Postecoglou welcomes arrival of ‘outstanding leader’ to Tottenham; former Villa midfielder tipped to have major impact.

Postecoglou welcomes arrival of ‘outstanding leader’ to Tottenham; former Villa midfielder tipped to have major impact.

New Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou cannot wait to start working with his countryman Mile Jedinak after explaining why he has high hopes over his appointment and why he’s also expecting big things from James Maddison.

The 57-year-old Aussie has been drafted in by Daniel Levy as the man charged with reviving Tottenham’s fortunes. Although far from an easy job, Postecoglou underlined his abilities as an outstanding leader during his two years at the helm for Celtic.

During his time in Glasgow, Postecoglou won five of six trophies available to him. And his energetic brand of football had supporters off their seats, in theory making him the perfect match for Spurs.

Of course, succeeding in the Premier League is an entirely new level to winning in Scotland with Celtic. Nonetheless, Postecoglou brings a high-level of confidence with him after finally earning his big break with the Bhoys.

books in Guglielmo Vicario, while Maddison has also signed in a £40m deal.

However, the best could be yet to come with Tuesday’s Euro Paper Talk revealing three other exciting deals on their radar.

Postecoglou, however, is clearly intent on building a Spurs side that both believes in itself and have a winning formula.

And to help bring that plan to fruition, Postecoglou has appointed former Villa and Crystal Palace midfielder Jedinak as assistant coach.

Outstanding leader’ Jedinak tipped for major role at Tottenham
Discussing his appointment of the 38-year-old, Postecoglou reckons his fellow Aussie will have a major impact at the club.

And speaking to Optus Sport, he’s also happy to give Jedinak his first major coaching role.

“I’ve often said that my biggest frustration with Australian football is that there weren’t enough opportunities,” Postecoglou said.

“I felt that when I finished up with the Australian youth teams and I couldn’t get an opportunity, I couldn’t believe it at the time.

“When I got over here I also realised how tough it is for Australians, even ones based here to get an opportunity.

“I’m really excited to see what Mile [Jedinak] does as a coach.

the guys we have, it’s about changing that mindset and changing the way the players see the game and maybe their roles within in.

“Because even with the positions they play, there’s going to be adjustments in how I want them to do things. Again, I love that. That’s why I’m here.

“If it was just me rolling up and they’re going out there, doing their thing, it wouldn’t excite me. That’s part of the challenge – it will be a shift from the way the club has played for three or four years.”

James Maddison tipped to make big impact
Postecoglou continued: “In terms of how quickly the players embrace that, the new players coming in will help. That’s the part I have control over, whether that’s James Maddison or Guglielmo (Vicario) in goal.

“They’re players who fit in the direction I want to go in, which helps. Then it’s about seeing with the existing group how many of them are able to adjust and embrace the way we’re going to play.”

Maddison posted excellent numbers for Leicester last season, scoring 10 goals and adding nine assists. And while his efforts could not keep the Foxes in the Premier League, his form earned him England recognition and very high acclaim in the process.

Now Postecoglou will be hoping that form can translate into a similarly-high output at Spurs.

Turning attention to the 26-year-old, the Aussie reckons he can quickly make his impact felt.

“Really excited to get James as part of the group,” he said.

“Any manager will tell you that part of the key to being a dominant team is having multiple attacking threats and having a midfielder who can score and create goals.

“They’re not easy to come by. He’s proven himself at that level in the last few years as somebody who can do that.

“When you look at Tottenham the last few years, they’ve been really reliant on the front three to get their goals.

“I thought it was a really good fit for us to look for a player like James – even better if we could get James, so we ended up getting James.”

‘Maddison can be a leader’
“I was really pleased and the fact we did it early was great because it allows him to have a break. He’s had the birth of twins so I don’t know what shape he’ll be in when he gets here!

“But once we get him in, it means he can come on the tour with us and I know he’s really excited about joining the group.

“He obviously knows a few of the lads and I think he’s in a stage of his career where it feels like he can be a leader, which is great as well because we need players who want to embrace that responsibility within this group.

“Whether it’s their first year in or they’ve been here for ages, we’re going to need leadership on the field and he feels like he can be a player who does that.”

