Will Tottenham challenge for the top 4 under new boss Ange Postecoglou?

Ange Postecoglou was confirmed as Tottenham’s new permanent manager in early June. The Australian signed a four year contract with Spurs after a compensation package was agreed with Celtic. Postecoglou made history during his time in Scotland as he led Celtic to two Scottish titles and a treble, so he certainly arrives in North London with solid pedigree.

Postecoglou won’t officially start work at Tottenham until July 1st, but he’s already working hard behind the scenes to reshape his squad ahead of his first season in the Premier League. The 57-year-old has favoured an attacking 4-3-3 formation throughout his managerial career and is known for his aggressive high pressing style of play, so he should be warmly welcomed by the Tottenham faithful if he can get Spurs back playing with passion again.

Tottenham endured a hugely disappointing campaign last season that saw Antonio Conte sacked as manager in late March following a public bust-up with the club and it’s players. His assistant, Cristian Stellini, failed to turn things around and was swiftly dismissed after only a handful of games in charge as an interim manager. Ryan Mason was given the job until the end of the season but he didn’t do much better as Tottenham limped to an eighth placed finish, missing out on European qualification.

It’s safe to say we’re going to see plenty of changes at Spurs this summer as Postecoglou rebuilds the squad he’s inherited and fans are excited about what the future holds once again. Season ticket sales are strong at Tottenham and supporters are already looking to buy tickets on Seatsnet ahead of their opening Premier League match against Brentford in August. There is a buzz of excitement and anticipation around White Hart Lane again as fans prepare for a new start under Postecoglou, but the key to success may lie in their transfer dealings over the coming months.

Rebuild

Postecoglou has wasted no time in reshaping his squad and has already brought in three new signings. Dejan Kulusevski enjoyed an impressive loan spell at Spurs after joining from Juventus, and the Londoners opted to make the move permanent earlier this month. Tottenham agreed a knock-down deal worth around £25m which should prove to be excellent business by chairman Daniel Levy. Kulusevski provided seven goals and 15 assists in his 48 appearances for Tottenham, and at just 23 years old, he’s only going to get better.

A new goalkeeper was seen as a priority for Spurs after Hugo Lloris endured a tough campaign last season. The Frenchman has been an excellent servant for Spurs but his best days are behind him and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him leave this summer. David Raya was widely touted as Tottenham’s first choice target to replace Lloris between the sticks. However, Brentford refused to lower their £40m valuation despite the fact the goalkeeper has just 12 months left on his contract.

Guglielmo Vicario emerged as a surprise target and Tottenham moved swiftly to agree a £16m deal with Empoli for his signature. The 26-year-old sealed his move to North London last week and he’ll now hope to impress in pre-season training to establish himself as Tottenham’s new No.1 ahead of the new season. Playing in the Premier League may be a step-up for the young Italian, but he’s showed huge potential during his time in Serie A so he could turn out to be a good piece of business for Spurs if he settled in England.

Tottenham also needed more creativity in their squad. They identified James Maddison as their prime target and managed to get a deal wrapped-up swiftly with Leicester City this week. Maddison completed his medical and agreed personal terms, and was unveiled as a Tottenham player on Wednesday night. The fee is reportedly just £40m, which sounds ridiculously cheap for an England international is his prime years.

Maddison has been one of Leicester’s key players in recent seasons, and provided 55 goals and 41 assists in 203 appearances for them since joining from Norwich City. With stats like that, the 26-year-old will certainly add some much-needed creativity to this Tottenham squad and he should be a superb addition to Postecoglou’s squad.

Keep Kane

Tottenham have three new signings in the door and more expected to follow, but perhaps the most important piece of business will be keeping hold of Harry Kane. The striker is entering the last year of his contract and is showing no sign he’ll commit his future to the club. Manchester United have been strongly linked but Levy is determined not to sell to a direct rival. Bayern Munich are the latest club to express their interest and they’ve reportedly tested the water with an opening £60m bid. It was rejected immediately but Bayern are expected to try again, and Kane is reportedly open to the idea of moving to Germany.

Obviously he’ll win trophies if he joined Bayern, and they’d be a serious contender for the Champions League once again. However, Kane has made no secret of his desire to break Alan Shearer’s goal-scoring record here in England, so it will be interesting to see how things play out. Tottenham reportedly want £100m to sell this summer, but Man Utd are the only realistic suitors in the Premier League and they are unlikely to meet Levy’s asking price. That leaves Kane with the option to move abroad or stay at Tottenham for at least one more year.

By the time his contract expires next summer he’ll almost be 31 years old, so would he still be able to command a big move to the likes of Bayern, Madrid or Man Utd at that age? This could be his last chance to secure a big move, but Tottenham will do all they can to persuade him to stay and sign a new contract.

Top 4?

Tottenham have made some solid signings, and are expected to be very busy over the coming weeks rebuilding their squad. They don’t have enough to finish in the top four just yet as the likes of Man City, Arsenal, Man Utd, Liverpool, Newcastle and Chelsea are all strengthening this summer, too.

However, if Spurs can keep Kane and bring in two or three more quality signings, then Postecoglou would have a good squad to work with. If the players buy in to his tactics straight away and the squad develops a strong bond, then Spurs may surprise a few people this season. It’s easy to forget they finished fourth in 2022, and with Kane and Hueng-min Son in attack they still have one of the best forward lines in the league. If Postecoglou can sort their defence and midfield out, then Tottenham could be serious challengers for the top four this season.