Ange Postecoglou says Spurs not likely to be ‘restricted’ with summer transfers

Tottenham will host Forest on Sunday, with the visitors deducted points this season due to financial issues.

Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham host Nottingham Forest on Sunday (John Walton/PA) (PA Wire)

Ange Postecoglou has acknowledged Tottenham will not be restricted like some clubs when it comes to spending in the summer transfer window.

Spurs announced their 2022-23 financial results on Wednesday, which showed total revenue for the Premier League club had increased to £549.6million, up from £444m for the previous year.

Club chairman Daniel Levy also revealed they were “in discussions with prospective investors” over a minority stake in Tottenham, and while a loss of £86.8m was recorded, this was put down to “significant and continued investment in the playing squad”.

The breaches of Premier League Profit and Sustainability rules by Everton and Nottingham Forest, which resulted in points deductions, contributed towards a quiet January transfer window – with Spurs one of the biggest spenders.

A similarly muted summer transfer window is anticipated, but Tottenham could again buck the trend with a plethora of additions despite overall losses of up to £232m over the past three years, due to an annual depreciation charge of £72m being included owing to the club’s stadium rebuild.

“My discussions around those kinds of issues are not the minutiae of a balance sheet,” Postecoglou explained ahead of Sunday’s visit of Forest.

“It is about us planning to build a side that can potentially be successful. So, that’s what we’re doing and nothing that is going to come out in the balance sheet is going to disrupt those plans because those plans are done in alliance with the people who make the balance sheets.

“It is not like ‘oh, we are going to wait for the financial results before we start thinking about who we’re going to sign’. All this stuff is already in planning.

“We kind of know what position we’re in and what we need to do in the summer. That doesn’t mean it’s all going to come to fruition of course, because there are all sorts of other factors that come into it.

We're in a good position and hopefully we can build on that

Ange Postecoglou

“Our planning is well under way in what we need to do. But there’s no doubt that from our perspective, we are not one of the clubs who are going to be as restricted as others.

“From my perspective, I’ve had a clear line of communication about where we are as a football club and nothing I’ve taken on has surprised me in any way. We’re in a good position and hopefully we can build on that.”

It was put to Postecoglou that Champions League qualification would be beneficial from a financial standpoint, but the Australian doubled down on his assertation that a top-four finish is not his aim for this season – it is instead to see clear signs of progress in terms of their playing style.

He added: “We’re not banks, we’re football clubs. We’re not financial institutions. I don’t get measured by the balance sheet at the end of the year.

“What I’m saying is, Champions League, great. Money, great. Does that mean we’re going to finish third next year? No, in fact it is probably going to be more challenging.

“So my role in that is not to worry about the financial pressure of making Champions League.

“It is to create a squad that hopefully can compete in the Champions League and keep improving in the Premier League and have success in the cup competitions. That’s where I differentiate.”