Big chances missed
17
9
Pass completion
82%
74%
Big chances created
10
17
Key passes*
1.3
1.8
Dribbles*
0.7
1.4
Ball recoveries*
2.1
4.1
Tackles + interceptions*
1.7
1.7
Duels won*
3.1
4.7
Data via Sofascore
As we can tell from the data above, Maeda isn’t quite on the level of Mbeumo, for the Cameroonian forward is so complete in his performances, blending everything together to become “unplayable” when on his A-game, as has been said in the past by Frank.
However, Maeda’s certainly no joke, with Celtic’s dominance in the Scottish Premiership perhaps precluding the usage of his athletic attributes that he does possess. Indeed, his former coach at Yokohama F Marinos, John Hutchinson, has described him as a “physical beast”.
Furthermore, Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has claimed that the Japan international is one of the best pace-setters on the globe, doubting that “there’s anyone better in world football” at leading the charge and dictating tempo.
With such machine-like stamina, you’d think he might even be tailor-made for a role in a Frank system, emulating Mbeumo and maybe seeing his game go from strength to strength as he adapts to the rigorous nature of the Premier League, something that seems well within his powers.
He’s also proven his capacity to succeed on the biggest stage, scoring for the Hoops against Bayern Munich in last year’s Champions League group phase.
If Maeda wishes to reach his full potential, you’d think he might want to pursue a career in the Premier League, where he could dovetail right into a new Tottenham set-up which promises so much: stability, fluency, dynamism.
Mbeumo has reaped the rewards of plying his trade for the Lilywhites’ Danish manager, only outscored in the English top flight last term by Mohamed Salah, Erling Haaland and Alexander Isak.
You can see why Spurs are so keen on securing the right-sided forward’s signature. Saying that, given that Brentford are in for Maeda, one could surmise that the Bees are also keen on bagging themselves a similar profile to their soon-to-depart talisman, thus strengthening Tottenham’s case to forge ahead with a move.
Described as an “absolute nuisance” of a forward by pundit Rio Ferdinand, Maeda has all the tools to succeed in the Premier League, and for just £25m, Tottenham could hit the jackpot by reeling him in.
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