Football London

Ange Postecoglou has been sacked as Tottenham Hotspur head coach. The Australian departs Tottenham Hotspur Stadium despite leading the north London club to Europa League glory in May.

Postecoglou's future has dominated the headlines across the 2024/25 season after Spurs finished in a disappointing 17th place in the Premier League table. Chairman Daniel Levy has now made a decision and it means Tottenham will be on the lookout for a new head coach.

Brentford manager Thomas Frank and Marco Silva of Fulham have been linked with the Spurs hotseat in recent months and the same goes for Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola. Postecoglou's dismissal comes on the second anniversary of his appointment as Spurs boss.

The 59-year-old guided Spurs to fifth in the Premier League table during his first year in the job and a place in the Europa League. Tottenham were to exit the Carabao Cup at the first time of asking away at Fulham and then in the fourth round of the FA Cup following a home defeat against Manchester City.

Making it clear that he always wins a trophy in his second season at a club, Postecoglou did just that as his Tottenham side beat Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League final courtesy of Brennan Johnson's goal. Upon their return from Bilbao, Postecoglou and his team were greeted by over 200,000 fans in N17 for their victory parade.

However, speculation still surrounded a possible Tottenham exit despite their Europa League triumph due to their wretched form in the league that saw them finish 17th. In the end that has resulted in Postecoglou exiting the football club and now Levy needs to find his replacement in the weeks ahead.

A statement released by Tottenham on Friday evening read: "Following a review of performances and after significant reflection, the club can announce that Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties.

"Ange joined us from Celtic in the summer of 2023 and oversaw a period of change on the pitch, returning us to the attacking brand of football that has traditionally been associated with the club, while writing a new chapter in our history by leading us to UEFA Europa League glory in Bilbao last month - an achievement that will live with us all forever.

"We are extremely grateful to Ange for his commitment and contribution during his two years at the club. Ange will always be remembered as only the third manager in our history to deliver a European trophy, alongside legendary figures Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw.

"However, the Board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the club for a change to take place. Following a positive start in the 2023/24 Premier League (PL) season, we recorded 78 points from the last 66 PL games. This culminated in our worst-ever PL finish last season. At times there were extenuating circumstances - injuries and then a decision to prioritise our European campaign. Whilst winning the Europa League this season ranks as one of the club’s greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph.

"It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond. This has been one of the toughest decisions we have had to make and is not a decision that we have taken lightly, nor one we have rushed to conclude. We have made what we believe is the right decision to give us the best chance of success going forward, not the easy decision.

"We have a talented, young squad and Ange has given us a great platform to build upon. We should like to express our gratitude to him. We wish him well for the future - he will always be welcome back at our home.

"News on the appointment of a new head coach will be announced in due course."

Tottenham Hotspur are yet to make a move in the summer transfer window.

The first of two transfer windows this summer is now open, but only until June 10, after FIFA allowed an early opening to give teams competing in the Club World Cup in the United States of America an opportunity to strengthen their squads.

The window has been open for all clubs, but Spurs have yet to make a move. The transfer window will be open fully from June 16 until September 1, but Tottenham may well be behind the eight ball by then.

One of the main reasons why Tottenham have not made any inroads into new signings yet is because of the confusion that hangs in the air around N17 over the future of head coach Ange Postecoglou.

Postecoglou delivered the Lilywhites' first trophy in 17 years when Spurs triumphed in the Europa League final over Manchester United, but that trophy win, which saw them qualify for the Champions League, was beset by a dismal Premier League campaign in which Spurs finished 17th.

Postecoglou had taken the decision earlier in the season to prioritise the Europa League over the Premier League - a move which did cause consternation with some behind the scenes in N17.

However, it was a move that subsequently paid off with Spurs lifting the trophy in Bilbao, Spain, ending a 41-year barren European run.

It remains unknown whether or not Postecoglou will be given the chance to continue as Spurs head coach into next season, with everyone remaining in the dark when it comes to chairman Daniel Levy 's position.

And while we wait, other clubs in the Premier League are making their moves in the transfer market, which will leave Tottenham playing catch-up.

