Tottenham Hotspur have come on leaps and bounds over the last couple of years, as seen by some of the achievements on the field under various managers.
Ange Postecoglou may have been handed his marching orders over the summer window, but he managed to achieve something which various managers have failed to do in North London.
The Aussie claimed the Europa League title with a victory over fellow Premier League side Manchester United in Bilbao, subsequently ending the 17-year trophy drought.
However, it wasn’t enough to keep his job, with the 60-year-old replaced by Thomas Frank, with the Dane tasked with the responsibility of taking the Lilywhites to the next level.
Their ability to win the Europa League has allowed the club to feature in the Champions League, whilst also recruiting some top-level talent in the process.
How Spurs struck gold in Daniel Levy's final window
During the recent summer window, Frank made a beeline to improve his forward line, subsequently making a move to land Mohammed Kudus from rivals West Ham United.
The Ghanaian cost a reported £55m during the off-season, but he’s already shown glimpses of being a shrewd addition for the Lilywhites in 2025/26 and beyond.
He’s registered five assists in his first ten outings in North London, as per Transfermarkt, with the forward also getting off the mark during the recent 2-1 win over Leeds United, lashing home from just outside the box.
Kudus wasn’t the only big-money addition during the off-season, with the hierarchy also forking out £52m for the signature of attacking midfielder Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig.
A new number ten was on the agenda all summer long, subsequently landing the Dutchman after missing out on the likes of Eberechi Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White prior to his arrival.
The 22-year-old has so far made seven outings across all competitions, but unlike Kudus, he’s failed to find the net and has also only registered one assist in the process.
Despite the aforementioned additions, one other player in the first-team is rapidly becoming a better signing than the pair after establishing himself in Frank’s plans.
The Spurs star who’s becoming a better signing than Kudus & Simons
Over the last couple of years, Spurs haven’t been afraid to splash the cash to help them achieve their goals on the pitch, with the hierarchy spending well over £400m in the last three years.
Numerous areas of the pitch have been subject to investment, as seen by the additions within the final third, but the defensive unit has also been bolstered in recent years.
The partnership of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero at the heart of the backline has already contributed to Frank’s side keeping five clean sheets in 2025/26 to date.
However, the middle of the park is arguably one of the most important, with Lucas Bergvall already making huge strides after the Dane took the reins during the off-season.
The Swede was an unknown quantity to many a little over 12 months ago, when the hierarchy forked out a fee in the region of £8.5m for his services from Djurgarden.
Yet, swiftly said to possess “a first touch like Modric” by the Athletic’s JJ Bull, at the age of just 18 when he moved to England, the midfielder made an immediate impact during his debut campaign – racking up 45 appearances across all competitions.
Whilst he’s primarily a deep-lying option, he managed to net his first goal for the club in the Carabao Cup semi-final over Liverpool – but it was unable to catapult the side to the final.
The 2025/26 campaign has seen the youngster go from strength to strength, already featuring in ten outings under Frank and leading to Squawka describing him as “incredible”.
Bergvall has already added to his goalscoring tally, netting his first English top-flight effort in the recent 3-0 triumph over West Ham at the London Stadium.
Games played
6
Goals & assists
2
Pass accuracy
84%
Dribble success
70%
Tackles won
2.2
Duels won
5.2
Recoveries made
3.9
Shots taken
1.5
His underlying stats this season are just as impressive, making 2.2 tackles per 90 and winning 5.2 duels per 90 – subsequently showcasing his excellent ability to regain possession for the side, before transferring the ball into attacking areas for the likes of Kudus and Simons.
The Swede has also achieved an 84% pass completion rate, whilst also completing 70% of the dribbles he’s attempted – arguably being the perfect box-to-box option at the heart of the team.
At just 19, it’s scary to think about how impressive Bergvall can become in the years ahead, especially if he continues on the trajectory he’s put himself on in recent months.
There’s no disputing that Kudus and Simons will be excellent additions in the near future, but the move for Bergvall was a bargain and one that could go down as one of the best in their history if he reaches his full potential.