Ange Postecoglou cut a frustrated figure towards the end of his maiden Premier League season. While Tottenham Hotspur made progress under the Australian, Postecoglou voiced his concerns over the quality of his squad, hinting at a summer rebuild. As things stand, though, that rebuild has yet to materialise.
Spurs signed Archie Gray from Leeds United for a transfer fee of around £40m, but the teenager is a developmental player who might not make much of an impression on the first team this season. Lucas Bergvall has arrived from Djurgarden, but once again it’s unclear whether he will receive much game time in the first team.
Many supporters expected the North London club to be in the market for a new centre forward. Harry Kane still hasn’t been replaced following his transfer to Bayern Munich a year ago and while Son Heung-min did a good job of stepping into the footsteps of his former teammate by moving centrally, Tottenham need another top level striker to lead the line.
Jonathan David has been mentioned as a target, but Spurs has yet to make its move for the Lille striker who is also attracting attention from Chelsea after scoring 19 goals in Ligue 1 last season. Brentford’s Ivan Toney has similarly been linked with a switch to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with the England international openly keen on a move this summer.
Postecoglou could also use another wide attacker in his squad with Eberechi Eze believed to be a target for Tottenham. The Crystal Palace winger, however, is still at Selhurst Park and is reportedly attracting attention from Manchester City. If Eze has a choice between Spurs and the Premier League champions, he will surely opt for the latter.
In central midfield, Tottenham is also in need of strengthening even after the addition of Gray and Bergvall. Postecoglou requires proven performers who can step into the first team and give Spurs two-way quality in the centre of the pitch with both Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr enduring stop-start campaigns in 2023/24.
Much of Tottenham’s summer business so far has focused on shifting unwanted players out of the club. Joe Rodon was shipped to Leeds United while Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has joined Marseille on loan. Meanwhile, Eric Dier, Ivan Perisic and Tanguy Ndombele have been set free as free agents. Others such as Emerson Royal and Dejan Kulusevski could be on their way out.
To build on the foundations established last season, though, Postecoglou requires a lot of incoming business to be done over the next month or so. The Australian has remoulded the team he inherited last summer and now it’s time for Spurs to give him some more raw materials to work with.