Spurs Edge Closer to Souza Swoop as Payment Terms Remain Sticking Point

Tottenham's defensive reinforcements appear to be edging closer to completion, with Fabrizio Romano confirming that an agreement with Santos over teenage left-back Souza is nearly wrapped up. The north London side have already settled personal terms with the 18-year-old and his representative Bertolucci, whilst also agreeing the deal structure with the Brazilian club for €15m. The sole remaining hurdle? How the money gets paid.

Spurs' push for fresh faces comes amid a torrid run that has yielded just three victories in their last 13 outings—a sequence that has left boss Thomas Frank fighting for his future. Wednesday's 3-2 capitulation to Bournemouth only intensified the pressure, yet the club are clearly determined to bolster their options in this window.

Souza, despite his youth, has already clocked up 38 senior appearances for Santos and established himself as one of Brazilian football's brightest emerging talents.

Beyond the teenage prospect, Tottenham are keeping close tabs on Brentford's Kevin Schade ahead of the summer window. According to German journalist Florian Plettenberg, the winger is likely to depart the Gtech Community Stadium after the World Cup, with Spurs among several clubs tracking his progress. Brentford's valuation sits between €50–60m (£52m), though the Bees remain keen to extend his contract beyond 2028 and keep him in West London.

Frank has previously been linked with several of his former charges at Brentford, including Igor Thiago and Nathan Collins, as he looks to reshape the squad.

The manager himself has suggested he retains the backing of the board to turn things around. "We work hard every single day to make sure we perform well," he explained, highlighting the importance of the upcoming FA Cup tie against Villa. "The tournament is very important for the fans—we've won it eight times in our history. This is a tough spell, we will get through this."

He acknowledged the need for attacking improvements, adding: "We definitely want to do more from an attacking point of view. We have scored enough goals."