The Spurs Web

Son Heung-min admitted that he is delighted with the arrival of Dominic Solanke, remarking the centre-forward will add a lot to the Tottenham team.

Will Solanke be a good signing for Spurs?

It is fair to say that Spurs’ capture of Solanke has divided opinion among the larger footballing public and the media, with some seeing it as an astute signing while others view it as a case of Tottenham considerably overpaying for an above-average striker.

The proof will be in the pudding, with the 26-year-old needing to likely hit 20 goals to justify the club record fee that the Lilywhites have paid for him.

Solanke might fancy his chances of doing so, given the number of chances that Ange Postecoglou’s men create, with the centre-forward declaring in his first interview with the club’s official channel that Tottenham’s style will suit him.

Heung-min Son is happy to have Solanke on board

Son is certainly delighted to have the Englishman on board, admitting that he is looking forward to playing alongside the newcomer.

MORE SPURS STORIES

The Spurs captain told The Standard: “I think Dom is a huge signing for us. He did a fantastic job at Bournemouth, scored 19 goals I think, and I think it’s a great signing for us.

“I haven’t seen him in the training session because we had a game so I’m looking forward to playing with him and hope he can help our team.”

Meanwhile, Posteocoglou pointed to the fact that Solanke has had to work his way back up to the top the hard way and opined that the striker has learned how to cope with adversity.

The Tottenham boss said about the former Cherries star: “He’s had to work his way up and I always think that’s a good thing. If it’s all positive in their career, you wonder how they’ll deal with setbacks and he’s had his quite early in his career and pushed on.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Among the various options available, Solanke was undoubtedly the best fit for Ange’s system, with the 26-year-old arguably being the best pressing forward across the Premier League last season.

Ange Postecoglou has admitted that he is focused on getting closer to Manchester City and Arsenal, refusing to put a limit on what Tottenham can achieve during the upcoming season.

Tottenham finished fifth last season

At the start of last season, hardly anyone gave Spurs a chance of finishing in the top six, especially after the loss of Harry Kane.

In fact, some pundits even suggested after the England captain’s departure that the Lilywhites would struggle to even finish in the top half of the table (Sky Sports).

A fifth-place finish would thus have to be considered a successful campaign for Postecoglou, particularly given that it was his first foray into the Premier League and he had to completely revamp Tottenham’s style of play.

Postecoglou wants to compete at the very top

However, the Spurs boss made it clear that he now has his sights firmly set on catching the best sides in the division, remarking that his side will aim to win silverware during the upcoming season.

MORE SPURS STORIES

Postecoglou told Men in Blazers: “We finished fifth, but I don’t look at that. I look at that we finished 20-odd points behind the top team, and that is a big gap. We have got to bridge that gap.

“Arsenal and Manchester City are not going to stand still, they are going to get better, so we have got to improve at a greater rate than them. That is our challenge.

“I am not putting limits on us. I want us to play the football we want to play on a consistent basis. I came here to bring success to the club. I have had success just about everywhere I have been.

“Success means trophies, and that has to be our aim. Underpinning that is to play football that everyone talks about and that our supporters love.”

Spurs Web Opinion

For all the talk of Conte being ‘a winner’ and having a ‘winning mentality’, he showed exactly the opposite whenever asked about Tottenham’s ambitions, being too worried about potential failure to publicly admit that he wants to win titles.

In stark contrast, Postecoglou is confident enough in his own methods to publicly state time and again that he has his eyes set on the biggest prize and this will not have gone unnoticed by the Spurs players.

Ange Postecoglou says Tottenham Hotspur are much better prepared for the upcoming season than they were for the 2023-24 campaign, revealing that the players have taken a lot of learnings from their missteps last term.

Ange Postecoglou had a superb 2023/24

Postecoglou essentially had a free hit last season since he was walking into the club at a tumultuous time and the expectations were low, particularly after the loss of Harry Kane.

The Australian faced the difficult challenge of implementing a new style of play, which he managed to do, which is why the campaign has to be considered a relatively successful one despite the fact that the Lilywhites were pipped by Aston Villa to fourth place.

However, that will not be the case this time around, with supporters now looking for signs of progress from last season, with Champions League qualification being the minimum expected from the side.

Postecoglou says Spurs have grown up a lot

The 58-year-old insisted that the team has grown considerably from last year and that the players will learn from the errors they made in 2023-24.

MORE SPURS STORIES

Postecoglou told Men in Blazers: “I think we’ll have grown a lot from last year and gained an understanding of ourselves. When we were good, we were exciting, had everyone talking about us.

