Hotspur HQ

Tottenham have a difficult decision to make before they can truly get their summer transfer business underway, and the longer they delay what they are going to ultimately do with manager Ange Postecoglou, the more difficult it will be for them to get a top team prepared for the Champions League next season.

Postecoglou can be thanked for the fact that Tottenham are back in the Champions League for the 2025/26 season, as he helped guide Spurs to a rare Europa League title triumph over Manchester United. But he was also responsible for the stench of a 17th-placed Premier League finish, which is the worst in club history.

It could legitimately go either way for Postecoglou, because there are compelling reasons to keep him (retaining Cristian Romero) and deep philosophical reasons to give him the axe (Fabio Paratici wanting a clean slate with a better coach).

Tottenham aren't going to be reactionary with Big Ange

According to the latest information from The Mirror's John Cross, despite some of the positive rhetoric coming out of Tottenham and the dressing room about Big Ange, the expectation remains for Spurs to decide to part ways with the oft-embattled coach this summer.

This latest update is a sobering one for Postecoglou and for some Tottenham fans who have been swept up in the positive afterglow of the Europa League title win, because, as David Ornstein once reported, Tottenham are probably going to take a wider-view picture of Postecoglou's recent work, especially since they saw how Manchester United's choice to keep Erik ten Hag after an FA Cup win backfired horribly.

Postecoglou isn't out of the woods, and it looks like he is more likely to be out than in. It's a fine balance that seems to teeter on either edge of the 50/50 mark, but it's so hard to ignore a club finishing 17th in a league only above three newly-promoted teams that were beyond woefully underprepared for the rigors of the Premier League.

Spurs have issues in their squad, yes, but after investing heavily in young talents and a top Premier League striker in Dominic Solanke from the 2023/24 season, Postecoglou would have been expected to easily finish better than 17th. Wins over Manchester United, Bodo Glimt, and an Omar Marmoush-less Eintracht Frankfurt probably aren't as gaping as consistent losses to Premier League clubs in the top half of the table - the bare minimum of where Spurs should aim to be.

Tottenham have a massive decision to make in the coming days, and while they don't have to rush it, not finding clarity on the future of Ange Postecoglou as their manager could delay their ability to make appropriate signings in the summer 2025 transfer window.

Postecoglou looked like a dead man walking earlier this month, but after securing the Europa League title and basking in the glory and admiration of the historic moment, Big Ange has done enough to put himself back in the conversation for staying another year in North London.

While not everyone is yet on board with Postecoglou buying himself more time based on a tournament win that didn't have everything to do with his coaching, it seems like Postecoglou has backing from the most important people at Tottenham right now - the locker room itself.

Ange Postecoglou has the heart of the locker room

And they are willing to go to bat for him publicly. The midfield trio of James Maddison, Archie Gray, and Lucas Bergvall recently backed Postecoglou at Maddison's Charity Golf Day, stating defintiively that they want to see Big Ange back as the Spurs manager in 2025/26.

Bergvall's endorsement of Postecoglou is especially important. The teenage Swedish midfielder was one of the biggest breakout stars of the season for Tottenham and a rare bright spot as a valued, new signing. He is the best center midfielder in the team already and a future building block whom Tottenham were able to sign over the mighty Barcelona last summer.

So when Bergvall says that Postecoglou should "100 percent" stay and adds, "I think he's done a great job. It's not been easy for any of us, especially because of all the injuries, but as he said, he always wins things in his second year, and that's true," it's a huge deal.

Although Bergvall doesn't call the shots for Tottenham - Daniel Levy does right now - it's still very important what someone like that thinks about the coach. The same can be said for Maddison, currently one of the team's best players and leaders, and another future star in Gray, but Bergvall is the one getting looks from clubs as big as Real Madrid

So with someone like Bergvall who already has that cachet of Real Madrid and Barcelona as an aura around him, there's that added interest from Levy and Spurs to keep him appeased. If Bergvall is sold on Postecoglou, then that's a very important endorsement to the manager and something he can use as leverage when it's decision day for Spurs.

