Football.London

Ange Postecoglou has plenty of decisions to make as Tottenham look to keep their season alive with their Europa League trip to AZ Alkmaar.

Spurs will travel to the Netherlands on Wednesday to train at the AFAS Stadion before taking on the Dutch side on Thursday night in the first leg of the round of 16. While AZ have played twice since Tottenham lost narrowly at home to Manchester City on Wednesday night, with a penalty shoot-out cup win and a defeat on Sunday at Heerenveen, Postecoglou's side have had eight days to prepare for this European fixture.

With that in mind, here are four selection decisions the Australian will have to make for Thursday night's match in Alkmaar.

Which full-backs?

Postecoglou handed Djed Spence a rest against Manchester City and his absence was felt. The 24-year-old has been a rare shining light through the recent tough months and now that he's registered in the Europa League squad he simply has to start out in Alkmaar.

The question is then which side he plays on. Will it be in place of Pedro Porro, who has played more minutes than anyone this season but is one of Spurs' chief creators? Alternatively, Destiny Udogie has only recently returned to action after a lengthy spell out but does provide balance to the backline with his left foot.

Spence has to play. He's arguably Tottenham's most in-form player and Postecoglou will have to decide who drops out for him because there's little logic in leaving him out right now in the club's most important game of the week.

The Romero or Van de Ven question?

Postecoglou has previously said that his expectation was that Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke should all be back in training around this match.

Whether that ends up being the case for all three remains to be seen, but if either of the centre-backs are fit then Postecoglou will need to make a choice. Does he use one from the start in Alkmaar, particularly with Spurs struggling for fit centre-backs or does he save them for the weekend match against Bournemouth?

The decision previously to put them both in against Chelsea ended disastrously with both players lost to injury again so the Tottenham boss will be wary of anything similar happening to the two defenders who have missed so many games this season.

He might be tempted to use one for a pre-set amount of time, to be replaced by the other one later in the game. With four games in 11 days, he is going to have to build up their fitness otherwise Kevin Danso and Archie Gray are going to have to play every game.

What midfield trio?

The one area where Postecoglou's biggest challenge in finding his best combination comes is in the midfield. The Australian almost has a full complement of options to choose from in the centre of the pitch and there are some very different midfielders in there to pick from.

Lucas Bergvall has impressed and belied his age in recent months while Rodrigo Bentancur has been the number six of choice. James Maddison is the creative heart of the midfield while Pape Matar Sarr brings the energy and legs. Yves Bissouma has somewhat become the forgotten man but will be looking to prove his worth during this run of fixtures so close together and Dejan Kulusevski has also been an option in a deeper role in the past.

Many are still waiting to see Archie Gray get his chance in the midfield, having had to fill in at centre-back for much of the campaign.

Who plays up front?

All eyes will be on whether Solanke is fit enough to play some part in the Netherlands ahead of the visit of his former side Bournemouth to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.

Mathys Tel has been plugging away in a tough central role despite still trying to adjust to the pace and physicality of the English game and the Premier League, although European football could be a more comfortable environment at this stage for the 19-year-old. The other option is to use Son Heung-min through the middle again and employ the teenager on one of the flanks.

However, there is now plenty of competition for the roles on the wings with Brennan Johnson and Wilson Odobert back fit and firing as well as Mikey Moore and Timo Werner providing depth. Dane Scarlett also enjoyed success on his last outing in the Europa League with a goal and an assist against Elfsborg.

Spurs could do with a goal or two in this fixture before bringing the tie back to north London.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham.

Tottenham will be looking to make it a double over AZ Alkmaar when the sides meet once again in the Europa League on Thursday evening. Facing each other back in October in the league phase, Spurs came out on top with all three points following Richarlison's second-half penalty.

Following the draw for the round of 16 of UEFA's second club competition, Tottenham and AZ will again face each other but this time with a place in the quarter-finals up for grabs. Ajax or Eintracht Frankfurt await the winner of the last 16 game in the next round.

Tottenham are currently the favourites to lift the Europa League trophy in Bilbao in May but it will be far from straightforward with teams such as Athletic Club and Lazio also eyeing the prize. What should help Spurs in the knockout phase of the competition is that they look set to receive a timely boost on the injury front.

It should not be too long until Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Dominic Solanke and Richarlison are in a position to play again, with the possibility of some returning to the squad this Thursday at AFAS Stadion. Things do appear to be looking up for Tottenham on the injury front right now but it can quite easily change for the north London side going on how the season has panned out thus far.

