Flash back to the first few months of Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham Hotspur reign, where the Australian took a marvellous 26 Premier League points from 30 on offer, the most by any head coach in their first 10 matches in the competition.
Following the pragmatism and eventual pessimism that Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte brought to the club, Postecoglou's forward-thinking approach had seemingly ushered in a new era for Spurs as they agonisingly missed out on a top-four place in his first term.
However, an all-too familiar sense of doom and gloom is now engulfing the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as the Lilywhites reside in an embarrassing 14th place in the Premier League table with just nine matches left to play.
Postecoglou was understandably cut some slack owing to the unrelenting injury crisis he had to deal with over the winter, but there can be few excuses for their pitiful displays versus the likes of Fulham, Everton and Leicester City in 2025.
The ever-unpopular Daniel Levy does not have his finger on the trigger just yet, though, and Postecoglou would no doubt earn himself a stay of execution if he can guide Spurs to Europa League glory following their qualification for the quarter-finals.
Richarlison, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg among players to leave Tottenham?
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Regardless of who is in charge come next season, Spurs should begin 2025-26 with most of the current gang still together, although there are five names that stand out as potential money-makers this summer.
Indeed, Richarlison, Yves Bissouma, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Bryan Gil and Manor Solomon should all be seeking pastures new, and Tottenham could raise £81.7m through their sales, according to their Transfermarkt valuations and buy options.
Bissouma is the priciest of the lot at €28m (£23.6m), and Spurs are said to be open to selling the Mali international, who is out of contract in the summer of 2026 and has not done enough to warrant an extension during his two-and-a-half years at the club.
Meanwhile, Richarlison - valued at £21.1m - is playing second fiddle to Dominic Solanke when he is not in the treatment room, and the Brazil international could attract interest from Saudi clubs ahead of the summer window.
A return to his homeland was also mooted for Richarlison in January, and while he was determined to continue in North London for the second half of 2024-25, his struggles are showing no sign of ending anytime soon.
Hojbjerg and Gil's loan deals at Marseille and Girona respectively both include options for permanent moves too, the former reportedly set at €20m (£16.8m) and Gil's terms including a €15m (£12.6m) clause.
Solomon has come up with a respectable seven goals and seven assists for Leeds United in the Championship, but Spurs should only expect €9m (£7.6m) if they are to offload him too.
Which other players are set to leave Spurs this summer?
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In addition to the aforementioned five, Spurs are likely to see a handful of players walk out of the door for nothing, as Alfie Whiteman, Sergio Reguilon, Ben Davies and Fraser Forster are all out of contract this summer.
Mathys Tel and Timo Werner are also due to return to Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig respectively when their loan spells end, although Spurs can still sign the former on a permanent basis.
However, Postecoglou's team may decide against doing so, as they have reportedly emerged as surprise contenders to sign a 40-goal striker in the upcoming window.
Ben Knapton
