Ange Postecoglou reveals the four top players he wanted to sign for Tottenham | OneFootball

Postecoglou insists Spurs are “not a big club” - particularly in their wage structure

Ange Postecoglou has revealed that he urged Tottenham to sign four of the Premier League’s best players in the summer of 2024.

Postecoglou has opened up about his two-season tenure in charge at Spurs on the latest episode of the Stick to Football podcast, where he spoke in the aftermath of Tottenham’s decision to sack his successor Thomas Frank as they languish in 16th place in the Premier League.

“I saw that, because when we were trying to sign players, we weren’t in the market for those players. How do you go from fifth to really challenging? We had to sign Premier League-proven players.

“But finishing fifth that year didn’t get us Champions League, we didn’t have the money. We ended up signing Dominic Solanke, who, absolutely, I really like. And three teenagers.”

Spurs spent a club-record £65million to sign Solanke from Bournemouth in the summer of 2024, when they also recruited 19-year-old Wilson Odobert from Burnley as well as Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, both 18, from Leeds and Djurgarden respectively.

Target: Bryan Mbeumo eventually left Brentford for Manchester United in a deal worth up to £71m

AFP via Getty Images

“I was looking at Pedro Neto and [Bryan] Mbeumo and [Antoine] Semenyo at the time, and Marc Guehi,” Postecoglou said.

“I said, if we are going to go from fifth to there, that is what the other big clubs would do in that moment. And those three teenagers are outstanding young players.

“I think they will be brilliant players for Tottenham. But they’re not going to get you from fifth to fourth and third.

“But what was coming out from the club was: no, we’re a club who can compete on all fronts.”