Ahead of their first game in the knockout phase of the competition, four Tottenham players are going to have to watch their step as they are walking the disciplinary tightrope. Yellow cards from the league phase are carried over to the knockout stage and that means some players could possibly end up serving a suspension very soon.

Article 63.02 of the UEFA Europa League regulations states: "From the first match in the league phase, players and team officials are suspended for the next competition match after three cautions, that did not result in a red card, as well as after any subsequent odd-numbered caution (fifth, seventh, ninth, etc.)."

Yellow cards are carried over from the league phase and are not wiped out until the conclusion of the quarter-final stage. Article 63.04 states: "Exceptionally, all yellow cards and pending yellow-card suspensions expire on completion of the play-offs. They are not carried forward to the league phase. In addition, all yellow cards expire on completion of the quarter-finals. They are not carried forward to the semi-finals."

Four Tottenham players are running the risk of a one-match ban in the Europa League as they are currently on two yellow cards from the league phase. Radu Dragusin is another Spurs star on two yellow cards in Europe but he cannot obtain a one-match ban as he is out for the remainder of the season through injury and no longer in Spurs' European squad as a result.

The four players in question are Lucas Bergvall, Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma and Dejan Kulusevski. Spurs are certainly well stocked in the middle of the park but Ange Postecoglou will not want to do without his players for either the second leg of their round of 16 tie or for one of the two quarter-final showdowns if they are to progress.

For that to be the case, the quartet will have to avoid going into the referee's notebook in Tottenham's next four European games, providing of course that they get the better of AZ Alkmaar over two legs in the round of 16 to make the quarter-finals.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham.

Mathys Tel has explained what Harry Kane told him before he joined Tottenham and who he sits next to in the dressing room at the club.

Spurs signed the 19-year-old Frenchman on loan from Bayern Munich last month with an option to make his move to north London a permanent one for £45.7million. He has already played in all three domestic competitions, netting his first goal for the club late on in the FA Cup tie at Aston Villa.

Now Tel will play a part in Tottenham's Europa League round of 16 first leg clash at AZ Alkmaar on Thursday night and ahead of that game he has been doing some media interviews for the game in the Netherlands.

He took on 20 questions from TNT Sports and within his answers revealed a little insight into life at Spurs as a new recruit under Ange Postecoglou, including what the club's record goalscorer Kane told him before he left Bayern for the trip to N17.

"Harry said 'you will enjoy it, the training ground is very, very, very good. If you need something just call me and I can help you'", said Tel.

The youngster was asked which team-mates he sits with in the dressing room and rather than the answer being any of the French-speaking players, the response was Sergio Reguilon and Richarlison. That suggests that perhaps he had to take a space on the end with other spots taken as Wilson Odobert is one of his close friends from their days together with the French youth teams.

Tel was asked which players he was the most excited to get to know and he admitted: "The French players like [Yves] Bissouma, Pape [Matar Sarr], Wilson, but especially Sonny."

Another team-mate was his focus though when quizzed about which skill or attribute Tel would take from another Tottenham player.

"[James] Maddison. Maddison, he, every time he comes on the ball, his technique is crazy," he said. "So yes, [I'd take] the calm on the ball and the technique."

When asked who is the best player that he's ever played with, the teenager said: "There are a lot of players but Sadio Mane was the best. Just his work every day, in, after and before training and the game, so he's an example for me."

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham.

Images have been circulating online of what is rumoured to be the leaked version of next season's Tottenham home strip, but with a few key switch-ups and a relatively plain design, some fans might not be queuing at the club shop just yet.

Spurs signed their big-money deal with Nike way back in 2017, and having extended their partnership into a 15-year agreement, the two brands are one of the closest in world football - with the deal until 2033 being one of the longest in Nike's history.

Wearing Nike kits also bags Spurs a wad of extra cash, with the deal reportedly bringing in £30 million a year into the north London club. Since the deal, Nike have stuck to the Lilywhites' roots, with the past four kits all following the simple white design with plain navy blue accents.

This season's kit reintroduced the navy blue sleeves, which, according to the leaks, next year's kit will also include. The pattern on the sleeves could be set to change, with the new design introducing three blocks of colour that wrap around the sleeve and up to the collar - made up of white, navy and blue-grey.

The most notable switch to this year's kit comes from the logo placement. Traditionally, Spurs, and most football kits, have the club crest on the left chest and the brand logo on the right. Next year's kit will switch it up with both logos being moved to the centre of the chest, with the Nike logo sitting just below.

