Tottenham Hotspur’s early business in the January transfer window represents a significant departure from the Club’s traditionally cautious approach in recent years, indicative of the broader impact of Ange Postecoglou whose influence is clearly starting to affect all aspects of the team.
The first six months of Australian manager Ange Postecoglou’s tenure at Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur has proved how invaluable the coach’s role is within football at the highest level.
It may seem obvious, but look at the fortunes of Aston Villa and Brighton, who, after nailing the recruitment of a prolific first team coach, have seen their sides climb up the Premier League table and sit among the coveted European places in just 12 months.
Tottenham may have endured one of the worst injury crises seen at the Club in the modern era, with more than 11 first team players forced to spend time on the sidelines through injury or suspension – yet Postecoglou has managed to come out the other side relatively unscathed.
But it’s forced the Club to operate uncharacteristically in this season’s January transfer window…by getting their business done early.
RELATED: Ange Postecoglou Is Reminding Tottenham Fans How To Lose
For decades, Tottenham have operated on the peripherals of the January transfer window, seemingly adopting a passive “sell before we buy” approach to squad management that’s left them behind their Top 4 rivals in the Premier League.
But with Ange Postecoglou’s electric start to life in North London, it’s apparent that the Australian man is changing more than just performances on the pitch, with Tottenham bringing in two first-team players, less than two weeks into the window.
“I’d love to do something early in the window”
Ange Postecoglou
It’s a crucial departure from the Spurs of years gone by; and evidence that the former Socceroos coach has made a strong first impression on Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy – a notoriously stringent operator.
“If you can bring them in early, even if they don’t play you can bed them into training and our style of football because it’s not like we’re going to sign somebody and they’ll hit the ground running,” Ange Postecoglou said last month.
“Whereas if you leave it towards the end of January, it’s potentially not until mid to end of February when they get up to speed, depending where they’re coming from, the league they’re coming from, so there’s a whole lot of moving parts.
The signing of former Chelsea forward Timo Werner on 10 January was the earliest January signing in recent memory, with seven of the Club’s last 10 signings coming on the final day of the winter transfer window. Coupled with the recent acquisition of Romanian defender Radu Drăgușin today, Tottenham aren’t waiting to be invited to make moves in this window.
Of course, signing players of real quality in January is easier said than done; good players – not even great ones – command astronomical fees midseason as clubs are desperately trying to keep their best players from leaving and potentially derailing the good form of the side.
Underperforming teams scramble to reinforce their ranks heading into the New Year but should expect to pay big bucks to get anyone who will instantly improve the team.
RELATED: Ange Postecoglou Shuts Down Journalist’s Trophy Jibe With Elite Response
It’s important to note that Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur both arrived from Juventus on Deadline Day in January 2022… and they certainly turned out alright. But for Postecoglou, signing the right profile of player early on was crucial to his plans for the rest of the season.
Tottenham’s new Technical Director Johan Lange will have done his due diligence by bringing in Timo Werner, a seasoned international striker with Premier League experience, and Radu Drăgușin, an emerging talent from the Italian league, so early in the window.
Ange Postecoglou will head into this weekend’s fixture with Manchester United buoyed by two new faces that have immediately improved the squad. Spurs’ early business in the transfer window shows the big man is changing more than just performances on the pitch this season.