After years of being the butt of the joke when it comes to the Premier League’s traditional ‘top six’ it appears Tottenham have quietly gotten their act together in stellar fashion.
The Big Ange revolution of 2023-24 split opinion massively, with an explosive start to the campaign tailing off in the second half of the season and resulting in more tempered expectations.
However, there’s no denying the astounding influence Postecoglou has already had on the club, from their style of play, to the way he controls the media to protect his team and – crucially – their much more shrewd recruitment.
Spurs have tried everything to break their silverware dry spell. Quite literally.
The young up-and-comer in Mauricio Pochettino brought them close, then they turned to Jose Mourinho, and when that didn’t work they fell even deeper into the trenches with an Antonio Conte spell.
Postecoglou has only been in the hot seat for one year, but already things feel more sustainable.
And it’s signings like Min-hyuk Yang which play a huge part in that, as Spurs move away from the glitz and glamour of big names, in favour of giving young talent and rough diamonds an environment to prove themselves.
Fabrizio Romano reports that Tottenham are closing in on a deal to sign 18-year-old Yang from Gangwon FC. We bet you’ve never heard of him before in your life – and that’s part of what makes this deal so brilliant.
Born in 2006, Yang operates on either flank but does his most dangerous work when cutting in from the left-hand side.
He became the youngest scorer in Korea’s K-League since 2013 when he scored his first goal for Gangwon in March, and has already found the back of the net seven times after just 24 senior appearances for the club.
The obvious thing that jumps out here is inexperience, particularly at a competitive level, especially when coming to swim with the sharks in the Premier League. However, everything positive about Ange’s reign at Spurs so far has been centred around progression.
With their backs against the wall and everyone desperate to see them remain the butt of the joke, they’ve remained focused and hoovered up a catalogue of brilliant young talents who are all being primed to play in a team that plays some of the most thrilling and effective football in the league when done right.
Will Yang be a part of that immediately after signing? Probably not.
The lad can barely buy a crate of beers and will have to get to grips with just about everything in England from hard-hitting defenders, a sharp increase in quality, less time on the ball, navigating the tube, avoiding Oxford Street – we could go on.
But the key here is potential. And progression. Watching Yang in full stride, it’s clear to see why Spurs are keen to get a deal done. With the ball at his feet, the kid glides along the turf like you wouldn’t believe.
His dribbling looks effortless and elegant, but at the same time is sickeningly punching and direct, tying defenders up in knots. Take a look for yourself.
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Naturally, the South Korean winger joining Tottenham will prompt comparisons to Son Heung-min, a Spurs icon and royalty in South Korea.
However, there’s something devilish about Yang. Angel Di Maria strutted his best stuff on the right wing in his prime, but there are parallels in the way the 18-year-old is able to skip past players with impressive skills, sublime balance and agility, and either cut inside or take it to the byline.
There are clear limitations to Yang’s game right now. Physicality will be lacking, while his end product also lacks consistency and there is a tendency for him to keep his head down while in possession.
The raw minerals are there for all to see, though, and with Spurs putting together a pool of young talent which includes the likes of Mikey Moore, Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, it’s clear that they’re willing to find a pathway for Yang to become the talent factory’s next project.
Some time to adapt followed by a loan away from the club feels like the probable first steps, but this is just the beginning of a very exciting journey – much like the Postecoglou project as a whole.
It’s extremely early days, but on profile and potential alone, there is no reason why Yang cannot aim high and set out a goal to follow in the footsteps of Son at Spurs.