Five most important Tottenham players in 2025  Hotspur HQ

Tottenham Hotspur are getting closer to having to make a definitive statement on manager Ange Postecoglou, who may have done just enough to rescue his job by leading Spurs to a 1-0 win over Manchester United in the Europa League Final.

There are legitimate reasons for and against firing Postecoglou, whose record during the league season was truly appalling. But Postecoglou was able to effectively rally the troops and back up his talk before the big game, navigating a litany of severe injuries in the process.

According to Football.London's Tottenham beat reporter Alasdair Gold, Postecoglou currently has the full backing of the locker room at the club. It's an important piece of information, because amidst all the uncertainty on the manager's future, a united dressing room could be the tipping point that leads to Big Ange keeping his job.

Tottenham need to decide soon

Tottenham are hurting themselves in the transfer market with a slow start because there is no real clarity on their manager situation. Whereas Europa League losers Manchester United have brought in one of the Premier League's best players in Matheus Cunha, Spurs don't currently have any concrete links in the summer market and won't be able to make serious inroads without a clear definition of their next manager.

So the sooner Spurs figure things out with Postecoglou, the better. And if key players like Cristian Romero are willing to tie their futures to Postecoglou, a dressing room united under Big Ange's rule could be enough to swing the difference if the margin is close. Now, the impending addition of Fabio Paratici as sporting director could complicate things for Postecoglou, but at least hiring Paratici solves the answer of a slow transfer approach.

Postecoglou may have grated fans and media with his press conferences, but unlike predecessor Antonio Conte, he never once threw his players under the bus and often took the heat with his comments as a means of deflecting criticism away from young players.

So it's understandable that Tottenham players have a close bond with Postecoglou, especially after achieving something bigger than themselves with a Europa League trophy, which is much more than what can be said about some of the managers that have come before Big Ange.

Time is ticking for Tottenham to make their final choice, but if the players have any sort of weight in a decision that appears to be the tight one, Postecoglou may be more likely than not to keep his job, including with a possible Paratici reunion.

I dare to say, it is not easy to write these kinds of articles following the end of a 17-year trophyless drought. Like many Spurs fans, I got emotional and deservedly praised the player for their effort to finally bring silverware to White Hart Lane. A day I will never forget in my life.

More than that day, I will never forget the players who made that dream possible, as much as they might not have been crucial for the Europa League title. For someone who spends so much time supporting a club that never wins, when it was finally our time, it was unbelievable to think of all the players who have not won a title for Tottenham.

Harry Kane, Gareth Bale, Luka Modrić, Mousa Dembélé, Rafael van der Vaart, and many others quality players who have not won, and, still, I will always remember lads like Timo Werner as part of the squad who made one of the happiest days of my life possible.

Enough emotions for now, so shall we use rationale a little bit? Even though Spurs claim that trophies are more important as of now (and it's true, in our case), the season was much more than that magical night in Bilbao. And, with inconsistency and injuries illustrating a season that ends in a fairy tale coming true, here are some players who need to go if Spurs wish to elevate their standards:

***Disclaimer: Players with contracts running out, currently injured, or from the academy were not considered for this list.***

Ashley Phillips

You were probably expecting Radu Drăgușin to be here, right? I would also argue that Drăgușin would be a topic to be discussed, but I don't really think he is a bad player; just a poor scheme fit for what Ange usually goes for. Now, with Ange likely staying, Drăgușin would be a clear candidate for sale if it weren't for his injury, which wouldn't make it easier, nor realistic, to sell him now.

Even so, I believe Spurs desperately need to offload some players to provide more quality depth in defense, which the squad desperately needs. This take might be a controversial one, but I am pretty unsure that Ashley Phillips is the type of player that fits the mold Spurs are aiming for. Despite his young age (19), Phillips is not the prototype this team looks for, as his passing stats are below what possession-based sides would expect.

Another loan couldn't hurt, indeed, but if a suitable offer comes for Phillips, I wouldn't necessarily be opposed to it. I was never particularly impressed with him, and I think his future lies elsewhere. At the same time, Spurs could open space for either more signings in central defense or more high-ceiling young talents, such as Alfie Dorrington and Luka Vušković.

