Tottenham and Ange Postecoglou could be proactive in the transfer market even before the summer window opens on June 12.
Spurs’ January transfer window had its ups and downs. The club brought in Antonin Kinsky, Kevin Danso, and Mathys Tel but missed out on strengthening other key areas. Since the window shut, they have won both of their Premier League games but have also been knocked out of the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup.
Postecoglou is still very much under pressure and hasn't been helped by a relentless injury crisis this season. If the Australian gets through the next few months unscathed, however, this summer offers a golden opportunity to strengthen, particularly in free agency.
The likes of Jonathan David and Angel Gomes, both at Lille, are now free to hold pre-contract talks, and either signing would boost the Spurs squad a great deal. The club have certainly reaped the success of free agents in the past, with Mirror Football now taking a look back at five big-name stars Spurs managed to snap up for nothing.
Ivan Perisic
Spurs, under Antonio Conte, moved quickly ahead of the 2022 summer transfer window to bring in Ivan Perisic on a free transfer. The then-33-year-old was signed as a versatile wide player on a two-year deal, having won Serie A the previous season under Conte and the Champions League with Bayern Munich a year prior.
The experienced Croatian had been a long-time target of Premier League rivals Manchester United, with Jose Mourinho desperate to bring Perisic to Old Trafford in the summer of 2017. However, Inter turned down a bid from the Red Devils, delaying Perisic’s move to England by several years.
Perisic played a crucial role in his first season with Tottenham, making 44 appearances before suffering an ACL injury in his second season, which led to a loan move for the remainder of the 2023/24 campaign with Hajduk Split in his home country. This term, he has enjoyed a resurgence in his first season with PSV, who are locked in a title race with Ajax.
Fraser Forster
Goalkeeper Fraser Forster was signed within days of Conte bringing in Perisic in June 2022, also on a free transfer. The experienced goalkeeper would begin his Spurs career in July on a two-year deal once his Southampton contract had officially expired.
Forster still plays for Spurs as a back-up goalkeeper, having made 34 appearances across all competitions, including 13 this season in the absence of Guglielmo Vicario.
Teddy Sheringham
Tottenham agreed in May 2001 to re-sign legendary striker Teddy Sheringham after his successful four-year spell with United, where he won the Treble. Sheringham had previously spent five years at White Hart Lane from 1992, scoring 76 goals in 166 league games before his £3.5m transfer to Old Trafford.
Then-Spurs manager Glenn Hoddle was a big admirer, having regularly selected him for the England national team, which played an important role in reaching a pre-agreement in May to bring the 35-year-old to north London once his Red Devils contract ran out.
Sheringham made an instant impact by helping Spurs to a ninth-placed finish, their highest in six years, and reached the League Cup final. After 26 goals in a total of 80 appearances, short spells at Portsmouth, West Ham, and Colchester United followed for the England icon before deciding to hang up his boots.
Brad Friedel
Tottenham made a shrewd move to sign the veteran goalkeeper on a free transfer in June 2011. The USA legend joined on a two-year deal at the end of his Aston Villa contract the following month.
At Spurs, he became the oldest player to make a Premier League appearance, playing 67 games for the club before retiring at the end of the 2014/15 campaign.
Lewis Holtby
Tottenham reached a deal to sign Lewis Holtby from Schalke in January 2013, beating rivals Arsenal to the highly rated German’s signature. The playmaker had caught the eye with his performances in the Bundesliga, as well as captaining Germany’s U21s.
But despite being set to join Spurs in July, the north Londoners fast-tracked the transfer after a serious injury to midfielder Sandro, with Holtby arriving in January instead for £1.5m. He made 39 appearances for Spurs in his first 18 months before falling out of favour under Tim Sherwood, being loaned out to Fulham, and eventually leaving for Hamburger SV in August 2014.