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The Spurs Rebuild: Where Tottenham Must Strengthen to Challenge the Elite
Blogs

The Spurs Rebuild: Where Tottenham Must Strengthen to Challenge the Elite

The Spurs Rebuild: Where Tottenham Must Strengthen to Challenge the Elite

The 24/25 season for Tottenham Hotspur was one of mixed fortune, to say the least.

A truly, spectacularly poor league campaign saw the North London outfit finish in a dismal 17th in the Premier League standings, just one spot above relegated Leicester, albeit with a wide enough gap from the Foxes to dispell any genuine drop-zone worries.

However, this season of despair for the Lilywhites also saw them dismiss a major dark cloud over the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, that being of their trophy drought. It had been a mighty 17 successive years since Spurs had last won a major honour, upon Jonathan Woodgate's late winner in the 2008 League Cup final with Chelsea, and that success in itself had ended a separate 9-year drought of it's own.

When Brennan Johnson bundled home a scrappy decider over in Bilbao, Spain, a spark of relief and belief in equal measure washed over the Spurs faithful in Spain, and those back in the English capital, as their beloved Tottenham side lifted the Europa League in an all-English bout with Manchester United, who had endured a miserable season of their own. The title was their third in club history, last winning the honour over 40 years prior, back when it was still called the UEFA Cup.

The truth is, however, that Spurs have always been considered a member of the infamous "Big 6" in England thanks to their healthy history, with the win in Spain being their 28th trophy in history, but their modern-day equivalent has seen many cast them away from those conversations.

However, ending one long trophy drought will now see Tottenham determined not to start another, with the aforementioned 9 and 17-year droughts likely staying fresh in their minds.

With the future of manager Ange Postecoglou in doubt, despite their successful escapade in Europe last season and their return to Champions League football for the season coming, there hasn't been a great deal of chatter in regards to whom Tottenham are eyeing up. However, we at Football Park have taken a quick attempt at providing Ange (or whoever his successor will be) with a few ideas of our own.

Who is Leaving Tottenham Hotspur?

Without any further speculation, an important place to start would be identifying any gaps left behind in the Tottenham team by medium of departure, and if any of those gaps will need filling.

Upon the release of Tottenham's retained list for the season, the club announced the permanent departures of several first-team players. Fraser Forster, Sergio Reguilon and Alfie Whiteman all said their goodbyes to North London following the conclusion of their contracts, while Timo Werner departed following the conclusion of his second loan spell with the club.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We can confirm the departures of Fraser Forster, Sergio Reguilon and Alfie Whiteman following the conclusion of their contracts, while Timo Werner departs following the conclusion of his loan spell.<br><br>Thank you for your service and all the best for the future, lads 🤍</p>&mdash; Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpursOfficial/status/1928738597504512051?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

In fairness, none of the guaranteed departures have caused any great deal of panic. Forster became the club's third-choice after the arrival of Antonin Kinsky, with Whiteman even further down the list having famously made just one solitary showing for Spurs in his lengthy spell with the side.

Sergio Reguilon's time at Tottenham started promisingly, initially brought in as a first-choice back in 2020, but inconsistent performances saw him shipped out on loan to Atletico Madrid, Manchester United and Brentford. He remained at the club this season, making just 6 appearances in all competitions before being made a free agent.

Timo Werner had a similarly lukewarm spell with the side. Sparing a few solid moments, including an impressive assist for Johnson in a demolition of Manchester City earlier this season, it seemed fairly clear for some time that "Turbo Timo" would not be making his stay in Tottenham a permanent one.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">&quot;RB Leipzig want just €4M (£3.4m) for Timo Werner this summer, in order to secure an exit for the Germany international.&quot; - BILD<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COYS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COYS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/THFC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#THFC</a> <a href="https://t.co/S0JP48cO1o">pic.twitter.com/S0JP48cO1o</a></p>&mdash; Chris Cowlin (@ChrisCowlin) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisCowlin/status/1929929498725650901?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Starting with the defence, all areas of the backline seem to read to the same notes, that being that Spurs have plenty of options around, but may still need to look at upgrades.

Tottenham appear interested in renewing the services of cult hero Ben Davies in the centre and left of the defence, but interest from Leeds United may sway Spurs into successfully squeezing some money out of their long-term defender. With Reguilon gone, and Davies a doubt, Spurs would be left solely with a fit-again Destiny Udogie and right-back-by-trade Djed Spence.