Liverpool have already signed Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen and are in advanced talks over a deal to sign his teammate Florian Wirtz.

Manchester United have signed Matheus Cunha from Wolves and look increasingly likely to sign Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford too. Chelsea, meanwhile have brought in Liam Delap from Ipswich Town.

Manchester City have not completed a deal as yet, but reports suggest they are close with moves to sign Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan, Rayan Cherki from Lyon and Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolves.

Arsenal should seal a deal for midfielder Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad, with a striker also on the Gunners' radar - although a deal to sign one is not yet close.

That's nine transfers that have either been completed or are close to completion at Spurs' five big-six rivals. While the Spurs rumour mill remains quiet, while everyone waits on a decision over Postecoglou's future.

The Australian has been on holiday, following the culmination of the season, but work could have been done on transfers behind the scenes - if we knew who was guaranteed to be managing the side in the 2025/26 season.

The longer the wait goes on, the more Tottenham will find themselves behind their rivals when it comes to strengthening their squad.

Archie Gray's season is not over just yet following his inclusion in England's Under-21s squad for this summer's UEFA Under-21s EURO Finals in Slovakia. Lee Carsley's Three Lions team begin their tournament on Thursday with a Group B opener against Czech Republic, before then facing Slovenia and Germany in their other two group games.

Gray is Tottenham's sole representative in the 23-man England Under-21s squad after teammate Dane Scarlett was forced to withdraw from the pre-Euro training party due to injury. Scarlett has since uploaded an image from the gym at Hotspur Way to his Instagram Stories as he bids to get back to full fitness ahead of a big pre-season.

Gray will be joined at the tournament by fellow Tottenham stars Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel, who are representing France Under-21s in Slovakia. As it is a summer with no senior international tournaments following last year's European Championship and Copa America, Ange Postecoglou, or whoever is in charge at Tottenham next season, will have the majority of his players at his disposal early on in pre-season.

That was not the case 12 months ago as the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven missed the pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea due to their international commitments. The trio and a number of their Tottenham teammates will be in international action over the next six days with 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the UEFA Nations League final and friendlies all taking place.

The last of those will see Tottenham's South American stars play in the early hours of Wednesday morning, with Gray and England Under-21s getting their campaign underway with a match against Czech Republic the following day. In regards to the UEFA U21 EURO Finals, the group stage ends on Wednesday, June 18 and the knockout phase commences three days later.

If either Gray and England Under-21s or Odobert, Tel and France Under-21s go all the way and make the final then it will be played in Bratislava on the evening of Saturday, June 28. Tottenham's first pre-season friendly is in the calendar for Thursday, July 31 when they take on Arsenal in Hong Kong, thus giving those involved in the finals plenty of time to recover, enjoy their summer break and return slightly later ahead of the pre-season tour.

After a wretched 2024/25 Premier League season which saw the Lilywhites finish 17th in the standings, pre-season is going to be vitally important to the team as they look to get back to challenging towards the top of the Premier League table. If it is to be a new manager at the helm rather than Postecoglou, the opportunity to work with the vast majority of his squad very early on in pre-season will only be a good thing as he looks to get his ideas and football vision across.

Tottenham's 2024/25 season ended in glory after their Europa League triumph but it is now about trying to reach the next level, challenge for trophies once again and get some consistency into their game following such a long period of mixed results in the Premier League. A strong pre-season campaign is going to be key to Spurs hopefully achieving their goals and that is only going to be helped by having near enough the full squad available from the get-go.

Daniel Levy is entering uncharted territory at Tottenham Hotspur as he makes major changes behind the scenes and deals with the aftermath of a rarity of his time at the club - silverware.

Ange Postecoglou won only the second trophy of the Levy era and the first European title at the north London club in 41 years with the Europa League triumph in Bilbao. Now the Australian finds his future the subject of intense speculation as he and his staff await news on whether they will continue in their roles for the coming season.

It comes at a time when change aplenty is occurring at Tottenham with a new CEO in Vinai Venkatesham starting work on Monday, the departure from the board of long-time Levy advisor Donna-Maria Cullen ahead of that and the expected return at some point in the coming months of former managing director of football Fabio Paratici.

