Tottenham's Pre-Season Tour: New Signings and Young Talents
Tottenham will take a fresh‑looking squad – and two headline summer signings – on their long-haul pre-season tour to New Zealand and Australia, as Ange Postecoglou steps up preparations for the new campaign.
Jan Paul van Hecke and Andy Robertson are both on the plane after finally reporting back this week from extended post-World Cup breaks. Neither defender featured in the 1-0 behind-closed-doors win over MK Dons on Wednesday, but their inclusion in the 35-man travelling party underlines how quickly Postecoglou wants them embedded in his plans.
The early evidence of Spurs’ sharpness came from Mateus Fernandes. The midfielder, another of the club’s newer faces, lit up that MK Dons friendly with a thunderous third-minute volley – the only goal of the game and an early marker for a place in Postecoglou’s starting XI. Sandro Tonali also got minutes in that run-out, banking valuable fitness before the squad heads overseas.
The tour schedule is demanding and deliberately so: friendlies against Auckland FC, Sydney FC and Chelsea will test depth, chemistry and resilience across two continents. For several senior names, though, the work continues back at Hotspur Way.
Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons, Dejan Kulusevski and Wilson Odobert will stay in north London to continue their rehabilitation programmes, with the club opting for caution rather than air miles. Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has picked up a minor knock in training and will remain behind for treatment.
World Cup exertions have reshaped the travelling party as well. Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Matar Sarr have been handed extended leave after their summer exploits, a reward for heavy minutes and high intensity on the international stage. World Cup finalists Pedro Porro, Marcos Senesi and Cristian Romero are in the same bracket, given extra time off before rejoining the group. Djed Spence, who also went deep into the tournament, will not travel either.
Their absence opens doors. Postecoglou has again turned to the academy, and the club’s belief in its next generation is written all over the list. Highly rated prospects Luca Williams-Barnett, Tyler Tingey and Mikey Moore all make the cut, gaining a priceless chance to impress in senior company and in front of sizeable overseas crowds.
They join a core that blends experience and promise. Brandon Austin, Martin Dubravka, Antonin Kinsky and Dylan Thompson provide the goalkeeping options. At the back, Kevin Danso, Ben Davies, Malachi Hardy, Robertson, Kota Takai, Tingey, Destiny Udogie, Micky van de Ven and van Hecke form a mix of established names and emerging talent.
Midfield looks busy and competitive. Lucas Bergvall, Harry Byrne, Jamie Donley, Fernandes, Conor Gallagher, Archie Gray, Tye Hall, Tyrese Hall, Rio Kyerematen, James Maddison, Reiss Russell-Denny, Tonali, Williams-Barnett and Yang Min-Hyeok all travel, jostling for minutes and for the manager’s trust.
No trophies are handed out in July, and no league points are at stake in Auckland or Sydney. But with new signings bedding in, World Cup stars resting up and academy hopefuls stepping into the light, this tour will say plenty about what kind of Tottenham side walks out on opening day – and who forces their way into Postecoglou’s first real team sheet of the season.
