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Ange Postecoglou’s overhaul of his Tottenham Hotspur squad has taken a key step forward with four players released by the club, as the Australian manager looks to clear space to bring in new arrivals – including a bid for a $96m Chelsea star.
Eric Dier, Ivan Perisic, Japhet Tanganga and Ryan Sessegnon all departed Spurs at the end of their contracts, with a club statement reading: “We thank Eric, Ivan, Ryan and Japhet for their service to the Club and wish them all the very best for the future.”
30-year-old Dier played 365 times for Spurs, but departed on loan to Bayern Munich in January – joining ex-Spurs captain Harry Kane at the German giants. He’s set to sign permanently there.
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It’s a similar situation for Ivan Perisic, who signed in 2022 and played 50 times for the club before leaving for Hajduk Split on loan in January.
25-year-old centre-back Japhet Tanganga was a highly-touted Spurs academy product who debuted for the senior team back in 2019 and went on to play 50 times before being sent out on two loans this season, including a fine stint with Championship side Millwall in the back half of the season. Spurs opted not to extend his deal by a further year which would have given them the chance to push for a transfer fee, something that seemed likely given widespread interest in his services.
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Sessegnon’s exit raises a few eyebrows given his undeniable talent – despite injuries having cruelled his career of late.
Sessegnon broke into the Fulham senior side at 16 and became a key player as they earned promotion to the Premier League, before signing for Spurs for £25m as a 19-year-old. That was back in 2019, but things haven’t quite gone to plan since. He played 23 games last season and 21 the year before, but the gifted left wing-back suffered a horror year with injury that required two hamstring surgeries and limited him to just one appearance this campaign.
Spurs had the option to extend the now 24-year-old’s contract for one more season, but opted not to.
Sessegnon wrote on Instagram: “Spurs, thank you. I would like to thank everyone associated with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. I joined at 19 and have met some very special people along the way that have supported and guided me.
“From my teammates, to the backroom staff to my coaches – thank you! I’ve got memories and friends for life. From making my debut to scoring in the Champions League. I’ll always cherish these moments.
“Unfortunately things didn’t work out the way I or the club wanted during my time here. It broke my heart that I couldn’t play in front of you a lot more.”
Meanwhile, another defender in Djed Spence appears likely to depart, with the 23-year-old in talks to sign a permanent deal with Genoa.
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Spence, who signed for Spurs in 2022 for £20 million ($A38.5m) but played just six games, had been hoping for a new chance at Tottenham when Postecoglou arrived. But he soon fell out of the first-team picture in pre-season and was sent on two loan deals – the latter to Genoa in January. Selling Spence to the Italian club, as Fabrizio Romano is reporting, could help raise crucial funds for Postecoglou.
And high on the Australian’s shopping list is Chelsea captain Conor Gallagher.
Aston Villa held talks in recent days with the Blues over signing the star 24-year-old, but Tottenham is also reportedly preparing an offer.
According to reports, Chelsea will seek at least £50m ($A96m) for the England midfielder – and that price could quickly rise even further if he impresses at the upcoming Euros.
Gallagher is a Chelsea Academy graduate and is not pushing for a move, but the Blues need to offload players after their outlandish spending spree in recent windows.
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