Tottenham Hotspur are not worried about Ange Postecoglou leaving the club early in the summer, despite links with Liverpool and Manchester City, football.london has learned.
Postecoglou has impressed everyone at Spurs since arriving at the club from Celtic last summer and signing a four-year deal. The Australian has transformed the team’s style of football and taken them to fifth in the Premier League and three points behind second-placed Manchester City, despite losing star man Harry Kane on the eve of the season and struggling with an injury crisis for much of the campaign.
The only disappointments have come in the cup competitions: losing to Fulham on penalty kicks in the Carabao Cup on Friday night and beating City in the FA Cup. Otherwise, Postecoglou brought a breath of fresh air to the North London club and has already started planning for the long-term future, as Spurs quickly made sure he got what he needed in both transfer windows.
This week, Postecoglou was linked as one of the candidates to succeed Pep Guardiola in 2025 when his current contract with Manchester City expires, and then after the shock news that Jurgen Klopp will leave Liverpool at the end of the season, the Australian was linked with that job too.
Postecoglou’s links with Liverpool are mainly due to the fact that Postecoglou supported the club as a child, although before Spurs’ showdown with Klopp’s club in September, he said: ‘I had some friends who went to United, so I went with Liverpool to make it interesting. Like every kid, I had posters on the wall. Liverpool was my team, but when you grow up things change. I used to love Happy Days, but now I don’t have posters of the Fonz on my wall. That’s the way it goes.”
We understand that Spurs are not afraid of Postecoglou leaving the club early in the summer and that the Australian is excited about the project he has at Tottenham. Those who know the head coach describe him as someone who is loyal to those who give him a chance, with a desire to see them succeed, and he sees great potential in what he can do at Spurs.
Postecoglou has been linked to The City Group, owning a minority stake in Yokohama F Marinos, the club he ran in Japan, which accounts for some of the links with the Manchester job. However, Guardiola hinted on Friday night, when he paid tribute to Klopp, that he could extend his contract at City beyond 2025.
“Everything is fine with me. I have one more year to go, I want to do it – and maybe I will extend,” he said. “I’m trying to manage. What we did last season, we have to do more and more now – it’s not going to happen. Step by step.
“I see my team every day and the team is here. They are still fighting with each other. The competitiveness in training. They want to win. The focus they have, the way they talk. The way they communicate. How they celebrate. Of course we’re going to lose games, but it’s my duty to see how we do. I am also surprised by my players, because even after everything they have done, they are still there. That makes me very proud to be part of this club.”