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Tottenham Hotspur have scheduled transfer talks with an elite club, as chairman Daniel Levy eyes further forward signings alongside their potential option-to-buy deal for Bayern Munich loanee Mathys Tel.

Tottenham preparing for Europa League second leg against AZ Alkmaar

Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou is pinning all of his hopes on the Lilywhites' Europa League campaign to make good on his early-season promise of winning silverware during his second full season in charge.

The Australian watched on as his side fell to a 1-0 defeat in their Last 16 first leg tie against AZ Alkmaar, and with the second leg on Thursday, Postecoglou will be busy plotting how best to set up the Spurs team to overcome this deficit.

Tottenham are 13th in the Premier League table, having lost 14 top flight matches already, and are out of both domestic cup competitions after a very underwhelming campaign blighted by injuries to key players.

To make matters worse for Postecoglou, reliable football.london journalist Alasdair Gold broke overnight news that defender Kevin Danso could be set for a spell on the sidelines after he picked up a muscle injury in Spurs' 2-2 draw with Bournemouth over the weekend.

The Austria international was signed in a last-minute hijack from Wolves to provide much-needed central defensive cover for previously injured first-team duo Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, with Danso even emerging as a leader behind-the-scenes at Tottenham since then.

His absence will come as a major blow for Postecoglou, especially considering van de Ven and Romero have proved very unreliable when it comes to availability this term.

Tottenham are reportedly planning to reinforce the squad this summer to avoid a repeat of their disastrous 2024/2025 campaign, with Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi a top target for Spurs as they plan to reopen talks.

They also want to bring in more attacking options, and Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman has now become a viable option for them.

Tottenham set to be offered Kingsley Coman in talks with Bayern Munich

According to GiveMeSport, Spurs are set for end-of-season negotiations with Bayern over completing a permanent deal for Tel, and during these sit-down discussions, the possibility of signing Coman will arise.

Indeed, it is believed that Bayern will offer Tottenham the chance to sign Coman during these conversations, as Vincent Kompany's side are eager to offload the Frenchman and find him a new club.

It is unclear what Spurs' stance is on striking a deal for the 28-year-old, who has suffered from his fair share of injury problems throughout an undoubtedly illustrious career, but other reports suggest Bayern have set a price tag at up to £34 million.

Tottenham Hotspur are planning to hold talks over signing a marquee player this summer, with the Spurs transfer target also ready to demand an exit from his club at the end of this season in a potential boost for Johan Lange and Daniel Levy.

Tottenham preparing for AZ Alkmaar after dramatic Bournemouth draw

Ange Postecoglou is under intense pressure to come away from their Europa League second leg tie against AZ Alkmaar on Thursday with nothing but a win, given the competition is their last chance to take anything positive from this regrettable campaign.

Spurs are 13th in the Premier League and out of both domestic cups, so the Lilywhites are pinning all of their hopes on overturning the 1-0 deficit from their first-leg encounter with AZ.

They warmed up for the clash with a dramatic 2-2 draw against Bournemouth, and Spurs were forced to overcome a deficit in that game as well. Goals from Pape Matar Sarr and Son Heung-min earned the north Londoners a point from two goals down, and despite the hectic nature of their latest result, Postecoglou's side can perhaps take some encouragement.

"Chaotic game for sure," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's draw with Bournemouth.

"We added to the chaos and it was a little bit self-inflicted, especially in the first half, just with the ball we were really careless with our passing and that allowed the game to be played on the terms Bournemouth would like with their transition football. So yeah chaotic but at 2-0 down it would have been very easy, particularly with the atmosphere as it was, for the boys to just let the game get away from us, but credit to them, they found a way to get back into the game and we got something out of it."

Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero also got a much-needed run out ahead of Spurs' clash with AZ tomorrow, with the duo previously missing for large periods of the campaign through injury.

Their absences were sorely felt, and it prompted the club to strike a last-gasp loan-to-buy deal for Kevin Danso from RC Lens, who has gone on to impress.

As well as this, Spurs made a high-profile £70 million January bid for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, which was swiftly rejected by the Eagles.

Tottenham planning summer talks to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace

Even though their initial winter offer was turned down, Postecoglou's side haven't given hope of eventually striking a deal for the England international.

According to CaughtOffside, Tottenham are planning to re-open talks for Guehi in the summer, and it is believed the centre-back is ready to demand an exit from Selhurst Park as he enters the final year of his contract.

