Football London

While there may be more immediate concerns for Tottenham as they search for a replacement for Ange Postecoglou, the upcoming summer transfer window marks the beginning of a crucial couple of months for the club.

Whether it’s securing new signings that a new manager - reportedly Brentford’s Thomas Frank - might favour, or building a squad capable of competing on multiple fronts, Spurs must get their decisions right. Despite a dismal 2024/25 Premier League campaign, their Europa League triumph over Manchester United in May secured an unexpected return to the Champions League next season.

Injuries played a significant role in Tottenham’s struggles under Postecoglou, so improving squad depth will be vital if they are to enjoy a more consistent season. That surprise place in Uefa's premier competition could also prove key in attracting their top transfer targets.

Here, football.london takes a look at what Tottenham’s strongest matchday squad might look like if certain deals are completed in the weeks ahead...

Starting XI

Guglielmo Vicario will almost certainly retain the No.1 spot next season, despite missing a large portion of the previous campaign due to a serious ankle injury. Antonin Kinsky proved to be a dependable deputy during that period and remains a solid squad option.

Defensively, Spurs have competition for places when the squad is fully fit, but Micky van de Ven is a guaranteed starter. Injuries and possible departures mean recruiting another top-tier centre-back should be a priority this summer.

The club has already been linked with several defenders, but Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi stands out, provided they can fend off competition from the likes of Newcastle United, who will also feature in next season’s Champions League.

In midfield, there’s a strong case that only one of Yves Bissouma or Rodrigo Bentancur should be retained, with potential exits paving the way for a big-money move for Palace’s Adam Wharton. The England international is one of the most promising young midfielders in the country and would be a major coup if Spurs can tempt Palace to the table.

Up front, Spurs already boast several strong options. Brennan Johnson has proven his worth, while Dominic Solanke arrived last summer as the big-money striker signing.

In terms of further additions, Bryan Mbeumo has been linked, though reports suggest he prefers a move to United. Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo would command a high fee but is undeniably one of the standout wide forwards on the market this summer.

Substitues

In defence, Kevin Danso and Radu Dragusin offer capable backup, while Cristian Romero's future remains uncertain amid interest from La Liga side Atletico Madrid. In midfield, young prospect Lucas Bergvall is one to watch, while James Maddison remains a strong rotation option alongside Dejan Kulusevski.

There are also question marks over the future of club captain Son Heung-min, who is entering the final year of his contract amid reported interest from Saudi Arabia. Richarlison’s future is similarly unclear, having struggled to make a consistent impact, but given last season’s injury crisis, Spurs may be reluctant to part ways with both forwards.

Starting XI: Vicario; Porro, Guehi, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bentancur, Wharton; Kulusevski; Johnson, Solanke, Semenyo

The start of a new Premier League season will once again mark the beginning of a new era at Tottenham Hotspur. Fresh from winning the Europa League trophy at the end of May, Daniel Levy and the club's board have elected to make another big change in N17 following the sacking of Ange Postecoglou.

Brentford manager Thomas Frank looks on course to be the man to replace him in the dugout after making a real name for himself in the Premier League since guiding the Bees to promotion back in 2021. The Dane is a very popular figure with his players and he has come in for so much praise from opposition managers in the past.

Frank is also very good tactically and he has been known to utilise a number of different formations at Brentford. A 4-2-3-1 setup was his formation of choice last season, thus allowing Mikkel Damsgaard to flourish in the final third amid his previous Premier League struggles.

Emiliano Martinez's wife has revealed that the Aston Villa goalkeeper's emotional display during the club's final home match of the season against Tottenham Hotspur is simply 'just who he is'.

The Argentinian shot-stopper was visibly moved as he received a rousing send-off from the Villa Park faithful following their 2-0 triumph over Spurs. This occasion, often marked by players and staff alongside their families, serves as an opportunity to express gratitude for the unwavering support throughout the season before they head off for their summer break.

Martinez, accompanied by his wife, Mandinha, and their children, took part in the lap of honour post-match, with many noting the keeper's emotional response. In the wake of this, there has been ongoing speculation about his future at the club.

It is understood that the former Arsenal number one, who has held the same position at Villa since his £20million transfer in 2020, has attracted interest from the Saudi Pro League. However, should he decide to move, his preference would be to stay within Europe, reports Birmingham Live.

The coming weeks and months of the transfer window will reveal more about Martinez's future. The goalkeeper, who has been on international duty with Argentina for their World Cup qualifiers, has not yet made any decisions.