In the centre, without repeating our Davies sentiments, Spurs again have plenty of choice but may still seek an upgrade.

RC Lens loanee Kevin Danso has turned his Tottenham internship into a permanent move, with Micky van de Ven, Davies, Cristian Romero, Radu Dragusin (after he returns from injury), as well as the incoming Luka Vuskovic and the returning Alfie Dorrington and Ashly Phillips remaining as central options. Romero, the star of the backline, has been subject to interest from the likes of Atletico Madrid in recent times, so Spurs may need to get ready to scout that position in particular.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Tottenham will demand in excess of £60m to entertain letting Cristian Romero leave the club this summer. <a href="https://t.co/cat0nTOoRi">pic.twitter.com/cat0nTOoRi</a></p>&mdash; Transfer News (@TransfersLlVE) <a href="https://twitter.com/TransfersLlVE/status/1930309070411706469?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Spurs' midfield has also shown promise, particularly in the form of a repositioned Dejan Kulusevski and youthful swede Lucas Bergvall, who was largely impressive throughout a 45 game debut season for the club.

However, Tottenham's midfield has been subject to a plague of injuries in recent seasons. Star player James Maddison has suffered countless short term knocks and niggles, while Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma and Bergvall all missed out on significant chunks of the season through various injuries.

There is no doubting the talent Spurs have in the midfield, but Postecoglou's high intensity style is very taxing on his players, and it is only natural that some bodies can't take the punishment as well as others, resulting in some lengthy lay-offs in key positions.

The shift of Kulusevski away from the wing and into central midfield mitigated this to an extent, but with only six first team midfielder to choose from, and three of them out injured by the end of this campaign, there is only so much Postecoglou can do when injury hits.

All the signs are pointing towards a few midfield signing's this summer, with both back-up options and starting player needed in the middle of the park. Bergvall, Maddison, Kulusevski and Bissouma will all likely stay, and with Bentancur and Sarr being linked with other sides, their sales provide the perfect opportunity bolster their squad depth, focusing on players who do not have an injury prone history.

The Spur's attack looks to be the most settled part of the squad. Dominic Solanke and Brennan Johnson are likely two of the first names on the team sheet, while the front three is periodically rounded out by Son Heung-Min, Mathys Tel or Wilson Odobert.

Tel and out-of-favour German Timo Werner are at the club on loan deals which are set to expire at the end of this month. This will open up some room in the squad for more permanent replacements. Both are high-profile players, but neither seemed to suit Potecoglou's style of play, and they netted just four goals between them.

Daniel Levy's number one priority this summer is to listen to his manager. In the past, the owner has been unwilling to spend big, a trend which was only partially bucked by the big money signing of Solanke last summer. The manager always knows best when it comes to transfer targets, and it is Levy's job to ensure Postecoglou gets the player's he wants, otherwise they will be at risk of another season of underperforming.

Wingers on both sides are required, and club legend and captain Son Heung-Min could find his starting spot under a bit of pressure. The South Korean produced his lowest goal and assist output since his first season at the club back in 2015/16, and it is clear when watching him that his pace has slightly left him.

Nevertheless, Son is also an excellent playmaker, and due to his favour amongst the Spurs faithful, Levy and Postecoglou have a difficult choice to make: Do they sell him while he still has some value, or do they integrate him into a different role, perhaps a deeper playmaking position where can get on the ball and dictate the play.

There is no doubt that Spur's fans want Son to stay - he has epitomised the clubs efforts over the last decade, working tirelessly, and eventually, finally, getting his hands on that long-awaited silverware that both he and the club so richly deserved.

But money talks, and should a suitable offer come in for him this summer, it will be hard to turn down. Turning 33 in July, Son's value will only plummet from here, and there is a pool of thought that it would be sensible to cash in on him while there is still a chance.

Fortunately, with players such as Manor Solomon and Richarlison linked elsewhere, as well as the departure of Tel and Werner, Spurs will be able to have a little bit of fun in the transfer window, cherry-picking the required replacements after thorough scouting which will likely last most of the summer.

If there is one thing that Ange knows how to do, it is to find a player that suits his style.