Spurs: Vlahovic would be a big Richarlison upgrade

An update has emerged on Tottenham Hotspur and their plans to bolster the playing squad ahead of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign…

What’s the latest Tottenham transfer news?
According to Italian outlet Sport Mediaset, Spurs are one of three English top-flight teams to have made an offer to sign Juventus centre-forward Dusan Vlahovic

The report claims that Manchester United and Chelsea are also ‘at the window’ with an ‘important offer’ for the Serbian international striker, with all three clubs keen on a deal for his signature.

It states that they have offered no less than €65m (£56m) and that the Old Lady are willing to be reasonable in negotiations as they now eye their own targets to potentially replace the former Fiorentina marksman.

Although, it remains to be seen whether or not £56m would be enough to tempt the Italian giants into parting ways with him, 18 months on from their initial £58m outlay on his services.

How many goals has Dusan Vlahovic scored for Juventus?
The 23-year-old dynamo has plundered 23 goals in 63 appearances for the Serie A side to date and his form in recent years suggests that he would come in as a big upgrade on Richarlison for Ange Postecoglou.

Vlahovic scored ten goals in 22 league starts for Juventus last season whilst the Brazil international struggled badly during his debut campaign at the club – with one goal in 27 Premier League appearances, including 12 starts.

Spurs signed the striker from Everton for a fee in the region of £60m last summer after he produced 17 strikes in 61 league outings for the Toffees over the previous two campaigns combined.

The 26-year-old dud’s horrendous form in front of goal last term meant that Tottenham did not have another scorer to back up Heung-min Son and Harry Kane, as they were the only players at the club to end the season with more than five league goals.

Vlahovic, however, is a player who has the quality to provide a third reliable scoring option for Postecoglou, based on his Serie A form over the last three years.

Prior to his ten-goal haul during the 2022/23 campaign, the impressive left-footed marksman scored 45 goals in 67 league starts for Fiorentina and Juventus combined throughout 2021/22 and 2020/21.

He proved himself to be a prolific scorer in Italy as the 6 foot 3 monster found the back of the net over 20 times in both seasons, whilst Richarlison has never scored more than 13 league goals in a single term over the course of his career in Brazil or England to date.

These statistics suggest that the Serbian hotshot, who was once hailed as “incredibly prolific” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has the quality to offer far more than the Brazilian flop at the top end of the pitch.

Vlahovic is yet to prove himself in England but his form in the Serie A indicates that the quality is there for him to be an exceptional goalscorer for Postecoglou, which is why Spurs must push to win the race for his signature in order to land a big upgrade on Richarlison ahead of next season.

The transfer season is a mixed time for managers. On the one hand, it’s their chance to link up with players they’ve always dreamed of working with. On the other, however, they are occasionally left with the decision of banishing players to the U23s, or watching on as a brutal transfer request is slammed on their desk first thing on a Monday morning.

Some handle it better than others when it comes to the questions surrounding a player’s future, too. Whilst some managers keep their cards close to their chest, others opt for the killer approach of throwing the departing player out the door in incredibly public fashion.

In the case of Ange Postecoglou, he has handled things very well when it comes to the rumours linking Harry Kane with a move to Bayern Munich this summer.

Speaking in his first press conference, Postecoglou joked about how long it took him to be asked about Kane, claiming that his staff has a sweepstake running regarding it.

He told Hayters TV: “So it’s question three, it was [to ask about] Harry, was it? Okay, we were running a pool with the coaches. I think Mile Jedinak won actually.

“I had over six because I thought you’d care more about me than Harry.”

The witty response, which received laughs around the room, came after the new Spurs boss held a pool with his coaching staff on how many questions it would take for a journalist to ask about Kane. The Australian lost by some distance, as it took just three questions for the star striker’s future to come into the conversation.

Going on to speak about the rebuild needed at Tottenham Hotspur, the former Celtic manager said, via The Guardian: “When there is resistance, it slows the process down. What I’ve made clear is it won’t change the process, it won’t change me.

“It’ll maybe derail it for a little bit but it won’t derail it for long because I won’t allow it. The quicker they jump on the train, the quicker we’ll get to our destination.”

How many career goals does Kane have?
Kane’s importance to Spurs cannot be reiterated enough, but if you need reminding, it’s key to note that the England captain has scored 354 senior career goals, with 280 of those coming for the North London club. The fact is, he has been one of the best in his position for a number of years, and is one of the best strikers in Premier League history.