The style was used on many kits in the 90s but is on the up once again, with the 2024 Inter Miami kit gaining popularity for its similar design. For many fans dreaming of a navy AXA logo, they may have to wait another season with the leaked proposal keeping the sponsor's writing in the clashing red.

The leak has received a tough reception from some fans, with supporters posting to X believing a training kit would look better, posting: "I'd rather us play in our training kits. I can almost guarantee that the training kits would look better."

Another thought it should be kept to the training ground: "Oh, a decent look training kit. What do you mean that's the actual match kit?"

Tottenham might not have been in action this weekend but their loan players made up for that with plenty of minutes on pitches across Europe.

Ange Postecoglou's Spurs are out of the FA Cup so that meant a weekend off and an eight-day gap between the Premier League defeat to Manchester City and the Europa League round of 16 first leg clash at AZ Alkmaar on Thursday night. Tottenham currently have 13 loan players out across clubs in the Football League as well as Scotland, Spain and Belgium as well as Luka Vuskovic, who will join the north London club this summer.

So how exactly did the 14 Tottenham players fare for their respective clubs in the past week? football.london takes a look below.

Alfie Devine and Luka Vuskovic (Westerlo)

Alfie Devine is still out with his hamstring injury but Luka Vuskovic, who turned 18 last week, was named man of the match for Westerlo as he helped the Belgian side secure their first clean sheet in the Jupiler Pro League since November.

The Croatian has been a force at both ends of the pitch, with seven goals to his name and one assist from his 26 appearances for the Belgium club. The teenager is technically on loan there from Hajduk Split but will join Spurs this summer with plenty of excitement about his arrival.

Belgian media outlet Sporza said of the draw at the weekend: "Westerlo managed to keep a clean sheet once more, and that was partly thanks to Luka Vuskovic. The 18-year-old loanee stood firm on an attempt by Mijatovic and also showed himself to be dangerous up front with a header now and then."

Yang Min-hyeok (QPR)

Yang Min-hyeok made his second start for QPR at the weekend as he played 66 minutes of their 2-1 defeat at home to Championship high-flyers Sheffield United.

It continued the 18-year-old's run of six straight appearances since making the move across London and was another educational day for him in the English game as he was involved in the opponents' first goal after he lost the ball. However, he did offer plenty of threat for the hosts.

In West London Sport's player ratings, Yang was handed a six with the review: "Prone to being nudged off the ball, which is understandable given his size and inexperience, and the first goal came after he was robbed. He did look lively going forward though."

London World's ratings were even more effusive in their praise for the South Korean starlet, handing him an eight with the write-up: "The potential here is crazy. Bullied off the ball for the Sheffield United opener, but that goal was not solely his fault with unconvincing defending. Looked a threat every time the ball landed at his feet. Would have had his first QPR goal if found by Morgan."

Bryan Gil (Girona)

Bryan Gil played 84 minutes as Girona drew 2-2 at home against Celta Vigao in La Liga on Saturday afternoon.

The 24-year-old had a 96% pass success rate, misplacing only one of his 25 attempts and he created one chance on the day with a shot on target. Gil played three passes into the final third, went on one successful dribble, put in two crosses that found their target and one accurate long ball.

The winger was not dispossessed at all during the game and helped out defensively with four ball recoveries and won five of his eight ground duels.

The Spaniard has now played 31 times this season for Girona with four goals and three assists.

Alejo Veliz (Espanyol)

Alejo Veliz will be hoping to get some minutes on Monday evening as Espanyol travel to Villarreal in La Liga.

The 21-year-old striker's run of eight straight appearances came to an end last time out with an unused bench role in the 1-0 win at Alaves.

Veliz has made 22 appearances in all this season for Espanyol, scoring four times with one of those coming in La Liga.

Manor Solomon (Leeds United)

Manor Solomon and Leeds kept their recent unbeaten run in the Championship going on Saturday with a 1-1 draw at Elland Road against West Brom.

Solomon came across fellow Spurs team-mate Will Lankshear, who plays for the Baggies, on the day and played 79 minutes of the encounter.

The 25-year-old received a seven in Leeds Live's player ratings from the game with the review: "Had a few nice touches and fired in a few efforts, albeit most were blocked for waiting half a second too long. Linked up play well but left the pitch a frustrated man."

It was Solomon's 30th appearance of the season for Leeds and he has managed seven goals and eight assists in those games during a successful loan spell.