Yves Bissouma

This one is going to hurt a bit. Even though Yves Bissouma was always a question mark at Spurs, his performance at the Europa League Final was pivotal for Tottenham to lift that trophy after 17 years, both on and off the ball. As I said previously, I will never forget this squad for accomplishing what many couldn't, but we need to be rational following the initial trophy euphoria.

Considering his inconsistency issues, I have already made a point on why Bissouma shouldn't start for Spurs next season. At age 29, coming into the season's start, selling Bissouma now would be the wisest decision from a financial and process perspective. Tottenham still needs an unquestionable pivot at the six position, which is likely our most significant priority in the market, and, despite his Europa League bounce-back, Bissouma never was a certainty at Spurs.

Manor Solomon

Selling Manor Solomon now is likely the best deal in terms of cost-benefit for the Spurs during the summer transfer market. Coming on a free in 2023, Manor Solomon didn't really have time to shine in Lilywhite. Following a season-ending injury on his first campaign, Solomon was loaned out to Leeds United for the Championship, and he did not disappoint there.

With 23 goal contributions this season, including the saving goal that gave Leeds the Championship title, it sounds like a perfect time for a Manor Solomon sale. As his physical profile worries me, I am unsure how Solomon would raise Spurs' floor, so a departure is the most probable outcome. Even with Transfermarkt valuing him at 12 million euros, I believe Spurs can get more for him, and make a transfer that came with close to zero expectations into a guaranteed profit.

Bryan Gil

I believe this is likely the most no-brainer transfer take from this list. Bryan Gil arrived in North London with a lot of potential and promise. However, he never delivered what was expected of him, as I believe he, like Solomon, struggled in the Premier League due to his physical traits. Moreover, his technical output fits the La Liga profile much more than it does in English football.

In 2024/2025, Bryan Gil had seven goal contributions in 32 matches played while on loan for Girona, with 2,232 minutes total. Not necessarily impressive numbers, but enough playing time to materialize a sale. With an estimated 15 million euros market value, according to Transfermrkt, this summer will probably be Gil's last in Lilywhite. As Spurs will not recover their investment in him (25M), it is time to move on from what was a promising prospect.

Richarlison

Letting Richarlison move will also hurt the Spurs community, including me. However, it looks like the best outcome for all parties involved. Richarlison also played a key role in Spurs' Europa League glory, as Son was not fully fit to start in Bilbao. Despite his tireless effort, the Brazilian has not contributed much in goals and assists (7 G/A in all competitions), and his injury track record doesn't help (short of 1000 minutes this season).

Tottenham forward Richarlison hasn't been able to hit the ground running with Spurs, and it's been two seasons now that the former Everton star has made a very minimal impact on one of the biggest clubs in English football.

From hero with the Toffees to bench fodder at Tottenham, Richarlison has been given chances under multiple managers, including starts on the left wing and at striker this season under Ange Postecoglou. But a blend of injuries, inconsistent play, and a lack of importance at Tottenham have doomed Richarlison to being a talented and likable 60 million pound transfer flop.

With Everton circling back to the 28-year-old as a possible transfer target this summer, Richarlison is squarely on the chopping block for Tottenham, who need to make sales of underwhelming veteran players of notable transfer value in order to sign the players they need for next season's Champions League.

Richarlison's favorite coach did him a real favor

If Tottenham were looking for a little boost - with a potential for a bigger one- on the transfer market, then they may have gotten one with Richarlison. Despite his poor season, the Spurs attacker made Carlo Ancelotti's first Brazilian national team squad, joining noted Carletto favorite Casemiro.

Richarlison worked with Ancelotti at Everton and achieved great success under the Italian manager, who is excellent at working with talented attackers with great individual skill like Richarlison.Getting on the Brazil squad and working with Carlo again is a major boost for the Tottenham man, and that could pay dividends in the form of recovered value on the pitch and on the transfer market.

At this point, it's hard to see Richarlison having a big role on Tottenham in the future. It isn't impossible, but the most likely benefit Spurs will derive from Ancelotti taking over at Brazil and bringing Richarlison with him is that transfer boost.