“But when we had to grind, there was a space in there where we didn’t cope too well with disruptions, which I think is only natural because when things are going well, it’s a lot easier to stay on board with something.

“We had some disruptions in terms of injuries, suspensions, some lack of discipline there for sure, and we didn’t cope well with that, but we learned a lot through that. So I think, we’re a better-prepared squad this year than we were last year.”

Spurs Web Opinion

The players were still very much adapting and learning their new roles in the system last season while the vast majority of the squad now understands the system much better.

In addition, we are also better equipped to cope with injuries as we now have a stronger squad.

Simon Jordan has praised Richarlison for turning down the big sums of money on offer from Saudi Arabia and choosing to prioritise playing at the highest level.

Richarlison turns down huge money from Saudi Arabia

There has been plenty of speculation about Richarlison’s future right from the start of the summer, with a number of outlets linking the striker with a big-money switch to the Saudi Pro League (Football Insider).

However, the 27-year-old shut down those rumours last week, telling ESPN that he has turned down an offer to move to the Middle East as he wants to continue playing in the Premier League and for the Brazilian national side.

Meanwhile, Ange Postecoglou also denied suggestions that Richarlison is on his way out, telling Football.London a few days ago that the former Everton man is very much part of his plans.

Richarlison deserves credit, says Jordan

The Spurs number nine will now have to compete with Dominic Solanke for a place in the starting eleven but irrespective of whether he proves to be a success at Tottenham, Jordan believes that he has to be commended for turning down the money on offer from the Middle East.

MORE SPURS STORIES

The former Crystal Palace owner told talkSPORT: “I don’t believe Richarlison was signed by Postecoglou, anyway, so he isn’t his player, so there maybe that’s going on.

“But the boy is 27 years of age. What we should be saying is ‘well done you for not wanting to go and make it all about money’. You have got a 27-year-old senior pro being offered a big bag of money and saying, ‘I want to be a top player’.

“We can all debate whether he is good enough for Tottenham Hotspur, and that’s just an opinion, neither am I (right or wrong). But I think it’s admirable that he doesn’t want to go to Saudi because he wants to play in elite football and play for Brazil.”

Spurs Web Opinion

A lot of Spurs fans and pundits are forgetting just how good Richarlison was just after the turn of the year when he was fully fit.

If the 27-year-old can stay injury-free, I would not put it beyond him to keep Solanke out of the side.

Football Insider claim that Sergio Reguilon is determined to leave Tottenham Hotspur for good before the transfer window slams shut.

Sergio Reguilon looks likely to leave Tottenham

Reguilon is into the final year of his contract at Spurs and looks set to exit the club, four years on since his switch from Real Madrid.

Ange Postecoglou shipped the Spaniard out on loan when he arrived at Tottenham last summer, with the left-back spending the first half of last season at Manchester United before moving to Brentford in January.

Football Insider claim that the 28-year-old, who previously also had a loan spell at Atletico Madrid, is now ‘desperate’ to seal a permanent exit from Spurs.

Reguilon wants a permanent Spurs exit

Reguilon is allegedly trying to find a new club to get his career back on track after learning that he does not have a future at the North London side.

MORE SPURS STORIES

The publication confirms that Tottenham will accept bids for the former Real Madrid man, with Destiny Udogie and Ben Davies both ahead of him in the pecking order.

The current transfer window shuts at the end of August, although dates vary across Europe (for example, the Turkish window remains open longer than other parts of the continent).

Spurs Web Opinion

It is an open secret that both Reguilon and Spurs want to end their relationship this summer.

The Spaniard is the one who will make the final decision on which club he joins as his current contract situation gives him plenty of power.

According to Football Insider, Djed Spence will stay at Tottenham Hotspur and will be handed minutes by Ange Postecoglou during the upcoming campaign.

Djed Spence to replace Emerson Royal

The report says that Spence is expected to take Emerson Royal’s place in the squad after the Brazilian completed a switch to AC Milan, with the Englishman expected to serve as Pedro Porro’s main understudy at right-back.

It is explained that Tottenham’s plan at the start of the summer was to offload the 24-year-old but Postecoglou has made a ‘U-turn’ after the right-back impressed him and his coaching staff during pre-season.

The outlet reveals that the ‘door is fully open’ for the defender at Tottenham, with the player seen as someone who can offer legitimate competition to Porro.

Djed Spence will get chances at Tottenham

However, some other outlets over recent days have continued to suggest that Spurs may sign another right-back to replace Emerson.

