Thomas Frank hopes grow for Tottenham amid exit claims as speculative report tips five Brentford stars to follow him

Tottenham hopes of appointing Thomas Frank into their managerial vacancy have been boosted amid claims the Dane is ready to quit and move to a bigger club this summer.

The 49-year-old took charge of the Bees in 2018 after being promoted from his assistant manager’s role in the wake of Dean Smith’s departure to Aston Villa. And under his leadership, the south-west London club have enjoyed a meteoric rise.

After narrowly missing promotion via the play-offs in 2020, Brentford secured promotion the following year after a 2-0 play-off final victory over Swansea at Wembley. Having finished in an impressive 13th in their first season in the Premier League, the Bees look comfortably on course to better that this season.

Indeed, they could even make a late charge for the European places with the club currently sat eighth and having lost just five games all season.

Understandably, Frank’s efforts have seen him earn widespread acclaim; as a result also being linked with a series of other jobs. And while he recently signed a new deal to keep him at the Gtech Community Stadium until 2027, he continues to see his name linked elsewhere.

Indeed, with Tottenham in the hunt for a new manager, Frank is one of the candidates seemingly on their wanted list.

Frank is one of a number of options Spurs are reportedly exploring. Their No 1 choice is Julian Nagelsmann, though a surprise clause may yet see Daniel Levy forced to look elsewhere.

Frank himself recently insisted he was happy at Brenford and not looking to move on amid speculation at the time that Antonio Conte was on borrowed time.

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Thomas Frank ready to quit Brentford

And now the Italian has gone, reports in his native Denmark are again talking up his prospects.

Claims he is ready to move elsewhere come from Troels Bager Thogersen, the editor of Danish outlet Tipsbladet.

And Thogersen believes there is a strong chance Frank could look to move on this summer.

“This summer, Thomas Frank will move to a bigger club than the Brentford he works for right now,” Thogersen said.

“For the second Premier League season in a row, Brentford are exceeding all expectations. It is really, really nice to be in the best half here, where we can glimpse the end of the season. But now is also the time to move on.

“It cannot continue as it has gone. The key players are starting to be sold to other Premier League clubs. It simply cannot be avoided when you are the smallest of all 20 teams in the league.

“Although Brentford are extremely skilled in their recruitment and actually get more out of this Smartodds work than FC Midtjylland has done here in recent years, it cannot continue. It is almost mathematically impossible.

“So, it is now time for Thomas Frank to move on to a bigger club.”

Five Brentford stars tipped to follow Frank to Tottenham

Were Frank to make the move, speculation will grow that a number of Brentford stars could follow him across London.

Indeed, goalkeeper David Raya has already been strongly linked with a move to Spurs this summer. The Spaniard’s deal expires in 2024 and he’s already made clear his aims at playing at a higher level.

With Hugo Lloris likely to leave, a move for Raya certainly ticks a lot of boxes for Tottenham.

However, the Daily Express suggest the names of four other Bees stars who could be tempted to follow suit.

And they claim Ivan Toney will likely be their No 1 target, particularly if Harry Kane departs this summer.

The 27-year-old is the highest scoring Englishman in the Premier League after Kane. And it looks increasingly tough for Brentford to continue holding on to his services.

In addition, they suggest impressive Bees defender Kristoffer Ajer would also likely be targeted. He’s become a cornerstone of their backline since a switch from Celtic in 2021.

Furthermore, the report claims two other Bees stars who often go under the radar could also follow Frank. And both Mathias Jensen and Bryan Mbuemo have been key players for Brentford since promotion.

Of course deals for all those appear unlikely. But swoops for Raya to start with and potentially Ajer certainly look feasible.

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