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Tottenham assistant coach Sergio Raimundo has revealed that belief was a major factor in the club ending their 17-year trophy drought by winning the Europa League. Turning to Ange Postecoglou in the summer of 2023 due to his track record of winning silverware, the Australian guided his players to the European title with a 1-0 win over Premier League rivals Manchester United.

Postecoglou famously said back in September that he always win things in his second season at a club, which is exactly what happened as Tottenham put a wretched domestic season behind them to win the Europa League and also secure a Champions League berth for next season.

Either always on the losing side in recent finals or not making it past the semi-finals, Postecoglou and his coaching team knew they had to give the players some belief in their goal to win things, with Raimundo stating that the head-coach in particular was "fantastic" at instilling that sense in the team.

"We started the season wanting to change this story. What we did was, and also largely due to the coach, who was spectacular at this, always have belief and we passed this belief on to the players," Raimundo said in an interview with Portuguese publication Record (via Sport Witness).

"I remember saying to the players in pre-season: 'This is the year we lift a cup, this is the year we win a title'. So, we started to generate this belief within the group, and we had that mental strength to not deviate, to remain united as a group and always together, even in the worst moments."

Having progressed through the league phase of the competition, Tottenham found themselves 1-0 down from the first leg of their round of 16 tie against AZ Alkmaar before winning the return leg 3-1 on the night to advance. Producing two very good displays against Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-finals to set up a semi-final showdown with Bodo/Glimt, Tottenham brushed the Norwegian outfit aside prior to beating Manchester United in the final.

Excellent in Europe even in the most testing of times, Raimundo has put that down to the mentality of the players.

"I think we started very strong at AZ Alkmaar [round of 16], but even more so in Frankfurt [quarter-final]," he said. "We have always been professionals, but from Frankfurt onwards we had a mentality.

"They are not philosophies, they are not principles, it is to maintain all of that, but now it is to win. In the end it is important that we play well, but it was more important for everyone and for the club to win the trophy."

Returning home from their Bilbao triumph to a sea of Tottenham fans outside the club's home as they took part in a victory parade, Raimundo unfortunately missed out on the occasion as he needed to be in Ireland to continue his UEFA Pro Diploma course studies with the Irish FA. However, he got a taste of just what was happening in N17 on a video call.

"They did a Zoom with me live and there were about 250,000 people in the streets. It was crazy," he said. "And after the game against Brighton, the fans were super happy, everyone stayed on the pitch, we walked around with the trophy and you can see the impact of them being teased and having that 'Spursy' theme. It means they almost arrive but never do. Now everyone is motivated, happy, you see a lot of shirts on the street."

Amid the current uncertainty over Postecoglou's future and whether Raimundo and the rest of the coaching staff will still be at Tottenham next season, the Lisbon-born coach just wants to keep winning with Spurs.

"It’s about continuing to win," he admitted. "I always had the idea of winning ten titles in ten different countries, with first division teams.

"Wherever you are, keep winning, because the impact it has on your family, on the fans, on the clubs, the joy you generate… it’s addictive!"

Daniel Levy is set to make a decision that will determine the future of Tottenham Hotspur and whether they build upon their first trophy in 17 years or simply step back into the crowd.

Ange Postecoglou is currently sitting on a beach in Greece awaiting the verdict from the chairman as to whether winning Spurs' first piece of European silverware in 41 years is enough for him to continue in the job. There wouldn't even be a conversation to be had at most clubs, but this is Tottenham where change is so frequent that staff might as well wear name badges to save the introductions.

The problem for Postecoglou is that for all the talk of Levy craving a trophy, it's not been as simple as that this season for the club. As the Australian decided to prioritise the Europa League when he realised his injury-ravaged side could neither do anything of note in the Premier League nor get relegated, so Spurs plummeted with weakened starting XIs and some woeful performances to 17th place and a record 22 defeats.

It was a terrible look and it meant a drop in prize money of £33.8million from the previous season's fifth place finish, if using the previous campaign's figures of £2.8million per position. That's a costly decision for Postecoglou to make and it will have been part of the reason why some within the club did not agree with him placing all of his eggs into the Europe basket.