It is a new era for Levy with different voices around him and some big decisions to make to build on the success Postecoglou brought with that victory in Spain, which also delivered Champions League football for next season as well as a place in the UEFA Super Cup in August.

There are also set to be large scale changes to the medical and sports science departments, while there are also rumours of investment on the way, either through owners ENIC or through external sources.

Tottenham have plenty of decisions to make when it comes to their midfield in the transfer window which is currently open for a short spell.

football.london has already looked at what needs to happen in the defence and now it's time to work out what the summer holds for Spurs' midfield and winger options as well as who might come into the club. We fully appreciate that while the future of Ange Postecoglou remains in limbo it's difficult to look too far into new signings but there are certainly plenty of situations surrounding players that will still be the case regardless of who is in the dugout.

When it comes to central midfield all eyes will be on the progression of the younger midfielders on long term deals as well as the contract status of the older ones.

Lucas Bergvall has still been at Hotspur Way this week while others are on holiday as he goes through rehabilitation on his ankle injury. The 19-year-old will be looking for a huge second season after sweeping the club awards in his first campaign at the club.

Likewise Archie Gray will be wiser and more assured in his second season and should get to actually develop in his favoured midfield role. Pape Matar Sarr will also continue to grow in the midfield after another season of development with some big performances.

Of the older central midfielders, Rodrigo Bentancur has impressed on the pitch on the whole and is likely to be offered a new contract, with his entering its final year as he turns 28 this month. Yves Bissouma is in the same situation but the Mali international, who turns 29 this summer, has proved less dependable during this campaign despite returning to the fold and doing well in Europe in the final weeks of the campaign.

Logic would suggest that only one of those two midfielders, who cost the club around £50million in all, will get a new contract and Tottenham will look for a new deeper-lying midfielder this summer. Spurs have plenty of admiration for Adam Wharton, as they do a number of Palace players, but after a trophy-winning season themselves and European football next time around, the Eagles aren't exactly going to be desperate to offload all of their stars.

Tottenham hold a clause with Real Betis midfielder Johnny Cardoso that allows them to sign him on the cheap or get a cut of his sale, as part of the deal that took Giovani Lo Celso to Spain last summer. However, Atletico Madrid look set to sign the USA international.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg will join Marseille permanently after his season in France on loan. A decision must also be made on what comes next for academy midfielders Alfie Devine and George Abbott, who have enjoyed successful loan spells away from the club at Westerlo and Notts Country respectively. Both players could be in line for new contracts along with new loan moves, although for Devine there may be more of a decision involved for him as he has already had three loan moves.

When it comes to central attacking midfielders at Tottenham there are only James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, so that is a clear department in need of strengthening and the Europa League final showed that with both out, as did the final game against Brighton.

Back to Crystal Palace again, because the most wanted player at Spurs for a while has been Eberechi Eze. The England international is represented by Base, the agency that looks after most of the north London club's key players and also Postecoglou and has had long, very close links with chairman Daniel Levy. Eze would be perfect for Tottenham with his ability on the ball, versatility and his ability to excite the fans.

Again though, everything depends on Palace and whether they are willing to sell, with Eze having just two years left on his contract. The Eagles can ask for plenty for him but it's probably their last chance to do so. Spurs have also got an interest in Southampton attacker Tyler Dibling with the Saints' relegation potentially giving them more reason to sell for a financial boost.

When it comes to wingers at Tottenham, the options are more plentiful with this season's top scorer in Brennan Johnson, captain Son Heung-min, Wilson Odobert, youngster Mikey Moore and loan player Mathys Tel, as well as those who have been out on loan in Yang Min-hyeok, Manor Solomon and Bryan Gil.

Son's contract has just a year left to run after Spurs took up the option to extend it by 12 months and a decision will have to be made over the skipper who finally lifted a trophy when others could not. He has been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League but the South Korean is worth a lot to Tottenham both on and off the pitch.

The exciting 17-year-old Moore probably needs a loan move next season - and a link-up with Ryan Mason at West Brom would make plenty of sense - but Tottenham will probably want to keep him in house for now, especially as he can be included on the B list in Europe.