Ancelotti has to be Richarlison's favorite manager, and Carlo actually thought about bringing him to Real Madrid when he first joined the Merengues in 2021. But it was Florentino Perez and the Madrid club brass that understandably said no. So there's history there, and there's even a history of Richarlison being a key player for Brazil around that time during Copa America.

If Richarlison can get back to that level under Carlo, that could be the difference between Tottenham getting almost nothing in return and at least recovering more than half of what they initially paid for the experienced forward.

Tottenham have a long offseason ahead of them, because even though Spurs are riding high from winning the Europa League title and qualifying for the Champions League, they will have to figure out how to compete in their Champions League return with a squad that finished a mere 17th in the Premier League last season.

Before all that, Tottenham need to sort out their manager and sporting director situation, but while that is ongoing, Spurs need to think about which key players they want to keep and which players they want to sell in order to sign better players who can help them reach the knockouts of the Champions League next season.

One of the most interesting situations belongs to star center back Cristian Romero, who seemed to be on the outs a few weeks ago. After publicly declaring his interest in heading to LaLiga, Romero was being closely linked with moves to Atletico Madrid and even Real Madrid.

Daniel Levy is stepping it up

Now, though, Tottenham fans are pushing harder for the club to keep Romero after his decisive performances in the Europa League led to both Spurs hoisting the trophy and Romero himself being honored as the official Player of the Tournament.

According to new information from top footballing insider Fabrizio Romano on his YouTube channel, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy will now do his best to keep Romero at Tottenham this summer. While both parties have not started official negotiations on a new contract, Spurs now want to keep Romero more than before because they have secured Champions League football.

The Champions League helps the case for Romero to stay in two ways. Not only does it make it more important for Tottenham to keep a big-game, top-class center back for such an important competition rather than selling him for potentially less than market value, but the Champions League also increases Romero's interest in staying due to the level of competition.

At this point, it's a no-brainer for Tottenham to at least sit at the bargaining table and try to hammer out something with Romero to convince him to stay. And if Romero is still open to leaving, Tottenham can have more leverage with clubs like Atletico Madrid instead of taking obvious lowball offers for a player whose stock is absolutely on the rise after this Europa League tournament.

It still seems about 50/50 for Romero to leave Tottenham this summer, and Levy keeping a key player has to be seen before it is ever believed. But 50/50 is a lot closer than what the odds seemed like for Romero's future with Tottenham just a month ago.

Even though Ange Postecoglou brought the Europa League title - and thus Champions League football - back to Tottenham Hotspur, his future has never been fully predicated upon his success in the continental competition due to Tottenham's horrible Premier League record this season - among other things.

But Postecoglou has bought himself some goodwill with the fans and a more than fair shot at keeping his job for the Champions League season to come. He did his end and brought the trophy to Tottenham, but, now, Postecoglou's future is entirely out of his hands.

According to a report from insider Fabrizio Romano, via Spurs Connect, bringing back executive Fabio Paratici to the Tottenham front office is still one of the priorities for the club in the summer 2025 offseason.

Ange Postecoglou doesn't control his own future

Paratici's future and impending return are as big of a storyline as the questions around Postecoglou's future, and they are absolutely interrelated. Tottenham's Europa League title triumph has more of Paratici's fingerprints on it than Postecoglou's when you look at the quality of players he brought in and how important they were in bringing this trophy home for Spurs.

So Daniel Levy and Tottenham have a lot of trust in Paratici and what he thinks. Paratici isn't stupid, and he knows exactly what level of success to attribute to Postecoglou and where to blame him for this historically woeful Premier League season. Unlike fans and writers like me, Paratici is going to be objective with how he assesses the managerial situation at Tottenham.

But he's going to be subjective in one sense, if brought in as the sporting director again. He will get plenty of say and privilege from Levy in order to be convinced back, and he will know that he has the opportunity to pick whichever manager he wants from those available. And that could end up being the most decisive factor in what leads to Postecoglou's dismissal or retention.

It could all be in Paratici's hands. Most of the speculation has focused on Paratici hiring someone new or being a part of the decision-making team IF Postecoglou is fired, but even before a decision is made on Big Ange, if Tottenham are indeed prioritizing Paratici's return and are actively working to bring him in right at this second, then there is no doubt that they are having two-way conversations about Postecoglou and if Paratici sees a future with him working alongside the current Tottenham boss.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou is now the hottest topic around the grounds after Spurs secured their third ever Europa League title, securing Champions League football for the 2025/26 season despite finishing a lowly 17th in the Premier League this year.

