Thomas Frank reveals Tottenham tried hard to sign Antoine Semenyo before his Man City move and admits his squad is weaker now.

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank spoke ahead of Sunday’s Premier League showdown with Manchester City, as Tottenham prepare to face the reigning champions for the first time since their surprise 2-0 win at the Etihad Stadium in August.

Tottenham head into the fixture under pressure, having struggled badly at home this season, with only bottom club Wolves collecting fewer Premier League points on their own turf.

Turning that form around against City represents a daunting challenge.

Frank confirmed that Tottenham made a serious push to sign Antoine Semenyo earlier this month, only to see the forward opt for a £65 million move to Manchester City instead.

“I can promise that the Lewis family is super committed to this project,” Frank said. “There is no doubt the club wanted to sign Semenyo. They did everything, and that shows how committed they are. That’s the level of player we are trying to bring in to improve the squad.”

When asked directly whether Tottenham are now weaker than they were at the start of the January window, Frank gave a candid assessment of the situation.

“I think that’s fair,” he admitted. “We lost six or seven players, which is crazy. Some of those losses were extremely unlucky, like Lucas and Ben. Of course, we’re weaker than we were on January 1.”

Tottenham currently sit 14th in the table and are out of the title picture, but the City clash carries added intrigue given the wider title race involving North London rivals Arsenal.

Frank dismissed any suggestion that Tottenham fans might tolerate defeat if it damages Arsenal’s position, insisting the focus remains firmly on his own side.

“I understand the conflict, but it’s all about us,” he said. “The fans will support the team, and if we perform well and beat City, that’s what matters. We’ll do everything we can to put in a top performance.”