In the end though Postecoglou's gamble paid off in both respects. Levy and Tottenham's trophy drought is finally over and the added bonus of Champions League qualification meant that not only did the Australian deliver every target asked of him, if not in the traditional manner, but plenty of money will flood in through Europe's elite competition, balancing out that lost Premier League prize money.

Yet whether that is enough will lie with Levy. The chairman is constantly tinkering with the north London club, always trying to make what he believes are updates and improvements, sometimes proactively, sometimes reactively.

It results in the biennial Tottenham wheel of change, where members of staff on the football side mostly last between 18 months and two years whether that be managers, coaches or technical directors.

The only stability at the club has come from the near quarter-century reign of Levy and his two trusted lieutenants, executive director Donna-Maria Cullen and operations and finance director Matthew Collecott. This summer that trio will be broken up after Cullen left the board on Saturday and will depart the club within the next couple of months.

For Collecott, who knows, there may yet be the potential of a change in role depending on what new CEO Vinai Venkatesham takes into his remit upon his arrival this week.

That leaves Levy with the sole decision to make over continuing the biennial clean sweep through the club with or without Postecoglou, who was the first Spurs head coach to last a full season in half a decade, in the broom's bristles.

One big problem for Levy is that the majority of Tottenham fans have swung firmly behind Postecoglou after he delivered them one of their most memorable nights in decades.

A few still point to the woeful league season, which cannot be ignored even if history likely will, but the numbers are with the Australian, as evidenced not only by the reaction to him from the estimated 220,000 supporters at the parade and then those at the final game of the season but also in various social media polls that show the huge majority believe Postecoglou has earned the right to go into the third season he promised would be even more fruitful.

The other issue Levy faces is who comes in next. When he sacked Mauricio Pochettino, he had serial winner Jose Mourinho to come in and dry the fans' tears. That brutal decision, while heart-breaking for many after the effort the Argentine had put in, was somewhat explainable when you looked at Mourinho's track record. There is a certain irony of course that Levy then sacked the Portuguese just days before he had a chance to finally win a trophy.

However, 2025 presents a very different managerial landscape. Thomas Frank and Marco Silva, for instance, are very good coaches but if Postecoglou is sacked after finally giving the fans something they've only dreamed of for either of the managers who finished 10th and 11th in the Premier League, the reaction is going to be huge from the fanbase and Postecoglou's name is likely to be awkwardly sung next season the moment something goes wrong.

To replace Postecoglou would create a huge 'what if' moment around the Australian going forward as well as no little mocking for Tottenham being utterly 'Spursy' after finally appearing to kill that tag.

Frank has been installed as the favourite among many bookmakers but Postecoglou may well point out that he has come out on top in three of their four meetings in the past two seasons and the other was a draw. For all of the Dane's clear tactical acumen and the Australian's perceived lack of it, it's been one way traffic.

Frank and Silva would both be a safe pair of hands in the Premier League, although Everton and Hull fans might disagree on the latter. They are both managers used to getting smaller teams into midtable positions without the burden of the expectations at Tottenham or even European football.

That in itself is another irony. Some of the doubts around Postecoglou linger on whether his style of football is sustainable across four different competitions. Yet Silva has no experience of managing a team in continental competition at all while Frank's experience extends only to a handful of ultimately unsuccessful Europa League qualifying games with Brondby 10 years ago.

That's not to say that either won't be able to succeed at Tottenham. They are both clever, high quality coaches and Frank in particular will be good value for the media. It's simply saying it's as much of a gamble as some might see keeping Postecoglou is. It's also a costly one for the Australian would need to be paid off for the remainder of his contract as well as his coaching staff and then compensation paid for the new man. Postecoglou could also reasonably argue any dismissal by pointing to what he achieved in the end.

On top of that, the squad rebuild would need to start again to suit a new manager's needs. It's going back to square one and overall it's a remarkable amount of money to pay out to make major changes after finally achieving success. For all of Levy's famed business acumen, it doesn't particularly add up as a smart decision or send a great signal to any prospective managers in the future about what they will be judged on in the role.