Will Lankshear (West Bromwich Albion)

Will Lankshear was an unused substitute in West Brom's draw at Leeds on Saturday.

After some early positive cameos and his first start against Millwall, the 19-year-old striker has had to remain patient for game time and Saturday brought his first match without minutes as the Baggies travelled to the Championship leaders.

Lankshear will be hoping to get some game time against Yang on Saturday as West Brom host QPR in the league before a trip to Burnley on the Tuesday evening.

Ashley Phillips (Stoke City)

Ashley Phillips continues to play every minute going for Stoke City and helped them pick up their first clean sheet in a while with a big point at home thanks to a goalless draw against promotion-chasing Watford.

However, the 19-year-old was adjudged to have got away with it slightly during his performance, judging by Stoke-on-Trent Live's player ratings, in which he was awarded a six.

"Got lucky twice after panicking when he had to deal with long straight balls which can undo the other 89-odd minutes," they read.

Phillips has played 28 times for Stoke this season, scoring one lovely goal with a back flick in the Carabao Cup earlier in the campaign.

Jamie Donley and Josh Keeley (Leyton Orient)

Leyton Orient's winning run in League One is well and truly behind them at the moment following a string of three consecutive defeats in tough matches against fellow promotion chasers Bolton, leaders Birmingham and now Charlton on Saturday.

Orient fell to a 2-1 defeat at home to Charlton with Jamie Donley getting 86 minutes under his belt during the encounter and goalkeeper Josh Keeley playing the full game and getting the man of the match award, only to suffer a late disaster.

After a brave save in the first half of the game on his goalline, Keeley made a great double save in the second half and on 90 minutes it was announced that he was man of the match.

However, added time disaster struck when first the 21-year-old slipped when coming out for one corner and then was blocked from getting the ball for another and Charlton took full advantage of both with two last-gasp headers back past him to turn the game on its head.

Alfie Dorrington (Aberdeen)

Alfie Dorrington came on in the first half of Aberdeen's 2-2 draw at home against Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.

With Kristers Tobers needing to come off injured five minutes before the break, the 19-year-old Spurs defender was thrust into the action and was involved as Aberdeen came from two goals down to take a point from the encounter.

After a couple of games unused on the bench, Dorrington has now come off the bench in the past two matches, including 28 minutes in the 5-1 defeat at Celtic, making it six appearances for the Scottish side since arriving in the winter window.

Matthew Craig (Mansfield Town)

Matthew Craig was not in the squad for Mansfield's 1-1 draw on Saturday at Burton Albion in League One.

The 21-year-old had been back on the bench for Town the previous weekend after missing their past seven league games with a back issue. However, he was not involved again this time around.

George Abbott (Notts County)

George Abbott's great loan spell at Notts County continued with a goal and an assist as they drew 2-2 at Fleetwood on Saturday afternoon.

The 19-year-old has had a loan to remember with the League Two club and he produced a calm finish after seizing on a defensive mistake to open the scoring on 16 minutes. It looked like County had thrown it away as they conceded two goals in three minutes in the second half but up popped Abbott in the 89th minute with a lovely run and bit of control before driving the ball across the face of goal for Alassana Jatta to slide home and net a late leveller.

Abbott has played 30 times for County this season, chipping in with five goals and five assists.

Luca Gunter (Wealdstone)

Luca Gunter had a weekend off for Wealdstone but the 19-year-old goalkeeper will be back in action in the National League as they travel to Spurs' FA Cup third round opponents Tamworth on Tuesday evening.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham.

It is the start of another big week for Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham as they look to make it a successful end to the 2024/25 campaign. Returning to action against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League on Thursday evening, Spurs then host Bournemouth at home on Sunday afternoon in the Premier League.

The Tottenham squad should certainly be relatively fresh going into the game after not having to contend with a packed schedule over the past fortnight. football.london reported at the weekend that the Tottenham players will reconvene at their Hotspur Way base on Tuesday after the boss elected to give them Sunday and Monday off to recharge their batteries.

Once they are all back together on the training ground once again, Postecoglou and his coaching staff have plenty on their to-do list as they plan ahead of the AZ game. football.london takes a look at four items on the Australian's agenda prior to departing for the Netherlands.

Devise AZ plan

Tottenham were made to pay for a slow start against Manchester City last time out after failing to lay a glove on Pep Guardiola's side in the opening 45 minutes. The Lilywhites were rather fortunate to only be one goal down after seeing City pass up chance after chance in the first half.