Tottenham will look for another winger in the summer transfer window to bolster their options in the final third. Timo Werner has now left the club and with Tel, Spurs will look to get that price tag knocked right down or get a deal to take him on loan again.

In terms of those coming back from loans, Yang will be looked at again this summer and most certainly taken on the club's tour to Hong Kong and South Korea. Gil expects to leave the club with Tottenham looking for a permanent solution with only 12 months left on his contract.

With Solomon having earned promotion with Leeds, the Elland Road club are expected to try to bring the Israel international back permanently after a successful loan but there is set to be some competition for his signature.

There is also the returning Jamie Donley, who shone on loan at Leyton Orient and can play anywhere across the front line or in a central attacking role. The 20-year-old will look to impress again in pre-season before a decision is made on whether he heads out on loan to the Championship next time out.

Academy youngster Damola Ajayi will also hope to catch the eye this summer after scoring his first goal for Spurs in that Europa League win against Elfsborg. The 19-year-old could be set for a loan move to accelerate his first team exposure next season.

The lack of tournament football this summer means Tottenham will have more of a senior squad for pre-season training and friendlies so any youngster is going to have to star in order to catch the eye.

The first transfer window of the summer is open and when Tottenham do start to make their moves the new signings will find plenty of shirt numbers available.

Spurs will be able to get going in the market once their managerial situation becomes clearer and it's certain whether Johan Lange will be looking to sign players for Ange Postecoglou or yet another new head coach at the helm of the north London club. Tottenham have been linked to various players from Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi at Crystal Palace to Tyler Dibling at Southampton and many others across Europe.

They also have a new face already confirmed to be arriving at the club this summer in the shape of centre-back Luka Vuskovic with the deal for the young Croatian agreed two years ago but he could not move until he turned 18.

With potential new players in mind, it's worth taking a look at the shirt numbers currently available for those who end up coming in through the door at Spurs and also the ones that could potentially be freed up.

For incoming defenders, the numbers two and three are available, after Sergio Reguilon left the club and the latter behind. For a centre-back or defensive midfielder, the number five is also free right now as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's move to Marseille is set to go through permanently.

Those are the last of the traditional one to 11 numbers currently available, although Mathys Tel's number 11 could enter the conversation if Tottenham cannot come to an agreement over the return of the Frenchman for an extended stay from Bayern Munich this summer.

After those traditional numbers, then you've got 12 and 16, after Timo Werner left the latter behind, as well as 20 after Fraser Forster's exit. Then 25 and 26 are both free right now while Manor Solomon's 27 could also become available should he leave after his loan season at Leeds.

Eze wears the number 10 for Palace but also used to wear the number 25, Guehi wears six which is currently Radu Dragusin's shirt number, while Dibling wears 33 at Southampton which is Ben Davies' number at Spurs.

Either of the goalkeepers Antonin Kinsky and Brandon Austin could potentially move up their numbers unless they are happy with their 31 and 40 respectively. Between those two keepers, the numbers 32, 34, 38 and 39 are available while Ashley Phillips and Alejo Veliz had 35 and 36 before they went to Stoke and Espanyol on loan respectively and those may become available depending on those two young players' futures.

Vuskovic faces an issue currently with his usual shirt number as he has worn the number 44 in four of the past five seasons, including on loan at Westerlo, while he wore the number four on loan at Radomiak Radom the previous season. Kevin Danso wears the number four shirt at Spurs while young striker Dane Scarlett has the number 44.

Either Scarlett hands over that number and moves up the order - or he could head out on loan - or Vuskovic will have to choose a new number. The teenager did wear the number five at times for Hajduk Split's U19s but whether such a young player would get a number that high up the pecking order remains to be seen.

Whether other players change numbers also remains to be seen, for some like Micky van de Ven have a personal connection to theirs. Mikey Moore could move up from 47 while Dominic Solanke would no doubt like to switch to the number nine, which he has worn at various points throughout his career including for much of his time at Bournemouth, but Richarlison, as Brazil's number nine over recent years, will probably hold that number until he departs the club.

All eyes are on what numbers are taken by the new Tottenham faces and which ones become free as the weeks go on in the transfer window.