Postecoglou wants to remain at Tottenham and believes he's got so much more to achieve with this group of players, added to with a bit of experience, and that they will build on the platform of the trophy win. It important not to underestimate how strongly the dressing room is behind the 59-year-old as well.

It's not that Postecoglou will be worried either about life after Spurs. He is a European champion and will have job offers galore. He need only look at the most recent group of managers in Antonio Conte, Nuno Espirito Santo, Pochettino and Mourinho to see that there is life and silverware available immediately after leaving Tottenham.

But Postecoglou wants to do it at Spurs. He believes that night in Bilbao will just be the beginning if the right decisions are made behind the scenes to push the club on.

Everyone is waiting to see whether season three is truly better than season two or whether the main character will be killed off before it even starts, as Postecoglou feared. The problem is the main character at Tottenham Hotspur has always been Daniel Levy and the chairman will decide whether Premier League comfort is the ultimate aim or to back a man who dared and did.

Ange Postecoglou has broken his silence since the end of the season, with rumours swirling around his future as Tottenham Hotspur head coach.

Postecoglou delivered Spurs their first trophy in 17 years and their first piece of European silverware in 41 years when winning the UEFA Europa League final against Manchester United in San Mames, Bilbao.

But that victory came against a backdrop of a horrendous Premier League campaign, in which Spurs finished 17th, just one place above the relegation zone.

There were plenty or rumours around Postecoglou's future in the build-up to the final, with many reports even suggesting the Australian would be sacked no matter what happened in the final.

There is a groundswell of support behind Postecoglou now, following that trophy win, with emotions around the club still very much on a high.

Levy is expected to make a decision on the head coach's future in the coming days, with no one quite knowing what the outcome will be.

Postecoglou has made it clear his job is not over and that he will ne be throwing in the towel. He said after the final: "I don't think my job is done here. I really feel like we're building something and what a trophy does is hopefully accelerates that."

Then, speaking at the open-top bus parade after the Europa League triumph, that was witnessed by an astonishing 220,000 supporters in Tottenham, the head coach said that "all the best television series, season three is better than season two". That received a huge roar from the crowd and with the players on stage alongside him.

And in an interview for Australia's Story - an ABC broadcast about his life and how he has got to the stage - Postecoglou made a key statement that spoke volumes about him and his plans.

"I didn't want us to just enjoy the moment. I also wanted us to think about what's next, you know - don't settle for this," explained the Australian. "We've got a taste of it now. My players have got a taste for it. The club's got a taste for it. Well, let's make sure we're back here again."

It was only a little thing, but the fact he said "my players" rather than "the players" shows just how he feels about his story at Tottenham and with the Spurs players not being over yet.

Tottenham Hotspur could be about to miss out on an alternative to Ange Postecoglou as chairman Daniel Levy continues to ponder the Australian's future in north London.

Postecoglou was figurative dead man walking until the Europa League final in Bilbao a couple of weeks ago. Since then, the former Celtic boss' standing has risen among supporters and Levy is pondering whether or not to part ways with the 59-year-old.

Football.london understands that a decision is yet to be made but that it is not lost on the Spurs chairman how much backing Postecoglou still has in the dressing room. The squad are believed to be particularly grateful for how their manager protected them in the media despite a poor Premier League campaign.

If Levy was to decide that a new manager is the best course of action for the club, the logical next question would be on who should be brought in to replace Postecoglou. Fulham's Marco Silva has been heavily linked with the job but it appears that Spurs could be about to receive competition for him.

According to The Mirror, Serie A giants Juventus have turned their attention to the former Everton boss as they look to appoint a new manager. It is claimed that the Turin club wanted to hire Atalanta's Gian Piero Gasperini but AS Roma are ahead of them in that race.

Silva is seen as their next best option but Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal are also keen on him. Fulham's owner Tony Khan is thought to be working hard to keep Silva at Craven Cottage but may struggle to meet the financial firepower of Al Hilal, Juve and even Spurs if they are on the hunt for a new boss.

Spurs' next competitive fixture will be on Wednesday, August 13 when they take on PSG in the UEFA Super Cup. The Super Cup pits the winners of the Champions League and the Europa League against each other.

Ange Postecoglou has promised that there are more trophies in his future amid talk about his position as Tottenham Hotspur head coach.