Meanwhile, Villa remain calm about the situation, having secured a new extended contract with Martinez just last summer.

Mandinha, the partner of Emiliano Martinez, has downplayed the emotional scenes involving the Villa goalkeeper after their penultimate match of the season, suggesting it may not be as significant as some believe.

Speaking to Ed James on BBC WM, Mandinha clarified the situation regarding Martinez's show of emotion. "He wasn't in tears," she explained, addressing speculation about whether it was a farewell gesture.

"No. Anybody who knows Emi knows he is an emotional character and that's who he is. It just shows you how much he loves the Villa fans. I love the Villa fans. We love Villa."

Mauricio Pochettino's United States nightmare continued after his side were thrashed 4-0 against Switzerland on Tuesday night. Looking to record a positive result in their final outing before the Gold Cup this month, the US instead suffered their fourth successive defeat and were battered in Nashville.

Goals from Bologna duo Dan Ndoye and Michel Aebischer, as well as Monaco's Breel Embolo and Johan Manzambi of Freiburg condemned the United States to a humiliating home loss.

The USMNT's last win came against Jamaica in the Concacaf Nations League in January. They have since lost against Panama, Canada, Turkey and Switzerland, scoring just twice in the process.

Pochettino and his players were booed off after losing against Swizerland and it has ramped up the pressure on the former Chelsea head coach, who has been linked with a shock return to Tottenham this week.

Speaking after USMNT's defeat against Switzerland, Pochettino said: "First of all, I think it, of course, is our responsibility and my responsibility, the decision of the choice of the starting eleven.

"Because I think we wanted to give the possibility to the whole roster to have minutes and play for different circumstances and I think that is the risk that we took. And I think that was, if something can go in the wrong direction, it was in the wrong direction from the beginning.

"My first was not to blame, of course, the players; it's to blame ourselves [the coaching staff] because I think that was our decision.

"And I think the combination of the starting eleven of the team, wasn't, I think, now after 90 minutes, the best. "We need to say, blame ourselves.

"Criticize us. "Because it was my decision, and that decision didn't work, and when that doesn't work, you need to be critical with yourself."

Following the sacking of Ange Postecoglou, Pochettino had been linked with a move back into club management and re-joining Spurs - almost six years since his exit. However, the Argentine has committed his future to the United States role, having signed a two-year contract until the end of the 2026 World Cup.

Pochettino said in an interview on Saturday: "After I left in 2019, every time that I was free, and the place of the position of the manager or head coach in Tottenham Hotspur, my name is appearing on the list. If you have seen the rumours, I think there are 100 coaches in the list. I think, don't be worried about that.

"If something happened, for sure you will see, but we cannot talk about this type of thing, because I think today, it's not real. It's not realistic. Look at where I am, where we are. And the thing is, the answer is so clear, no? But we’re talking about it because it’s my club, like Newells or Espanyol."

Tottenham are instead closing in on the appointment of Thomas Frank from Brentford. Spurs are expected to activate his £10 million release clause and appoint him as their new head coach.

It looks like it will only be a matter of time before Thomas Frank is confirmed as the next head coach of Tottenham. The Dane will replace Ange Postecoglou in the hotseat after his dismissal was confirmed last Friday.

Frank has made quite a name for himself since taking over from Dean Smith at Brentford in 2018. Guiding the Bees to a place in the Premier League with a play-off final victory over Swansea City in May 2021, the west London club have continued to travel in only one direction since winning at Wembley and have subsequently gone from strength to strength during their spell in their top flight.

Due to his outstanding work at the Gtech Community Stadium, it appeared that it would only be a matter of time before Frank took on a bigger role elsewhere. That will now be at Tottenham, with the 51-year-old the pick to take over from Postecoglou.

Much will be expected of the incoming boss as Spurs look to build on winning the Europa League last month. Tottenham endured a wretched Premier League campaign after finishing 17th and they will be keen to ensure that is a one-off and they get back to challenging for a top-four berth.

Before the 2025/26 Premier League season kicks off on Friday, August 15, Frank will be looking to get his football philosophy across to his new players during pre-season. It will be a key period for all concerned as they bid to get off to a fast start, with the ex-Brondby boss set to have the vast majority of his players available from the beginning of pre-season with no major international tournaments in the calendar this summer.

