Spurs fans were partying in the streets of North London after beating Man Utd 1-0 in the Europa League final last year. Ten months later, they're staring down the barrel of relegation following a less than satisfactory season thus far.
Two coaches have already been sacked, and the Spurs stats for this season make grim reading: no league wins in 2026, 13 successive league games without a victory, and a team sitting just one point above the relegation zone, it's not been a fruitful campaign.
The newly appointed Manager, Roberto de Zerbi will have his work cut out in the remaining games, but there's a possibility that Spurs will see a new manager bounce at the right time to keep them in the Premier League.
However, the season will end eventually, and when it does, Spurs will need to rebuild. Whether that's in the Premier League or the Championship remains to be seen, but the process will be broadly the same: identify the players worth keeping, move on those who aren't up to scratch, and make some shrewd additions in the transfer market.
Rebuilding The Squad
The Keepers
Spurs should rebuild their defence around Micky van de Ven. He's just 24, and he has the pace and composure to develop into one of the world's best centre-backs. The red card against Crystal Palace was a low point, but his talent is undeniable. Provided they stay up, the club must do everything in their power to keep him.
Destiny Udogie and Pedro Porro are both worth keeping. They're young and dynamic, and they could thrive under Roberto De Zerbi. Teenage stars Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall have shown glimpses of real quality too. They have the potential to develop into elite midfielders.
Dejan Kulusevski's injury record is poor, but Spurs have badly missed his creativity this season. He should also be central to any rebuild if he can prove his fitness.
Conor Gallagher has only just joined, and he should stay, while Xavi Simons, Mathys Tel and Mohammed Kudus deserve a chance to prove themselves â again, provided we stay up.
The Question Marks
It might be time to move Cristian Romero on in the summer. The Spurs captain is a ferocious competitor on his day, but he's too inconsistent, and his disciplinary record is abysmal. If a Spanish heavyweight makes a bid, Spurs should cash in.
James Maddison is another player that could be on the chopping block. He's brilliant when he's fit, but unfortunately, he's very injury-prone. Spurs can't keep both Maddison and Kulusevski, so it might be time to put him on the market.
Dominic Solanke is in a similar boat. He arrived with a big reputation, but he's only scored 12 league goals since joining the club in the summer of 2024. Much may depend on what the new manager thinks of him. Ditto Djed Spence and Wilson Odobert.
Who Should Go?
The list of departures should be extensive. Spurs on course for another pitiful points tally, and most of the players aren't up to the required standards.
. Guglielmo Vicario has had an alarming drop in form, and it's time to sell the error-prone keeper to an Italian club. Antonin Kinsky has also looked shaky, so he could go out on loan.
. Radu Dragusin often looks out of his depth. He's on big wages and is contracted until 2030, so he'll be hard to shift, but he shouldn't be a starter at a club with Spurs' ambitions.
. Richarlison is the team's top scorer this season, but his overall return has been modest, and he also has a bad disciplinary record. If an offer comes in, it would be wise to accept.
There seems little appetite to make Joao Palhinha's loan move permanent. Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr have all underperformed and could be moved on. Randal Kolo Muani has a few admirers on the continent, and he could also go.
How Can Spurs Rebuild?
The squad is clearly in need of a major overhaul. It won't be easy to move on more than a dozen players, but we clearly need to be very active in the summer.
Of course, avoiding relegation will make things much easier. Simons, Gallagher, Tel, Porro and Spence could all flourish under De Zerbi. The Italian coach loves intelligent, versatile forwards, so Kulusevski should fit right in. Players that rely more on physicality than technique will need to move on, so Bissouma's days could be numbered. The same is true of Bentancur and Richarlison.
Recruitment has been woeful for the past few years, so we need to be much smarter when dipping into the market. In an ideal world, Spurs will stay up and then bolster the squad with proven Premier League players like Bart Verbruggen, Adam Wharton and Andy Robertson.
Yet they'll probably need to look overseas for most of their signings. Exciting talents like Nico Paz, Samu Aghehowa, Kenan Yildiz, Edmond Tapsoba and Johnny Cardoso could be available for the right price. Man City may also be rebuilding, so Spurs could try to sign Omar Marmoush or Savinho.
The main priorities are a new goalkeeper, a strong centre-back, a holding midfielder with an eye for a pass, and a prolific striker. If they can get those four transfers right and bring in some more exciting youngsters to complement the likes of Gray and Bergvall, Spurs could return to competing at the top of English football.
. The views expressed in this article are not necessarily those of the webmaster
Follow @spursodyssey