The £75-80 million defender, as stated in this report, is also attracting interest from Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle United - so it will by no means be an easy race for Spurs to win as elite English sides clamour for Guehi's services.

Tottenham Hotspur are ready to test the water with an offer to sign a potential replacement for exit-linked forward Richarlison, and it is believed the Spurs target is keen on a big move elsewhere this summer.

Tottenham prepared to sanction cut-price Richarlison sale

The Brazilian was linked with a move away from N17 last summer, with clubs in Saudi Arabia displaying a public interest, but Richarlison opted to remain in north London and fight for his place under Ange Postecoglou.

Richarlison was adamant that a move to Saudi didn't interest him at the time, but the forward has since struggled with injuries and a lack of opportunities to establish himself as a star player under Postecoglou as a result.

Reports suggest this could be the South American's final season at Spurs, with Everton said to be planning talks to sign Richarlison early on in the summer window as they prepare for life in a state-of-the-art new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is apparently prepared to take a £20 million loss on the 27-year-old's sale this summer as well. Tottenham are willing to sanction Richarlison's sale for £40 million, far beneath the £60 million they paid to sign him from Everton in 2022, according to GiveMeSport.

With Everton lurking in the background for Richarlison's signature, there are now reports emerging of the Lilywhites scouring for possible replacements. As per CaughtOffside, Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo is firmly in Spurs' thinking.

Tottenham set to bid £34 million for Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo

According to their information, Semenyo is one of Tottenham's priorities to replace Richarlison, following his excellent campaign under Andoni Iraola at the Vitality Stadium.

It is also claimed in the report that Spurs are set to test Bournemouth's resolve with a £34 million bid for the 25-year-old, who will actually face off against Postecoglou's side later today, so it will be interesting to see how he performs.

In the build up to this game, Semenyo has bagged nine goals and five assists across 30 appearances in all competitions, with his performances also attracting attention from Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Newcastle and Serie A title chasers Napoli.

It is added that Semenyo is keen on a big move elsewhere this summer, which could hand Spurs a boost. The former Bristol City star has also been praised for his top flight performances this season, especially by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp.

"He's a lovely footballer to watch", said Redknapp on Premier League productions earlier this term.

"The manager's taken him to another level, he obviously has that capability because you saw it with Solanke. I'm just seeing him elevate his game right now, we'll talk about why does that happen, a lot of it is purely on confidence.

"He looks like he's enjoying his football, his shoulders are back, he's relaxed, every time he gets it, he plays with a bit of a swagger. He's actually a joy to watch right now."

Tottenham Hotspur have decided to sanction an exit this summer, with chairman Daniel Levy and co anticipating a bidding war for the player's services.

Tottenham players likely to leave this summer

Sergio Reguilon, Alfie Whiteman and Fraser Forster are facing their final few months in north London as their contracts tick down towards expiry, while out-of-favour forward Timo Werner is expected to return to parent club RB Leipzig.

Spurs have an option to buy Werner for £8.5 million at the end of his loan spell, which has been going on for one and a half seasons, but it has been reported that Ange Postecoglou's side aren't going to trigger the clause.

Tottenham are also open to selling Richarlison this summer, following a season ravaged by injury, with the Brazilian failing to make his mark under Postecoglou as a result. Everton are also rumoured to be weighing up a swoop for their former striker this summer, and Levy is prepared to sell Richarlison for around £40 million (GiveMeSport).

Even Spurs captain Son Heung-min has been linked with an exit at the end of this season, despite the club recently electing to extend the winger's deal by an additional 12 months, so Postecoglou's side could look very different by the start of 2025/2026.

Amid his excellent loan spell at Leeds United, questions will be asked about the future of winger Manor Solomon.

The Israeli international joined Tottenham on a free transfer in 2023, but his debut campaign at N17 was overshadowed by long-term injuries. Levy gave the green-light for Solomon to join Leeds on a temporary deal, and he hasn't looked back since.

The 25-year-old has scored seven goals and assisted eight more in 30 total appearances under Daniel Farke, prompting reports that they could look to extend his stay at Elland Road.

Tottenham set to green-light Manor Solomon transfer as bidding war looms

As per GiveMeSport, Leeds won't be the only contenders for his services. Indeed, it is claimed Everton and Southampton are also expressing an interest in the winger, with Levy anticipating a bidding war for Solomon's signature at Tottenham. His price tag is currently set at £15 million, but Spurs are confident they could demand even more, especially considering the growing clamour for Solomon's services this summer.

Tottenham are prepared to sanction the ex-Fulham star's exit as a result, with the north Londoners set to make a pure profit off his potential sale as well.