Tottenham cannot afford to do the same against AZ this Thursday and Postecoglou needs a 90-minute performance from his side in the Netherlands. AZ have not lost on home soil in the Europa League this campaign, notably beating Roma 1-0 and hitting Galatasaray for four at the AFAS Stadion.

Their 4-1 home win over the Turkish side in the middle of February highlights just what they can do against decent sides in Europe, which in turn should serve as a warning to Tottenham. Postecoglou needs to devise a plan that can see his team return to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next Thursday holding an advantage going into the crucial second leg.

Romero and Van de Ven fitness

There is a possibility that Tottenham could be handed an injury boost going into the AZ encounter. Long-term absentees Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are closing in on a return, with Richarlison and Dominic Solanke hopefully also returning very soon.

Speaking ahead of last week's home fixture against Manchester City, Postecoglou revealed that his injured quartet could return in the "next seven to 10 days".

“They are all tracking really well, all similar times, hopefully in the next seven to 10 days," he told SPURSPLAY. "A couple of them are already training but, over that period, we’ll start incorporating them back into matchday squads."

On possible returns for the players in question against AZ Alkmaar, he added: “Yes, potentially. I’m not sure if they’ll participate in that, but the idea is that at least a couple of them should be back in training and available for that game.

"Obviously, we have to back that up on the weekend (after) against Bournemouth (March 9), so, with two games, I’m hoping if we can get a couple more back, it means again we can tackle those two games with a strong squad.”

Amid those comments from Postecoglou, the next few days could be huge for Tottenham in terms of possibly seeing Romero, Van de Ven, Richarlison and Solanke return to the matchday squad. The Australian and his coaching staff will be keeping a very close eye on them in training this week and then deciding if they can be included in the squad against AZ and possibly even feature in the match.

If not, it could be on Sunday against Bournemouth when they make their comeback. The hope will be that Ben Davies will also be in a position to return after not making the matchday party in the past two fixtures.

The Welshman will have benefitted from an eight-day break between games and his possible return will give Postecoglou choice at centre-back if he wants to tinker with this team.

Decide on full-backs

One of Postecoglou's biggest decisions will come in the full-back areas as he has Djed Spence, Porro Porro and Destiny Udogie available for selection. Spence was previously not part of the Tottenham squad for the Europa League league phase but he has come in for the knockout stage onwards after producing some incredible performances in the Premier League and domestic cup competitions this season.

The ex-Nottingham Forest loanee was on the bench against Manchester City last week and will likely come back into the Tottenham side to take on AZ. That will then leave Postecoglou with a decision to make between Porro and Udogie in regards to a starting spot.

Porro was named on the bench in the recent win at Ipswich Town, meaning it could be Udogie who drops out this time and Spence operates from left-back.

Front three selection

The head coach must also decide on his front three to take on AZ after rotating in the position last week. His decision to give Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski a rest was certainly a talking point before and after the Manchester City defeat.

Wilson Odobert was one of the players to come into the side and the Frenchman did impress with a bright showing in the second half prior to coming off. Timo Werner, who came on as a late substitute in the game, is not available to feature, though, after his omission from the Europa League squad for the second stage of the competition.

Boasting players such as Mathys Tel, Brennan Johnson, Mikey Moore, Dane Scarlett Son, Kulusevski and Odobert as attacking options at present, Postecoglou needs to find the perfect trio to down AZ and give Spurs an advantage going into the return leg.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero being called up to the Argentina squad as he returns from his latest injury will have a familiar if not unfortunately coincidental feel about it.

The 26-year-old has struggled for availability this season under Ange Postecoglou with just 1,118 minutes for Tottenham spread across 12 Premier League appearances, one Europa League showing and one Carabao Cup match. The Spurs vice-captain suffered a toe injury in November and then on his return the following month against Chelsea, Romero suffered a quadriceps injury after just 15 minutes that proved to be a "slow burner" in the words of his head coach and he has not played since.

Now Romero is finally nearing a second return and is expected to be available for at least some of the upcoming games against AZ Alkmaar, Bournemouth and Fulham in the weeks ahead.

Before he has even set foot back in a competitive match for Spurs, Romero has already been named in the preliminary Argentina squad for the World Cup qualifying games against Uruguay and Brazil. He has been selected on the long list alongside former Tottenham team-mates Juan Foyth and Giovani Lo Celso.