And that brings us onto Ange himself. A hugely popular figure across the Premier League, the Aussie backed up his second season credentials in the face of huge adversity. No one expected Tottenham to win a trophy with the way they were playing, and to pull off a Europa League triumph while finishing 17th in the league is no mean feat.

It begs the question - does he stay? He clearly has the support of the dressing room, and Levy will know that to sack him will tilt the squad and staff into turmoil - with their number one supporter gone, what is left for them. But football is a results based game, and for the large majority of the season, Spurs results were not good enough.

Talk of a potential manager change began as early as November, and it was a miracle that Postecoglou even made it to Europa League final, considering the lack of improvement that followed discussion of his job security.

But the trophy that now resides in Spur's no longer dusty trophy cabinet speaks for itself - Ange is a winner, and after his sides unlikely success in Bilbao, the general thought is that he should stay. The club will be a lot better of for it.

Who Should Tottenham Sign This Summer?

Koni De Winter - 22-year-old Centre Back for Genoa

One of the most recent Tottenham transfer updates has seen them target Belgian youngster Koni De Winter, as they look to bolster the defensive depth ahead of the new season. The 22-year-old is tall, and fast for a centre back - he would be an excellent partner to Micky van de Ven next season if he can stay fit.

With all of their 17 non-homegrown spots taken, Spurs transfer strategy will likely be one in and one out this summer. To bring De Winter on board, they would need to get rid of back-up options such as Dragusin, who has rarely impressed since his move two years ago.

Leroy Sane - 29-year-old Winger for Bayern Munich

A player with previous Premier League experience, stemming from his time with a dominant Man City team, Leroy Sane could be exactly whatg Tottenham need. He has a rapid burst of pace, and has seen a great improvement in his finishing during his time in Germany, and though he may have fallen out of favour at the German giants, he would be a marquee signing for Tottenham.

He would likely replace an ageing Son on the left wing, and his direct approach and trophy winning experience would bring a much needed winning mentality to the club.

Ebere Eze - 26-year-old Attacking Midfielder for Crystal Palace

Spurs have been linked with Eze since last summer, and Eze himself has hinted before that he could move to Tottenham. It appears to be a match made in heaven - Eze's high energy style would perfecty slot into Postecoglou's approach, and with a couple of midfielders likely leaving over the summer, Eze would signal the start of a significant rebuild if they can capture his signature.

However, he is not a budget option, His form throughout Crystal Palace's remarkable FA Cup campaign saw his value take off, and the England international is now worth £50 million. Another mitigating factor is that every team in the league would want him, and why would he turn down an offer from an established top four club in favour of a team in flux?

What is Tottenham's Target this Season?

Tottenham are one of the most unpredictable sides in world football. They can thump Man City one week, and then fall to a dreary draw at home to West Ham the next. Postecoglou has got to address the inconsistency, something which has popularised the phrase "Doctor Tottenham will see you now", the butt of the joke being that if your team is struggling, Spurs will find a way to lose to you and make things better.

Still, their participation in this years Champions League certainly brightens their propects. While they are unlikel to do well in the tournament itself, the idea of elite European football will draw elite players to the club, players who can help turn their league struggles around.

Their goal for the Champions League should be to reach the play-off stage - the squad doesn't have enough about it to go much further than that, But in the Premier League, Spurs should be aiming for a European spot, with a top half finish the absolute minimum expectation.

With high profile targets linked to the club, and Levy seemingly willing to spend in order to rebuild his team, Spurs must focus a successful league campaign. 17th place last season was a serious wakeup call, and all at the club will have realised by now that spending is the only way to drag the club back to where it belongs.

If they can sign their targets, their squad will suddenly look like a Tottenham team again. Hungry young talent mixed with experienced heads who as a group will do anything to win.

A realistic expectation is seventh or eighth in the league, but if they can land one or two big money names, that could expectation could rise a couple of spots. If all else fails, and league form doesn't improve, Postecoglou will keep one eye on a deep cup run. Winning the Carabao Cup or FA Cup will at the very least secure European football for 2026/27, with the additional benefit of adding some more silverware to the trophy room.

There is serious work to be done at Tottenham this summer, and one misstep could see Postecoglou fired, and the club floundering near the bottom of the table one again. However, there is certainly a right answer to the equation, and if Spurs get their transfers right, they could vault themselves back to the big boys table.

Benji Kosartiyer
Journalist
Harry Pascoe

Lead Writer

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