What Tottenham must do in the next 19 days in regards to the Van de Ven Agreement, Kane’s future, and transfer departures
As Spurs get ready for their Premier League debut against Brentford, here is a look at what Daniel Levy and Tottenham need to achieve for Ange Postecoglou over the next 19 days.
With August quickly approaching, the 2023–24 Premier League season is getting closer and closer. Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham team is currently on a summer tour in Singapore and has three more friendlies scheduled before traveling to Brentford for their league debut.
On Wednesday, Lion City Sailors are the first opponent. Spurs then conclude their preseason schedule with two games in three days against Shakhtar Donetsk and Barcelona. The new manager has only seen his players in action once so far due to the abandonment of Sunday’s friendly against Leicester City due to a wet pitch in Bangkok, but he will have been working them incredibly hard in training and conveying his football philosophy as he bids for a fast start to the new term.
Tottenham has already been active in the transfer market this summer with the signings of Guglielmo Vicario, James Maddison, and Manor Solomon. Dejan Kulusevski also signed a permanent contract. In light of this, what precisely must Daniel Levy accomplish for Postecoglou before to the league opener on August 13? Below, football.london looks.
Recruit defenders
Levy needs to first sign two new center backs for Postecoglou. Spurs have not yet finalized a deal for a center-back, which is at the top of the club’s list of transfer objectives this summer. This has left everyone quite dissatisfied.
Spurs’ defense, which allowed 63 goals in the Premier League last season, was still readily apparent in the 3-2 friendly loss to West Ham, with all three of the Hammers’ goals being exceedingly terrible goals for Tottenham to concede. It needs to be fixed as soon as possible, and the chairman needs to make sure that the new center backs are in place for the final two friendlies since they will need time to adjust before the Brentford game.
The Lilywhites have discussed signing Micky van de Ven and Edmond Tapsoba with Wolfsburg and Bayer Leverkusen, respectively. They are also really interested in football particularly Tosin Adarabioyo of Fulham.There is a rising expectation in London that the north London club would submit a bid for the center-back.
In an ideal world, Tottenham can agree on deals for both Van de Ven and Tapsoba as they look to take their backline up to the next level. Quite whether that happens remains to be seen, though.
Spurs have got to do everything in their power to sign two new centre-backs or else the same old problems will impact Postecoglou at the start of the new season.
Resolve Kane future
Despite jetting off to Australia, Thailand and Singapore, Postecoglou and Tottenham cannot escape talk over a transfer exit for Harry Kane. The striker is now in the final year of his contract and his future is very much up in the air.
The club has three options: either sell him before the transfer deadline, agree on a new deal to keep him, or keep him in N17 and risk having him leave for nothing at the conclusion of the 2023–24 season. Bayern Munich has been quite outspoken about wanting to sign the England captain, but they would need to make Levy a sizable offer to even consider signing a transfer deal.
Football.london knows that the striker won’t sign a new contract with Spurs this summer, but he is still open to the possibility of doing so if he stays in N17 and the team is progressing under Postecoglou. Kane is willing to leave Spurs this summer should the club accept an offer, or seeing out his contract and leaving on a free transfer next year.
One way or another Postecoglou needs the situation resolving as it is currently overshadowing his pre-season preparations and will continue to have a major impact until his future is settled for good.
Hojbjerg is replaced
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is another regular for Tottenham who has been linked with a transfer before the new season. The Dane has been discussed in connection with a move to Spanish club Atletico Madrid. He has been a guaranteed starter in the team ever since his move from Southampton in 2020.
According to reports, Hojbjerg is willing to leave Tottenham this summer, and if that happens, the Lilywhites will need to find a successor. The 27-year-old is a leader for Tottenham, and while it may not be a natural match for Postecoglou’s system, it is a characteristic they cannot afford to lose given their current lack of leadership.
Hojbjerg, whose Transfermarkt value is £39 million, would bring in a hefty price for Tottenham, and Postecoglou may use it to bring in another player as he attempts to assemble his ideal Spurs midfield.
Transfer egresses
At the moment, Postecoglou has plenty of alternatives for his Tottenham team because 31 players are traveling with the team for preseason. The manager now has a team of 37 players after adding in Hugo Lloris, Fraser Forster, Ryan Sessegnon, Rodrigo Bentancur, Bryan Gil, and Troy Parrott, who were all abandoned at Hotspur Way.
Postecoglou cannot manage that many players, thus transfers must be made before the Brentford match. Players under the age of 21 must be put on a separate list because teams are only allowed to declare a squad of 25 players for the Premier League season. As a result, outgoings could reach double digits to reduce the squad size.
Questions loom over Hojbjerg, Gil, Kane, Sergio Reguilon, Davinson Sanchez, Ivan Perisic, Giovani Lo Celso, Joe Rodon, Djed Spence, Japhet Tanganga, and Tanguy Ndombele, to mention a few, since Lloris is expected to move for a new challenge abroad. As per normal, loan players will leave their current teams; Parrott, Dane Scarlett, and possibly Alfie Devine are candidates to play their football elsewhere in 2023–24.
Only Harry Winks leaving on a permanent basis before the new season, Postecoglou will have had a decent opportunity to assess the players at his disposal, so things might really pick up once the team returns from their summer vacation.
Choose a new captain.
A new player will wear the captain’s armband for the 2023–24 season and beyond as a result of Lloris’ expected summer departure. Due to his prior performance in the Frenchman’s absence, Kane will be expected to assume the responsibilities.
Prior to the match’s cancellation due to heavy rain in Bangkok, the striker led the club in their first preseason friendly against West Ham and was scheduled to do the same against Leicester. However, if Kane does depart this summer, Postecoglou will have a critical choice to make over Lloris’ replacement.
Prior to Tottenham’s first game against Brentford, the new captain will officially be announced.