The Greek-born Australian landed Spurs their first piece of silverware in 17 years with the Europa League victory in Bilbao, which was the first European trophy in the club's cabinet in 41 years. It led to a parade in front of an estimated 220,000 Tottenham fans in N17 which ended with Postecoglou promising that season three will be better than season two.

However, the north London club's torrid season in the Premier League which brought a 17th-place finish after Postecoglou prioritised the European campaign when it became clear his injury-ravaged squad was not going to achieve anything in the table nor be relegated, has led to fears for his future as chairman Daniel Levy decides upon his position.

Now, while on holiday in Greece with his family, Postecoglou has spoken to ABC News for Australian Story's 'Game of his Life', following up a documentary they did on him 10 years ago.

"I had no doubt that for me the mission when I joined the football club was to win a trophy," said the 59-year-old. "It became 'well we've got this opportunity in Europe, what do we do about that?'. Making the final was I guess, for me anyway, a real vindication of the road we had taken. A final, a final of a significant tournament. An opportunity to create history.

"We're talking about a club who had lost three finals in the last 17 years and had made eight or nine semi-finals. That's not a great record in big games, so there were a lot of nervous people around the club, trust me, who were fearing the worst. Probably our supporters as well.

"Two Premier League teams playing together in a European final, it doesn't get any bigger than that I don't think. This was the one game on the planet that night. You know the whole world is watching."

Spurs finally ended their long trophy drought and Postecoglou made it very clear that if he does another edition of the documentary in a decade's time then he will be speaking about further silverware he has won.

"When we sat down 10 years ago and did the initial Australian Story, I think maybe even you guys thought that that was the culmination of what I was about to achieve," he said.

"What I do know is that in 10 years' time, if we sit down again, I've got no doubt in my mind that there'll be more stories to tell, there will be more trophies that have been won."

Postecoglou explained that when he is under pressure and the noise around him is at its loudest, that's when he rises to the top.

"It's when I'm at my best because I like pushing through that stuff. It's an opportunity to convince more that I haven't got here by accident," he said.

The Spurs boss also spoke about his anger ahead of the final when he hit back at a reporter who had written that the result of the game would decide whether he was seen as a hero or a clown.

"I'm a human being. Do I get angry sometimes? Do I get frustrated? Do I get disappointed? Of course I do, but what I will always do is call out people who I think have got it wrong," he said.

Postecoglou is used to people mocking him along his journey, including at Celtic when radio pundit Alan Brazil struggled to pronounce his name when he was first linked with the job and thought it was a prank.

"I've grown up in a schoolyard in Australia with a long surname so trust me I've heard every variation. Nothing they were going to say was going to upset me," said the Tottenham head coach.

Now Postecoglou is in the Premier League, a place he believes was always his destiny.

"When I was lying in my bed as a nine or 10-year-old, what were the visions I was having? The Premier League was it for me. It was where I wanted to see myself one day. That was the dream for sure," he said.

When discussing his declaration at the trophy parade about what's to come in season three, it was noticeable that Postecoglou very much referred to this victorious team as "my players".

"I didn't want us to just enjoy the moment. I also wanted us to think about what's next, you know - don't settle for this," explained the Australian. "We've got a taste of it now. My players have got a taste for it. The club's got a taste for it. Well, let's make sure we're back here again."

One of Daniel Levy's closest advisors at Tottenham Hotspur has stepped down and left the club as part of major changes within the hierarchy.

football.london reported last week that a huge shake-up was coming from the top down at Spurs and that has begun with the departure of executive director Donna-Maria Cullen, who has been one of Levy's trusted allies for his entire near quarter-century tenure at the north London outfit, having previously been involved with Tottenham since 1992.

That leaves only operations and finance director Matthew Collecott as one of Levy's longest serving board members along with director of football administration and governance Rebecca Caplehorn.

The biggest change to the hierarchy this week is the official arrival this week of new CEO Vinai Venkatesham who joins Tottenham after doing the same role at Arsenal to plenty of plaudits. The new man is expected to open up Spurs as a more communicative club to the outside world, something the fanbase has been calling for over the years.