So, with that said, if Postecoglou was forced to replace Kane this summer, it would be no easy task, especially given Spurs’ lack of European football next season.

According to Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sports, Bayern Munich have made a second bid of €80m (£68.32m), plus add-ons for the Spurs striker, who reportedly wants to make the move.

As things stand, Kane has just one year left on his current contract at the club, and could leave for free next summer. From a Spurs perspective, losing their star man would potentially be a disaster, but losing him for free could be catastrophic too.

This could explain why, according to The Telegraph, Kane will be offered a mammoth £400k-p/w contract if he does commit his future to Spurs.

The rebuild needed in North London could be funded by the striker’s potential move away. Though, with plenty of twists left in the current transfer window, we may well see Kane opt to stay put in the Premier League.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly among the clubs who are showing an interest in Eintracht Frankfurt forward, Randal Kolo Muani, with questions marks still lingering regarding Harry Kane’s long-term future at N17.

What are the latest Tottenham transfer rumours?
With rumours rife that Bayern Munich are desperate to try and sign the England skipper – having lodged a £70m offer for the 29-year-old this week – it looks as if Spurs could, ironically, look to the Bundesliga to find a possible replacement for their record goalscorer.

Spurs: Van de Ven agreement “close” at Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur are close to a full agreement with Wolfsburg to sign defender Micky van de Ven, according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Who will Spurs sign this summer?
New manager Ange Postecoglou, much to his delight, has already watched the likes of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, playmaker James Maddison and winger Manor Solomon come through the door at Spurs.

The aforementioned trio will boost Tottenham’s options defensively and further forward as the Lilywhites attempt to spark some life back into their side after a disappointing 2022/2023 campaign under Antonio Conte.

Postecoglou, who is aiming to bring back a more attacking style to Hotspur Way, is overjoyed at the signings of Vicario and Maddision in particular – with the Australian having praised their personality profiles.

“It’s not just about the talent they bring as footballers,” said Postecoglou.

“It’s what they bring as people as well because we are going to play football that requires a certain type of personality and character.

“Both those guys have got it in abundance. I could hear it in their voices when I spoke to them. I had a couple of chats with both of them before we signed them and I knew that they were the right types to bring into the dressing room.”

After Maddison, Vicario and Solomon, attention now turns to the signing of a star centre-back or two – coming after Tottenham leaked more league goals than any other side above 15th last season.

Reports suggest Tottenham could make multiple central defensive signings this summer, leading to interest in Bayer Leverkusen’s Edmond Tapsoba, Max Kilman of Wolves and Ecuador international Piero Hincapie as well.

However, it appears that they’re making the most headway in their bid to sign van de Ven from Wolfsburg, with Romano dropping a promising update for Spurs supporters.

Writing on Twitter, Romano claims that Tottenham are edging closer to an agreement for the 22-year-old.

“Tottenham are advancing in talks with Wolfsburg for Micky van de Ven — told the agreement between clubs is now close,” said the reporter.

“#THFC Negotiations are underway and talks on Monday were really positive, waiting for key details. More to follow.”

How good is Micky van de Ven?
The Netherlands international has really excelled for Wolfsburg under Niko Kovac in the last 12 months, averaging a higher passing accuracy percentage than any other regular in their squad (WhoScored).

Indeed, only goalkeeper Koen Casteels has played more Bundesliga munutes than van de Ven, highlighting his real importance for Kovac (WhoScored).

Meanwhile, the Bundesliga website have also heaped praise on him for an extraordinary gift of speed and tenacity – likening him to Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk.

Much like Liverpool’s Dutch centre-back, Van de Ven can be a nightmare for attacking players with his immense strength, determination and precision tackling scuppering the most promising of forward moves,” wrote the site.

“With incredible pace and passing ability among his many assets, the Netherlands U21 international – who captained his country at the 2023 UEFA Europan Under-21 Championship – is on course to become a regular for the senior Oranje in the near future.”

‘Price is a problem’: Spurs may just have done a U-turn about signing 22-year-old – journalist

It was reported on Monday evening that Tottenham were closing in on signing Micky Van de Ven from Wolfsburg, but things may be about to change on that front.