Son Heung-min proclaimed himself a Tottenham Hotspur legend after becoming the first captain of the Lilywhites in 17 years to lift a piece of silverware.

It's hard to disagree with the South Korean forward. Son is fourth on the list of Tottenham's all-time top scorers, with 173 goals to his name and is only the third player in Spurs history to lift a European trophy aloft as captain.

Son has given a decade to Spurs, joining the club in 2015 from Bayer Leverkusen, and still has one year left to give to the north Londoners, with the frontman handed a one-year extension during the 2024/25 campaign.

However, there is a chance that one extra year does not happen, with plenty of speculation around Son's future. A number of Saudi Arabia Pro League clubs have expressed an interest in signing him this summer.

A report in the Telegraph suggests Spurs could cash in on their captain this summer, in order to generate funds for a summer rebuild, but much will depend on the future of head coach Ange Postecoglou.

We asked our football.london writers to have their say on what Spurs should do with their skipper this summer.

Lee Wilmot

The 2024/25 season was seen by many as one of disappointment on a personal level for Son, despite what he achieved come the end of it.

However, the stats suggest he was not as disappointing as many would have you believe. The South Korean scored 11 goals and laid on 12 assists in 46 appearances for Spurs - a goal involvement every other game.

Of course that does not quite match up with other, more profitable seasons, but it is not a bad return in a side that finished 17th in the Premier League.

Sonny is a legend in north London, the Europa League trophy only cemented that. But should he stay?

I'm torn. He's charismatic, he leads by example and he is loved by everyone at the club. You can't put a price on that.

But his influence on the pitch is slowly decreasing and with just one year left on his contract this would be the last opportunity to get any money from selling him.

Spurs have got their money's worth from him over 10 years since his £22million move, which looks a real bargain now, and getting a transfer fee from him is not necessary. I think I'd keep him, purely for what he brings to the club, not just on the pitch but off it too.

Sam Truelove

Son Heung-min is a legend at Tottenham Hotspur and I think he should stay one more year. The 32-year-old deserves the chance to play in the UEFA Champions League for one final time before leaving north London for good next summer.

Yes, his influence waned during the 2024/25 season but the same can be said for a number of Spurs' players. His leadership off the pitch should not be forgotten and he is a tremendous professional.

Daniel Levy, though, is a stern businessman and if a club offers a decent fee for Son this summer it could be tempting. If Spurs can get something like £20million for their captain should they take it and move on? It would be tempting.

For me Son stays another year and hopefully can return to some form. He can then get the send off he deserves next summer.

Alasdair Gold

Son finally achieved what others couldn't before him and captained Tottenham to a trophy after 10 years at the club. The South Korean star had a season that was hampered by a foot problem for a large chunk of it and we rarely got to see the skipper in full flight as he has been in the past.

He still managed to contribute 23 direct goal involvements in 46 matches but the former Golden Boot winner will be disappointed with just seven goals in 30 Premier League games, along with the 10 assists.

While a decent fee for Son, who turns 33 next month, might be eye-catching with just a year left on his contract, it's worth remembering how much he brings in financially for Tottenham as the most popular player in Asia. It's no coincidence that once again they are heading to that continent this summer with games in Hong Kong and then his homeland of South Korea for the third time in four years.

Much will depend on Son, who hasn't appeared to be attracted by a move to the Saudi Pro League in the past. He might feel his job is done at Spurs after finally winning that trophy but he might also believe it's the start of something. Personally, I'd love him to stay but I think he's earned the chance to decide his own future.

Tottenham Hotspur are going to have to bolster their squad with some real strength in depth as they tackle Champions League football next season.

Ange Postecoglou's side earned themselves a spot in next season's elite European club competition by making it through 15 matches to eventually win the Europa League in Bilbao. However, they struggled with injuries throughout the season and slumped to a 17th-place finish in the Premier League table, showing that the squad must be improved hugely to deal with the arrival of Champions League football on top of the domestic campaign.

football.london has taken a look through the Spurs squad to see what departments need work, including who could leave and where players need to come in. In this edition, let's look at the defence and what technical director Johan Lange will be trying to achieve.

