Van de Ven agreement, Kane future and transfer exits – What Tottenham need to do in next 19 days

Here we take a look at what Daniel Levy and Tottenham need to do for Ange Postecoglou over the next 19 days as Spurs prepare for their Premier League opener vs Brentford

Micky van de Ven has been heavily linked with a move to Tottenham this summer

Micky van de Ven has been heavily linked with a move to Tottenham this summer.

The 2023/24 Premier League season is edging ever closer with August almost upon us. Currently out in Singapore on their summer tour, Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham team have three more friendlies on the agenda before they travel to Brentford for their league opener.

Lion City Sailors are first up on Wednesday, before Spurs bring down the curtain on their pre-season campaign with two matches in the space of three days against Shakhtar Donetsk and Barcelona. The cancellation of Sunday’s friendly against Leicester City due to a waterlogged pitch in Bangkok means the new boss has only seen his team in action once so far, although he will have been working them extremely hard in training and getting his football philosophy across as he bids for a fast start to the new term.

Active in the transfer market already this summer with Guglielmo Vicario, James Maddison and Manor Solomon joining the club, as well as Dejan Kulusevski signing a permanent deal, Tottenham still have plenty left to do in the summer window. So what exactly does Daniel Levy need to do for Postecoglou ahead of the first league game of the season on Sunday, August 13? football.london takes a look below.

Sign defenders

The first thing Levy must do for Postecoglou is sign two new centre-backs. Top of the club’s list of transfer priorities this summer, Spurs have still to conclude a deal for a centre-back and it has left everyone very frustrated in the process.

Conceding 63 goals in the Premier League last season, Spurs’ defensive woes were still clear to see in the 3-2 friendly defeat against West Ham with all three of the Hammers’ goals extremely poor ones to concede from a Tottenham perspective. It needs addressing ASAP and the chairman must ensure that new centre-backs are in place for the final two friendlies as they will need time to bed in ahead of the Brentford fixture.

The Lilywhites have held talks with Wolfsburg and Bayer Leverkusen about bringing in Micky van de Ven and Edmond Tapsoba respectively. They also have a strong interest in Fulham’s Tosin Adarabioyo and football.london understands there is a growing expectation that the north London club will make a bid for the centre-back.

In an ideal world, Tottenham can agree on deals for both Van de Ven and Tapsoba as they look to take their backline up to the next level. Quite whether that happens remains to be seen, though.

Spurs have got to do everything in their power to sign two new centre-backs or else the same old problems will impact Postecoglou at the start of the new season.

Resolve Kane future

Despite jetting off to Australia, Thailand and Singapore, Postecoglou and Tottenham cannot escape talk over a transfer exit for Harry Kane. The striker is now in the final year of his contract and his future is very much up in the air.

Either the club sell him ahead of the transfer deadline, agree on a new contract to extend his stay or they keep him in N17 and run the risk of him leaving for nothing come the end of the 2023/24 season. Bayern Munich have been very vocal in regards to a move for the England captain but they would need to submit some offer to even tempt Levy into a transfer agreement.

In terms of a possible new contract, football.london understands that the striker will not sign a new deal with Spurs this summer but extending his deal is still an option he is open to if he remains in N17 and the club is making progress under Postecoglou. Kane is also open to leaving Spurs this summer should the club accept an offer, or seeing out his contract and leaving on a free transfer next year.

One way or another Postecoglou needs the situation resolving as it is currently overshadowing his pre-season preparations and will continue to have a major impact until his future is settled for good.

Hojbjerg replacement

Another Tottenham regular who has been linked with a move ahead of the new campaign is Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. An automatic starter in the team ever since his move from Southampton in 2020, the Dane has been mentioned in regards to a switch to Spanish side Atletico Madrid.

Hojbjerg is understood to be open to leaving Tottenham this summer and, if an exit does come to fruition, the Lilywhites will need to find a replacement for him. Maybe not a natural fit for Postecoglou’s system, the 27-year-old is a leader for Tottenham and that is one quality they cannot afford to lose as they’re already lacking in that area.

Hojbjerg, who is valued at £39million by Transfermarkt, would bring in a sizeable fee for Tottenham and Postecoglou would be able to put it towards another incoming as he looks to form his dream Spurs midfield.

Transfer exits

Postecoglou is not short of options when it comes to his Tottenham team at present as 31 players are currently on the club’s pre-season tour. Add Hugo Lloris, Fraser Forster, Ryan Sessegnon, Rodrigo Bentancur, Bryan Gil and Troy Parrott, who were all left behind at Hotspur Way, to the mix and the boss has a squad of 37 players.

Postecoglou cannot work with that number of players and transfer outgoings must take place ahead of the Brentford game. As clubs are only permitted to name a squad of 25 players for the Premier League season, with players under the age of 21 included on a separate list, outgoings could reach double figures in order to trim the squad down to size.

With Lloris on course to leave for a new challenge elsewhere, there are question marks hanging over Hojbjerg, Gil, Kane, Sergio Reguilon, Davinson Sanchez, Ivan Perisic, Giovani Lo Celso, Joe Rodon, Djed Spence, Japhet Tanganga and Tanguy Ndombele to name a few. Loan exits will take place as usual, with Parrott, Dane Scarlett and maybe Alfie Devine contenders to go and play their football elsewhere in 2023/24.

Only seeing Harry Winks exit on a permanent deal ahead of the new season, things could really step up once the team have returned from their summer tour as Postecoglou will have had a good chance to take a look at the players at his disposal.

Decide on new captain

Lloris’ likely summer exit means that a new player will take on the captain’s armband for the 2023/24 season and beyond. Kane will be expected to take on the duties having done so in the Frenchman’s absence in the past.

The striker captained the team in their opening pre-season friendly against West Ham and was due to do the same in the Leicester match until the match officials cancelled the fixture due to the heavy rainfall in Bangkok. If Kane is to leave this summer, though, then it leaves Postecoglou with a big decision to make over Lloris’ replacement.

Official confirmation of Tottenham’s brand new captain will arrive ahead of the opening fixture at Brentford.

Which of the following prospects would you like to see in the first team, or loaned out for experience? Swipe to have your say…