“I know Manor Solomon from the Premier League. From Fulham, Tottenham, and now he has moved to Leeds," said Man City superstar Kevin De Bruyne. “He has the qualities to play at this level. He is an excellent player.”

Tottenham Hotspur are still bruised from their limp defeat against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League on Thursday evening, and while sights will be set on next week's return leg, first Spurs must welcome Bournemouth down at N17 in the Premier League.

Hopes for the remainder of the campaign lie almost solely on ending an interminable trophy drought and lifting the European trophy, for Ange Postecoglou's side are 13th in the top flight and ten points behind the European zone with ten matches remaining.

While the severity of Tottenham's injury crisis is easing, there are still plenty of problems for Ange to deal with - especially when keeping an eye on the crucial Europa League showdown with AZ, which is only a matter of days away.

Tottenham team news

Defensive stars Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven have both put their lengthy injury problems behind them, having made the bench on Thursday. That said, Postecoglou opted against bringing either onto the grass.

However, there's more uncertainty regarding the fitness of Dominic Solanke, who took a heavy blow to the leg at the AFAS Stadium and saw his cameo ended prematurely. Ahead of the meeting with his former outfit, it's touch and go.

Ben Davies may be fit enough to feature, but Dejan Kulusevski, Richarlison and Radu Dragusin remain absent.

Spurs are desperate to reclaim a more respectable position in the Premier League but Ange should consider rotating for this one, with Lucas Bergvall perhaps dropped to the bench for this one.

Why Ange should drop Lucas Bergvall

While it was Bergvall who suffered the frustration of converting the own goal to leave Tottenham with work to do in next week's last 16 second leg, this isn't exactly the reason he should be benched.

The 19-year-old has been a central cog in Postecoglou's machine this season, making 35 appearances across all competitions, including 18 starts.

There's a good reason for it. He's creative, cultured and combative, all rolled into one. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has even hailed his teenage talent as "unstoppable" when on the ball.

It may be worth taking him out of the firing line and resting him ahead of next week's big one. He must start on the continent. Bergvall might be young but he's such an influential talent, ranking among the top 16% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 4% for successful take-ons and the top 13% for tackles per 90, as per FBref.

A successful take-on is recorded when a player beats their opponent by directly carrying the ball past them while retaining possession.

Should Postecoglou place his Swedish ace on the bench, it would be the perfect chance for Pape Sarr to reenter the ascendency.

It's been a difficult year for the Senegalese centre-midfielder, 22, with his manager choosing not to start him in each of Tottenham's past four Premier League matches.

In fact, Sarr has only started 15 of his 26 top-flight fixtures all season, also starting from the sidelines against AZ Alkmaar this week.

However, his energy and rounded style could be perfect in a Tottenham midfield that should see Rodrigo Bentancur retain his starting berth since he is suspended next week.

Sarr has a certain quality in elevating his peers and causing issues for his opponents, something Postecoglou has singled out in the past: "He's one of those midfielders who causes the opposition real problems because whether it's him running with the ball or without the ball, he runs forward, he runs aggressively and he disrupts the opposition."

Given he's won 56% of his ground duels in the Premier League this year after only 45% across the 2023/24 season, as per Sofascore, you could argue Sarr is beginning to show some more maturity, and is struggling within the wider scale of Tottenham's problems.

It's the kind of stable approach which could also help revive James Maddison, who was branded with a lowly 4/10 rating by football.london after a non-showing in the Netherlands, unable to provide any of his creative ability.

Maddison's time at Tottenham has very much been characterised by ebbs and flow in performances and fortunes. The 28-year-old playmaker has struggled this season but still boasts a return of nine goals and five assists from 17 Premier League starts.

When he's on his a-game, the Lilywhites turn into a different team. However, Maddison needs to stabilise and could indeed benefit from Sarr's inclusion behind him, with the younger man's positioning and intelligence helping Spurs beat the press.

And in turn, helping Maddison to focus on making things tick in attack. After all, his metrics across the campaign speak loudly of his playmaking prowess.

There's plenty to admire about his overall levels, and with Sarr's infectious energy behind him, this could be the perfect way for Postecoglou to revitalise Tottenham's midfield, with Bentancur pulling the strings from deep.

Hailed for his "frightening" talent by scout Antonio Mango, Sarr truly could be the difference-maker here, crucial in beating Bournemouth's high-intensity attacking game, giving Bergvall a rest and restoring Maddison.

