Five Tottenham attackers who could lose their first-team spot under Thomas Frank - Opinion

Tottenham Hotspur now have a host of attacking options, which has its advantages, but some previously important players may have to settle for a place on the bench.

Tottenham may have faced setbacks in the summer transfer window, but there have been some positives. The Tottenham first-team squad has depth in most positions, particularly in attack.

This is good news for the team, but some individual players may not be too thrilled at the prospect of losing their position as a regular starter.

Here are five Spurs players who could lose their place in the Tottenham first-team under Thomas Frank:

Heung-min Son could lose his significance at Tottenham

Heung-min Son could have ended his Tottenham career on a high by leaving after the club’s Europa League triumph. However, Son has decided to remain at Spurs for another season. 

The Tottenham captain has been one of the first names on the team sheet for years, regardless of form. Even when he was far from his best last season, Son was still the preferred option on the left wing.

However, next season could be a different story, as Frank begins his three-year project. The former Brentford boss may prefer to give more game time to youngsters such as Mathys Tel and Mikey Moore.

It is certainly likely that if Son’s performances do not reach the standards he is set, he will be dropped to the bench. This has not been the case during his Spurs career, but with the Korean international now 33 years old, the pressure is on. After all, the only reason to continue playing someone who is past their prime is if they are still performing.

Dominic Solanke must do better for Spurs

While Son could be dropped for another current Tottenham player, the threat to Dominic Solanke’s spot in the first-team is less imminent.

Currently, he has little competition in the centre forward role, but according to reports, Yoane Wissa is interested in a move to Spurs. The Brentford goal machine netted 19 times in the Premier League last season, while Solanke struggled in front of goal.

The England striker may have impressed with his link-up play since joining from Bournemouth, but the star forward at a team like Tottenham should be scoring plenty. Even after Harry Kane left the club, both Son and Richarlison hit double digits for league goals scored the following season. Solanke has failed to replicate this achievement.

It could be pointed out that creativity was often lacking during Tottenham’s most recent league campaign, but Solanke was not without chances. If Spurs do manage to bring Wissa to North London, Solanke either needs to sort out his finishing, or risk being demoted to the bench.

James Maddison could be affected by a potential Tottenham signing

It is no secret that Spurs have been working hard to bring Morgan Gibbs-White to the club. According to the latest update, Tottenham are still confident of signing Gibbs-White, which is great news. However, this could be a huge blow for James Maddison.

Since arriving from Leicester City, Maddison has played a key role at Spurs, both as a player and a vice-captain. His value to the team during the last few months of the season was particularly evident, and there was great concern when he was ruled out of the Europa League final.

The problem with Maddison is that he is not the most consistent, which is one of the key reasons Thomas Tuchel continues to leave him out of the England squad. Gibbs-White, on the other hand, was selected in the most recent squad and even came off the bench at his home stadium during a 3-1 defeat to Senegal.

Should Gibbs-White join Tottenham, Maddison will have to bring his A game in the new season and put in the level of performances he delivered when he first arrived at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Of course, there is still a chance Frank opts to play two attacking midfielders, or looks to play Maddison in a deeper position, a role he has proven himself capable of playing.

Dejan Kulusevski is another Spurs player at risk

Like Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski is another player who has his ups and downs. Halfway through last season, he looked like Tottenham’s best player, but his performances in the latter half were sluggish and lethargic. An injury which kept him out for a month did not help, but the ‘Ginger from Sweden’ has had a few less-than-impressive patches over the past few years.

Many feel Kulusevski is better suited to playing as a midfielder than a winger, but with the potential arrival of Gibbs-White, his chances of landing a spot in this position would decrease. This would be especially true if Frank goes with the 4-2-3-1 formation he most recently used at Brentford.

Then, on the wing, Kulusevski now faces added competition from Mohammed Kudus. The former Hammer may not have registered the best goal contribution record last time out, but neither did Kulusevski. Costing £55m, there is clearly a reason Spurs sealed the deal for Kudus, and at that price, he would be expected to start a good few games. 

If Kulusevski plays the way he can, Frank will find it hard to justify any decision to bench him. However, the 25-year-old is not exactly known to consistently perform at a high level throughout the entire season. If Kulusevski does not pose an attacking threat, Frank is not short on options to replace him.

The hero in Bilbao could become the benchwarmer in Tottenham

Brennan Johnson has done a spectacular job of dividing the opinions of Tottenham supporters. His goalscoring ability was essential last season, considering Solanke was not firing in the final third. However, even with his 11 league goals and a match-winning effort in the Europa League final, Johnson is far from safe as a starting player at Spurs.

Calling the Welshman a first-team starter is already debatable, considering he only started 23 Premier League matches last season, whilst making a further nine appearances off the bench. With the arrival of Kudus, this figure could be even lower in the upcoming campaign.

Johnson certainly has good runs of form in front of goal, but he does have a tendency to go missing when he is not at his best. Too often, he does not show for the ball and coasts through matches. Therefore, it is easy to see how he could be the second or even third choice on the right wing. 

Frank is used to the luxury of having Bryan Mbeumo on the right flank, a player who was even more clinical than Johnson last season and who knew how to perform during the full 90 minutes. For Johnson to start matches under Frank, he needs to prove he has more to offer than goals alone.

READ MORE – Thomas Frank reveals Tottenham injury news on Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison

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