Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou will have a major issue on his hands this summer when it comes to trying to fix a glaring midfield need, so TEAMtalk has decided to give him a bit of a helping hand.
Spurs’ season has become somewhat of a stop-start affair after they began the season in spectacular form and appeared strong down the spine of the team.
Yes, bans and injuries have had an impact, in addition to the departure of two of the team’s best midfield players for the African Nations Cup at the beginning of the season, but a serious problem that has been present since mid-February needs to be addressed this summer.
Given how excellent a player Yves Bissouma can be—a talent that Brighton and Tottenham fans, to a lesser extent, have witnessed—it’s startling how quickly his form can collapse.
In a season where Tottenham is still attempting to place in the top four, Postecoglou’s patience must be put to the test.
This is demonstrated by the adjustments and modifications he has been making in his engine room to strike the ideal balance, and the Australian is also not beyond making drastic changes at halftime of recent games.
Clearly, he lacks an effective player to start in front of the back four, which has turned fragile after appearing so strong in the first ten games of the season.
Regardless of Bissouma’s problems—physical or mental—it is obvious that he cannot be relied upon to perform consistently, and something has to change.
Given that Postecoglou is still adamantly against starting Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg right away, it is clear that the change is too late at this point in the season. In fact, the Dane is thought to be a “closer” toward the conclusion of games rather than a player who can be nimble in possession and devastating right away.
And since it seems quite likely that Hojbjerg will go on and questions are starting to arise about Bissouma’s long-term future as well, TEAMtalk looks closely at five options Postecoglou should think about in order to strengthen his team for the 2024–50 season.
And not a mention of Conor Gallagher in sight either!
Ederson Silva – Atalanta
On the face of it, the Atalanta man looks like he could be the best and likeliest fit at this stage, given recent reports.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s team defeated Liverpool 3-0 in the first leg of their Europa League quarterfinal, and the Brazilian, who has become a great powerhouse in the middle of the park for the Serie A this season, showed off all of his skills on Merseyside.
Yes, they were defeated by a solitary goal in the home leg, but the work was completed at Anfield, where Eduardo skillfully shielded his back four to thwart many of Liverpool’s efforts.
Additionally, Atalanta’s original asking price is only €35 million (£30.1 million), which is a fantastic deal for a 24-year-old who is currently at the top of his game.
One of Ederson’s strongest traits is his ability to press the ball and contribute both in and out of possession.
Although he lacks creativity, he can play between the lines and provide more creative midfielders with opportunities, which makes him an ideal addition to a team that includes players like James Maddison.
The Brazil Under-20 international can counter the opponent press with deft movement and positioning and is very composed when in possession.
In addition, he will have spent two seasons competing in the highly tough Serie A, which will put him in a strong position should he decide to transfer to England this summer.
If we had to put our money on it at this stage, this would be the likely fix for Postecoglou’s defensive midfield problem.
Hugo Larsson – Eintracht Frankfurt
Reports this month claim that Spurs are now leading both Liverpool and Newcastle in the race to sign the talented Sweden international.
Despite only being 19, Larsson is already being tipped up as one of the top young midfield talents in European football.
The Frankfurt star can operate as a destructive No.6 or more progressive No.8 and while his addition is seen as somewhat of a gamble – given his tender age – Larsson is an outstanding young talent destined for the top.
Indeed, Frankfurt manager Dino Toppmoller was asked in December last year if Larsson could become one of the best midfielders in the world.
His response was categorical, saying: “Yes, he has what is needed. His talent and mentality are incredible. The question is, how do you handle setbacks? I will take my hat off to how he’s handled it.
“He lives football with everything that he has. You can see it in the individual video analysis. He asks, he wants to know everything and then says that he loves it and wants more.”
Larsson has made 33 appearances in all competitions for Frankfurt this season, scoring two goals and adding two assists.
There is every chance that he could be signed as competitor for Bissouma, given his age and if Postecoglou still believes he can get the Mali man back to his best.
Larsson won’t come cheap though, given that he still has four years left on his current contract. He is currently valued at €28m (£24m) on Transfermarkt but will likely cost more than that if he carries on at his current rate of progression.
