The first crop of Tottenham Hotspur players have returned to pre-season as they begin preparations for the new Premier League season.
Ange Postecoglou is now comfortable in his manager’s seat and will be hoping to push Spurs back into the Champions League.
Tottenham missed out to Aston Villa last time out and for Postecoglou to take that next step, he needs to get a lot of things right in the summer transfer market.
Usually, everyone is talking about incomings and who Spurs could sign, with Timo Werner returning and Archie Gray also signing for Tottenham.
But the London club have to also get their clean house and part ways with players currently at the club, Sergio Reguilon is another player who was pictured in Tottenham training.
As was the ever-popular Emerson Royal, who became a back-up player under Postecoglou last season and played behind Pedro Porro at right-back.
The 25-year-old has been linked with a move away from the club this summer, including the ‘wild’ transfer rumour that he is wanted by Bayern Munich.
Emerson Royal only completed 90 minutes on eight occasions last term, so he could be on his way out if a suitable offer is put on the table.
But the player himself, who always seems to be one of the upbeat members of the dressing room, posted a brilliant message on Instagram upon the players’ return to training.
Tottenham Hotspur players start pre-season
‘The King is back,’ wrote the right-back, added with a laughing emoji.
Tottenham Hotspur need defensive depth
The backline picks itself. Porro starts at right-back, the centre-back pairing of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero is one of the most exciting in the league, with Destiny Udogie at left-back.
But after that, there needs to be more cover because the players behind, Emerson included, aren’t probably good enough to take the team to the next level.
You could argue that new boy Archie Gray might be used at right-back because he deployed that role at Leeds United before their Championship play-off final defeat to Southampton.
So, perhaps Postecoglou already has his two players for that position and they can happily move Emerson on.
Fabrizio Romano has confirmed Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is a genuine candidate to leave Tottenham at season’s end, while reports claim Spurs are preparing a bid for a successor Ange Postecoglou loves.
Hojbjerg cost £15m prior to add-ons when brought to Tottenham by Jose Mourinho back in 2020. The Denmark international was a guaranteed starter under Mourinho as well as Antonio Conte. However, his stock has fallen since Ange Postecoglou took charge.
Hojbjerg has featured in 27 of Tottenham’s 28 Premier League matches this season. But with Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr favoured, the vast bulk of Hojbjerg’s outings have been late cameos off the bench.
The 28-year-old will have just a single season remaining on his contract come the summer. As such, and given his reduced importance in north London, a sale is possible.
Taking to X, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano confirmed Hojbjerg is a genuine contender to leave the club this summer.
Furthermore, Hojbjerg recently switched to a new agency in a move that is suggested to be a pre-cursor to securing a move away.
“Pierre-Emile Højbjerg could leave Spurs in the summer as current deal is due to expire in June 2025.
“Højbjerg has recently signed with USG Italy as new agency in order to assess all the options ahead of summer transfer window.”
Hojbjerg was on Fulham’s radar last summer as they desperately sought to sign a replacement for Joao Palhinha. Palhinha was on course to join Bayern Munich at the time and even travelled to Germany, though the move fell through.
Elsewhere, Hojbjerg rejected the chance to join Lyon in January and has repeatedly drawn links with top-ranking Serie A sides.
Tottenham’s £50m upgrade
Adding to the chances Hojbjerg will leave Spurs this summer is the fact Tottenham want to sign a brand new central midfielder.
Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher is their No 1 target and TEAMtalk has learned the Blues will cash in if Gallagher doesn’t sign a new deal. Like Hojbjerg, Gallagher’s existing deal expires after the 2024/25 season.
