Antonio Conte's leadership group: Where are they now?

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image

After one year of Ange Postecoglou's reign as Tottenham Hotspur Head Coach, the Australian has already disbanded the five-man leadership group which was set up by the previous permanent manager, Antonio Conte.

That group consisted of five players. Former club and France captain Hugo Lloris and England captain Harry Kane spearheaded the quintet, whilst Eric Dier, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and Oliver Skipp were also involved.

However, after the latest transfer window advancements, not one of these players remains in N17, with the entire first-team department at the club looking extremely different.

Where are they now?

Hugo Lloris

New club: LAFC

Having held the post as club captain for eight years, the Frenchmen was stripped of his duties when Ange Postecoglou arrived in N17 in August 2023 - signing Guglielmo Vicario as his new number one and appointing Heung-Min Son as the new skipper.

Lloris failed to secure a move away during the Australian's first summer in charge, continuing to train with the first team until December when he made the switch to Los Angeles, joining LAFC ion a free transfer.

Having spent a measly twelve years in North London, the former Lyon shot-stopper was given a rousing send-off on New Year's Eve when Spurs beat Bournemouth 3-1.

Harry Kane

New club: Bayern Munich

Tottenham's all-time leading goalscorer would have stepped up from his role as vice-captain, had he not left the club on the eve of Postecoglou's first competitive game in charge.

Kane made the switch to the German giants after a lengthy saga, bringing an end to his record-breaking, fourteen-year career with The Lilywhites, although Daniel Levy has confirmed that there is a buy-back clause in the deal, so perhaps his fairytale with his boyhood side is not over, yet.

Eric Dier

New club: Bayern Munich

The defender, formerly of Sporting Lisbon, followed Kane's move to mainland Europe, linking up with his former teammate at Bayern Munich less than six months after the duo were split up.

Dier was a crucial part of Antonio Conte's side and was a mainstay in the back three throughout the Italian's reign, but was unfavoured by Ange Postecoglou. Often, the Englishman was not included in the match-day squad but did get two opportunities to feature during a defensive injury crisis, and he did well considering the circumstances.

Unfortunately, the damage was already done, and Dier moved on to pastures new in the January transfer window. He was presented with a commemorative gift, thanking him for his ten years of service to The Lilywhites, when the two sides met in a pre-season friendly at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in August 2024.

Pierre-Emile Højbjerg

New club: Olympique Marseille

Although he is yet to officially leave the club, the Dane's departure is all but confirmed after he joined Ligue 1 outfit Marseille on a season-long loan deal which entailed an obligation to buy.

The midfielder was a major contributor to the early success of Antonio Conte's side but was viewed as nothing more than a squad player under Ange Postecoglou. Playing second-fiddle to Yves Bissouma for the majority of the 23/24 season, Højbjerg has now left the club as he seeks regular first-team football, which a player of his calibre deserves.

Oliver Skipp

New club: Leicester City

The last man standing - Oliver Skipp was the final player of the five-man leadership group to leave North London.

A boyhood Tottenham fan, the 23-year-old made the permanent switch to the East Midlands on the day Spurs' new campaign got underway, as Postecoglou continues to overhaul his squad. It did, however, come as a surprising move, with Skipp often favoured by fans and the Australian Head Coach, and Tottenham suffering mass issues meeting the homegrown quota for the UEFA Europs League squad.

New Head Coach, new dynamics

The arrival of Ange Postecoglou, just over a year ago, has brought about many changes within the first-team squad at Tottenham Hotspur.

Firstly, he has overseen a mass overhaul of both the playing squad and his coaching team, whilst also making many different changes to the dynamics of the squad. From the get-go, the former Celtic boss touched on how he leaves the players to their own devices in the dressing room, with control solely resting on the shoulders of his leadership team

This was the first major change made, a new leadership group. Within his first two months, he had appointed three new captains - Heung-Min Son became club captain, whilst Cristian Romero and new £40m man James Maddison were given the duty of vice-captain.

Now, thirteen months later, all five of the players who took up senior roles within the group when Postecoglou put pen to paper have left North London.

Squad overhaul

Upon joining in June 2023, Ange Posteoclgou identified that key changes needed to happen if he was to bring success to the club.

In three transfer windows - with one of those still open - thirteen players have been permanently sold or released, including the likes of Hugo Lloris, Ivan Perisic and Tanguy Ndombele being offloaded, saving millions in the wage budget every week.

Amongst those outgoings are players such as Eric Dier, Ryan Sessegnon, Japhet Tanganga and Emerson Royal, who have all previously been told they had no place in the plans. This is a change from recent years, where Daniel Levy had tended to hold out for higher prices, ending up being unable to sell the deadwood.

Since Postecoglou joined Spurs, a mass transformation has occurred. The annual wage bill is down from £144m to £107m, with the average age of the squad being reduced from 27.0 years old to 24.5 years old.

Having made sixteen senior signings too, there is further evidence of change and future growth. After Wilson Odobert's move from Burnley was sealed, the average age of those incomings was 21.8 years old. The Frenchman is also the sixth teenager to be signed, alongside the likes of the exciting Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, to name a couple.

Source