Postecoglou to lead clear-out
Spurs willing to move on up to seven first-team players Australian’s first priority will be to resolve future of Kane
Tottenham Hotspur’s 70-day hunt for a head coach ended yesterday when Ange Postecoglou agreed to become chairman Daniel Levy’s 11th permanent appointment.
Postecoglou, who won a domestic treble in what proved to be his final season in charge of Celtic, accepted the job after Julian Nagelsmann dropped out of the running and Arne Slot decided to stay at Feyenoord.
It is believed Postecoglou has agreed a contract that could run for three years and that he has cost Spurs less than £5million in compensation, with an announcement being prepared.
The biggest issue facing Postecoglou will be whether Harry Kane will be part of his squad, as Real Madrid join Manchester United in the race to sign the striker.
Levy is understood to remain determined to keep Kane, who he values at more than £100million, but Real are willing to test that resolve after losing Karim Benzema. Telegraph Sport understands that senior players at Real believe Kane is the best candidate to replace Benzema. The Spaniards are also interested in Chelsea’s Kai Havertz and Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez.
Postecoglou’s arrival is expected to precede a huge attempted clear-out as the club look to reshape the first-team squad.
Spurs are believed to be willing to let go as many as seven first-team players, led by captain Hugo Lloris and Ivan Perisic, in what could be a big summer of change.
The futures of Davinson Sanchez and Ryan Sessegnon are also in doubt, while Spurs have decided not to sign Arnaut Danjuma, who spent the second half of last season on loan at the club, while Clement Lenglet may be allowed to return to Barcelona.
Bids could also be listened to for Ben Davies or Eric Dier.
A disappointing campaign, in which Spurs finished eighth and missed out on qualification for Europe, is understood to have prompted a will to clear out a number of players this summer.
Spurs will also attempt to sell Giovani Lo Celso, Sergio Reguilon and Harry Winks, who spent last season out on loan, but have not made a decision on the future of midfielder Tanguy Ndombele. The Frenchman made 30 league appearances for Serie A champions Napoli during his loan spell last season.
Postecoglou, 57, permanently replaces Antonio Conte and becomes the latest man to try to end the club’s long trophy drought. The previous 10 permanent managers hired by Levy have won 62 trophies between them, with only one of those – the 2008 League Cup under Juande Ramos – coming at Spurs.
Postecoglou’s appointment takes that figure to 76, the Australian having won 14 trophies across spells with Celtic, Yokohama Marinos, the Australian national team, Brisbane Roar and South Melbourne.
Harry Kane
This is the big one for Ange Postecoglou. Tottenham Hotspur with Harry Kane is a much different job to Tottenham without him. There is no sign of the striker signing a new contract, so Spurs have the choice of cashing in or risk losing him for nothing next summer.
Chairman Daniel Levy is determined to keep hold of him, despite interest from Manchester United and Real Madrid. Were he forced to sell, then Levy would prefer to ship Kane to Spain, but the 29-year-old is thought to favour remaining in England and continuing to chase down the Premier League goalscoring record.
It seems the only way Kane will leave is if he is prepared to force the issue, having failed in an effort to join Manchester City two years ago. Can Postecoglou help convince the striker to give the club one last chance to match his ambition? Postecoglou will want clarity on the situation as quickly as possible.
Captaincy
With Hugo Lloris set to leave, Spurs must appoint a new club captain. As long as he does not follow the Frenchman out of the door, then this will be Kane, who is already vice-captain and wears the armband for his country.
The bigger decision for Spurs and Postecoglou will be who to make vice-captain or whether to have a more fluid leadership group under Kane.
Clear-out
Spurs are open to allowing up to seven first-team players, including Lloris and Ivan Perisic, leave this summer while a number who spent last season on loan away from Spurs will also be allowed to go. Interestingly, that might not include Tanguy Ndombele, who won Serie A during a season-long loan at Napoli.
Spurs will look to recoup fees for a number of them but may also be prepared to cut short a couple of contracts to create extra space in the squad and wage bill. Finishing eighth and missing out on European qualification has provided Spurs with a reset moment and the appointment of Postecoglou has demonstrated Levy is now prepared to go in a different direction.
Culture
This has arguably been Spurs’ biggest problem in recent years and is something Postecoglou must address. Antonio Conte was the latest manager to speak about attitudes within the club being all wrong, while the All or Nothing documentary gave an insight into what Jose Mourinho was up against.
For far too long,
Spurs players have believed they can outlast managers and have felt empowered to take their problems straight to Levy. It has been widespread within the club for years.
Postecoglou is a straight-talking Australian, who has forged a reputation for being able to communicate with his players and motivate them. The fact he is already known to chief football officer Scott Munn, who officially starts work on July 1, should be positive and their relationship, together with that of whoever is appointed sporting director, will be crucial.
Recruitment
One of the big successes of Postecoglou’s time at Celtic was his recruitment. Just about every signing proved a big success and provided fantastic value for money. Levy will be hoping that, with the help of a sporting director, he can work similar magic for Spurs.
Recruitment has been a huge problem for far too long, with the 2022 January transfer window providing the only real exception when Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski arrived from Juventus. Spurs cannot compete financially with Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea or, even, Newcastle United, so must find value in the market.
Supporters
Spurs had momentum when Mauricio Pochettino’s exciting team made a real connection with the fans but that has been lost. Never has there been such a big disconnect. A growing number of fans have joined the “Levy Out” campaign. Postecoglou might not be able to change opinions towards Levy, but must reconnect the team with the fans to regain any kind of serious momentum. The best way to do that will be to implement his brand of front-foot, entertaining football.