As football.london reported previously, many inside Spurs are also expecting the return at some point of former managing director of football Fabio Paratici, although the Italian may need to remain in a consultancy capacity for the time being owing to the civil trial into irregularities during his time at Juventus.

The trial for the 52-year-old and other members of the hierarchy back then, including ex-president Andrea Agnelli and vice-president Pavel Nedved, began a fortnight ago after a request to annul proceedings was rejected by a Rome tribunal judge in April.

Levy said of Cullen's departure on Monday: "Donna has made an immense contribution to the club, over an extensive period. Her diverse responsibilities grew significantly and replacing her roles with a single individual will be impossible. While many may associate her primarily with marketing and communications, Donna's impact extends far beyond those areas. Notably, her leadership and political acumen at planning committees, was instrumental in the club being able to build one of the finest stadiums and training centres in the world.

"She deserves recognition for the contribution she played in the formation of the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, which has positively impacted countless individuals in our communities, and in establishing the London Academy of Excellence, providing children with exceptional educational opportunities.

"Donna has pushed the conscience of the club to be at the forefront of environmental and diversity initiatives. She also played a crucial role in supporting the amateur part-time Spurs Ladies, enabling the development of our professional women’s team. Her daily input will be greatly missed, however she fully deserves to take time for herself, and I know that we shall be able to call upon her advice when needed. We wish her well for the future."

Cullen said on her time at the club: "This has been such a hard decision to make. The club has been my life for the past three decades. I have had the privilege of working with Daniel, whose vision and energy has driven the Club forward, and so many talented and wonderful colleagues.

"It has been quite some journey, starting at White Hart Lane, with a brief stay at Wembley and finally our new home - amazing memories home and away. Ending this season with the Europa League Trophy was a dream come true. The time is now right for me to gather more time for myself and my family, whom I thank for all their support over the years. I shall spend the coming months ensuring there is a smooth handover with my staff. Thank you all. I wish everyone at the club all the success in the world."

Tottenham sent plenty of players out on loan this season and it's time to look into which ones will still be at the club for the new campaign.

Spurs had 15 players out on loan as this season came to a close if we are including Luka Vuskovic who is preparing to join Tottenham this summer after reaching his 18th birthday. The teenager went to Westerlo in Belgium on loan from Hajduk Split this time around as Spurs prepared for the big centre-back's arrival.

The north London club had players out on loan in France, Spain and Belgium as well as in Scotland and across the Football League and football.london has given our verdict on whether the club will keep, sell or loan them out again next season. Let's start with a simple one.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Marseille)

The easiest one of the bunch because Hojbjerg joined Marseille on a loan deal that will see him join them permanently this summer after 32 matches for Roberto De Zerbi's side. SELL

Bryan Gil (Girona)

Bryan Gil is fully expecting to depart Spurs this summer after a season at Girona where he enjoyed a pretty reasonable time there, playing Champions League football, until he suffered a knee injury in March that required surgery.

The 24-year-old winger's contract comes to an end next year and both the Spaniard and Spurs are looking to go their separate ways. SELL

Yang Min-hyeok (QPR)

Yang Min-hyeok got plenty of experience of English football in the Championship with the 19-year-old playing 14 times and scoring twice with one assist.

There's an acceptance that the South Korean teenager is a raw talent and a decision will be made during this summer whether another loan is the best thing for him to continue to develop. It seems likely. LOAN

Luka Vuskovic (Westerlo)

Luka Vuskovic will finally arrive at the club this summer, two years after they signed him from Hajduk Split and Spurs will want to take a good look at him. He scored seven goals and provided three assists at Westerlo in 36 appearances despite being a teenage centre-back.

Like Bergvall and Gray, the 18-year-old will probably have been sold on a move to Spurs over plenty of competition because of the chance to play for the Premier League side. You would imagine that Tottenham will keep him until at least January before deciding whether a loan spell for the remainder of the season would be more helpful for him.