Tottenham and rotation, ay. Who'd have thought?

It's been a bruising season for Tottenham Hotspur this year.

Ange Postecoglou's side are in the second half of the Premier League table, out of both domestic cups and are currently a goal down in their Europa League clash with AZ Alkmaar.

The good news is that there are only a couple more months of the campaign left before Daniel Levy and Co can carry on their overhaul of the squad.

One of the players they are likely to go back in for is Crystal Palace's incredibly talented Marc Guehi, and while he'd be an excellent addition to the squad, the club already have a key defensive player worth millions more.

Why Spurs want to sign Guehi

On transfer deadline day last month, Spurs made a surprise bid of £70m to sign Guehi, but with no time to bring in a suitable replacement, Palace quickly rejected it.

It's fair to say that had the deal gone through, it would have been somewhat of an overpay, but that doesn't mean the Englishman would have been a bad signing.

In fact, the former Chelsea man would be an excellent addition to the Lilywhites squad for a couple of reasons, with the first being his experience.

Despite still being just 24 years old, the 6 foot titan has already amassed 205 first-team appearances across his career, with 144 of those coming for Palace, 59 with Swansea City and two with the Blues.

Furthermore, he's won 22 senior England caps, was a key player at the European Championships and is currently the Eagles' captain.

In addition to his impressive experience, the Abidjan-born star has some great underlying numbers.

For example, FBref places him in the top 3% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues for through balls and passes blocked, the top 4% for goals plus assists, the top 9% for all blocks and more, all per 90.

So, when you consider all of that, plus the fact that his contract is set to expire next year, it's easy to see why Football Transfers have valued him at up to €53.8m, which is about £45m.

While that is still a sizable chunk of change, it's significantly less than what one of his potential future teammates is worth.

The Spurs star worth millions more than Guehi

While they have been without most of them for large parts of the campaign, you could make valid arguments for a number of Spurs' defenders to be counted among the best in the Premier League.

That is certainly the case for Cristian Romero, at least, and it's reflected in his valuation.

According to Football Transfers, the Argentine superstar is currently worth up to a staggering €79.8m, which is about £67m, or £22m more than Guehi.

That is an enormous sum of money, but based on the last three years or so, it would be hard to dispute it.

For example, the 6 foot 1 "monster," as dubbed by journalist Charlie Eccleshare, has made 112 appearances for Tottenham, in which he's scored seven goals and provided one assist.

On top of that, he's earned 40 caps for Argentina, in which he's won the Copa América twice and the World Cup.

Finally, if you're still not convinced, then maybe Lionel Messi can change your mind, as the footballing god described his compatriot as "the best defender in the world."

Ultimately, he might be a bit rash sometimes, but Romero is undoubtedly one of the best defenders in the league, and should Spurs sign Guehi in the summer, he'll have to be near enough perfect to see his valuation ever reach the Argentine's.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is planning to hand a Spurs youngster more game time after being impressed by him, with the Lilywhites gem also highly thought of behind-the-scenes at Hotspur Way.

Ange Postecoglou under pressure at Tottenham

Throughout what has been a dismal 2024/2025 campaign, Postecoglou has faced mounting pressure at various points, despite injuries ravaging his squad for large chunks of the season.

Daniel Levy has reportedly got candidates in mind for if he does opt to part ways with Postecoglou at the end of this Premier League campaign, with Tottenham's list of managerial targets including Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola, ex-Borussia Dortmund boss Edin Terzić, Brentford boss Thomas Frank and even Inter Milan head coach Simone Inzaghi, according to reports.

Their Europa League campaign could be crucial in determining Postecoglou's long-term future, but they haven't exactly got off to the best start of their last 16 tie with AZ Alkmaar, tasting a 1-0 defeat in their first leg of their tie on Thursday night.

TalkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan, speaking on air earlier this week, said he'd be surprised if the 59-year-old is still manager next season.

“The fact is they still spend a hundred-odd million plus on transfer fees most seasons and most managers with a few exceptions would bite your arm off for a job like that," said Jordan (via Football Insider).

“So they’ll find a replacement for Ange Postecoglou. Whether it’s the right one, whether it gets you in the right direction and whether Daniel Levy will continue to make appointment without winning anything, who knows.

“But I would be surprised if you finish 13th in the league, you get knocked out of the cup competitions – besides the credible performance in the League Cup – if he’s still in a job."

Despite some uncertainty surrounding his long-term position, Postecoglou is believed to be planning for next season behind-the-scenes, and he has already mapped out a more significant squad role for young forward Dane Scarlett.

