Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Football London
Football London
Sport
Alasdair Gold & Rob Guest

Ange Postecoglou and Levy told where Tottenham need to strengthen most with £150m spending spree

It is set to be a summer of change at Tottenham Hotspur as Ange Postecoglou takes the reins as the club's new head coach.

Spurs appointed the 57-year-old Australian after bringing him in from Celtic and he joins his compatriot Scott Munn, who arrived from The City Group to become the club's new chief football officer. Munn is to become chairman Daniel Levy's number two and take responsibility for all football-related decisions within the north London outfit.

football.london have asked the Tottenham fans for their views on the current state of the club, Levy's leadership, the appointment of Postecoglou and plenty more and you can still have your say by taking our survey which you can find by clicking right here.

Now we have asked our Spurs correspondents Alasdair Gold and Rob Guest to give their views on some of the transfer questions within the survey and here's what they said.

Alasdair Gold - Tottenham Hotspur correspondent

How much needs to be spent on the squad for Spurs to compete with the teams above them again next season - £50m, £100m, £150m or £200m+?

There are two scenarios to this question. If Real Madrid did decide to spend the required money on Harry Kane and he left the club then I would definitely say Spurs would need to spend far, far north of £200m. Even that amount wouldn't guarantee replacing him adequately with both the striker and attacking midfielder required to cover on paper what the club's record goalscorer brings.

If Kane remains then I would say Tottenham need to spend in the £150m plus bracket. The key thing to remember about Spurs is that it's more about buying the right players than splashing out the most money. Whenever the club have splashed out their biggest sums of cash in recent years it has rarely resulted in a return on their investment.

READ MORE: Ange Postecoglou holds Tottenham transfer meeting with Daniel Levy as Ryan Mason future decided

They need to buy a new core to their team, from the goalkeeper, through the defence and midfield and I think that could be covered by spending between £150m and £200m and they must be players that fit Postecoglou's system and ones he wants.

Where is the area that most needs investment?

The defence by a country mile. They finally need a new first choice goalkeeper after 11 years to replace Hugo Lloris and they need a couple of centre-backs to strengthen in front of the the new stopper. Spurs wanted to buy two centre-backs at the beginning of the previous two summer transfer windows, but their failure to move on current ones to create the space has always hampered them, so they've ended up signing one in each of those windows. That needs to change this time. Postecoglou's teams defend from the front but he needs to also trust what lies behind and some of the current defenders will struggle with his high line.

How many players do Spurs need to buy to return to the level of top four finishes?

From the options given - one, two, three, four or five or more - I would go for five or more. They need, at the least, a goalkeeper, two centre-backs, an attacking midfielder and another forward to replace Lucas and likely Danjuma. They will replace others who might depart and much depends on how many of the returning loan players get a new opportunity under Postecoglou.

Which player would you most like to see given another chance on their return from loan?

Technically in our list on the survey we have Destiny Udogie but I'm not going to say him because it's the young Italian's first chance at Spurs. I think it's too crowded in the right-back department for Djed Spence to make an impact yet. I would like to see Bryan Gil properly used but I'm going to go with my heart and say Tanguy Ndombele, despite his many, many previous chances albeit under more defensive-minded coaches. The Frenchman has incredible amounts of skill and could find a perfect home in Postecoglou's three-man midfield, but he needs to completely buy in and want to finally put a stop to his stuttering career so far.

Rob Guest - Tottenham Hotspur correspondent

How much needs to be spent on the squad for Spurs to compete with the teams above them again next season?

Tottenham need to be looking at spending £150m+ if they are to compete with the teams above them once again. The Lilywhites do have some very good players in their starting XI already and it's only a handful of additions they need to make to the team rather than major wholesale changes.

After all, they could look a completely different side under new head coach Ange Postecoglou as he will be playing a very attacking brand of football. They do require more quality in the squad, though, especially at centre-back.

Where is the area that most needs investment?

Centre-back. Tottenham leaked goals for fun last campaign and the 63 league goals they conceded were a major reason for their failure to secure European football for the upcoming season. Tottenham could quite easily look to move the vast majority of their centre-backs on, although it may be something they have to do over the next couple of windows because it's very rare you get a team undergoing a complete overhaul in one position in one transfer window.

Already boasting a very talented centre-back in Cristian Romero, Spurs must bring in a player or two of the same level as the World Cup winner. It's imperative they do that or else it could be another long season for all in north London.

How many players do Spurs need to buy to return to the level of top four finishes?

In terms of the starting XI, Tottenham need a new goalkeeper, centre-back and attacking midfielder. It is a squad game, though, and the Lilywhites must ensure that they have sufficient quality to come into the side so that the levels don't drop massively when changes need to be made.

Three centre-backs could be required depending on departures, with a new attacker also needed as Lucas Moura and Arnaut Danjuma have moved on. Add in a permanent move for Dejan Kulusevski and it may be seven signings minimum required ahead of the summer deadline.

As I don't think wholesale changes need to be made to the starting XI as Tottenham have some very good players there already, the club just need to add more quality to the squad as a whole to bring it up to the required level for top-four finishes.

Which player would you most like to see given another chance on their return from loan?

As Destiny Udogie looks a certainty to be given a shot under Postecoglou following his loan spell with Udinese after only joining Tottenham last year, I'll go for a different player altogether. I'd like to see Bryan Gil given a fair shot under the new head coach as minutes have been so hard to come by for him in the past.

The Spaniard could flourish in Postecoglou's attacking 4-3-3 system but that's all going to come down to the Australian handing him a regular opportunity. Impressing at the turn of the year under Conte, Gil is only going to acclimatise to life in the Premier League by featuring regularly as minutes here and there are no good for his development at all.

Tottenham have a very good player on their hands but they will only see the player at his best if he's played. While many have pointed at Tanguy Ndombele or Giovani Lo Celso having the qualities to be a hit in Postecoglou's midfield three, you cannot go into a fifth season hoping this will be the year you see the best out of them.

As it hasn't worked for them in the previous four seasons, why will it now all suddenly change in a fifth?

Have your say on the questions above by taking part in the Big Tottenham Forum below!

Be sure to get involved in the debate by leaving a comment below with your thoughts.

READ NEXT:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.