Thomas Frank’s start to life at Tottenham Hotspur has certainly been an impressive one, as seen by his side’s current Premier League standing in 2025/26.
The Lilywhites currently sit third in England’s top-flight, after losing just two of the first nine outings – even keeping four clean sheets during such a period.
His men have been just as impressive at the opposite end of the field, as seen by their tally of 17 goals in the first nine matches, with Mohammed Kudus having a huge bearing on such a record.
The Ghanaian has made an immediate impact after his £55m switch from West Ham United, subsequently registering one goal and four assists in the league to date.
However, despite his impressive start to life in North London, he may have a long way to go until he makes the list of the Lilywhites’ best additions within the last decade.
Spurs’ best additions over the last decade
Over the last few years, Spurs have made numerous high-profile additions to help the first-team squad mount a challenge for a Premier League title challenge.
Cristian Romero was brought into the club on loan in the summer of 2021, but would move to North London on a permanent basis 12 months later for a reported £42.5m.
Such a deal may have seemed to be an expensive one, but three years on, it could go down as one of the Lilywhites’ best over the last few years, given his impact in North London.
The Argentine has brought a needed steel to the club’s backline, racking up a total of 133 appearances across all competitions – even being named as part of the current leadership group.
However, Heung-min Son will no doubt take top spot for Spurs’ best addition in the last decade, with the South Korean exceeding all expectations during his spell in the Premier League.
The hierarchy paid £22m for his signature from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2015, an absolute bargain given his total of 454 appearances in North London.
He would score on 173 occasions during his decade-long spell with the Lilywhites, with such a tally putting him fourth in the club’s all-time goalscoring charts.
From solo goals against Burnley and incredible long-range strikes against North London rivals Arsenal, he was capable of the spectacular and handing the fanbase moments to last a lifetime.
Son was even a part of the club’s Europa League-winning campaign in 2024/25, with such an achievement undoubtedly cementing his place as a Lilywhites icon.
The player who could be Frank’s answer to Son
After such success in Europe, Son decided to call time on his Spurs career, leaving in the recent transfer window to join MLS outfit LAFC in a deal worth a total of £20m.
The South Korean international left for a net loss of just £2m from the fee forked out for his signature – further highlighting the incredible business done by the Lilywhites hierarchy.
The decision meant that current boss Frank was unable to have the opportunity to work with the iconic forward, which has often left him without a settled left-winger.
Wilson Odobert, Brennan Johnson and Xavi Simons have all operated in such a position over the last few weeks – but none have managed to clinch the faith of the boss in the role.
However, that could change in the years ahead, with the club already having a superb young talent within their ranks in the form of teenager Hyeok-min Yang.
The 19-year-old joined the Lilywhites from Gangwon FC back in January, undoubtedly being brought into the club for the future years rather than the present.
It’s evident he already possesses bags of talent, with the youngster scoring 12 times in his 38 appearances for his homeland club, prior to his switch to England earlier this year.
However, in order to gain familiarity with the demands of English football, he’s been sent on various loans in the Championship – currently spending the 2025/26 campaign with Portsmouth.
Yang may only have featured in seven league outings to date, but he’s already made an immediate impact with Pompey, registering two goals and one assist in England’s second tier.
Games played
7
Goals & assists
3
Pass accuracy
79%
Touches in opposition box
4.7
Fouls won
1.8
Recoveries made
5.3
Shots on target
1.1
Chances created
1.4
His impressive form on the South Coast has led to Korean analyst Jason Lee stating that the teenager is just “like Son Heung-min” – huge praise indeed given his compatriot’s achievements in North London.
Yang’s underlying stats at Fratton Park further indicate how impressive he’s been in 2025/26, with the winger ranking in the top 18% of players for goals per 90.
Other tallies such as 1.8 fouls won and 4.7 touches in the opposition per 90, showcase the danger he poses to the backlines in the Championship, even despite being just 19.
There’s no denying that he has a long road ahead of him before he makes an impact in North London, but there’s no disputing that he could be a real asset to the club in years to come.
Should he get anywhere near the levels produced by his compatriot in the Premier League, Yang will be a force to be reckoned with and potentially help catapult Frank’s men to yet more silverware in the near future.