As things stand right now, Frank's first game as Tottenham head coach will be a North London Derby encounter against Arsenal in Hong Kong. The match is due to be played at Kai Tak Stadium on Thursday, July 31.

That would be some start for the Dane, although it is worth pointing out that Spurs do have a couple of free weekends in the calendar prior to departing for their tour of Asia and an additional one or two friendlies could possibly be added to the schedule. Twelve months ago, Spurs played games at Hearts and QPR before flying to Japan and later South Korea.

After taking on Arsenal, Spurs will go head-to-head with another Premier League rival as they are due to face Newcastle United in South Korea. A date and time for the friendly still needs to be confirmed.

Tottenham will then depart South Korea and head for Germany, this time facing Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. The sides did play against each other twice last summer, with one game in South Korea and the other at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham's final match before the new Premier League season commences is a UEFA Super Cup showdown against PSG at Stadio Friuli in Udine, Italy. The game will give Frank the opportunity to win a piece of silverware in his first competitive game in charge of Tottenham.

The club's first opponent of the 2025/26 Premier League season will be confirmed one week today. Wednesday, June 18 is the big day for next season's fixtures, with the full schedule to be published at 9am sharp.

Tottenham pre-season schedule

Thursday, July 31 - Tottenham vs Arsenal (Kai Tak Stadium, Hong Kong)

TBC - Tottenham vs Newcastle (South Korea)

Thursday, August 7 - Bayern Munich vs Tottenham (Allianz Arena, Munich)

Wednesday, August 13 - PSG vs Tottenham (Stadio Friuli, Udine)

Micky van de Ven has described Tottenham's decision to part with Ange Postecoglou as a "strange choice". Spurs may have endured a dire Premier League campaign but they did finish the season with silverware in their possession after beating Manchester United in the Europa League final.

Their European triumph was not enough to keep Postecoglou in the hotseat, with confirmation of his dismissal arriving on Friday evening. The news resulted in an outpouring of emotion from his players as many of the Tottenham squad penned lengthy goodbye messages on their social media accounts.

After thanking Postecoglou for everything during their two years together over the weekend, Van de Ven went into a bit more detail regarding his sacking when speaking after Netherlands' 8-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Malta, a game in which he scored in. The defender twice stated it is "strange" Postecoglou has been fired as he pointed to his Europa League final win and the winning mentality he brings.

“That was ultimately a choice from the club," he told Voetbal Zone. "We, as players, have little to say about that. Of course, he is the first coach in a long time who has won a trophy and had success at Spurs. So if you look at it that way, it is of course a strange choice.

“It is a choice from the club about which we have little to say, so we will see what happens now. Of course, we see some rumours about the Brentford head coach [Thomas Frank], who it will probably be. So yes, a choice from the club about which we have little to say.

“I think many of the players got along with [Postecoglou] well. And of course, what I say, he is the first coach who has brought success to Spurs in a long time. That also shows that he has a certain quality. That also means that he has a winning mentality, 100 per cent.

“From that, you would of course say that it is strange that he was fired. What we have shown in the Premier League is, of course, unacceptable. That would, of course, have multiple factors, but that would not only have been the coach.”

Van de Ven had taken to his Instagram account not long after the news of Postecoglou's departure had broke to pay tribute to the 59-year-old. He penned: “Gaffer, thank you for everything! Believed in me from the first day I arrived at the club.

"Many ups and downs in the last two years but you kept believing in us and kept pushing us. Big part of the success from the club this year, and forever grateful that u made me part of it. All the best.”

With Thomas Frank expected to walk through the doors at Tottenham Hotspur, the Dane is going to have paid a little bit more attention to some players more than others.

With Ange Postecoglou sacked on Friday, the Brentford boss is expected to take up the reins once the two clubs come to a final agreement on his move and which of his coaching staff will make the switch across London with him. When the 51-year-old arrives at Hotspur Way he will find a group of players he has analysed as the opposition in recent seasons but also a trio of young stars that he wanted at Brentford.

The first is Archie Gray, who looked set on a move to link up with Frank last summer only for Spurs to jump in just as the deal for the teenager was about to be done with Leeds United. The 19-year-old is not the only Tottenham player that Brentford had hoped to sign with both this season's top scorer Brennan Johnson and full-back Djed Spence the focus of long-held interest and bids in previous summers.

Now Frank can enter the north London club and tell the trio, and likely others, that he was keen on signing them before and will develop them at Tottenham. The moves for both Gray and Johnson would have broken the transfer record at Brentford which shows just how much the Dane and the club believed in their fit for his system.

