Johan Lange already has a 'clear picture of which positions and profiles' to target in the summer, but the Tottenham sporting director could be forced to scrap his plan.
Tottenham Hotspur appear keen to appoint a co-sporting director. Earlier this year, the Lilywhites announced the departure of Fabio Paratici, leaving Johan Lange in charge of recruitment ahead of the summer.
In an interview with the club website a few weeks later, shortly after the January transfer window had slammed shut, the Spurs chief announced his 'big ambitions of strengthening the team'. Lange claimed he already had a 'clear picture of which positions and profiles' to target.
However, the Dane could be forced to rethink his plans if Vinai Venkatesham drafts in a new director to assist him. According to Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sports Germany, Sebastian Kehl has emerged as a leading candidate for such a role.
The report claims that Tottenham want the 46-year-old to rebuild the team alongside Lange. It's said that the Lilywhites 'highly value' his playing career, management skills, and 'extensive international network'.
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Kehl only parted ways with Borussia Dortmund last month after four years as a sporting director. The German was tasked with restoring the Bundesliga outfit to its former glory when he replaced the long-standing Michael Zorc in 2022.
But, during his four years at the helm, Dortmund never lifted a piece of silverware. They did, however, almost win the German top-flight in Kehl's debut campaign, missing out on goal difference on the final day of the season.
So, with that being said, football.london have looked at some of Kehl's best and worst signings at the Signal Iduna Park.
Kehl's best signings
Niklas Sule
Sule was the first addition of the Kehl era at the Signal Iduna Park, arriving on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract at Bayern Munich. The Germany international was an excellent addition to the backline, chalking up over 100 appearances for Dortmund.
Unfortunately for Sule, whose deal will run out in the summer, his time at the club was plagued with injury. The centre-back will become a free agent again at the end of the season, unless he decides to extend his stay.
Nico Schlotterbeck
Shortly after getting his hands on Sule, Kehl signed Schlotterbeck from Freiburg for just €25m (£21.7m). He, too, became, and remains, a stalwart in the Dortmund backline, tallying over 150 appearances for the club.
Despite his injury problems as well, the defender has also established himself as a regular for Germany ahead of the World Cup. Shortly after it was announced that Kehl would step down as sporting director, Schlotterbeck signed a contract extension, keeping him at the Signal Iduna Park until June 2031.
Serhou Guirassy
Kehl didn't get his hands on another genuine ceiling-raiser until July 2024 when he signed Guirassy from Stuttgart for just €17.5m (£14.7m). After an incredible breakout campaign in the Bundesliga, the former Dortmund chief wasted no time in signing the striker, who has since scored 57 goals and counting in just 92 appearances across all competitions.
Kehl's worst signings
Jadon Sancho
Dortmund operated on a hamstrung budget during the early days of Kehl's spell as a sporting director, so, naturally, he was very picky, and therefore had very few signings which could be classed as mistakes. The 46-year-old did, however, re-sign Jadon Sancho on loan in January 2024.
Although the Manchester United winger started and ended his second spell at the Signal Iduna Park fairly well, he didn't have the desired impact. Sancho returned to Old Trafford at the end of the season, and is now on loan at Aston Villa.
Carney Chukwuemeka
Chukwuemeka was one of a few pretty disappointing arrivals last summer, which marked the beginning of the end for Kehl at Dortmund. After what was a pretty tame season-long loan from Chelsea, the German giants forked out £24m for the midfielder.
The 22-year-old has since struggled to establish himself as a key player, making most of his appearances from off the bench. To put Chukwuemeka's time at Dortmund into perspective, he's only ever completed 90 minutes for the club once and it was last weekend.
Fabio Silva
Jobe Bellingham could very well have featured on this list, but Fabio Silva claims the third and final spot. Dortmund signed the 23-year-old striker from Wolves for €27m (£23.4m) last summer after a pretty average season in La Liga.
While out on loan at Las Palmas, Silva scored 10 goals in 24 Spanish top-flight appearances. Despite having performed well below expectations since the Premier League outfit paid Porto about £35m for his signature in September 2020, Dortmund became the next club to take a punt.
Although Silva hasn't featured much this term, playing just over 1,000 minutes, he only has two goals to his name across all competitions. Fortunately for Kehl, Guirassy, who he signed a couple of years ago, hasn't missed a beat.