Following the conclusion of the 2024/25 season, Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the outgoing members of their senior men’s squad early today:
Alfie Whiteman, Fraser Forster, and Sergio Reguilon are the players to depart, with their contracts coming to an end, while Timo Werner’s loan has ended with Spurs obviously not too keen on a longer stay for the German at the club (I’m sure the feeling is mutual).
None of these departures are particularly surprising. Whiteman has never really sniffed the first team, with a couple of unsuccessful loans in recent years his only real senior football of note. An enigma of a man who loves cinema, music, and actually sent Dustin an email one time because he’s just that cool, it’s hard to say where his career takes him next; or if he’s seen enough of football and his future lies in other endeavors.
You could ask a similar question of Timo Werner in some ways; he was decent in his first half-season at the club, but in 24/25 just looked utterly devoid of confidence. It does make you wonder how a player that much in their own head continues in professional sport, but I’m sure he’ll head back to somewhere in Germany and lace up his boots again. All in all, it’s hard to imagine what could have been after his latest stint - not just in terms of Timo’s own performance, but what it could have meant in terms of alternative signings had the club looked elsewhere.
Fraser Forster had a bit of an ignominious end to his time at the club. A strange signing at the time (and seemingly an attempt by the club to increase homegrown numbers for cheap) he always seemed like a bit of a square peg in a round hole. Uncomfortable with the ball at his feet, he didn’t quite fit in a side trying to modernize their football, and this was no clearer than in Spurs’ 4-3 League Cup win over Manchester United where Forster nearly single-handedly gifted the Red Devils two goals while trying to play out from the back. That said, his physicality on set pieces and his shot stopping at times were excellent, and though he was quickly usurped by new signing Antonin Kinsky in January, he never complained as to his position in the squad and was always ready when called upon.
That leaves us with Sergio Reguilon. It’s hard to put your finger on exactly where it went wrong for the Spaniard; in some ways the exciting, athletic fullback seemed perfect suited for the Spurs way, and his career with the club started extremely well. Unfortunately, he started to struggle with injuries, and as his availability declined, so did his football. Sometimes mercurial in his defensive duties, he also really struggled with the interplay required in an attacking side, with his short passing especially poor and perhaps a reason why Ange Postecoglou opted not to rely on him unless absolutely desperate. He seemed content though to collect a paycheck, train hard, and commit himself to be Spurs’ unofficial “hype man” - often present cheering his squadmates on in matches, active on social media, and very visible in some of the post-Europa League trophy celebrations. What’s not to love?
There’s one interesting absence of note from that list: Ben Davies. His contract officially ended at the closure of this season as well, but there was an option with the club for a one-year extension, and reporting late last year indicated the club was looking to exercise said clause. That seems to fly in the face though of some of the rumors flying around in recent days linking Gentle Ben to Wrexham, so who knows what to believe. Perhaps the club has given Ben time to negotiate with the Welsh club, and if negotiations are unsuccessful, will sign him on for another year? He has been a faithful servant to the club for 11 years, and at this point has earned the choice of what he does next. It would be a sentimental move, albeit a much warranted one.
Farewell, then, to Fraser, Sergio, Alfie, and Timo. It’s a squad that makes a team, and so their contributions can’t be understated. Thank you for your service to the club, and all the best for whatever comes next - whether that be in football or outside.