It is Ange Postecoglou’s only regret since being asked to take over at Tottenham. “For the first time in, I reckon, it must be 20 years, I’ve had to pull out of the Fantasy Premier League,” said the Spurs manager. “I’m gutted about that.”
Sadly for his football-obsessed mates back in Melbourne who were hoping he could at least provide some inside information for their teams, Postecoglou is playing the game for real these days. Confirmation on Thursday that Harry Kane is leaving north London after Daniel Levy accepted an offer that could be worth more than £100m was not unexpected as the England captain had made no secret of his desire for a new challenge.
But while most managers would be desperate to splash the cash to fill the void left by the man who scored 213 top-flight goals in 320 games for Spurs and is 47 behind Alan Shearer’s Premier League record as quickly as possible, Postecoglou seems determined not to rush into anything.
It is understood that rather than spending the majority of the fee on a single replacement, the 57-year-old is prepared to give Richarlison – who had a disappointing first season after his £50m transfer last summer – an opportunity in a central role, where he has played for Brazil. The Australian would like to bring in versatile players who can play across the front three such as the Nottingham Forest forward Brennan Johnson, who would add to the existing options Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski.
“The business we have done so far has been in anticipation of Harry going so we’re not going to be out there looking for a No 9 to replace him,” Postecoglou said. “That’s not the strategy that is already in place.
“What we have been looking to do from day one is have a strong squad that can play the football we want and develop over a period of time. I need to picture them in my team. Can they have the characteristics that I need? The way we set up is different from other clubs and what we ask is different to what they are used to.”
Spurs supporters will be relieved it seems certain Postecoglou will not follow the scattergun approach adopted by his predecessor André Villas-Boas a decade ago. Having received a similar sum to the amount Bayern are paying for Kane after selling Gareth Bale to Real Madrid for a then world record transfer fee, the Portuguese was instrumental in moves for seven players during the 2013 summer transfer window including Christian Eriksen, Erik Lamela and Roberto Soldado. Nicknamed “Tottenham’s magnificent seven”, only Eriksen – who was sold to Internazionale in January 2020 with his contract due to expire in the summer – who excelled and Villas-Boas was sacked a week before Christmas.
That scenario appears unlikely for Postecoglou given the low bar of Tottenham’s performances last season, even with Kane’s 30 Premier League goals. But while it remains to be seen whether Richarlison – who has been passed fit to face Brentford on Sunday – can provide the firepower in attack after having to wait 23 matches to score his first league goal, the acquisition of James Maddison from relegated Leicester for around £40m was a calculated move to replace another of Kane’s vital contributions: assists.
The England captain managed three in the Premier League last season but racked up 23 in the two previous campaigns, many of them for Son, who returned the favour in the most prolific partnership in Premier League history. Maddison should ensure that Spurs create plenty of chances, although Postecoglou may be tempted to see if he can lure Kyogo Furuhashi away from Celtic after the Japan striker’s performances for him last season yielded 27 goals. The 28-year-old has extended his deal but would certainly take no time to adapt to Postecoglou’s attacking approach after two years together in Scotland.
Spurs have also signed the Dutchman Micky van de Ven for about £35m and are in the market for another defender, although their manager insisted his focus remains on streamlining his squad before the end of the month.
“What we don’t want to do is have it all happen late in the window, which means we are caught short in any area,” he said. “It’s got to work both ways, we can’t just keep accumulating players. But there is still value out there – you don’t always need to spend at the top end. It’s about getting the right fit for your club and Maddison is a great example of that.”
