Former Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has claimed the club are failing to challenge near the top of the Premier League due to their wage structure.
Speaking in the wake of the sacking of his successor Thomas Frank, he told The Overlap podcast the club missed out on four key targets – Pedro Neto, Bryan Mbeumo, Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi – that he hoped would drive them forward following a fifth-placed finish in 2023-24.
All four players have since been sold by their respective clubs while Spurs have been forced to shop elsewhere.
“At the end of my first year when we finished fifth, for me, OK how do you go from fifth to really challenging?” said Postecoglou.
“Well we had to sign Premier League-ready players. But finishing fifth that year didn’t get us Champions League, we didn’t have the money. So we ended up signing Dom Solanke, who I was really keen on him, I really like him, and three teenagers.
“I was looking at Pedro Neto and Mbeumo and Semenyo at the time, Marc Guehi, because I said if we’re going to go from fifth to there, that’s what the other big clubs would do in that moment.
“And those three teenagers are outstanding young players. And I think they’ll be great players for Tottenham, but they’re not going to get you from fifth to fourth and third.”
Here the Press Association looks at the careers of those four elusive signings since 2024 and what Postecoglou missed out on.
Pedro Neto, Wolves (now at Chelsea)
Spurs were in for the Wolves winger, at that time an experienced Premier League player of five years, at the end of Postecoglou’s first season but were beaten to his signature by arch-rivals Chelsea, it is understood due to the Blues greater wage capacity.
The Portugal international has gone on to be a key player under successive managers at Stamford Bridge, playing a leading role as the team won the Conference League and Club World Cup and returned to the Champions League, scoring 16 goals in 88 games.
Bryan Mbeumo, Brentford (now at Manchester United)
The Cameroon international had been a key part of the Bees success since winning promotion and in the summer of 2024 had just enjoyed his most productive Premier League campaign, scoring nine times across 25 games.
He was sold to Old Trafford a year later for £65million plus add-ons and has been the outstanding acquisition of United’s summer rebuild with 10 goals in 22 games so far as they have climbed to fourth.
Antoine Semenyo, Bournemouth (now at Manchester City)
Semenyo was emerging as breakout star at the Vitality Stadium in the summer of 2024 but went on to have his best season in 2024-25.
Spurs tried to get him from the Cherries earlier this season but lost out to Manchester City, where he has scored five goals in his first eight appearances following his £62.5m move in January.
Marc Guehi, Crystal Palace (now at Manchester City)
Guehi had just starred for England at Euro 2024 but it was six months later on January deadline day that Spurs made a last-minute attempt to get him from Selhurst Park.
That approach was rejected and 12 months down the line he moved to City for an initial £20m.