The 20-year-old was recalled by Spurs from a loan spell at Oxford United, to help Postecoglou cope during the height of their injury crisis, and he has since managed to impress over cameos in Europe.

Scarlett bagged a goal and an assist against Elfsborg during their 3-0 win in late January, with the England Under-21 international also notching an assist against Ipswich Town in the Premier League recently.

Ange Postecoglou planning "bigger role" for Dane Scarlett

According to GiveMeSport, the attacker has done enough to convince Postecoglou that he's deserving of more chances for next campaign.

It is believed that Postecoglou is planning a "bigger role" for Scarlett at Tottenham for the 2025/2026 season, after being left impressed by the Spurs starlet, with N17 officials also thinking highly of the academy graduate.

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy is ready to take a significant financial loss on a member of the Spurs squad this summer after claims he wants to leave the club, with one side planning to open early negotiations for his signature.

Players who could leave Tottenham this summer

Ange Postecoglou is currently preparing his side for an all-important Premier League clash at home to Bournemouth tomorrow, following a tepid 1-0 defeat away to AZ Alkmaar in the first leg of their Europa League last 16 tie.

A win is absolutely crucial for the north Londoners, as they seek to raise spirits, climb their way out of the bottom ten and head into their second leg against AZ with a degree of momentum.

For some members of the Lilywhites squad, these next two games, soon followed by the final months of this season, will represent a final chance for them to make a significant contribution for the club before departing.

Timo Werner is expected to return to parent club RB Leipzig, with Spurs electing to trigger the £8.5 million buy-option in his loan deal, while uncertainty also surrounds the future of midfielder Yves Bissouma.

Sergio Reguilon, Fraser Forster and Alfie Whiteman are also out of contract at the end of this season, but the trio are unlikely to play a major role under Postecoglou during the final months of their Tottenham careers.

Ben Davies is also out of contract in the summer. However, Spurs are expected to trigger the 12-month extension clause Davies' deal, which will keep him at the club for 2025/2026.

Mathys Tel's long-term future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be determined by whether he elects to remain at N17 or return to parent club Bayern Munich, with Postecoglou's side possessing an option to buy for around £45 million.

According to some reports, injury-ridden striker Richarlison could also leave this year.

The Brazil international is currently sidelined with a calf problem, and has suffered real bad luck with long-term injuries throughout the campaign. It is believed by some media sources that Richarlison has already told friends he wants to leave Tottenham for a fresh start this summer, with GiveMeSport sharing an update on his future.

Daniel Levy ready to take £20m Tottenham loss on Richarlison

Spurs signed the forward in a £60 million deal from Everton in 2022, but GMS report that Levy is now ready to sell Richarlison for just £40 million.

This is said to have piqued interest from his ex-club, with David Moyes' side apparently eager to open discussions over a deal for the South American early in the next transfer window.

Everton have earmarked Richarlison as a "shock" target for Moyes, as per this report, and the Toffees are lining up a "sensational" move for their former star as they prepare for life in a brand-new, state-of-the-art stadium on Bramley Moore Dock next season.

When Tottenham Hotspur announced the signing of Mathys Tel on loan last month, there was plenty of understandable excitement from their fans.

After all, the North Londoners were getting their hands on an exciting young talent who seemed to be of interest to a number of their Premier League rivals, such as Manchester United.

However, a month on, and it would be fair to describe the Frenchman's time in the capital as disappointing thus far, and with just a couple of months left of the season, there is a real chance he'll return to Bayern Munich as a flop.

Worse still, the Frenchman is currently being outperformed by a former Tottenham flop signed by José Mourinho and then sold by Antonio Conte.

Mourinho's worst Spurs signings

Before getting to the player in question, let's look at some of the other poor signings the Special One made during his short stint in North London, starting with Matt Doherty.

The Irish international joined Spurs from Wolverhampton Wanderers for around £14.7m in the summer of 2020, and while it looked like a shrewd bit of business at the time, it most certainly was not.

The right-back would make 71 appearances for the club over the next two and a half years, in which he provided eight assists and scored three goals, but failed to ever really impress the fans and was let go for nothing in January 2023.

Mourinho didn't just make poor permanent signings in N17, though, as he also welcomed Carlos Vinicius to the club from Benfica on loan with a £41m option to buy in October 2020.

The Brazilian forward had scored 24 goals and provided 13 assists in 47 games the campaign prior, so there was some hope that he'd be able to make a real difference for Tottenham.

