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Tottenham Hotspur’s 2022/23 season did not go as planned, with the Lilywhites crashing out of all three cup competitions and finishing in ninth place in the Premier League.
Following the doom and gloom that surrounded Antonio Conte’s final months in charge, Spurs supporters can now look forward to a brighter future under Ange Postecoglou, with the 57-year-old hoping to replicate the success he had at former club Celtic, where he won five domestic trophies in just two seasons at Parkhead.
The Greek-Aussie’s revolution has already begun at N17 with the signings of James Maddison, Manor Solomon and Guglielmo Vicario, although that does not look set to be the end of Daniel Levy’s summer spending spree…
What are the most recent Tottenham Hotspur transfer rumors?
As Postecoglou has confirmed, the north Londoners are trying to acquire a new centre-back ahead of the start of the new season, with the club currently in talks with Edmond Tapsoba and Micky van de Ven.
Spurs could try to reinforce their midfield ranks after being mentioned by The Athletic as one of the clubs who are ‘admirers’ of PSV Eindhoven’s Ibrahim Sangare, with the Ivory Coast international valued at roughly £30m by the Eredivisie side.
How talented is Ibrahim Sangare?
The 25-year-old – who has been the subject of an offer from Nottingham Forest – has spent the last three seasons in the Netherlands after signing from Toulouse back in 2020, racking up 13 goals and nine assists in 133 games for his current side to date in all competitions.
A defensive midfielder by trade, the towering, 6 foot 3 titan would help to provide a real physical presence in Postecoglou’s ranks, ensuring he could potentially be the man to finally replace the legendary figure of Mousa Dembele at N17.
The latter man – who is also an imposing presence at 6 foot 1 – enjoyed a stunning six-and-a-half-year spell with Spurs after joining from Fulham in 2012, having notably been lauded as a “genius” by former boss Mauricio Pochettino.
The elegant Belgian was undoubtedly a talent who could simply glide his way up the pitch with ease, with former teammate Kieran Trippier having recently spoken of his unique talents: “He’s an absolute magician. Just absolute frightening, with the ball, without the ball.
“He had everything. He had absolutely everything.”
The now-retired powerhouse notably sparkled during the 2016/17 campaign as Pochettino’s men finished second, showcasing his composure on the ball after enjoying an average pass accuracy rate of 92% from his 30 league outings, as per Sofascore, while also averaging 2.9 tackles and interceptions per game as a sign of his defensive dominan.
Sangare, who has been described as “extraordinary” by pundit Aad de Mos, appears to have the tools to replicate Dembele’s influence in the center of the park, with the PSV colossus averaging 3.1 tackles and interceptions per game from his 29 league appearances last season, as well as an 84% pass accuracy rate.
With Spurs’ midfield woes in recent years – Oliver Skipp and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg were criticised by talkSPORT’s Perry Grove last season for seemingly “doing nothing” – finding a natural successor to Dembele should be a top priority for Levy.
While competitor interest in Sangare appears to be intense at the moment, Postecoglou may desire to make his interest in the Koumassi-born jewel more tangible.