With the goalkeepers set for the foreseeable with Guglielmo Vicario, Antonin Kinsky and Brandon Austin tied down to long-term contracts and Josh Keeley and Luca Gunter high quality young stoppers, the first area that needs at least one new addition is in the full-back department.

Pedro Porro, Destiny Udogie and the versatile Djed Spence look set for next season, barring any unexpected huge bids for their services over the summer, with all three having plenty of time left on their contracts. Archie Gray can also play in both full-back roles if required but Tottenham will want to use the teenager in his more natural central midfield role.

On the left, Sergio Reguilon has departed N17 after his contract came to a close. With the first team's longest serving player Ben Davies there has been plenty of talk about the option to extend his contract by another year, but nothing concrete on that actually happening yet. Leeds United are believed to have interest in reuniting the Welshman with his compatriot Joe Rodon at Elland Road and Spurs could well take up that option to ensure they get a fee for the long-serving defender.

It's likely that Spurs will look to sign another full-back regardless, likely to be one comfortable on the left to ensure balanced back-up to Udogie there, even if Spence can play that role well.

When it comes to centre-backs, Tottenham will go into this coming season with plenty of them on the books yet still potentially need another top quality one.

At this moment the north London outfit have Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso, Radu Dragusin - once he returns from his cruciate ligament injury - and Davies - if his option is taken up and he sticks around - as well as the incoming Luka Vuskovic and the returning Ashley Phillips and Alfie Dorrington.

Romero is the one where the biggest transfer doubts lie. He has been linked heavily with a move to Atletico Madrid and admitted he wants to play in La Liga at some point. Spurs can offer him Champions League football next season though and will expect a hefty fee if clubs do come in for the Argentine, who has two years left on his contract.

Tottenham will look again at the availability of Marc Guehi, a long-time target at Crystal Palace who they made an approach for in January. The England defender has only a year left on his contract at Selhurst Park so will be a man in demand, but again Spurs can offer Champions League football. They're a far more attractive prospect than they were a fortnight ago, let alone five months ago.

Much will depend on whether Guehi would be guaranteed to start each week as he would elsewhere and Spurs will have a list of centre-backs to turn to. The issue of course is who the head coach will be and how that affects matters.

Tottenham have also been linked with Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite but the 22-year-old will cost a hefty sum to prise away from the Toffees.

If Davies were to leave this summer after 11 years at the club then Spurs might look for another versatile defender who can play both as a centre-back and full-back.

The teenage Vuskovic will be expecting a decent amount of game time as the season wears on and Spurs will have promised him a healthy amount of minutes when they saw off competition from Europe's top teams to sign the big Croatian. With four competitions and a packed schedule there should be opportunities.

For Phillips and Dorrington, much will depend on who is in charge because Postecoglou has not appeared to be sold on either as first team regulars as of yet, although their loans at Stoke and Aberdeen have helped developed their game this season.

There are plenty of decisions to be made in Tottenham's defensive ranks in the months ahead before the main summer window closes.

The transfer window is upon us, with teams around the Premier League looking to spend money to try and strengthen their squad before the start of the 2025/26 season.

It will be no different at Tottenham Hotspur, despite the current uncertainty around the future of manager Ange Postecoglou. Despite a 17th-place finish in the Premier League, Spurs still have Champions League football to prepare for next season.

They qualify for the competition thanks to their win in the Europa League last month. Spurs came out as 1-0 winners in the final against Manchester United.

Their participation in Europe’s primary competition will make moves in the transfer window easier. Last year saw Spurs break their transfer record with the signing of striker Dominic Solanke.

It’s still to be seen if it will be broken again this summer. The record has rapidly risen since the introduction of the Premier League - here’s a look back at Spurs' transfer record from 1988 to all the way to today.

In 1988, Spurs broke the then British transfer record by paying £2.2 million to Newcastle United for Paul Gascoigne. That remained the club’s record signing going into the Premier League era when the league was established in 1992, and he is still a cult hero in the English game.