Joao Gomes – Wolves
Tottenham are linked with Joao Gomes
Tottenham certainly know all about Gomes from his stunning display in north London back in February.
Gary O’Neil’s men produced a perfect away performance that day to stifle Postecoglou’s attack and then break with pace to devastating effect.
The 5ft 9in Brazil international scored his first with a towering header before sweeping home a second on a quick transition after a rapid Pedro Neto break.
Gomes dominated the Spurs midfield that day alongside Mario Lemina and his outstanding display sparked rumours of concrete Manchester United interest literally days later.
However, that interest has since stretched to the white and red halves of north London for a player who moved to Molineux for just €18.7m in January 2023, after a drawn-out battle between Wolves and Ligue 1 club Lyon for his signature.
Gomes, who has been capped twice by Brazil, has the affectionate nickname of ‘The Pitbull’ as his style of play is typified by his work rate and desire to win back possession.
Stats showed that while he was in Brazil, Gomes succeeded in more tackles per 90 minutes than almost every other player and he carried that over to Lyon and now Wolves.
The 23-year-old also plays to his strengths and does not tend to get involved in other areas of the game that could hamper teammates.
To that end, he would be a perfect asset for Tottenham and Postecoglou to build a more solid midfield around.
Kalvin Phillips – Leeds
This one will clearly be a little controversial given how badly Phillips has looked during his loan spell at West Ham.
There can no doubt that his move to Manchester City was a disaster in terms of how Phillips’ game has deteriorated due to simply not getting enough minutes on the field.
At 28 years of age, the England man should be in his prime right now but his career is going in the wrong direction – and fast.
Step forward Ange Postecoglou to fix it!
When he was at his Leeds United best, the way in which Phillips could glide his way through a game was effortless. He won tackles, passed through the lines accurately, was able to drive from the midfield base and was adept at dropping into the back line to provide extra defensive cover.
If Postecoglou could bring that player to Tottenham he would be a tremendous asset, given how the Aussie loves his full-backs to push on and become part of the attack in a relentless manner.
Phillips, who has been strongly linked with a Leeds return if Daniel Farke’s men win promotion back to the top flight, would be the perfect player to slip in between Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven and give Spurs that extra bit of cover on the transition.
The big task for Postecoglou would be working with Phillips throughout pre-season to try and unlock those clear qualities again.
To that end, it would be a deal that would need to be done as early in the window as possible to give Phillips the best possible chance to resurrect his career and become and ultimately become an England regular again.
Given his struggles at The Etihad, it’s also unlikely that City would demand a big fee while Spurs would also not be considered a direct title rival. Therefore a move to north London could suit both parties.
Morgan Gibbs-White – Nottingham Forest (this one comes with twist)
As we’ve said this one is a bit of a wildcard as Gibbs-White is certainly not a holding midfielder but his arrival would mean one Tottenham man fulfilling a new regular role in front of Postecoglou’s back four.
Rumours are growing at a rapid rate that Spurs could snap up the Forest man this summer, especially if Nuno Espirito Santo’s men are relegated.
Gibbs-White has been a real standout for Forest in what has been a difficult campaign, scoring six goals and providing seven assists.
He can play as a No.8 or a No.10 but does have some bite to his game, as evidenced by his nine yellow cards this season.
But if Gibbs-White comes in and Bissouma and Hojbjerg are both sold then who plays as the defensive midfield pivot?
The answer is a fully-fit and firing Rodrigo Bentancur.
The Uruguay international, who has played in that position for his country, is still not back to his best after his ACL injury last season but is still a top talent who was outstanding before his injury.
Bentancur is not afraid to put his foot it but is also confident in possession and massively popular with the Tottenham faithful.
When is 100 percent fit, the 26-year-old flies round the field and is involved in everything good about what Spurs do.
Getting a full pre-season behind him is sure to see the old Rodrigo Bentancur return and, with this plan, it would allow Postecoglou to add more creativity to his side in the form of the silky Gibbs-White with Bentancur’s steel behind him.
