Tottenham started last season spectacularly and sat on top of the Premier League after going unbeaten in their opening 10 games. Alas, it could not last.
Defeat to Chelsea in November ended that remarkable run for Ange Postecoglou’s side and an injury crisis exposed the squad’s shortcomings as Spurs lost four of the next five matches.
And five defeats in the last seven games of the season put paid to Tottenham’s hopes of a place in the Champions League, with Aston Villa taking fourth place to leave Spurs reflecting on a campaign which had started so well but ultimately fizzled out in disappointing fashion. So where do the Lilywhites go from here?
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Tottenham’s dream transfer window: What’s the priority this summer?
Tottenham made some excellent signings last summer following the arrival of Ange Postecoglou as manager, with Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven and James Maddison all impressing under the Australian.
Postecoglou is probably still a couple of players away from ideal XI and despite the signing of young midfielders Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray, top priority this summer is probably still another midfielder.
It is well documented that Postecoglou is a fan of Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher and with contract talks with the Blues having hit an impasse and the west London club likely needing to sell players this summer, the England midfielder could finally end up heading across the capital to sign for Spurs.
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Atalanta’s Ederson, Everton’s Amadou Onana and Manchester United’s Scott McTominay have been named as possible alternatives if Gallagher opts to stay at Stamford Bridge or decides that he cannot move to one of his club’s fiercest rivals this summer.
Summer sales in N17
It was clear during Tottenham’s injury crisis last season that many of the fringe players at Spurs are either not up to scratch or not suited to Postecoglou’s playing style. And the Australian admitted towards the end of the campaign that there would be a number of departures in the summer.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is closing in on a move to Marseille, while Ryan Sessegnon was released at the end of his contract in June and record signing Tanguy Ndombele’s was terminated by mutual consent as he joined Nice.
Richarlison could me the most high-profile player to leave Spurs this summer, with the Brazil forward having struggled with injuries in his two seasons at the club. The former Everton favourite is attracting interest from the Saudi Pro League.
Midfielder Giovani Lo Celso, right-back Emerson Royal and winger Bryan Gil are also expected to be sold, while defender Joe Rodon has made his move to Leeds United permanent for £10 million and striker Troy Parrot has joined AZ Alkmaar for around £6.7m.
Will a Harry Kane replacement finally arrive?
Harry Kane played for Tottenham in pre-season last year, scoring four goals against Shakhtar Donetsk in a friendly, but left for Bayern Munich shortly before the start of the new campaign.
The England captain was not replaced, with Son Heung-min and Richarlison both used centrally in 2023/24, but the South Korean is not at his best in that position and the Brazilian struggled for fitness and goals.
One year on from Kane’s exit, Spurs seem to be prioritising the arrival of a striker this time around. Feyenoord’s Mexican forward Santiago Gimenez is one reported target, along with Brentford’s Ivan Toney, Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy, RB Leipzig’s Lois Openda and Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres. They might not be quite up to Kane’s standard, but signing a specialist striker seems wise.
What about a centre-back?
Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero are hugely popular players with Tottenham fans and their central defensive partnership is excellent. However, the Dutchman is prone to injury and the Argentine regularly suspended.
Spurs signed Radu Dragusin last January and the Romanian is likely to continue as back-up in 2024/25, but Postecoglou has admitted he would like to bring in another centre-back this summer.
Centre-backs Eric Dier, Joe Rodon and Japhet Tanganga have all recently left Spurs and Postecoglou said in April: “If you’re saying ‘is it an area we can strengthen?’ Yes it’s an area we will probably look at.”
Specifically, Spurs would like a left-sided centre-back. Tosin Adarabioyo was linked before leaving Fulham, but has since signed for Chelsea. Interestingly, midfielders Archie Gray and Oliver Skipp have been playing at centre-back in pre-season. The ever-dependable Ben Davies is also experienced cover across the back line.
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Tottenham have made contact for French wonderkid – who has received public backing from Thierry Henry, while the north Londoners are in the ‘final stages’ of completing major summer signing.
They’re also keen on hijacking an Arsenal transfer, whose move to the Emirates Stadium still hasn’t crossed the line.
Meanwhile, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is close to a Tottenham exit as a move to French side Marseille nears completion.