Thomas Frank looks set to replace Ange Postecoglou as new head coach at Tottenham Hotspur.

And, in many ways, he may well be the perfect man for the job.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy had a difficult decision to make in relieving Postecoglou of his duties in north London. Speaking after he dismissed Mauricio Pochettino in 2019, Levy said that it was "never easy" asking someone to leave after working with them for five-and-a-half years.

Levy only had two with Postecoglou, but given the Australian managed what most before him had failed to do - win a trophy - Levy may well have been having the same vibes.

Back in 2019, Levy said on Amazon Prime's All or Nothing documentary: "My heart was telling me 'don't do it' and my brain was telling me I needed to do it. It was the most emotional decision I've ever had to make."

There would have been a lot of emotion riding on this decision too. Postecoglou may well have failed in the Premier League, but he ended Spurs' 17-year silverware drought with that incredible night in Bilbao when Son Heung-min lifted the UEFA Europa League trophy.

It could very well have been a case of his heart telling him one thing and his head telling him another.

The outpouring of support for Postecoglou in the wake of his sacking from the players he had left behind was extraordinary. The messages from Spurs players reached never-before-seen levels.

There were reports of a dressing room revolt against the news to sack the most successful Tottenham manager in years. Postecoglou always retained the backing of the players, even when times were tough. He supported them, had their backs and they loved him for it.

The best way to pour cold water on any talk - true or not - of a dressing room revolt is to bring in a new head coach with similar man management attributes and Frank is certainly that.

He is and has always said he is a coach, rather than a manager, which will be music to Levy's ears. Frank will work with what he is given and get the best out of his players. You can see that from what he has done with Brentford.

He has taken a group of players from being a mid-table Championship side to being an established Premier League outfit on the fringes of the European places.

He is a good communicator - that you can see from his behind the scenes dressing room speeches that are rife on social media right now. He is an attacking coach, playing possession-based football, which will delight the Tottenham fans who may have feared the side reverting to the Jose Mourinho or Antonio Conte days once Postecoglou had been sacked.

Frank, like Postecoglou before him, will be well-liked in the dressing room and when he talks, the players will listen. It will not take much, if anything, to get them onside and that is why Levy may just have made his best decision yet, straight after a call that many supporters will have deemed his worst decision yet.

One of Thomas Frank's first tasks after he walks through the doors at Tottenham will be to discuss Son Heung-min's future at the club as football.london understands the skipper is more open to leaving Spurs than he ever has been before.

Frank is set to make the switch from Brentford in the coming days once the two clubs come to a final agreement over his move as well as the coaching staff the 51-year-old will take with him across London. What the Dane will find when he arrives in N17 is a team that has key decisions to make over some of its star players.

When Ange Postecoglou joined Tottenham in 2023 so he swiftly lost the services of record goalscorer Harry Kane to Bayern Munich and now the Australian's successor could face a similar situation with uncertainty over the futures of both captain Son and vice-captain Cristian Romero.

While Romero, who has been linked with a move to Atletico Madrid, still has two years left on his contract, Son has just 12 months remaining on his deal after Spurs took up the option mid-season to increase it by its final 12 months.

The South Korean, who turns 33 next month, faced a frustrating season with a foot injury and some struggles in reproducing his best form, with just seven goals in the Premier League, but he still managed to record 23 goal involvements in his 46 matches across all competitions.

Most importantly of all Son wrote his name into the club's history books in lifting the Europa League trophy, ending a 17-year silverware drought at the club, and achieving something many of his predecessors had failed to do.

Having now achieved what he always set out to do after 10 years at Tottenham, football.london understands that Son is more open to leaving the club this summer than he has been before if a deal arises that suits all parties. The South Korean had admitted in interviews ahead of the final in Bilbao that the reason he had stayed at Spurs in the past was because he was driven to finally bring a trophy to the club.

Teams in the Saudi Pro League have been tipped to launch a big move for Son this summer, knowing that his huge popularity across Asia brings with it major exposure for the competition. The chances of such a move happening are understood to be less unrealistic than they were last summer when the Spurs captain ruled it out.

A move to MLS is also believed to be of some interest, with Son's former Tottenham skipper Hugo Lloris currently at LAFC who will compete in this summer's Club World Cup, however the money involved in signing the South Korean superstar is not expected to be available in the US league.