"I think it's possible, even though there are already world-class players, like Van de Ven and Romero," Vuskovic said recently of breaking into the Spurs starting XI. "I want to take it step by step, finish the season well at Westerlo, then earn my place at Tottenham, and then we'll see what the future holds." KEEP

Alfie Devine (Westerlo)

Alfie Devine was with Vuskovic at Westerlo and played 32 times himself, scoring six times and providing one assist. The 20-year-old has impressed in the past two pre-seasons at Tottenham and will be looking to do so again this time around.

With two years left on his contract, the midfielder is probably due another deal, especially if he is to head out on loan again to a higher level. Devine is a homegrown player for Spurs but sticking around purely for that might not be helpful to his development. LOAN

Manor Solomon (Leeds United)

Manor Solomon helped Leeds win the Championship title and scored the goal that sealed it. He racked up 23 goal involvements in 41 matches for the Elland Road side and they would no doubt love to keep him in the Premier League.

That will be down to Spurs' price tag and the competition for his signature, but it feels like his short time at the club is probably done with that interest in his services meaning a decent transfer fee unless he has the pre-season to end all pre-seasons. SELL

Alejo Veliz (Espanyol)

Alejo Veliz just hasn't been able to make his mark at Tottenham and neither has anything really clicked into gear during the 21-year-old striker's two loan spells at Sevilla and Espanyol.

There has been talk of a return to Rosario Central this summer where Veliz scored plenty of goals as a teenager. The Argentine has got four years left on his contract but it's difficult to see him breaking into the first team set-up again at this point. SELL

Ashley Phillips (Stoke City)

Ashley Phillips has enjoyed another positive loan spell despite plenty of managerial changes at Stoke this season as he quickly won over the supporters with performances that belied his 19 years. He played 39 times for the Potters and helped keep them in the Championship as well as scoring a great goal in the Carabao Cup.

Phillips' immediate Spurs future could depend on a change in manager, otherwise he'll be out on loan again next season. LOAN

Will Lankshear (West Bromwich Albion)

Will Lankshear enjoyed a season that brought his Premier League debut, his first goal for Tottenham and also 11 appearances in the Championship for West Brom. The 20-year-old did not score for the Baggies but earned plaudits for some of his performances.

The striker could be used by Spurs as a homegrown product but he probably needs another loan to truly find his feet at a senior level. LOAN

Alfie Dorrington (Aberdeen)

Alfie Dorrington is a Scottish Cup winner after helping Aberdeen overcome Celtic at Hampden Park last month and his loan ended up being a terrific one with 16 appearances.

The 20-year-old centre-back also made his Spurs and Premier League debut earlier this season in the win at Southampton so will be looking to build on that.

Dorrington will be looking to impress in pre-season but more than likely another loan beckons for a player with time on his hands and a long contract until 2029. LOAN

Jamie Donley (Leyton Orient)

Jamie Donley will have interest galore after a standout year at Leyton Orient with 19 goal involvements in 52 matches across a busy season in which he helped the O's to the League One play-off final.

The 20-year-old Northern Ireland international will be looking to leave an impression in pre-season after a year in the game which would have developed him hugely on and off the pitch. Again though, he has time on his side and four more years on his contract and unless a new manager comes in and takes him on as a project, Donley could get a Championship loan next time out. LOAN

Josh Keeley (Leyton Orient)

Also at Orient, Josh Keeley starred with 16 clean sheets as well as that remarkable FA Cup goal. The 22-year-old goalkeeper has been called up for his first senior Republic of Ireland squad and has made huge leaps in his development this season.

A new contract beckons at Tottenham and his non-homegrown status will probably ensure that for now he continues to progress elsewhere, likely in the Championship or in Europe. LOAN

Matthew Craig (Mansfield Town)

Matthew Craig spent time at two different clubs this year in the shape of Barnsley and then Mansfield Town with injuries ruining his time at the latter.

The 22-year-old had shown he's a good midfielder but with a year left on his contract and no way through at Spurs, it might be time for him to head off and embark on his career elsewhere. SELL

George Abbott (Notts County)

George Abbott enjoyed a terrific season in League Two with Notts County, making 45 appearances with 13 goal involvements and helping them reach the play-offs.

The 19-year-old versatile midfielder could be in line for a new deal and he should get a look-in early in pre-season before a loan move to a higher level. LOAN

Luca Gunter (Wealdstone)

Luca Gunter enjoyed a loan spell at Wealdstone in the National League and the 20-year-old will be hoping for more senior experience next season.