While Romero cannot control when he is called up for international duty and the fact that he is included shows he should be available for Spurs very soon, but the coincidence of his return in time for those qualifying games will not go unnoticed by some Tottenham supporters, many of whom have long felt - rightly or wrongly - that the centre-back is often available for his country but not as much for his club.

The Argentine has been unavailable for 29 Tottenham matches this season across 113 days, according to Transfermarkt, but due to the spacing of his country's fixtures has been available for all four international breaks this season, albeit missing the second games in both October and November, once for the birth of his second child.

If you are counting the Copa America in the summer then Romero has appeared in 10 Argentina matches since June last year, almost as many as the 14 competitive games he has played for Spurs since then, plus one substitute appearance in the summer friendly against Bayern before the start of the season.

In total, since joining in 2021, Romero has played in 112 matches for the north London club and, according to Transfermarkt, has been unavailable for 60 matches through injury and another six through suspension.

The battling defender has always been angered by the suggestion that he gives anything less than 100% for Spurs or that his loyalties lie with his country.

"I think the people that say this clearly don't know me because I’m contracted to the club for many [more] years. I always try to give my best," he said in the summer of 2023. "Obviously last season it didn't always turn out great and you accept that. When things don't go well, you're the first to hold your hands up.

"As I said before, I'll take that, but I always try to give absolutely everything on the field. I always try to repay that trust that the fans, the club and everyone else put in me and I’ll try to come back in this coming season, by having good games so we can push the club as high up as possible.

"If I didn't feel the same passion [for Spurs as I do for Argentina], I would look to leave the club. Obviously I'm not happy with how last season ended for me and as I said before, I'm the first to hold my hands up and say it wasn't the best season but when I got offers from other clubs to move away for this coming season, I said no because I want to have my best years here. I really like the Premier League, I really like Tottenham and I want to be here for many more years to come.

"Now the group is in a good way. When I arrived at Tottenham I felt the group were the same. I see a manager here that has brought back hope because he wants to compete, wants to win and I think things haven't worked out for the club in the last few seasons but were still making significant strides and doing good things because it's not easy to start winning from one day to the next, but Spurs are continuing to progress in every sense and I believe we will achieve big things."

Tottenham and their supporters will be hoping to see Romero appear in a number of the games before his international duty and that their vice-captain can still have a big impact on the remainder of the season and the team's quest to win the Europa League.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham.

Ange Postecoglou will be looking for new candidates to join Tottenham's leadership group to continue to steer the squad forward.

The Australian selected the current crop of captains and senior figures, the first three coming when he joined the club as he appointed Son Heung-min as captain and Cristian Romero and James Maddison as vice-captains to the long-serving South Korean star. Then last summer the Tottenham boss added goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario to make it a leadership group of four senior players.

"I included him in the leadership [group] this year because I have just seen his growth," Postecoglou explained when he made the decision. "He is one of those guys who is really positive. He comes in every day wanting to work; he comes in on his days off wanting to work."

"He is a great example for everyone and a great human being as well. I thought he could add something to our leadership group."

Postecoglou also said this season: "As soon as I had a conversation with him, I knew he was the right bloke for us. Beyond being an outstanding goalkeeper, he is an outstanding human being. If you bring a person like that into your dressing room, it’s going to give you more than just a goalkeeper. He is the kind of guy who is going to have an influence over everything we do. He is going to have an influence over what I do and that’s how I keep learning — by bringing these kinds of players in."

With all of that in mind, it's time to look at the other candidates who could join the leadership group next season.

Dejan Kulusevski

The Swede captained Tottenham in the home game against Newcastle in January and this has been a season when his leadership has grown both for club and country as he's taken on the armband for Sweden as well.

Postecoglou has constantly praised Kulusevski for the way the 24-year-old stepped up and tried to drag the team on during the period when they were overplayed and jaded through the lack of numbers. Adding the midfielder, who speaks honestly and with high ambition, to the leadership group could be a key move this summer.

Dominic Solanke

Another player who stepped up when numbers were low, Postecoglou mentioned that Solanke had quickly settled within the club and was looked to by most as one of the senior players.

The £65million striker has missed recent weeks with a knee injury, but before that he was the focal point for Spurs and the players looked to him to hold up the ball, score and assist up front. While not a direct replacement, Solanke has taken on a lot of the responsibilities that Harry Kane used to have.

The England captain was part of the Tottenham leadership group before his departure for Bayern Munich and perhaps Solanke could also follow him joining the senior group of leaders.

