When times are tough at a football club there is a tendency to look towards the past so we thought it would be as good a time as any to check on how the players who left Tottenham Hotspur in the past year have got on.
The north London outfit has undergone a major rebuild in the Ange Postecoglou era with the average age of the squad and therefore the wage bill reduced dramatically. In all, 15 players who have been in around the first team squad at times have left in the past 12 months, following on from those who departed in the Australian's first season.
football.london has taken a look across England and Europe to find out how all of the former Tottenham first team players and a couple of notable U21s have got on since making their way out of the club permanently in the past 12 months.
Tanguy Ndombele
Tanguy Ndombele left Tottenham as the club's biggest ever flop after arriving from Lyon for a club record fee worth more than £60million in all. He played just 91 times over half a decade before having his contract mutually terminated last summer.
All the Frenchman, now 28, wanted was to play football and he's had that on the whole since joining Nice, making 25 appearances this season, scoring twice and laying on two assists over 1,407 minutes of football. The main issue for the midfielder has been troublesome injuries.
The first was a hip problem that gave him some woe earlier in the season and then from January onwards, Ndombele admitted that he was playing with a constant sports hernia issue.
Three weeks ago, his manager Franck Haise confirmed during a press conference that the Frenchman had again complained about the issue, and had seen a surgeon about the problem. During the meeting it was decided that surgery was not required but the issue has meant that Ndombele has only played 35 minutes of football since the turn of the year.
It's a shame because Haise had said of Ndombele earlier in the season: "He is someone who needs – and he isn't the only one – a climate of trust and that is what we are trying to bring to him, but beyond the atmosphere around the club that has been put in place, it is Tanguy first and foremost who is ensuring that it is going well.
"Little by little, we are re-discovering the player that we knew a few years ago. What I see from his matches, I think in terms of confidence, it is going pretty well. Confidence comes from working hard, through your investment."
Giovani Lo Celso
Just to show that muscle injuries are not purely a Postecoglou thing, Giovani Lo Celso has also not been able to escape his injury-hit past after returning to Real Betis.
Now 28, the Argentine had started the season on fire with goals in four consecutive La Liga games - five scored in total across those games. However, he missed much of October with a hamstring problem and then after a couple of months back in the team, including scoring in back-to-back La Liga games against Barcelona and Villarreal, Lo Celso suffered an adductor injury.
Then another muscle injury has wiped him out of action since February. It was announced last month by Betis that the midfielder has "suffered a moderate-grade injury to the middle third of the soleus muscle in his right leg. His reintegration into the squad will be determined by his recovery progress".
In all, Lo Celso has started just 11 La Liga games this season, playing 20 times in all across all competitions and has been left out of the current Argentina squad for their World Cup qualifiers this month.
Lo Celso exited Tottenham after five years in a deadline day transfer last summer that will net the club £8.4million plus add-ons with a sell-on clause as well as an agreement that means they could potentially sign midfielder Johnny Cardoso for a cheaper fee this summer or get a sell-on fee of sorts for the USA international.
Troy Parrott
The biggest success among the departing players from Spurs this past year has without a doubt been Troy Parrott, who joined AZ Alkmaar in July in a £6.7million deal which also includes a 20% sell-on clause for the north London side.
The 23-year-old Republic of Ireland international has started all but one of his new club's Eredivisie games this season and has impressed in the Europa League as well. In all Parrott has netted 17 goals this season and provided three assists, meaning 20 goal involvements in 41 matches and 3,091 minutes of football.
He has also faced Tottenham three times in the Europa League, causing them plenty of problems in the first leg of the round of 16 especially this month. The striker scored four goals in the European competition before AZ's exit at the hands of his old club.
"For me it just didn't happen [with Spurs]. I'm OK with that," Parrott said this month. "I look back with a smile. It's a place where I grew up. I moved away from home quite young, so when I went there I was in a phase of going from a kid to a teenager and then past that. It helped me become the person and player I am now, so I can only look back on that with good memories."