Tottenham can now officially confirm any new signings with the summer transfer window open as of Sunday, June 1 (today).

Spurs need to strengthen in a number of areas following on from a disastrous Premier League campaign. Winning a European cup showed that Ange Postecoglou is capable of getting results out of the current squad, however he could be sacked with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy still believed to be weighing up his future.

With a manager decision yet to be made, the Lilywhites are losing ground in the transfer market to their rivals. Manchester United and Liverpool have already announced their first signings with Matheus Cunha and Jeremie Frimpong joining, respectively.

Elsewhere, Liam Delap will be confirmed as Chelsea's new striker imminently and the same can be said for Arsenal and the impending arrival of Martin Zubimendi.

Despite no pursuit being fully activated, links to some potential signings have emerged with additions required in attack and defence. As Cristian Romero's future could depend on what happens with Postecoglou, Spurs will be looking at centre-backs.

Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi is one name that has been previously linked with a bid from Tottenham knocked back in the January. He is also of firm interest to Newcastle United with several offers rejected last summer.

The highest of those was £65 million but because his contract expires in 12 months, it could now be as low as £50m with the Eagles potentially feeling the need to sell so they can receive some funds from his departure.

An FA Cup triumph has seen Palace earn a spot in the Europa League but Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will host Champions League football next season.

Brentford are facing the exact same dilemma with Bryan Mbeumo and Newcastle are again looking to take advantage. Spurs and Man United are also in the market for a new winger with £60m demanded if the Bees are to let him leave.

As Tottenham will secure significant funds from being in the Champions League, a marquee signing could be sanctioned and there are several options on the table.

Guehi's teammate Ebereche Eze, believed to have a £60m release clause in his contract, is undoubtedly one of those but for just a little bit more Xavi Simons can be signed.

Having missed out on qualifying for Europe, he and Benjamin Sesko appear destined to leave RB Leipzig with their asking price set at £67m (€80m).

Unsurprisingly, there is interest from other Premier League clubs but links to Spurs have grown over the last week and such an addition would be huge, regardless of Postecoglou staying or going, heading into next season. However, it is somewhat difficult to convince players to join when the manager situation is so uncertain

Therefore, Tottenham's utmost priority will be making a final decision on Postecoglou and then, assuming he stays, transfer decisions can follow. If not, appointing a replacement will be the first task with Oliver Glasner and Thomas Frank in the running and bringing in one of those could help their case for either Eze or Mbeumo.

Tottenham Hotspur's club-trained and foreign player issues have long been an issue at the club but they have only got worse for the coming season.

One of the key areas Spurs fall down on when it comes to European competition is 'locally-trained' players, those senior players who have been on the club's books for three entire seasons or 36 months between the ages of 15 and 21. Tottenham have sold such players like Harry Kane, Harry Winks and Oliver Skipp in recent seasons, but it will be some time before the current crop of younger players make it into that category.

Goalkeeper Alfie Whiteman and midfielder Max Robson have left the club at the expiry of their contracts in recent days which means Brandon Austin is the only senior non-Under-21s player to fit the 'locally-trained' category.

Here's what the squad numbers mean for Tottenham and their squads for both the Premier League and the Champions League.

Premier League

For a start, let's take Fraser Forster, Timo Werner, Whiteman, Sergio Reguilon out of the squad. However, there is another issue because four players must come out of the Under-21s list and into the main lists, namely Antonin Kinsky, Alejo Veliz, Josh Keeley and Matthew Craig.

There is still plenty of space here though, especially when you look at players who are unlikely to be at the club next season. That's mainly because a club's Under-21 players do not need to be included on their 25-man squad list yet are eligible to play in the Premier League.

To be considered an Under-21 player for this current Premier League season, players must have been born on or after January 1, 2004. That means Mathys Tel, if he remains at the club, does not have to be registered in the main squad and neither will the incoming Luka Vuskovic, nor the returning Yang Min-hyeok.

It also appears that Danso qualifies as a homegrown player in Premier League terms because he was in the youth academies at Reading and MK Dons for years before leaving England at the age of 16 and later returning for a season at Southampton.