Rodrigo Bentancur

This certainly did not look like an option earlier in the season with Bentancur's disciplinary issues causing problems, not least the comments about Son that got him into hot water with the FA, as well as his international suspension following the events at the Copa America.

However, the Uruguayan has knuckled down this campaign and is getting back to his pre-cruciate ligament injury levels. The three-time Serie A winner has also been a guiding figure for the team's younger players and has been seen on numerous occasions speaking passionately to teenagers like Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall during and after games.

The club are expected to begin new contract talks with Bentancur and perhaps more of a senior role will be part of the discussions.

Kevin Danso

In the Austrian international, Spurs brought in a strong character in the winter transfer window and his presence has already been felt around the club.

Danso fits into the mould of a classic Postecoglou player in that he's had to fight his way back up from being knocked down the football ladder and he's got the character that comes with that.

There's an unusual dynamic at Tottenham in Ben Davies being captain of Wales most of the time but the 31-year-old has never been included in the leadership group at any point during his near 11 years at the club. That leaves a space for another defender to step into that leadership void and Danso has the profile to do so.

Archie Gray

Bear with us here. We know Archie Gray is only 18-years-old and this is more one for the future, but it might not be too many seasons before we see the teenager wear the armband. He's got the ability and maturity to be a Declan Rice of sorts for Tottenham in the years ahead.

It's also worth noting that a couple of years back, despite being very young, Oliver Skipp was brought into the leadership group at Spurs with a view to being a voice for the younger players and also in order to fast track his own leadership capabilities.

Skipp is now at Leicester but the logic could work for another player and if anything is going to be given a similar role in the current leadership group, it's Gray.

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Ange Postecoglou's recent desire to hand his Tottenham players short breaks has continued this week ahead of their big Europa League match at AZ Alkmaar.

Following almost three months of the same small group of Spurs players taking to the pitch every three days due to a huge injury crisis, Postecoglou has looked to hand out little double days off in the weeks since due to the past three fixtures having six, seven or eight days between them and allowing for plenty of training days.

In the previous two weeks, the Australian gave his squad the Monday and Tuesday off ahead of the games against Ipswich Town and Manchester United. Now after Wednesday night's 1-0 defeat to Manchester City and with no FA Cup match this weekend, football.london understands that Postecoglou has given the Tottenham players Sunday and Monday off to recharge their batteries.

Only those players continuing their rehabilitation from recent injuries will return to Hotspur Way on Monday with the rest of the group coming back to the Enfield training complex on Tuesday to prepare for a big round of 16 first leg clash in Alkmaar. Spurs' season now hinges on their progress in the Europa League and they will be trying to take charge of the tie during their time in the Netherlands, with the match taking place at the AFAS Stadion on Thursday night.

Some Tottenham players will have taken the opportunity to get a couple of days away from the UK, while others will simply grab the chance to spend some time with their family at home before a period over the next couple of weeks that brings four matches in 11 days.

The two legs against AZ take place amid Premier League Sunday fixtures against Bournemouth and Fulham, the former visiting the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the latter match taking place at Craven Cottage.

Of those heading abroad for a short break, Yves Bissouma has decided to head off to colder climes, with his Instagram Story post on Sunday showing him enjoying a meal at a snow-covered ski resort in Courchevel, which is located in the French Alps. The midfielder has hopefully just been enjoying the snow and watching those on the slopes as Tottenham cannot afford the risk of any further injuries ahead of this run of crunch matches.

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Tottenham will continue to change the make-up of their squad at the end of this season with more players set to head out of the door.

There has been a drastic changing of the guard during Ange Postecoglou's tenure at Tottenham with the Australian handed a big batch of teenagers to lower the average of his squad while a number of older, experienced and highly-paid players have left the club for pastures new. The result has been an inconsistent season, not helped by a huge injury crisis that ravaged the squad for months.

Postecoglou's future beyond this campaign will be decided by what comes in the months ahead, with Spurs pinning their hopes on success in the Europa League while trying to clamber back up the Premier League table.

Regardless of whoever is in charge of the side, this summer will again bring further changes to the squad with big names potentially departing and youngsters unable to break through and heading off.

With all of that in mind, here are seven first team players who we reckon could leave Tottenham this summer. We're not including Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg because his move to Marseille has already been agreed as part of his loan deal.

Yves Bissouma

There are other potential big name departures this summer, not least with the Cristian Romero speculation set to continue unless he signs a new deal with the club, but it feels like Yves Bissouma could be heading towards the exit door unless something drastically changes in the final months of the season.

