With Daniel, it seemed to catch everyone by surprise, what does it mean for you and the club going forward in regards to transfers?

Thomas: “I would say it’s nothing that I expected. I don’t think anyone expected it. A decision is made. We move forward. I think transfers going forward, of course, need to be, how can you say, not reconstructed, because that’s not the right word. It was very clear how the roles were, let’s say, for this window. There’s some things Daniel is involved in, somethings he’s not involved in or was involved in. So that just needs to be changed a little bit. I don’t see it as a big thing, definitely not impacting me too much that we find out what kind of players we’d like to get, and then someone needs to find out to negotiate that.”

Does that mean you sound like you maybe want a bigger say, possibly, in some of the new targets you’d like to bring in? Is that fair?

Thomas: “No, I don’t think that’s fair. I think that’s quite unfair. I think this window, I only experienced a good collaboration between me, Daniel, Vinai and Johan, where we were agreeing on what kind of targets we went for. So, I expect the same going forward.”

You left Mathys Tel out of your Champions League squad. You called him, but I was just wondering if you could explain why you’ve done it and what you said to him?

“First of all, that was an extremely difficult decision to make. I also think, in many ways, it was a bit unfair. I also think that the UEFA Champions League lists are not big enough. We know the load on the players is getting bigger and bigger. We have said it many times, we are hopefully playing 60-plus games. That’s without international games. So, some of them can be involved in up to 70 games. So, I think that we need probably a bigger squad. I can’t understand why we need to limit ourselves. I actually like the idea of the club-trained players. I think it’s a good thing, every team needs to develop their own players. So, I think that’s good. Of course, that limits us a little bit as it stands. Hopefully, we get it after that, but because we had a less number, I had to make a decision now instead of making a decision before a team selection. Before I name, for example, I name 20 or 23 players tomorrow. For Champions League, you can name even more. So anyway, the squad you’re naming before every game, it’s, you know, performance, all that. Now I need to name it before I really know Mathys, and I think he’s done well. I just had to take a tough decision.  I think he’s been extremely mature. He’s 20-years-old. The way he handled it, the way he trains, everything about him, extremely impressive.”

With Xavi and Randal Kolo Muani, they’re very versatile players, have you got in your mind yet where you see them performing on the pitch for you more often than not? 

Thomas: “I have some ideas. I think it’s still a team I’m learning. I get to know better and better. Of course, I have key ideas, but, you know, something is to look from the outside, another thing is to, as I say, feel them. You’re around them. You speak to them. You watch them live, training, games. You watch the game back with, like, a very specific view.  And then I have some ideas how I want to do it, and then you get surprised. Okay, that could look good, and other times you need to change a bit. So, I learn about the team and the players. Xavi, I see him mainly as a 10 or a left-sided player or left winger. Whereas Kolo, I see he can him playing as striker and he can play both wings, I would say.”

Dominic Solanke, this ankle injury has been going on since the summer, how are you dealing with it and is there the potential to have surgery down the line?

Thomas: “I think right now we are doing everything we can, the medical team doing everything they can, to get on top of it and that’s what we’re focusing on. I get a feeling he is not too far away, but he’s just fallen short for this week.”

You said you would name your leadership group after transfer window, have you?

Thomas: “It’s a big note on my paper and I need to do that. The answer is no. Very honest!”

Kolo Muani coming in, how do you reflect on the transfer window as a whole, four real quality players in, would you have looked more?

Thomas: “I would say I am really happy with the squad. I think the club has done a very good job and the club is especially Daniel and Johan. Of course there is Vinai but Daniel and Johan are the two main guys that have been the drivers of it. I think actually it is very impressive with what they’ve been doing and how committed they have been to improving the squad. I think it is two big signings Kudus and Xavi Simons, two top players I am convinced will help us massively, and then we have two very good loan deals on two other good top players. Yeah, I’m pleased with the squad.”

The whole world found out on that Thursday around 6pm that Daniel Levy was leaving – when did you find out? I’m guessing it wasn’t the notification on X?

Thomas: “No, no (smiles). I was of course involved but it was not early, early. It is something between the shareholders and CEO and then they informed us who would take care of the football side of things at the right time.”

Is it business as usual as Vinai says? Was he who you dealt with before anyway and how much did you speak with Daniel Levy on a day-to-day basis?

Thomas: “I would say the whole idea of getting Vinai is was to have a day-to-day person to speak to and I speak a lot with Vinai, but he’s like the CEO and then there is Johan, who is the technical director. So, with all due respect, I think I speak more football with him (Lange) which is the way it should be. Then of course because Daniel has been so integral and such a big part of Tottenham, of course it was natural I had conversations with him.”