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Ange Postecoglou is preparing for a busy summer transfer window and a Bayern Munich free agent is on his radar
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Tottenham Hotspur are looking to bolster their squad ahead of their return to the Champions League, and could bring back a Premier League great back to England’s top flight for free in the process. Ange Postecoglou was clear that he’s prioritising experience at the top level of European football on his summer shopping list, as he looks to fulfill his promise that season three will be better than season two.
"If we do some good business in the transfer market, obviously bring some experience in, I'm not talking about age, I'm talking about players who have played at this level and can help the team, then I've got no doubt we can make the impact we want," Postecoglou told reporters.
"Not just us but any club that gets into the Champions League, I think understands that. It's the most elite competition in Europe and it's a great demand.
"So I think every club that gets into the Champions League sees it as an opportunity to strengthen with experience, players who have played at that level, who are going to be comfortable at that level, not players who are stepping up to that level. That's the difference.”
With that in mind, the forward line will be an obvious focus. The attacking quartet that started the Europa League final in Bilbao (Brennan Johnson, Pape Matar Sarr, Richarlison and Dominic Solanke) somewhat lacks firepower and boasts a combined 514 career Champions League minutes, 71% via the Brazilian alone.
And as Leroy Sane’s contract expires at Bayern Munich, Sky Sports News' Kaveh Solhekol and Michael Bridge say the German has been offered to Tottenham on a free transfer.
Sane fills Tottenham need up front
Of Tottenham’s forwards currently under contract for next season, only Son Heung-Min and Mathys Tel have started in a Champions League knockout win. Meanwhile Sane has 73 Champions League appearances under his belt and has produced goals in some memorable moments.
His first ever goal in the competition was an equaliser against Real Madrid helping Schalke beat Los Blancos 4-3 at the Bernabeu, and he also popped up with a goal that looked like it’d help Bayern Munich reach the 2024 final at Real Madrid’s expense before Joselu’s inexplicable brace proved otherwise.
Sane’s presence would also take less pressure off Spurs’ impressive crop of budding attacking youngsters including Will Lankshear, Mikey Moore, Dane Scarlett and Oyindamola Ajayi, all of which netted in the Europa League this season and were used pretty heavily by Postecoglou.
They could do with a longer-term introduction to regular first-team action at the very highest level, at a time when the post-Son era is coming to an end in North London.
A bonafide Spurs legend, this seasons saw Son rack up his fewest Premier League minutes since moving to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and he was just 70 off his making it his lowest ever for the club across a campaign. The classy South Korean will be 33 when Spurs kick off their 2025/26 campaign while somewhat incredibly, Sane will still be in 20s and could provide a good fit for Postecoglou too.
Sane still has much to offer Premier League
Despite falling off English football fans’ radars somewhat since leaving these shores, Sane has made 85 more appearances for Bayern Munich than he did at Manchester City and clocked more goals and assists there as well.
This season has seen the German score 13 times in all competitions including one in the Champions League, and he’s made six assists in 45 games overall - respectable numbers for a player who’s split his appearances pretty evenly between the bench and the starting XI. Sane remains in the picture for the national team too - starting in both of Germany’s knockout games at least summer’s Euros, and each leg of their March Nations League quarter-finals win against Italy.
He retains the pace that was such a problem for Premier League defences while wearing sky blue and has a better non-penalty expected goals and assist than 94% of the wingers in Europe’s top five leagues in the past year.
Postecoglou’s attacking philosophy is aimed at getting the ball into rotations of players on the edge of the final third who can all make a pass to a teammate running in behind or drive at the penalty area themselves and Sane is comfortable doing either, while his defensive work isn’t to be sniffed at.
And most importantly, his ability to cut inside from the right flank onto his left foot and open fire remains as deadly as ever - just ask Bundesliga defenders this season. He’s clearly not quite the same all-round package as before but Sane remains a high-class free signing for Postecoglou to kickstart Spurs’ summer transfer window with.