In the following 33 years that record has been broken a few more times. Going into the third season of the Premier League (1995/96), Tottenham broke their record to sign striker Chris Armstrong from Crystal Palace, with him spending seven successful years at White Hart Lane, scoring 62 goals in 173 games for the club.

The record was broken again in 1997/98, when Spurs paid £6 million to Newcastle for forward Les Ferdinand. He spent six-and-a-half years at the club, scoring 39 goals in 147 appearances.

It was another three years until Spurs broke their transfer record again. It came with the £11 million purchase of Sergiy Rebrov from Dynamo Kiev in the 2000/01 season. However, he struggled to make an impact and was frozen out by incoming manager Glenn Hoddle.

There was another wait until the transfer record was broken again. The £16.5 million fee paid for Darren Bent in 2007/08 was the one that beat it. He played 79 times for Spurs, scoring 25 goals.

The 2013/14 season saw the record broken not only once, but three times. Firstly, a £17 million move for Paulinho grabbed the record, before a £26 million move for Roberto Soldado a week later smashed the record. Both struggled to make their mark at White Hart Lane and were quickly moved on after a couple of seasons.

The transfer record was broken for the third time that summer with the £26 million + add-ons transfer of Erik Lamela. This move was more successful than the others with him staying at the club for eight years, joining Sevilla on a free transfer in the summer of 2021.

The record was broken again in 2016. Spurs paid a fee of £31.5 million for Moussa Sissoko, he played a vital role for the club, helping them to reach the Champions League final in 2019. He left for Watford in 2021.

The record was broke again the next season with the £42 million signing of Davinson Sanchez from Ajax. The centre-back left Spurs for Galatasaray in the summer of 2023.

Spurs broke the record for the third time in three years in 2018, with the signing of Tanguy Ndombele. The club paid a fee of £56 million for the midfielder. He spent his last couple of seasons at the club on various loan spells before joining Nice on a free transfer last summer.

Spurs broke the transfer record again with the signing of forward Richarlison from Everton in 2022. The Brazilian cost a reported £60 million. He remains at the club but inconsistency and injury has impacted him, with him mainly now back-up to Dominic Solanke.

Speaking of the striker, last summer’s move to sign Solanke is currently Spurs’ transfer record. The club paid a reported £65 million to the Cherries.

In his first season he scored 16 goals and provided eight assists in his 45 appearances in all competitions.

Kevin Danso believes that there are more Tottenham fans in north London than Arsenal supporters after his first season in N17.

The 26-year-old joined Ange Postecoglou's Spurs side on loan from Lens in February before his deal was made permanent this week with a five-year contract for the centre-back and a £21million fee that makes him the second most expensive Austrian player ever.

Danso made 15 appearances in the second half of the campaign for his new employers, including one in the Europa League final against Manchester United in Bilbao as he came off the bench to make some crucial interceptions and help Tottenham win their first trophy in 17 years.

Two days later and Danso was part of an open-topped bus parade through north London that shocked him as an estimated 220,000 Spurs fans lined the streets from Edmonton up to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

"[That night in Bilbao] was and still is incredible. I hadn't even realised it on the pitch. I slid down on my knees to the fans. I didn't realise it right away; right after the game it was like a dream. It wasn't until two days later that I truly realised I was a European cup winner," the defender said to Austrian media outlet Krone while on international duty.

"If you're not in London yourself, you don't really realise what a fan base we have. From outside, you think there are more Arsenal fans in North London, but in my opinion, there are more Tottenham fans."

This season has been a rollercoaster for the centre-back. It began with a failed transfer to AS Roma after club doctors diagnosed him with heart issues. However, he had seven weeks of extensive examinations to find that there was no issue that would prevent him from playing. He kept playing for Lens to a high level and soon earned the move to Tottenham and the Premier League which eventually made him a European champion.

"After the second test, it was relatively certain there was no problem, so I was reassured early on," Danso said. "It was definitely the craziest season of my career with many ups and downs, but it ended well, so everything is forgotten."

Danso's aim now is to earn himself a place as a regular starter in the heart of the Spurs backline for years to come.

"When you join a top club, there's always competition, but I'm up for the challenge," he said. "It's the only league where every team has top, top players. There isn't a single easy game there."