It’s reasonable to say that Tottenham Hotspur Stadium had a very uneventful year in 2023. After a string of disappointing performances that saw Antonio Conte leave the team and be replaced as manager by assistant Cristian Stellini, the team was very much in the running for a Champions League spot at the beginning of the season.
The Italian would not hold the post for long, though, as Ryan Mason assumed first-team responsibilities for the balance of the season following the devastating 6-1 loss to Newcastle United at the end of April. Tottenham ultimately lost out on European football altogether after ending in a poor eighth place, winning only two of their final eight games.
After Ange Postecoglou was named head coach and several other significant summer acquisitions, N17 saw a summer of transition. However, as the Lilywhites enjoyed an incredible start to the season, the optimism that had faded in the early months of the year quickly reappeared. Under the new manager, Spurs went undefeated in their first 10 Premier League games and played a striking brand of offensive football that earned them a lot of praise and some noteworthy results.
Tottenham, despite a slight setback towards the end of the season due to several injuries and suspensions, is still in a great position to really challenge for the title in 2024. With this Tottenham team making great progress under Postecoglou and with more to come, the future does appear extremely bright in N17.
Considering that, our football.london Tottenham writers have made predictions about potential outcomes for the upcoming year.
Alasdair Gold, a reporter covering Tottenham Hotspur
With ten players still out of action, Spurs need to get through this difficult phase. They can accomplish this by using the January transfer market wisely to bring in a center-back, an attacking player, and a central midfielder before the month is out.
Beginning in early 2024, the wounded stars—Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, James Maddison, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Manor Solomon—will begin to make a comeback in tandem with newcomers. Along with Postecoglou’s football and a strengthened and replenished roster, that combination ought to see Spurs rebound from this challenging period and move forward once more.
Tottenham needs to stay in the breakaway top five in order to play in Europe again. If they do, the North London team will probably qualify for the Champions League if they keep improving under the Australian coach. If Spurs are to overcome their personnel problems next month, they should also aim for the FA Cup this season.
Players will be lining up to play for Postecoglou, and the club’s new recruitment trio of technical director Johan Lange, chief scout Rob Mackenzie, and head of football insights and strategy Frederik Leth will be able to give the head coach exactly what he needs for his system after observing his methods and demands in recent months. As a result, the summer transfer window of 2024 could be the most exciting in memory for the team.
Throughout the year, a ton of new contracts should be signed, with Pape Matar Sarr, Yves Bissouma, and captain Son Heung-min being the most likely prospects for large new agreements.
Who knows? Given how many years Harry Kane has been associated with leaving Tottenham, don’t be surprised if he is connected to returning, much like Gareth Bale was. Spurs’ 2024 with Postecoglou is expected to cause everyone to take attention.
Reporter for Tottenham Hotspur, Rob Guest
With what Ange Postecoglou is attempting to construct in north London, 2024 may be a fantastic year for Tottenham. However, with injuries, bans, and the departure of Son Heung-min, Yves Bissouma, and Pape Matar Sarr for the impending international tournaments, the first month of the season could be quite difficult.
With Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Rodrigo Bentancur, and James Maddison back, Tottenham’s prospects for the remainder of the season are bright if they can make it through January still leading both in the FA Cup and the Premier League. A successful January transfer window might also be very beneficial, particularly if the Lilywhites are able to sign a contract to add Radu Dragusin or Jean-Clair Todibo to bolster their defense.
Tottenham will guarantee their return to Europe for the 2023–24 campaign, and if they can find some consistency in the second part of the season, they may even secure a Champions League spot. Depending on the draw, a trip to the FA Cup’s latter stages could also be feasible. By the end of May, hopefully, this would mean a day trip to Wembley.
In order to advance Postecoglou’s team, Tottenham would have more options in the summer transfer window if they could guarantee Champions League football for 2024–2025. Making it plain that he would always need a few more transfer windows to transform Tottenham into the squad he envisions, if his transfer requests are fulfilled and the team keeps improving under his leadership, things might get really interesting in the capital by the end of the year.
It is hoped that a few players who are now on N17 contracts would extend them in the coming year. As Son enters the final 18 months of his Tottenham deal, talks will need to take place over the next several months. Sarr and Bentancur, on the other hand, are currently contracted through the summer of 2026.
Writer for Trends, Kieran Horn
Tottenham’s success in the first half of 2024 will probably hinge on four injured players getting back on the field and performing at their peak. While injuries affect every Premier League team, Spurs have been particularly hard struck, missing players in important positions like Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Rodrigo Bentancur, and James Maddison.
Ange Postecoglou will also have to deal with the temporary departures of captain Son Heung-min, Yves Bissouma, and Pape Matar Sarr as a result of their involvement in the Asia Cup and AFCON in the upcoming weeks. The three should not miss too much action thanks to the winter break, but the Spurs manager will be worried about how he will fill in for matches against Brentford, Manchester United, and Burnley (FA Cup).
Even with all of the barriers that Postecoglou faced in his debut season as head coach, the Lilywhites have enough strength to finish in the top four. Aston Villa may struggle since they are not used to playing two games a week in the later stages of the season, but Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City all appear ready to fight for the Premier League title and thereby claim the top three spots.
Postecoglou ending the trophy drought with an FA Cup victory seems unlikely given the early Carabao Cup elimination, but it is possible that he will be eliminated in the quarterfinals by one of the other major six teams.
It’s evident what Tottenham needs in terms of transfers, but it will be intriguing to watch if Johan Lange gives Postecoglou what he needs. Next year, at least one center-back is required—two, perhaps, considering Eric Dier’s anticipated departure—Jean-Clair Todibo is one name that has been strongly linked.
It might be difficult to close a deal in January, and even though one is desperately needed right now, I anticipate that it will be finalized in the summer. In the meanwhile, it is expected that a less expensive defender will be signed, with Lloyd Kelly or Tosin Adarabioyo being two obvious choices.
One other indication of how important it will be to keep players at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is the signing of a new, long-term deal by Destiny Udogie. He might be joined by Bentancur, Sarr, and Son, players whose contracts are up in a few years.