The Premier League rules state that "a 'Home Grown Player' means a player who, irrespective of nationality or age, has been registered with any club affiliated to The Football Association or the Football Association of Wales for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons, or 36 months, before his 21st birthday (or the end of the season during which he turns 21)."

With that in mind, here's how the club's Premier League squad looks right now, including players returning from loan and before anyone else leaves.

Premier League non-homegrown players (16 currently, 17 maximum allowed): Guglielmo Vicario, Pedro Porro, Radu Dragusin, Destiny Udogie, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma, Dejan Kulusevski, Richarlison, Son Heung-min, Pape Matar Sarr, Manor Solomon, Bryan Gil, Alejo Veliz, Josh Keeley.

Premier League homegrown players (7 currently and eight minimum required): Dominic Solanke, Kevin Danso, Brandon Austin, Ben Davies, James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, Djed Spence.

Notable Under-21s players: Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Wilson Odobert, Mathys Tel, Dane Scarlett, Yang-min Hyeok, Luka Vuskovic, Ashley Phillips, Alfie Devine, Jamie Donley, Alfie Dorrington.

Champions League

Now here's where things become an utter pain in the backside. This area has been a constant problem for Spurs and will continue to be for a while longer until the recent batch of 18-year-old signings eventually become club-trained players three years down the line from when they joined.

The problem in the Champions League, as it did in the Europa League, lies in the fact that UEFA's rules state that no club can have more than 25 players on their A-List during the season, of whom at least two must be goalkeepers. The rules then say that "as a minimum, eight of those 25 places are reserved exclusively for 'locally trained players' and no club may have more than four 'association-trained players' listed among those eight places. If a club have fewer than eight locally trained players in their squad, then the maximum number of players on List A is reduced accordingly".

What is a locally-trained player? Well, there are two different kinds. One is 'club-trained players', those on a club's books for three entire seasons or 36 months between the ages of 15 and 21. The other is 'association-trained players', who were on another club's books in the same association for three entire seasons or 36 months between the ages of 15 and 21. Danso will not fit into that latter category because he left England at the age of 16.

Then there is a B-List for players born on, or after, January 1, 2004 and who have been eligible to play for the club for any uninterrupted period of two years since their 15th birthday – or for a total of three consecutive years with a maximum of one loan period to a club from the same association for a period not longer than one year. Players aged 16 may be submitted if they have been registered with the club for the previous two years without interruption.

So with all that in mind, Spurs' Champions League squad in its current state pre-window is overstuffed in both non-locally trained spots and association trained ones.

That they only have one club-trained player in goalkeeper Brandon Austin when they need to register four, means Tottenham would have to leave three spots open in what should be a 25-man squad, but instead becomes a 22-man one.

Players like Dane Scarlett, Jamie Donley and Alfie Devine could go on the B list if required as they meet those requirements. There's no point putting them in the club-trained players spots really because they don't need to.

So if Mathys Tel were to stay then Spurs have 24 players to fit into 17 non-locally trained spots and six association-trained players for four other spots. Any association-trained players over those four spots would then need to be crowbarred into the main group.

In essence, the easiest way to look at it is that Spurs currently have 30 senior players to fit into 22 spots and that's before they even try to sign new players this window.

So once again plenty of work is going to be need to be done on that squad during this summer window with the knowledge that players are still likely to be left out of the Champions League squad because you need a bigger squad to compete in all four competitions but Tottenham don't have the club-trained numbers to make that work in Europe.

European non-locally trained players (24 currently, 17 maximum): Guglielmo Vicario, Antonin Kinsky, Pedro Porro, Kevin Danso, Radu Dragusin, Destiny Udogie, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma, Wilson Odobert, Dejan Kulusevski, Richarlison, Son Heung-min, Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall, Mathys Tel, Manor Solomon, Bryan Gil, Alejo Veliz, Yang-min Hyeok, Luka Vuskovic, Ashley Phillips, Josh Keeley.

Association trained players (6 currently, four can be used in exclusive slots): Dominic Solanke, Ben Davies, James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, Djed Spence, Archie Gray.