Spurs have moved in a new direction with the appointment of Ange Postecoglou as the club’s new head coach on a long-term deal.
Postecoglou becomes the first Australian to manage a Premier League club and arrives after two successful seasons at Celtic, a period which saw the 57-year-old win five trophies and earn admiration for his attacking brand of football.
Postecoglou is unproven at the highest level and has spent just two seasons managing in European football, as he inherits a Tottenham team in need of a rebuild. Recruitment will be crucial to the new manager and we’ve decided to look at five readymade options who could improve his Spurs squad.
Five Premier League proven signings who could improve Spurs under new manager Ange Postecoglou.
James Maddison
Tottenham have been named on the long list of suitors interested in signing James Maddison this summer, with several leading clubs targeting a deal for the midfielder following Leicester’s relegation from the Premier League.
Maddison remained a positive despite Leicester’s decline over the past two campaigns, with the 26-year-old producing the best football of his career to earn an England recall.
The kiss off the post, @Madders10 ⚽ pic.twitter.com/TarYzLhBls
— Leicester City (@LCFC) October 4, 2022
The midfielder ranked tenth in the Premier League for chances created during the 2022/23 campaign despite missing a period of the season through injury and outperformed the entire Spurs squad for chances created, chances created per 90 and key passes per 90 minutes.
Maddison has scored 22 league goals and laid on a further 17 assists across the last two seasons and offers both versatility and productivity in the final third.
Postecoglou has reportedly given his new club the green light to make an offer for Maddison, who is valued in excess of £40m at Leicester.
Aymeric Laporte
Aymeric Laporte has been linked with leaving Manchester City this summer after falling out of favour under Pep Guardiola this season.
Laporte has been the victim of Guardiola’s change in defensive shape and the excellent form of team-mates Nathan Ake, Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji and John Stones, with the 29-year-old limited to just 11 league starts in 2022/23.
The Spain international will want to earn a regular role ahead of next summer’s European Championship, but previous links to Real Madrid and Barcelona have reduced given the former’s need for recruits elsewhere and the latter’s financial issues.
🖐 years at the Etihad! 💥
Let us know your favourite @Laporte moment ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/K1MQgBz8nh
— Manchester City (@ManCity) January 30, 2023
Spurs could prove an ideal fit for the defender as Postecoglou looks to implement a possession dominant brand of football that builds from the back.
Laporte – who has won five league titles at Manchester City and has been named in both the La Liga and Premier League Teams of the Season during his career – has recorded a pass accuracy of 91% or higher in each of his six seasons in English football.
David Raya
Goalkeeper is an area of the pitch that needs addressing as Postecoglou prepares for his first summer in charge, with Spurs captain Hugo Lloris having announced his desire for a new challenge.
Lloris is expected to leave after more than a decade in north London, following a season in which the Frenchman failed to convince and was criticised for errors.
Tottenham have been strongly linked with a move to sign Brentford’s David Raya and interest from Spurs is no surprise. The 27-year-old led the Premier League for saves (154) and save percentage (77.1%) last season, while compared to positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, he ranks in the 92nd percentile or higher for touches and crosses claimed.
The top ten PL goalkeepers this season, according to @WhoScored match ratings 🧤
1️⃣ David Raya
5️⃣ Kepa Arrizabalaga
9️⃣ Nick Pope#Brentford #Chelsea #NUFC #PL pic.twitter.com/WJdUnFzWBD— DR Sports (@drsportsmedia) May 30, 2023
Raya also scores highly for defensive actions outside the penalty area (80th percentile), but his key attributes are his distribution from deep. Only Jason Steele (45.9%), Ederson (44.5%) and Alisson (41%) completed a higher percentage of passes over a distance of 40+ yards than Raya (39.3%) last season.
That statistic is even more impressive when considered Raya made more 40+ yard passes than any other goalkeeper in the division (882) – a staggering 599 more than Alisson, 619 more than Ederson and 808 more than Steele. It is a weapon that could provide Spurs with variety to go short or long.
Kenny Tete
Kenny Tete was an unsung hero in Fulham’s impressive return to the Premier League with the right-back having had an excellent individual season for Marco Silva’s side.
The 27-year-old was a key player for the Cottagers, playing 31 games in a Premier League campaign that saw them finish 10th. Tete was full of tenacious defensive work and a threat venturing forward, scoring once and providing five assists for the west Londoners.
Spurs’ current options all prefer a wing-back role to operating in a traditional back four and Postecoglou’s preference for a 4-3-3 system could lead to additions at full-back. Tete has just 12 months remaining on his contract at Fulham and could be available for a cut-price fee if new terms are not agreed.
A first @premierleague goal for Kenny. 👑 pic.twitter.com/xo1F3QQwIq
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) May 29, 2023
The Netherlands international led all Premier League full-backs for combined tackles and interceptions (135) last season, while only Manchester United’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Newcastle centre-back Sven Botman recorded a higher percentage of dribblers tackled (76%).
Tete could prove a sensible upgrade on Spurs’ current options for a fraction of his true market value.
Harvey Barnes
Spurs are understood to have a long-standing interest in Harvey Barnes and could enter what is expected to be a competitive race for the winger’s signature this summer.
Leicester’s relegation will see a host of Premier League teams scramble to sign Barnes, who has scored 45 goals and provided 32 assists in 187 appearances for the Foxes.
The 25-year-old produced the best goalscoring season of his career in 2022/23, with 13 league goals, despite Leicester’s relegation to the Championship and will have ambitions of breaking back into the England set-up after earning a sole cap in 2020.
Harvey Barnes seals it! ⚽💨#WHULEI pic.twitter.com/MubEBwzRd6
— Leicester City (@LCFC) November 12, 2022
Barnes would add a versatile option to the Spurs forward line, with Lucas Moura departing on a free transfer and Arnaut Danjuma’s loan move set to expire. The winger could also aid the club’s homegrown quota, particularly if the likes of Eric Dier, Japhet Tanganga and Harry Kane move on.
James Ward-Prowse is another option who could improve both quality and homegrown numbers after Southampton’s relegation. The midfielder is regarded as one of the best set-piece takers in world football and could benefit a Spurs side who scored 16 goals from set-pieces last season. Only Liverpool (17) managed more.
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