Indeed, according to Ben Jacobs, speaking on The Done Deal Show, Tottenham may now abandon their pursuit of Van de Ven due to the price attached to this deal.

Jacobs stated that there are some serious issues surrounding the price attached to this deal, and Spurs could instead end up looking towards Edmond Tapsoba as an option.

Most Expensive Premier League Signing…
Portugal U21 v Holland U21 -EURO U21

Photo by Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images
Van de Ven U-turn
Jacobs shared what he knows about the 22-year-old.

“Micky Van de Ven is one player they’ve been considering and exploring but price has been an issue there. We know that this is a key area because Ange Postecoglou is intent on having ball-playing centre-backs, but Spurs will abandon their pursuit of Micky Van de Ven because ultimately price is a problem and they’re looking for value in the market,” Jacobs said.

“So that leads them towards perhaps Edmond Tapsoba, another who has been on the list, and he’s a top target it’s fair to say. The valuation there is between £40-45m. Manor Solomon is coming in as well, so Tottenham have done a fair amount of business here.”

 

‘Price is a problem’: Spurs may just have done a U-turn about signing 22-year-old – journalistPhoto by Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images
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‘Price is a problem’: Spurs may just have done a U-turn about signing 22-year-old – journalist
Charles Jones
Charles Jones
Tue 11 July 2023 12:45, UK
It was reported on Monday evening that Tottenham were closing in on signing Micky Van de Ven from Wolfsburg, but things may be about to change on that front.

Indeed, according to Ben Jacobs, speaking on The Done Deal Show, Tottenham may now abandon their pursuit of Van de Ven due to the price attached to this deal.

Jacobs stated that there are some serious issues surrounding the price attached to this deal, and Spurs could instead end up looking towards Edmond Tapsoba as an option.

 

Most Expensive Premier League Signing…
Portugal U21 v Holland U21 -EURO U21

Photo by Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images
Van de Ven U-turn
Jacobs shared what he knows about the 22-year-old.

“Micky Van de Ven is one player they’ve been considering and exploring but price has been an issue there. We know that this is a key area because Ange Postecoglou is intent on having ball-playing centre-backs, but Spurs will abandon their pursuit of Micky Van de Ven because ultimately price is a problem and they’re looking for value in the market,” Jacobs said.

“So that leads them towards perhaps Edmond Tapsoba, another who has been on the list, and he’s a top target it’s fair to say. The valuation there is between £40-45m. Manor Solomon is coming in as well, so Tottenham have done a fair amount of business here.”

Press Conference Holland U21 -U21 Men
Photo by Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images
How much?
It’s interesting to hear that Spurs are having some issues when it comes to the price attached to Van de Ven. After all, we’re yet to really hear how much the player himself will cost.

Indeed, for all of the reports about talks going well, we’ve never really heard about the price attached, and the fact that Spurs could now favour a potential £45m move for Tapsoba would indicate that Van de Ven would cost an arm and a leg.

It remains to be seen what Spurs do here, but it looks as though they could end up going for Tapsoba instead of Van de Ven.

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move for the Wolfsburg defender Micky van de Ven.

There have been rumours that the North London club are looking to sign the 22-year-old Bundesliga defender this summer and Fabrizio Romano has now provided the latest update on the situation.

Romano claims that an ‘agreement between clubs is now close’ and Tottenham are expected to complete the deal to sign the Dutchman.

Apparently, the two clubs held ‘really positive’ talks earlier today. It remains to be seen whether all parties can iron out an agreement now.

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Van de Ven has been quite impressive for the Bundesliga club this past season, and he has the pedigree to succeed in the Premier League as well.

He could help Tottenham improve defensively next season. The 22-year-old could form a solid partnership with Cristian Romero at the heart of the defence.

Tottenham have been linked with players like Edmond Tapsoba, Tosin Adarabioyo and Gleison Bremer in recent weeks as well.

It will be interesting to see if Tottenham decide to sign multiple central defenders this summer.

Spurs have improved their attack with the addition of James Maddison and Manor Solomon is set to follow. Improving the defence will now be a top priority for them as they look to get back into the top four and secure Champions League qualification for the next season.

