How Tottenham's mighty £370m starting line-up could look next season - including powerful next striker

Up until the spring, Ange Postecoglou’s first season as Tottenham Hotspur manager had been going swimmingly well – his football was drawing rave reviews, the results were good, and his players were performing impressively. But after a run of five defeats in six matches cost them the chance to play Champions League football and the manager appeared to grow frustrated with his players, it looks like a fair amount of change is coming down the line this summer.

The rumour mill has the Australian head coach chasing after a new striker and overseeing an overhaul of the midfield, while Richarlison is among the big-name players who could leave the club by the end of the transfer window.

We’ve taken a look through the strongest rumours linking Spurs with new signings and put together a possible starting side for the club next season, with £373m of talent on the field and new faces at quite a few positions.

GK: Guglielmo Vicario (£17m)

Vicario was highly impressive after signing from Empoli last season and seems set to be Spurs’ number one for years to come – he’s made plenty of superb saves, is excellent outside the box and comfortable with the ball at his feet, which is essential to the way Postecoglou likes his teams to play. The Italian won’t be going anywhere this summer, but don’t be surprised if Spurs look for a back-up.

LB: Destiny Udogie (£21m)

Another successful Italian import, Udogie is young and still has some rough edges to polish off his game, but he has the all-round skill-set and physicality to be a real success story, and has already earned the starting role for next season – although Spurs will almost certainly look to sign someone who can cover left-back given the injuries endured there this season. Nobody wants to see Emerson Royal there again. Apart Arsenal fans, perhaps.

CB: Alessandro Buongiorno (£34m)

Although the centre-back pairing of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven seems fairly settled, Spurs have been heavily linked with Torino defender Buongiorno, who can also play on the left if needs be. An extremely adept defender who doesn’t let much get past him, he’s maybe a little less technical than the defenders Postecoglou seems to prefer but the sheer volume of reports linking him with either Spurs can’t be ignored. Chelsea may also be interested.

CB: Micky van de Ven (£43m)

There could be plenty of competition at centre-back next season if Buongiorno signs, and we’ve tossed a coin to give the Dutchman the nod. He’s been impressive technically but perhaps not as rigid defensively as Romero, so he’d be a natural foil for a player like Buongiorno.

RB: Pedro Porro (£39m)

The former Sporting right-back was hugely impressive at the start of the season before tailing off a little towards the end, but it remains overwhelmingly likely that Spurs will persist with him as their first choice next season. A genuine attacking threat down the right who delivers a very decent set piece, this isn’t a position Postecoglou is likely to tinker with.

DM: Conor Gallagher (£40m)

Fan pressure convinced Chelsea not to sell Gallagher last summer and Spurs didn’t have the spare cash in January, but this seems like a deal that both teams will come back to the table for. Spurs want a new central midfielder or two and Gallagher, who will probably cost them around £40m, offers the combination of dogged defence and attacking threat that Postecoglou demands.

DM: Pape Matar Sarr (£17m)

Of the current crop of central midfielders at Spurs, Sarr probably had the best season. There was a brief lull in the wake of the Africa Cup of Nations but for the vast majority of the campaign he’s demonstrated intelligent defending, crisp passing and the ability to mix it up with the Premier League’s most physical teams. He’ll still have to battle for his spot, but Spurs won’t let him go anywhere.

AM: James Maddison (£40m)

Another player who slowed down as the campaign progressed, the former Leicester City playmaker was superb for the first half of the season but largely unconvincing following an injury. He’ll still get the starting berth for next season and the chance to recapture his best form – and at his best, he makes his side far more threatening going forward.

LW: Son Heung-Min (£22m)

Son has spent much of this season as a makeshift striker but we suspect Spurs will invest in a number nine this summer and send the South Korean back to the left wing instead – not that playing up front seemed to diminish him in any way. Still Spurs’ most important player, although with just two years left on his contract they will surely be hoping to tie him down to a new deal. If they can’t, we wonder if he could find himself on the rumour mill himself before long…

RW: Raphinha (£60m)

The reports linking Spurs with a move from the former Leeds United man have quietened down a little since the spring, but he’s still likely to leave Barcelona and we wouldn’t be at all surprised if the interest remained. He offers the kind of pace, dynamism and finishing quality Spurs need more of up front, and could easily come in if Postecoglou isn’t absolutely convinced by Brennan Johnson or Dejan Kulusevski.

CF: Santiago Giménez (£40m)

There have been a string of reports suggesting that the Mexico international will be on his way from Feyenoord to Tottenham this summer, and although the transfer fee is hard to pin down (one report claimed he would cost £87m, which seems absolutely absurd) the fact that he was apparently spotted watching a game from the stands in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium strongly suggests that the interest is genuine.

A powerful number nine who started the season on incredibly hot form, he’s struggled badly since the turn of the year – this signing would be a gamble, a roll of the dice that he’s the same player who couldn’t stop scoring through 2023 and just needs a fresh start to get his mojo back. It’s also a gamble that Spurs seem pretty likely to take.