Tottenham Hotspur have opened talks with Brentford for Thomas Frank.

Discussions between the clubs over compensation are under way. Spurs have no second or third choice options. Frank is and has been the number one target by board members.

Frank is interested in taking the job and wants to speak to Spurs. Although Brentford do not wish to stand in his way if he wants to move to a bigger club, they do not plan to let him go on the cheap.

Brentford are prepared to listen to offers from Spurs but expect them to be serious ones.

Frank has a release clause in his contract, which has two years left to run. It is widely being reported to be in the region of £10m.

Frank is already known to Spurs technical director Johan Lange. They worked with each other in Denmark and have known each other many years.

Data forms a huge part of the work Lange does at Spurs in terms of recruitment, and the data on Frank is understood to be strong.

He has had Brentford performing way above their budget and resources in each of the seasons they have been in the Premier League.

After they recovered key players from injury last season, Brentford surged up the table and almost finished in a European place.

Postecoglou left Tottenham on Friday evening and Spurs have now moved quickly to replace him with Frank, who has a release clause in his contract. It is widely being reported to be in the region of £10m.

The 51-year-old has been in charge of Brentford since October 2018 and guided the west London club to the Premier League in 2021. Since promotion, Frank has guided Brentford to 13th, ninth, 16th and 10th in their four seasons in the top flight.

Along the way, he has taken every major club scalp at least once, beating Spurs’ bitter rivals Arsenal in his first game in the top flight and Chelsea away before the season was done.

The Bees thrashed Manchester United in their opening game of the following season and won away at Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham.

Frank has previously worked with Tottenham’s technical director Johan Lange, and was in the mix for the Aston Villa job while Lange was at Villa Park. They worked together at Danish side Lyngby.

Frank was also one of the names Manchester United considered before they stuck with Erik ten Hag in the summer of 2024 and then eventually sacked him to appoint Ruben Amorim.

Speaking to Sky Sports in August about Man Utd’s interest, Frank said of his future: “Maybe things will happen. I said the whole time I’m very happy here. If something new will happen, then I need to look at that and then I need to take a decision on that, but right now I’m just happy here.

“The interesting thing is I maybe have one of the best football jobs in the world. I mean that, because the work environment is so good. It’s such a good owner, it’s such a good club.”

“That’s the thing, do I like to try something in the future? Maybe, but it’s not like I need to try something bigger or better because what is better? Who knows?”

Flexible Frank can add layers to Angeball – but Spurs move a gamble

Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz:

When you sit down with Thomas Frank for a one-on-one chat or in a press conference, you always get honesty and insight rarely seen in the game.

For this journalist, the most recent meeting with the Dane was no different. It was late April for what could be Frank’s final one-on-one chat with Sky Sports as Brentford’s head coach. Given that context, there was one line that stood out.

“We’ve got patience at Brentford, which is a word that you probably can’t say in football. I think you need to have it,” Frank said.

Frank’s appreciation of patience makes his potential move to Tottenham a career gamble.

He arrives at a club where Postecoglou’s shadow, success and popularity loom large in the fanbase.

Frank also enters a Spurs dressing room who were public in their support for his predecessor. “Him continuing would be good for the dressing room,” said Pedro Porro about Postecoglou, while James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray all backed the Australian for a third season.

It begs the question: what do Spurs see in Frank – who has no experience managing Champions League football – that the popular Postecoglou could not deliver?

Read more about Frank’s philosophy and why his move is a risk here.

‘Tactically flexible Frank would be exceptional appointment’

Sky Sports News’ chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol:

“The only concern about Thomas Frank he hasn’t managed a club as big as Tottenham and he also hasn’t managed in the Champions League.

“What is really attractive about him is the fact that he is tactically flexible. He’s not stubborn, he’s not wedded to just one way of playing, and he’s done a fabulous job at Brentford.

“The people at Brentford would be prepared for his exit because he’s been on the shortlist of so many big clubs recently.

“I know he was on the shortlist for the Chelsea job last summer. He’s somebody who’s very highly regarded.

“I think he would be an exceptional appointment, but so would Marco Silva. He’s got Champions League experience from his time in Greece with Olympiakos.

“I don’t want to upset Crystal Palace fans, but if I was on the Tottenham board then I would’ve noticed the incredible job Oliver Glasner has done at Crystal Palace.

“He’s won the FA Cup, and he won the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt.”

What do Spurs fans think of Frank?

Spurs fan and podcaster Chris Cowlin on Sky Sports News: “Who is going to come in now and do a better job? If Thomas Frank was to come in, no Champions League experience is an interesting one. But he has done a very, very good job in the Premier League with limited resources. He has always developed players, brought a nice style, very kind in the media.”

Ash16: It’s the correct decision, and although Frank would be great for the league, I think Spurs need to focus on Edin Terzic. The ex-Borussia Dortmund boss has the experience in Europe that we would need. The trouble is, does Terzic want the job?

ArchieTash: How on earth is Thomas Frank a move in the right direction? What has he won?

J Part: Why sack Ange when he has won silverware? If so, a winner must be employed, not managers like Thomas Frank – ridiculous.

Joshuac: How is this a step in the right direction? Why not earlier, when ex-Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi was free for negotiations?

Sky Sports to show 215 live PL games from next season

From next season, Sky Sports’ Premier League coverage will increase from 128 matches to at least 215 games exclusively live.

And 80 per cent of all televised Premier League games next season are on Sky Sports.