MORE SPURS STORIES

According to GiveMeSport’s update on Sunday, the Lilywhites are still considering a potential move to re-sign Kyle Walker-Peters from Southampton.

It appears that Spence will at least enter the 2024/25 season as Tottenham’s second choice, as the Lilywhites kick off their campaign against Leicester on Monday.

Spurs Web Opinion

The lifeline given to Spence would perhaps serve as motivation to the fringe players at Tottenham that they can force their way back into Postecoglou’s plans if they do well in training and show the right attitude.

He has shown more than enough in pre-season to earn a place in the squad, at least until January.

Ange Postecoglou has refused to limit what Tottenham Hotspur can achieve this season, pointing out that he wants the team to adhere to the club’s motto: to dare is to do.

Tottenham: To Dare is to Do

Several of Postecoglou’s predecessors, especially Antonio Conte, tended to play down Tottenham’s aspirations of competing against the best sides in the Premier League, perhaps in an effort to absolve the pressure on the club.

However, that has not been the case with the Australian, who has asked fans to dream big since day one and has never shied away from admitting that the eventual goal is to challenge for the league title.

While Postecoglou did get a bit of a free hit last term, he will have to cope with the added pressure of expectations this time around, with a top-four finish necessary for the 2024-25 campaign to be considered successful.

Postecoglou sets no limits for Tottenham

However, the 58-year-old seemingly has his eye on a much bigger prize, insisting that there is no limit to what the club can achieve and making it clear that the aim is to lift silverware.

MORE SPURS STORIES

Postecoglou told Men in Blazers: “When you walk around this place, ‘To dare is to do’ is everywhere, I think that’s a reference point for not only our mindset but for our actions, and for us, that means playing the game a certain way, so that’s what I want to do.

“And if we do manage to do that, there’s no limit to what we can achieve. I came here to bring success to the club. Success means trophies, and that has to be our aim.”

Spurs Web Opinion

The jury is out on whether Ange’s system will work over the long term or if it indeed is too open to be successful at this level as his critics suggest.

However, the one thing that all Spurs fans can agree on is that the 58-year-old is just the kind of person that one would want as the face of Tottenham.

Tottenham Hotspur have trimmed their squad rather substantially this summer, and have a few new faces to fit into the bigger picture, too. So, with squad registration rules across various competitions to contend with, how does Ange Postecoglou manage his roster this year?

Premier League rules are simple

A report from Football.London addresses the potential problems Postecoglou faces when deciding his squad for the forthcoming campaign. Luckily, he doesn’t have too much to worry about when it comes to the Premier League’s rules.

Essentially, Premier League clubs must register a 25-man squad for the new season. Of that 25, a maximum of 17 players can be non-homegrown, while a minimum of eight players must be homegrown (trained with an FA club for a period of 36 months before his 21st birthday).

Spurs have no issues here. Thanks to various sales and loans out of the club this summer, Postecoglou currently has 16 non-homegrown players in his squad, and that number could be reduced further if Sergio Reguilon and Giovani Lo Celso leave in the near future.

With the signing of Dominic Solanke, Tottenham now have nine homegrown players over the age of 21, thus Postecoglou has a perfectly balanced squad at the moment.

What’s also handy is that players under the age of 21 (born after January 1, 2003) do not need to be registered but can still participate in the league.

MORE SPURS STORIES

So, as it stands, this is what Postecoglou’s squad could look like…

Non-homegrown players: Guglielmo Vicario, Pedro Porro, Radu Dragusin, Destiny Udogie, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Sergio Reguilon, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Sarr, Yves Bissouma, Giovani Lo Celso, Manor Solomon, Dejan Kulusevski, Richarlison, Son Heung-min, Timo Werner

Homegrown players: Fraser Forster, Brandon Austin, Alfie Whiteman, Djed Spence, Ben Davies, Oliver Skipp, James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, Dominic Solanke

Under-21s players: Alfie Dorrington, Ashley Phillips, Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Jamie Donley, Alfie Devine, Will Lankshear

Europa League complicates matters

Things are far more complex when it comes to European football, so Spurs need to consider a few things for their Europa League squad.

First of all, Under-21 players form a B list, but to be on that list they must have been with the club for a minimum of two years. This means Archie Gray, Ashley Phillips, and Lucas Bergvall do not count and would have to be registered in the A list.

The A list also has different rules when it comes to homegrown players, with two different categories: club-trained players, and general homegrown players (who were trained by an FA club for three years).

