Tag: backup goalkeeper

But to implement his trademark style of play, it requires a certain type of player.

When it came to the summer window in 2021, Postecoglou wasted little time in bringing through his transfer targets but, like his own appointment, they arrived with scepticism.

After all, what would Kyogo Furuhashi, who arrived from Vissel Kobe in the J1 League, offer that Celtic couldn’t find elsewhere in Europe?

Yet Furuhashi and almost all of Postecoglou’s other signings proved the doubters wrong as they endeared themselves to the Celtic faithful with endless running and passionate displays.

To highlight Postecoglou’s eye for a deal and how big of a squad overhaul he enacted, he spent just $AUD42 million (per Transfermarkt) on signings throughout the 2021/22 season across 17 players.

But his spending was aided by selling three key assets in Odsonne Edouard, Kristoffer Ajer and Ryan Christie as Celtic recouped $60 million in outgoing transfer fees, representing an $18 million profit.

Postecoglou again dipped into the transfer market ahead of the 2022/23 season where he turned Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers, who were on loan in Postecoglou’s first Celtic campaign, into permanent signings.

So too was all-action winger Daizen Maeda, who joined from Yokohama F. Marinos while Socceroos star Aaron Mooy was snapped up on a free deal.

With a Champions League campaign on the horizon, there wasn’t a great need for a Celtic clear-out in Postecoglou’s second season with the main exits coming via Josip Juranovic and Georgios Giakoumakis, who both arrived only a season earlier.

Although Celtic made a net loss of $27 million, the money made from playing Champions League football softened the financial blow and kept the club in a healthy state.

In Postecoglou’s final game as Celtic boss, the starting lineup had just two players who were at the club prior to his arrival: captain Callum McGregor and left-back Greg Taylor.

Even for the Hoops’ first Champions League match against Real Madrid this season, McGregor and Taylor were the only ones from the pre-Postecoglou era who started.

What that proves is Postecoglou is ruthless when it comes to overhauling teams to fit his mould, but there is also a place for those willing to learn and adapt under his tutelage.

It’s a skill he will undoubtedly need to call on once the moment he gets his feet under the desk at Tottenham.

THE SILVER LININGS IN SPURS’ $863M MESS

As it stands, Tottenham have one of the older squads in the Premier League, especially when it came to last season’s starting lineup.

Hugo Lloris, the club’s captain and first-choice goalkeeper, is 36.

Backup goalkeeper Fraser Foster is 35.

Ivan Perisic is 34, Heung-Min Son and Ben Davies are 30 while Eric Dier and Harry Kane are both 29.

Worryingly, all of these players — especially Kane — were relied on far too heavily throughout the season.

As for Tottenham’s record in the transfer market over recent years, it has been patchy at best.

Since the summer of 2019, the London club has spent a staggering $863 million on new players.

French midfielder Tanguy Ndombele, a $100m arrival in that first window, was the most expensive of the lot with Richarlison’s $93 million transfer in July last year not far behind.

But Ndombele has only showed glimpses of his ability since his record-breaking move while Richarlison received more yellow cards for celebrating his goals than he actually scored in the Premier League.

In that same time span, the club has brought in $150 million in transfer and loan fees.

Granted, that is not necessarily down to the manager and perhaps speaks more to chairman Daniel Levy’s inability to move on players deemed as surplus to requirements.

But some players who have joined the club in that time have had minuscule impact, underpinning the club’s poor transfer dealings.

Bryan Gil, signed in 2021, has more chance of being in a Beatles tribute band than playing for Spurs again after being farmed out on loan twice since his arrival.

The Telegraph claims Postecoglou will be given the freedom to conduct a clear-out of his own, with as many as seven first-team players set to be kicked out the exit door.

The report claims Davinson Sanchez and Ryan Sessegnon should seek pastures new, while the club could be open to bids for defensive duo Ben Davies and Eric Dier.

Harry Winks, Sergio Reguilon and Giovani Lo Celso, who all spent last season out on loan at different clubs, could also be shafted to help Postecoglou trim the fat from the squad.

Lloris has also gone on the record stating he isn’t quite sure what the future holds as he reportedly has a tempting offer on the table from an unnamed Saudi Arabian club.

There’s also the curious case of what to do with record signing Ndombele.

The French midfielder made 30 appearances for Napoli as they went on to win Serie A this season, but 22 of those came from the bench.

Whether Postecoglou views him as a diamond which needs refining or damaged goods remains to be seen, but if he is to be sold, his value has certainly decreased since his record-breaking arrival.

Safe to say the former Socceroos boss will have his hands full when it comes to culling players.

But there’s still one very important piece to the puzzle in North London that Postecoglou might not even have a say on.

THE BIG KANE CONUNDRUM THAT COULD SHAPE ANGE’S SEASON

He’s the club’s all-time top goalscorer.

He’s their attacking talisman who bagged 30 goals in a season where Tottenham secured their lowest finish in 14 years.

He is, quite essentially, Tottenham Hotspur.

And he could become the club’s biggest problem this summer.

Harry Kane has spent virtually his entire career at Tottenham and become one of the most lethal strikers in world football.

But for all of the goals he’s scored in the famous white shirt — 280 goals to be exact — he has no team silverware to show for it.

Kane will turn 30 on July 28 and although players are able to prolong their careers more than ever thanks to modern science, he isn’t getting any younger.

So, why is Kane such a hot topic for Spurs?