However, while the Bom Jesus das Selvas-born ace scored six goals and provided three assists in the Europa League and bagged a hat-trick against Marine in the FA Cup, he only scored once in nine league outings and was sent back to Portugal the following summer.

The now Fulham ace wasn't the only underwhelming attacker signed by Mourinho in 2020, as another is now outscoring and performing Tel away from the club this season.

The former Spurs dud outperforming Tel

With Mourinho not actually making all that many signings while in the Spurs hot seat, it'll come as no surprise that the attacker in question is Steven Bergwijn.

The Dutchman joined the North Londoners for about £27m in January 2020, but aside from completing one of the Premier League's best comebacks, the skilful winger joined Ajax just two years later for around £26m with eight goals and nine assists to his name in 83 appearances.

Over the next two and a bit years, the "big-game monster," as dubbed by journalist John Cross, would score 29 goals and provide 11 assists in 80 games for the Amsterdam outfit before making a surprise move to Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League in September.

Since moving to the Middle East, the 27-year-old has scored ten goals and provided six assists in 23 appearances this season.

When you add the one assist he picked up in his final four games for Ajax prior to his move, the former Lilywhtes star has averaged a goal involvement every 1.58 games this term.

In contrast, in 20 appearances for Bayern and Spurs this season, Tel has scored one goal and provided one assist, which is an average of a goal involvement every ten games.

Ultimately, it goes without saying that the 19-year-old is playing in a far harder league, but as he's looking increasingly unable to impact games, we wonder if Spurs wish they had someone like Bergwijn on the bench just for the next couple of months.

Tottenham Hotspur have laid some groundwork over potentially re-signing a former Spurs player who's also a transfer target for West Ham, with chairman Daniel Levy and technical director Johan Lange seemingly weighing up the possibility of a reunion at N17.

Tottenham slump to 1-0 Europa League defeat at AZ Alkmaar

Ange Postecoglou watched on from the sidelines as Spurs slumped to another poor away defeat in Europe on Thursday evening.

The travelling side couldn't force AZ Alkmaar's keeper into any real saves over their lacklustre 90 minutes abroad, with striker Dominic Solanke also picking up a late knock on what was a night to forget for Tottenham, as they fell to a 1-0 defeat in the first leg of their Europa League last 16 tie.

"Yeah, it wasn’t great from us tonight," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's 1-0 defeat to AZ.

"Pretty much all facets of the game. We didn’t really get to grips with any part of the game. We struggled to gain any momentum with the ball, we weren’t as aggressive as we needed to be without the ball.

"It was a tricky surface but having said that we kind of knew that from yesterday and yeah we just didn’t tackle the challenges we had out there in a real positive way. That allowed AZ to get into a rhythm, which when you’re playing away from home, it is difficult to stem the tide.

"I don’t think it is going out there and not trying, but like I said we didn’t really come to grips and have the right mindset to tackle an away fixture in Europe. It is always tough, and we obviously conceded the goal, which was a disappointing set of events but even after that we didn’t really settle down into the game at all. You are going to face some pressure when you play away from home in Europe and weather the storm and get to grips with it, but we never really did, so that was a disappointment."

A good Europa League run is Spurs' only real opportunity to make anything of this disappointing campaign, so the pressure is on Postecoglou to turn this first leg deficit around.

Off the field, Tottenham are planning for next season already in terms of transfers. Spurs are believed to be targeting new full-backs, with Flamengo defender Wesley Franca among their options as alternatives to the likes of Pedro Porro, Destiny Udogie and the in-form Djed Spence.

Tottenham lay groundwork over re-signing West Ham target Dennis Cirkin

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, the Lilywhites could even turn to an ex-player of theirs to reinforce the left-back area - Sunderland defender Dennis Cirkin.

The 22-year-old left Spurs in 2021 to join the Black Cats for an undisclosed fee (BBC), and he's since gone on to become a crucial player for Regis Le Bris' side as they chase promotion back to the Premier League.

Cirkin is currently among their top five best-performers in the Championship by average match rating, according to WhoScored, and his performances are attracting attention from elite English sides - including Tottenham.

According to Bailey, Tottenham have been doing work on re-signing Cirkin, but he's also a target for a plethora of London rivals like West Ham.

"Keep a close eye on Cirkin," said Bailey to Sunderland AFC News.

"I am told a lot of Premier League clubs have been doing work on him. Chelsea, Tottenham, Crystal Palace, West Ham, Everton and Leeds – he is an outstanding prospect.”