Tottenham's Pre-Season Tour: New Signings and Emerging Talent
Tottenham will take a refreshed and reshaped squad to New Zealand and Australia, with new signings Jan Paul van Hecke and Andy Robertson headlining a 35-man travelling party for Ange Postecoglou’s first full pre-season with a squad bearing his imprint.
Both van Hecke and Robertson only reported back this week after extended breaks following the World Cup and were left out of the behind-closed-doors win over MK Dons on Wednesday. They will now step straight into the long-haul tour, a chance for the pair to bed into a defensive unit that has already undergone significant change over the past year.
The MK Dons game still offered an early glimpse of Tottenham’s evolving midfield. Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes both featured, with Fernandes wasting no time in making a statement – a thunderous third-minute volley separating the sides and underlining why the club rate him so highly.
While the new faces fly out, several key attacking options will stay behind. Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons, Dejan Kulusevski and Wilson Odobert will remain at Hotspur Way to continue rehabilitation work, with the club unwilling to risk setbacks on a demanding travel schedule. Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has also picked up a minor knock in training and will undergo treatment rather than join the tour.
The World Cup’s late stages have heavily shaped the travelling list. Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Matar Sarr have been granted extra time off after their summer exertions, as have World Cup finalists Pedro Porro, Marcos Senesi and Cristian Romero. Djed Spence, who also went deep into the tournament, will not travel either.
Their absence opens the door for a clutch of academy prospects. Highly regarded youngsters Luca Williams-Barnett, Tyler Tingey and Mikey Moore are all included, a clear signal that Postecoglou intends to use the trip to assess the next wave at close quarters as Spurs prepare for friendlies against Auckland FC, Sydney FC and Chelsea.
Tottenham’s Touring Squad
- Goalkeepers: Brandon Austin, Martin Dubravka, Antonin Kinsky, Dylan Thompson
- Defenders: Kevin Danso, Ben Davies, Malachi Hardy, Andy Robertson, Kota Takai, Tyler Tingey, Destiny Udogie, Micky van de Ven, Jan Paul van Hecke
- Midfielders: Lucas Bergvall, Harry Byrne, Jamie Donley, Mateus Fernandes, Conor Gallagher, Archie Gray, Tye Hall, Tyrese Hall, Rio Kyerematen, James Maddison, Reiss Russell-Denny, Sandro Tonali, Luca Williams-Barnett, Yang Min-Hyeok
A long pre-season trek, new signings stepping in, senior stars resting and youngsters pushing through: for Tottenham, this is more than a tour. It’s the first real look at what the next version of this team might become.
