It isn’t long now before players are expected back for their pre-season training, and at Tottenham Hotspur things are going to be a bit different under Ange Postecoglou.
New players will join the group, some of the deadwood will be got rid of, and players will once again have to prove their worth.
The arrival of a new manager and backroom staff invariably sees the slate wiped clean and so, whomever performs well will get the nod.
Players like Harry Kane, if he’s still are the club by the start of the 2023/24 season, are non-negotiable, but there will be other positions up for grabs.
Perhaps that’s why the north Londoners are readying a bid for Leicester City’s England international midfielder, James Maddison.
According to The Telegraph (subscription required) the Foxes are asking for £60m for the player, however, the north Londoners only appear willing to go to £40m with some add-ons.
Given Daniel Levy’s track record in the marketplace it really shouldn’t be a surprise that he’s trying to lowball the Championship side, and with Newcastle retaining an interest, it wouldn’t be beyond the realms of possibility either to see the Magpies in pole position in due course if Levy isn’t prepared to open his wallet wide enough.
Antonio Conte’s infamous rant last season included a pointed critique of the chairman, and until Daniel Levy learns to make the necessary changes in his way of working, Tottenham are always going to find it difficult to join the Premier League’s elite.