Postecoglou also spoke about the young forward, saying: "Troy's done really well, he did really well in Holland last year. It was a really good loan move for him. I think sometimes for players like Troy, getting away from the UK and seeing whether they can do it in a different style of football, whether it suits them, and I think the Dutch league certainly has allowed him to develop further. He's doing really well, really pleased for him and hopefully we we keep him quiet tomorrow night.
"He's still a very good goalscorer. His goals, you know, as a striker, he's a good finisher, but apart from that, I think he's a good link-up player. He works hard for his team as well, and we saw that the other night, both with and without the ball. He's a hard worker and I think it's good to see him develop in those areas."
Oliver Skipp
Oliver Skipp has struggled to find regular football at Leicester City and is yet to surpass the 24 matches he played for Tottenham last season. The 24-year-old left Spurs last summer after 18 years at the north London club and more than 100 first team appearances to join up with fellow academy product Harry Winks at the Foxes. The transfer will bring Tottenham more than £20million plus a sell-on clause.
However, Skipp has started just seven Premier League games this season and played 20 times across all competitions, with just 965 minutes to his name, albeit surpassing the 861 he got last year at Spurs. He has played bits and pieces here and there in Leicester's difficult season with two managers and has been an unused substitute on the bench 10 times in the Premier League and has not even made the matchday squad under Ruud van Nistelrooy in the past couple of fixtures.
Emerson Royal
Emerson Royal is another who has had a season marred by injury woes. The Brazilian's woe came in one go with a calf injury that has kept him out since January.
The right-back moved to AC Milan last summer in a deal worth £12.6million plus add-ons and has played 26 times for the Serie A side. However, the 26-year-old has not been well received at the Italian outfit, with plenty of criticism from fans and the media, and it was heavily reported that Milan tried to sell him at the first chance they got in the winter transfer window only for that injury to scupper plans.
Milan have since brought in Kyle Walker from Manchester City on loan and are looking to sign the England international permanently, with Italian reports suggesting the sale of Emerson would help them achieve that.
Ryan Sessegnon
Tottenham fans got to see what Ryan Sessegnon is up to on Sunday unfortunately as the left-back scored the second goal of the defeat at Craven Cottage with a well-taken right-footed curling effort.
Spurs decided not to take up the option of the additional year on Sessegnon's contract last summer and his return to Fulham meant that all of Tottenham's arrivals in the 2019 window went back to their previous side at some point after joining the north London club.
Sessegnon has been working his way back to full fitness after so long out of the game and Fulham have been playing it cautiously with him. He has only made seven Premier League appearances, scoring twice, and has played 12 games in all competitions.
"I spent five years at Spurs and I'm grateful for my time there. So that's why I didn't celebrate," the 24-year-old said after Sunday's game. "I'm feeling good, sharp and strong. I just want to play a little bit more. When I get the chances I want to prove I can play at this level."
Postecoglou was asked about Sessegnon's big moment and said: "It's a great story but you're asking the guy in me who's feeling the pain of defeat now. I couldn't be happier for Sess but that's his story."
Joe Rodon
Joe Rodon continues to be an ever-present for Leeds since joining permanently as part of the deal that brought Archie Gray in the opposite direction to N17 last summer.
The 27-year-old Wales international has played 3,531 minutes across 40 matches at centre-back and will be hoping to go one step better than last season with the Elland Road club.
Leeds currently sit top of the Championship on goal difference of a tight top three and will want to avoid a repeat of last year's play-off final pain and return automatically to the Premier League.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
We're including Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in this list even though he's on loan at Marseille because he technically joined the Ligue 1 outfit with an obligation to buy.
The 29-year-old midfielder has been a near ever-present and has captained the Ligue 1 side on a handful of occasions, having also been named as the new skipper of Denmark, taking on the armband from Simon Kjaer ahead of previous vice-captains Christian Eriksen and Kasper Schmeichel.
The Dane has played 26 matches this season, with Marseille sitting second in the table and 19 points behind unbeaten leaders PSG. Hojbjerg missed the most recent 3-1 defeat to the Parisian side because he has a calf injury that is set to keep him out for a few weeks.