The midfielder turns 29 this summer and has started just 12 Premier League games this season and 20 in total across all competitions. There have been question marks over his consistency and decision-making, particularly the laughing gas incident that saw him suspended by the club for the opening game of the campaign at Leicester.

With Rodrigo Bentancur expected to hold talks over a new contract, Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray emerging as major talents and the club having an option to sign Johnny Cardoso from Real Betis this summer, it all seems to point towards Bissouma being the odd man out.

The Mali international will also only have one year left on his contract this summer and Tottenham cannot afford to allow him to enter that last 12 months.

Richarlison

After yet another injury-ravaged season, Spurs would no doubt want to cash in if they can on Richarlison this summer. The most frustrating thing about the Brazilian is that once again when he has been available, the striker, who turns 28 in May, has made an impact and he's got the ability and fight to make his presence felt.

Unfortunately, he's just not available enough. Richarlison has started only two Premier League games this season and six in total, with three goals and one assist across 12 appearances. He has been at Tottenham since 2022 but has started only 32 Premier League matches since that £60million move from Everton.

Ultimately, it will come down to interest in an injury-prone player and also his own willingness to leave as you sense a desire to prove himself still in N17. However, with two years left on his contract, Spurs are likely to listen to any offers that come in this summer again with a move to the Saudi Pro League constantly mooted.

Sergio Reguilon

To be honest, Sergio Reguilon should not really be at the club any more. It's been a waste of a season for the Spaniard and the 28-year-old should have departed last summer as he was clearly not part of Postecoglou's plans.

That's been evident in the fact that even with the huge injury problems at the club this season, he has only started one match: the FA Cup game at Tamworth. Postecoglou has only used him during matches when there has been no other option.

Spurs are expected to take up the option to extend Ben Davies' contract beyond this season and with him fitting in as a centre-back, they will likely look for another left-back to compete with Destiny Udogie, while Djed Spence has proved he can play on that flank as well.

Reguilon's contract comes to a close this summer and after half a decade the two parties will go their separate ways.

Bryan Gil

Bryan Gil is another who has looked more comfortable away from Spurs than he has in wearing the club's shirt and the 24-year-old's constant loans back to Spain - three in three seasons - have understandably seen him look far more at home.

There was a lack of interest in the winger last summer in terms of a permanent deal that would have seen Tottenham recoup a reasonable amount of the £21million they paid for him in 2021, with Erik Lamela also heading the other way to Sevilla.

The idea of the season-long loan to Girona was to bump up Gil's value and get more eyes on him and it might have worked with 31 appearances, four goals and three assists.

With only a year left on his contract when he returns this summer, Spurs will be looking to move Gil on. From Tottenham's side, there is no option for Girona to buy him but there were some reports when he left last summer that a change in his contract inserted a €15million (£12.4million) release clause into it. Whether that's true or not, Tottenham would probably leap at such a sum with a year left of his deal.

Timo Werner

As second season loans go, the return of Timo Werner has been unsuccessful to say the least. The German has started four Premier League matches and 10 in all competitions, scoring once and providing three assists across 27 appearances.

The Champions League winner earned public criticism from Postecoglou for his poor performance at Rangers in the Europa League and was then left out of the squad entirely for the knockout stages, to make way for January signing Mathys Tel.

There are so many different wingers now at Spurs, with more probably to arrive in the summer, so there's surely no chance the club would take up the £8.5million option to sign Werner.

Fraser Forster

The experienced goalkeeper, who turns 37 this month, is a big character around the club but Spurs now have their three goalkeepers set for the long-term future in Guglielmo Vicario, Antonin Kinsky and Brandon Austin, with young talents in Josh Keeley - who is likely to be loaned out again - and Luca Gunter among others to back them up.

There's no room for Fraser Forster on the bench anymore let alone in taking a position in the squad so with his deal coming to a close in the summer it would seem unlikely that it would be extended.

Alfie Whiteman

A similar situation to Forster, but for Alfie Whiteman the main issue for Tottenham will be that his exit will leave only one club-trained senior player in European squads until others start to eventually fit that criteria in future years. Of course, there's a very real scenario that Spurs might not have European football next season anyway.

For Whiteman, now 26, he's only played a handful of minutes for Tottenham in one appearance and with his contract coming to a close this summer, it seems the right time for a new challenge for the long-serving understudy.

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