Clubs must submit a 25-man squad, including at least two goalkeepers, by September 3. Of that squad, eight players must be homegrown, and at least four of them must be club-trained. If this cannot be achieved, the squad must be reduced accordingly.

As it stands, Tottenham only have Brandon Austin, Alfie Whiteman, and Oliver Skipp as club-trained players over the age of 21 — one short of the required four.

To fix this, Postecoglou has three options: promote someone like Jamie Donley or Alfie Devine to the A list, sign a player who would count as club-trained (for example, Marcus Edwards or Kyle Walker-Peters), or register a squad of 24 players instead.

Assuming we go for the 24-man squad, that leaves Postecoglou with 21 non-homegrown players to fit into 17 spaces. Lo Celso and Reguilon may ease that strain by moving on, as could Manor Solomon. Ashley Phillips could still go out on loan, too, and Fraser Forster may well be sacrificed for the European squad.

This is all ignoring the fact that new signings are expected before the registration deadline. But, here’s what the squad could look like, with space for one more signing…

European non-locally trained players/A list: Guglielmo Vicario, Pedro Porro, Radu Dragusin, Destiny Udogie, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Sarr, Archie Gray*, Lucas Bergvall, Yves Bissouma, Dejan Kulusevski, Richarlison, Son Heung-min, Timo Werner, Dominic Solanke*

Association-trained players: Ben Davies, Djed Spence, James Maddison, Brennan Johnson

Club-trained players: Brandon Austin, Alfie Whiteman, Oliver Skipp

*Both Gray and Solanke would register in the A list to avoid exceeding the maximum allocation of four Association-trained players.

Spurs Web Opinion

This is a really tricky one, but it’s something I’m sure the club has considered and will be planning for. I would get rid of Lo Celso, Reguilon, and Solomon, and either loan out or tell Ashley Phillips he isn’t in the European squad. I’d also leave Forster out and let him be our deputy in the Premier League instead.

Football Insider have claimed that Tottenham Hotspur could now make a move for Lille striker Jonathan David even after getting the Dominic Solanke transfer over the line.

Jonathan David could still join Tottenham

The report says that David could be brought in to compete with Solanke as Richarlison’s future at the North London club is allegedly still in doubt.

It is explained that despite the Brazilian expressing a desire to stay in the Premier League, he could depart over the next few weeks, with the Lilywhites still planning on accepting any big-money offer that they receive for the former Everton man.

The outlet makes it clear that Spurs are one of many English sides tracking David at the moment, with the striker looking for a new club after entering the final year of his deal at Pierre Mauroy Stadium.

Jonathan David is available for just £25m

The report adds that the 24-year-old is available for a fee of just £25m due to his contract situation, which is why many view him as one of the best options in the market right now.

MORE SPURS STORIES

However, it looks like Spurs will at least enter the new season with a strike force of Solanke and Richarlison as they kick off their campaign against Leicester City on Monday.

Richarlison is yet to appear in pre-season as he recovers from his latest injury.

Spurs Web Opinion

Postecoglou has made it pretty clear that Richarlison is going to stay while the 27-year-old has also confirmed that he has no intention of moving to Saudi Arabia.

That should end any speculation over the Brazilian’s future or suggestions of Spurs plotting a move for another striker.

According to JuveLive, Tottenham Hotspur could look to push through a deal for Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli this summer.

Tottenham and Juventus have a good relationship

Tottenham have done quite a lot of business with Juve over recent years, with Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski all swapping the Allianz Stadium for the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

JuveLive have now claimed that the next player to make the same move could be Locatelli, who is not expected to be a key player for Old Lady under new manager Thiago Motta.

The report says that the Bianconeri would be willing to let the midfielder leave for the right fee this summer and that a ‘dream deal’ could materialise.

Tottenham are keen on Manuel Locatelli

Spurs are reportedly willing to offer €24m plus bonuses for the player.

MORE SPURS STORIES

It is explained that Locatelli would be open to a move if the right kind of project opens up, with the outlet suggesting that the Tottenham one is likely to be looked at favourably by the Italy international.

The publication adds that the former Milan man knows that he is unlikely to get much game time next season following the arrivals of Douglas Luiz and Khephren Thuram, which is why he is expected to be more receptive to offers.

Spurs Web Opinion

If Oliver Skipp is allowed to leave, Tottenham would need another number six and Locatelli might fit the bill for Ange, given the energy, technical quality and experience that he would bring.

Having said that, I think Spurs do have the numbers already with the likes of Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall, Yves Bissouma, Archie Gray, Rodrigo Bentancur and more.