Japhet Tanganga
As with Sessegnon, Spurs did not take up the option last year to extend Japhet Tanganga's contract by its final 12 months. Instead the 25-year-old signed on a free transfer for Millwall after impressing for the Championship side on loan last season.
Unlike other players in this list who have continued to struggle with the same injuries they had before, Tanganga has been completely injury-free so far this campaign.
The centre-back has played 3,420 minutes across 38 games for Millwall, scoring twice and has continued to relish his time on the other side of London.
Ivan Perisic
Ivan Perisic stopped being a Tottenham employee last summer, having already joined Hajduk Split in January on loan until the end of his contract. He had agreed a deal to play for the Croatian side this season. However, the arrival of Gennaro Gattuso altered the outlook on his future at the club and the 35-year-old's contract was mutually terminated.
Perisic then added yet another new league to his remarkable career after moving to Dutch side PSV Eindhoven. The 36-year-old has got plenty of minutes for them and impressed across 28 appearances with nine goals and nine assists.
The Croatian missed out on Champions League football in the league phase after signing after the registration period closed but more than made up for it with three goals in four knockout matches after being included at the next chance, including a goal at the Emirates Stadium this month.
Eric Dier
Dier has got more Bundesliga starts in the second half of this season so far after being an observer for much of the early stages of the campaign under Vincent Kompany.
The 31-year-old joined Harry Kane at Bayern Munich on loan last year with an option for the Bundesliga club to sign him permanently, which was triggered before the last campaign ended and he moved officially when his contract ended this summer. He has played 38 times for the Bavarian giants since with 18 games this season across all competitions.
Dier's contact ends this summer and there have been reports in recent days that Bayern could look to extend his stay in Germany with Kompany talking about the defender in a recent press conference that suggested more of a future beyond this summer.
Jude Soonsup-Bell
Jude Soonsup-Bell had to watch on from the bench a lot after moving to Spanish second division side Cordoba in a deal that came with no fee but a 40% sell-on clause instead.
The 21-year-old made seven appearances in La Liga 2 without starting a match, and was handed a loan move to the Spanish third tier and Atletico Sanluqueno where he has played six times so far, starting four of those matches.
Soonsup-Bell had a great season before leaving Spurs U21s and helped them to the Premier League 2 title and play-off trophy. However, a first team breakthrough wasn't on the cards in north London and the 20-year-old instead departed for the move to Spain.
Yago Santiago
Another former Spurs Premier League 2 title-winner who moved to the Spanish second tier is Yago Santiago. The 21-year-old was enjoying a promising season at Elche with 20 appearances, scoring twice and registering three assists.
Unfortunately the winger suffered a cruciate ligament injury in January and will be out for a considerable chunk of this year. He recently stopped by Hotspur Way during his recovery and spoke to the Tottenham staff, his old team-mates and current academy players.
Nile John
Nile John, one of Soonsup-Bell and Santiago's former Spurs U21s team-mates, is in Portugal with second tier side Feirense after spending eight years at Tottenham and having made two first team appearances for the north London side.
The 22-year-old midfielder has been a pretty regular performer in the league for his new side, having played 18 matches in Liga Portugal 2, scoring four times and starting most of the games since December.
Charlie Sayers
Sayers left Tottenham in the summer and had signed for Scottish Championship side Partick Thistle on a three-year deal. The 21-year-old defender joined Spurs from Southend in 2021 and was involved in the first team pre-season tour to South Korea two years ago. However, an eye injury and further injuries interrupted his progress and he was released by the club last summer.
Sayers made eight appearances for his new Scottish side and was starting regularly though December after a long spell on the bench, but he parted ways with the club by mutual consent in January.
Partick Thistle manager Kris Doolan explained: "It was a bold move from Charlie to move 500 miles north and sample senior first team football for the first time. He moved up himself and, when you do that you want to be playing however Harry Milne’s form meant that he was kept waiting on the sidelines.
"Harry returned to the side last weekend after injury and following discussions with Charlie it was agreed that leaving Firhill now and giving him the chance to look for another club was the best course of action."
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