Tottenham Hotspur have a big summer ahead. They’ve already sold Harry Winks to Leicester City for £10m and released Lucas Moura, while Arnaut Danjuma has gone back to Villarreal after a disappointing loan spell.
It’s clear that Ange Postecoglou is keen to remove all of the deadwood from the club. For too long, Spurs have stood still with players who are happy to pick up a wage for little contribution. They’ve also been in need of a reset for some time. Since Mauricio Pochettino took them to the Champions League final, they’ve stagnated.
This transfer window could see an exodus of ten players, all of whom have failed to drag the team forward. The biggest name is World Cup winner and club captain Hugo Lloris has been there since 2012, but has just one year left on his current deal. Spurs are looking for an upgrade to the 36-year-old in the goalkeeping area and he could depart this summer in order to make way for the new blood.
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Along with him, wide man Ivan Perisic is on the chopping block after the departure of his main supporter Antonio Conte. He is also the wrong side of 30 and Postecoglou, used to playing a 4-3-3 system isn’t keen on using wing-backs which makes the Croatian a likely candidate to depart.
Also with Perisic's departure, Spurs are also looking to revamp their full-back positions. Ben Davies, Ryan Sessegnon and Sergio Reguilon could all depart according to the Daily Telegraph which would see the new manager have to bring in a new left-back to suit his system. Sessegnon certainly has the most potential but Nottingham Forest are reportedly interested in bringing him to the City Ground and an offer may be too good to refuse for the 23-year-old.
Other defenders that could be sold this summer include Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez, two players whose current contract also expire next summer. This presents the last chance for Spurs to make some money back on their investments before they can leave on a free transfer.
With Winks already gone, Giovani Lo Celso’s future is also uncertain as he has failed to make the desired impact in north London. He has two years left on his contract but would draw a fair amount of interest if Spurs became open to offers. Danjuma certainly won’t be returning after his failed loan, but Tottenham do have an interest in bringing Clement Lenglet back to north London - although he is expected to start pre-season in Barcelona.
Then we come to the big one: Harry Kane. His future is still uncertain although he looks unlikely to sign a new deal either way. Unlike the others, he is the one player Spurs desperately cannot afford to lose, but if he departs this summer, it will truly mark the start of a new era.
If Postecoglou can shed the deadwood, he will open up opportunities for plenty of new signings, and he should raise a few million in transfer fees which will please Daniel Levy no end. Those nine players that could depart are thought to earn around £500k a week in total, which would open up a world of opportunities in the transfer market.
With no European football and little expectation this term, Postecoglou could have a completely blank slate to work with. The Spurs rebuild has already begun, and they have the perfect man in charge to oversee it. The Australian will wield the axe during this transfer window, and Spurs will be better for it.
*18+ | BeGambleAware