While Big Ange certainly isn't without his detractors, who were in full force after another humiliating loss in the Premier League over the weekend, there has been an unsurprising warmth emanating from the supporters towards the former Celtic boss after Tottenham's 1-0 triumph over Manchester United in Bilbao.

Already, Postecoglou seems to be acting as if he is a manager leaning more towards staying than going, even as Daniel Levy remains tight-lipped and insiders can only conjure up guesses as to what is happening behind the scenes.

Ange Postecoglou is already looking at the Champions League ahead

Via The Spurs Express, Postecoglo recently told reporters that he believes Tottenham need to sign veteran players in the summer 2025 transfer window with the Champions League on the horizon. His comments come as rumors have stated that Tottenham will not change course from their current strategy of focusing on young players.

Although Spurs were putrid in the Premier League this season, their focus on signing young stars was actually crucial to them winning the Europa League. Brennan Johnson, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Pedro Porro, Destiny Udogie, and Lucas Bergvall were not experienced players when Tottenham bought them, but within just a few seasons they were the core of the team that triumphed continentally in 2025.

Even so, Postecoglou's comments aren't wrong, but, rather, interesting since they represent a strong philosophical difference to a strategy that Tottenham is working on; it's a strategy that does require long-term adherence and has already paid off some short-term gains despite Tottenham's outright futiliity in the Premier League.

Postecoglou may not stay to even influence what Tottenham do on the market, and even if he does secure his job for another season, it will be on such a short leash after this debacle of a Premier League season that Daniel Levy and the real Powers That Be at the Tottenham offices may not listen all that much to Postecoglou's more over-arching wishes than binary "Player X or Player Y" questions to him.

Nonetheless, there are definitely fans who agree with Postecoglou that Tottenham need a veteran signing or two to buoy the young players in a competition like the Champions League, especially if Spurs move on from veteran players like Richarlison, Yves Bissouma, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Cristian Romero (among others) this summer.

Although the meltdowns after a dismal Tottenham Hotspur loss to Brighton in the Premier League this weekend would seem to indicate otherwise, the widespread admiration from Spurs fans for Ange Postecoglou was palpable after the controversial and embroiled manager delivered the club's third ever Europa League triumph and their first title of any kind in nearly two decades.

Postecoglou's future with or without a Europa League title has always been murky, and there's a school of thought that says that Tottenham should make their decision based on the competition with a bigger sample size, especially a bigger sample size of facing high quality opposition. Manchester United, for example, rued their decision to keep Erik ten Hag based on winning the FA Cup.

But the Europa League title is a bigger deal than the FA Cup; the FA Cup is what leads to Europa League qualification, which is how Manchester United got to be the team that Tottenham beat in order to win the Europa League and Champions League.

Tottenham could lose a star player with Big Ange

More importantly, there are more reasons to keep Postecoglou than just philosophy or emotions. According to a report from the Evening Standard's Dan Kilpatrick, keeping Postecoglou possibly increases the chances of Tottenham keeping center back Cristian Romero, who has a close relationship with the coach. Romero's future and willingness to remain with the club could end up being tied with the future of Postecoglou.

At one point, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Romero would leave Tottenham. He was openly flirting with a transfer away from the club, and there was even one rumor stating that he had already agreed to terms with Atletico Madrid.

After his big-game performances in multiple knockout-swinging ties in the Europa League and his status as the competition's literal Player of the Season, there's been a bigger push from Spurs supporters to keep Romero in town, and if that's the case, then those same fans should then have more of an inkling towards keeping Postecoglou, too.

It's hard to be 100 percent Big Ange out, because even if the results in the Premier League have been alarmingly bad and he has serious tactical flaws, he still won the Europa League and has close ties with key players like Romero. Are there any coaches out there better enough than Postecoglou that it is worth losing Romero? Should Tottenham say "screw it" and replace both men? These are the questions Daniel Levy is going to have to answer in the coming days.