For Tottenham they must balance their captain's marketability - the club will travel to Hong Kong and South Korea on another lucrative Asian tour next month - with the fact that he is now in the final year of his contract and will be 33 by the time the coming season begins. If there is not to be a new short-term deal then they will lose him for nothing in 2026, a fear that drove the sale of Kane two years ago.

Frank will also want to speak to Son to outlay his plans for a player who has become a legend at the north London club and has 173 goals and 101 assists in 454 games. The Dane is an excellent communicator and is known for his close connection to his players so it is not beyond the realms of possibility that he is able to get the Spurs skipper back to to his top level, with Mohamed Salah the prime example used by Postecoglou last season.

There is also a return to the Champions League for Tottenham next season, a competition that Son faced heartbreak in in 2019 when Spurs got all the way to the final only to lose to Liverpool. That return could tempt the skipper into another campaign on the biggest stage.

Much will depend on Tottenham's stance though and ultimately the player himself. Son is currently on international duty, having helped South Korea qualify for the 2026 World Cup with a game to spare.

When asked after Tuesday's 4-0 win against Kuwait if he will stay at Spurs for another season, Son would only say: "For now, I think it’s right to wait rather than say anything here since my contract remains.

"Many people, including reporters and fans, are very curious. Rather than thinking about the future, I think it’s better to wait and see what happens in my current position. No matter where I am, I'm still a player who has always done my best and worked hard, so I think I should do well."

The attacker forged a close connection with Postecoglou and said after his sacking on Friday: "Gaffer. You've changed the trajectory of this club. You believed in yourself, and us, since day one and never wavered for a second. Even when others did.

"You knew what we were capable of all along. You did it your way. And your way brought this club the best night it’s had in decades. We will have those memories for life.

"You trusted me with the captaincy. One of the highest honours of my career. It’s been an incredible privilege to learn from your leadership up close, I am a better player and a better person because of you. Ange Postecoglou, you are a Tottenham Hotspur legend forever. Thank you, mate."

Son has already assured his own place as a Tottenham legend and the coming weeks will decide whether that trophy is the bookend to his time at the north London club or the gateway to further adventures under their new head coach.

Ange Postecoglou has now left Tottenham Hotspur but little has been said about the staff who worked with him at the north London club.

In the statement announcing the Australian's departure there was no mention of the team of coaches who helped Postecoglou and the squad win the Europa League, Tottenham's first trophy in 17 years and their first European title in 41 years. The reason for that is because some of them could be remaining at the club depending on what happens over the coming days with the incoming Thomas Frank.

Postecoglou mentioned his staff at the end of his statement in leaving the club, saying: "I sincerely want to thank those who are the lifeblood of the club, the supporters. I know there were some difficult times but I always felt that they wanted me to succeed and that gave me all the motivation I need to push on. It's important to acknowledge the hard working people at Spurs who gave me encouragement on a daily basis.

"And finally I want to thank those who were with me every day for the last two years. A fantastic group of young men who are now legends of this football club and the brilliant coaches who never once doubted we could do something special. We are forever connected. Audere est Facere. Ange."

Ryan Mason had already left Spurs to take up his first managerial role at West Bromwich Albion in the Championship. Coaching duo Nick Montgomery and Sergio Raimundo will also head off after both playing key roles in the Europa League win. Both men continued their tradition of winning trophies at the clubs they have worked together at, barring their stint at Hibernian where they took over a club at the bottom of the Scottish Premiership but did make the cup semi-finals in Scotland.

Mile Jedinak will be looking for his next step in coaching with the 40-year-old having spent a couple of seasons learning the trade from Postecoglou and his staff after making the switch from Aston Villa.

However, there is the potential that either or both of Matt Wells and Rob Burch could remain at the club if the new head coach, expected to be Frank, wants to keep them involved in his staff.

Both men were already employed by the club before Postecoglou's arrival and Spurs would ideally like to keep them involved as they rate both highly as former players who have come through the ranks as coaches. One of the coaches linked with moving to Tottenham with Frank, albeit also tipped to be his successor at Brentford, is a former Spurs man in Justin Cochrane.

The 43-year-old was a youth team coach at the north London club and would have worked with Burch, although reports have suggested Frank would like to bring Brentford goalkeeper coach Manu Sotelo with him. Cochrane is believed to be friends with Wells, who he knows well from their time together at Tottenham, which could give the 36-year-old the edge as Frank compiles his staff, whether Cochrane comes with him or not.