Harry Kane’s future remains unresolved going into the final year of his contract (EPA)
After a disappointing 2022/23 Premier League campaign, which saw Tottenham finish eighth in the table, significant changes are taking place around the club.
Having sacked manager Antonio Conte in late March, results only got worse after his departure. Former Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has been entrusted with the task of revitalising Spurs and will be assessing a new squad to achieve this goal. Heading into the transfer window, the club appeared keen to address three major issues: an attacking midfielder, a centre-back and a goalkeeper.
With the £40m signing of James Maddison from recently relegated Leicester City, it seems they have resolved one one of those issues, while signing goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario from Empoli in Serie A, for a reported fee of £17.2m, solves another. Dejan Kulusevski has been secured on a permanent deal after impressing during an 18-month loan deal while Manor Solomon has also joined on a free from Shakhtar Donetsk.
Meanwhile, the club remains in the news for departures too – and once again superstar Harry Kane finds himself surrounded by transfer rumours. Here’s all the latest regarding Spurs.
Harry Kane
After months of speculation about Tottenham’s all-time leading scorer, Harry Kane, potentially leaving the club, it would not be surprising if the superstar Englishman ultimately remained. The long-standing rumours of Kane possibly joining Manchester United were put to rest when club chairman Daniel Levy decided not to allow the transfer to a domestic rival. Subsequently, Real Madrid emerged as the next potential destination. However, the Spanish club swiftly realised that they could not afford the substantial price tag associated with Kane, particularly after already spending £88m on Jude Bellingham.
This has resulted in Bayern Munich emerging as the sole remaining suitor in the market, but the two clubs seem to have a significant gap in their valuation of the transfer fee. Bayern have already seen their first two offers rejected but, according to The Times, the German club are ready to submit a third, improved offer when Spurs return from their pre-season tour. Kane does not plan to sign a new deal, meaning Tottenham could face the prospect of their star striker leaving on a free at the end of next season if a deal is not agreed this window.
Giovani Lo Celso
Another player who may well be heading for the exit is Argentina midfielder, Giovani Lo Celso. The 27-year-old joined the north London club from PSG in 2019 but never found his place in the Spurs midfield with other signings and formation changes eventually stifling his minutes in the starting eleven.
Having spent the last 18 months on loan at Villarreal, Lo Celso has featured heavily in Spurs’ pre-season tour with Postecoglou seemingly keen to give the midfielder a second chance at the club. Despite this, there is still a large possibility that the Argentine leaves Tottenham this summer with Marca reporting that Real Betis, Aston Villa, Napoli and Barcelona would all be interested in a move.
Conor Gallagher
With Lo Celso’s departure still a possibility and the future of Pierre-Emile Højbjerg up in the air, Tottenham may look to bring in a replacement in central midfield. According to The Evening Standard, that man could be Conor Gallagher.
The Chelsea midfielder has featured during the club’s pre-season tour to America but reportedly is being offered out to clubs as the west London outfit continue their clearout after a hugely disappointing season last year. Gallagher has been at Chelsea since he was six but has just two years left on his current deal. While Spurs may be interested, they will also face competition from West Ham who are ready to make a move for the Englishman as they look to fill the void left by Declan Rice’s record-breaking move to Arsenal.
Tosin Adarabioyo
Another area of concern for Spurs heading into the new season is centre-back with Tosin Adarabioyo emerging as a potential target. A new contract agreement between Fulham and Adarabioyo has yet to materialise, and with only one year remaining on his current deal, it appears that he may leave Craven Cottage.
Moves for Bundesliga duo, Edmond Tapsoba and Mickey van de Ven, remain possible but football.london is reporting that Spurs will also step up their interest in the Englishman with a bid expected in the near future.
Ashley Phillips
Another centre-back of interest to Spurs is Blackburn youngster, Ashley Phillips. The 18-year-old has only featured eight times for the Championship club but has attracted interest from Tottenham.
The north London club were reported to have agreed a £3 million deal for the England U19 international but football.london is now reporting that the deal has reached a sticking point after Blackburn asked for additional add-ons to the transfer fee.