Van de Ven is only 22 and he is likely to improve with experience. If Spurs can sign him for a reasonable price, the move could look like a masterstroke.

Tottenham ‘to start talks soon’ to sign €30m defender – Met agents this weekend in ‘constructive’ talks

One of the names doing the rounds has been that of Micky van de Ven, while another is Edmond Tapsoba, currently contracted to Bayer Leverkusen.

Sacha Tavolieri brings the latest on the situation this Monday, explaining that the Burkina Faso international’s representatives were ‘in London this weekend’ so they could ‘discuss personal terms’ for their client with Tottenham.

The journalist then goes onto to report that said talks were ‘constructive’ and that matters are progressing ‘significantly’.

He gives an example, revealing that the player’s potential future wages at Tottenham have ‘already been discussed’, and while there are still some more details that need to be sorted, everything is heading in the right direction.

Down their end, Spurs are now ‘set to start talks soon’ with the Bundesliga side, who are said to be asking for around €30m to let the player go.
The 24-year-old was a near immovable object in Xabi Alonso’s side last season, as he made 47 appearances in all competitions, scoring two goals and assisting another two, picking up seven yellow cards along the way.

Tottenham star has reached ‘agreement in principle’ for transfer – Clubs now need to agree on price

That’s according to BILD journalist Christian Falk, who says the Bavarian giants are now focused on securing a transfer agreement with Tottenham after doing so with Kane.

Reports today have made it clear that Bayern have made the first move for Kane, submitting an offer in the €70m region for the striker which has been rejected by Spurs.

That was followed by an explanation in Germany, where BILD reported that talks were underway, and that Bayern were hoping to get a deal for under €100m after their sports committee agreed to the potential transfer on Monday.
Falk now follows that up and states that Bayern made their initial bid for Kane having already agreed a deal with the player on a move.
According to his information, Bayern have ‘reached an agreement in principle’ with the striker after they conducted negotiations with his family, namely his father and his brother, about a transfer.

They’ve already been concluded and finalised and so, Bayern have now stepped forward and made a bid to Tottenham for the striker.

Finding an agreement with them is the ‘prerequisite’ to a deal, which is obvious but has to be stated, nonetheless.

Unless that happens, a transfer won’t be taking place, but it seems Bayern have at least been given enough confidence to make a bid by already finalising an agreement in principle with Kane.

‘He won’t travel’: Ange Postecoglou confirms Tottenham player is being left off pre-season tour.

Ange Postecoglou has been speaking to the press ahead of Tottenham’s pre-season trip to Australia and had some interest comments to make.

The former Celtic boss is hoping to reignite Spurs and produce a good season after a disastrous campaign last time out saw Tottenham capitulate towards the back end of the campaign.

For Postecoglou, having a top summer will be key. He’ll be keen to give players a chance and while new signings are key, there’ll be opportunities for fringe players to impress as well.

However, one player who won’t get the chance to impress the new boss is goalkeeper, Fraser Forster.

Speaking to Football.London, Postecoglou has confirmed that the experienced stopper has a back injury and therefore, won’t be travelling.

“We do have a couple, Rodrigo Bentancur is still out. Fraser Forster has a back injury and he won’t travel. There’s a couple of others. We’ll see how they go. I’d really like as many of the group as possible to go to begin building that team and camaraderie,” Postecoglou said.

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Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United – Premier League

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However, one player who won’t get the chance to impress the new boss is goalkeeper, Fraser Forster.

Speaking to Football.London, Postecoglou has confirmed that the experienced stopper has a back injury and therefore, won’t be travelling.

“We do have a couple, Rodrigo Bentancur is still out. Fraser Forster has a back injury and he won’t travel. There’s a couple of others. We’ll see how they go. I’d really like as many of the group as possible to go to begin building that team and camaraderie,” Postecoglou said.

Forster will no doubt be annoyed by the latest injury. With Hugo Lloris gone, there is a chance for the England man to stake his claim despite the new signing of Vicario.

Big chance for Vicario
Fraser Forster will have been hoping to impress in pre-season and start the season as the number one stopper.

But it looks like he’s had quite the setback and this is a chance now for new signing Vicario to make his mark.

Postecoglou is going to need his goalkeeper to produce this season if Spurs want success. Forster’s setback, then, is not an ideal start to the campaign.