Football
Porro and Bergvall among 29 players to feature in Spurs’ early pre-season plans
The summer of 2024 is a huge one for Ange Postecoglou as he looks to achieve his lofty ambitions for Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. Immediately making his mark in north London following his appointment as head coach almost one year ago, the 58-year-old managed to guide Spurs to fifth in the 2023/24 Premier League table and a place in next season’s Europa League.
Last summer was pivotal for Postecoglou in terms of implementing his football philosophy and forming his squad for the season ahead, with his players immediately buying into his ideas and starting the term in fine form. This pre-season, which sees Tottenham jet off to Japan and South Korea, is also going to be vitally important to the head coach’s long-term thinking as he looks for his team to kick on even more.
Whereas 12 months ago he had the vast majority of his squad to work with early on in pre-season, this time it will be slightly different with Euro 2024 and the Copa America taking place. Both tournaments come to an end on Sunday, July 14, thus meaning that it could be early August when a few players return to Hotspur Way if they do indeed go all the way to the final and then have their break.
A handful of Tottenham players do look set to be involved in Euro 2024, with Guglielmo Vicario (Italy), Micky van de Ven (Netherlands) and James Maddison (England) all named in their respective country’s provisional squad for the tournament. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg looks a certainty to be included by Denmark and the same goes for Radu Dragusin and Romania.
Unfortunately, Pedro Porro won’t be involved in the tournament for Spain despite a very promising first full season at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Jesus Navas, who is now 38 years of age, has received the nod over the Spurs man in Luis de la Fuente’s provisional 29-man party.
In terms of the Copa America, Cristian Romero and Giovani Lo Celso are in Argentina’s preliminary squad and will be expected to play a big part for the World Cup holders in the competition taking place in the United States. Uruguay have not finalised the players set to feature for them at the Copa America but Rodrigo Bentancur will be one of the first names on the teamsheet for Marcelo Bielsa.
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Potentially having eight players involved in the two competitions taking place this summer, Postecoglou does in fact have a large number of his squad to work with in the opening weeks of pre-season training. The likes of Son Heung-min, Dejan Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson will have international fixtures to play at the beginning of June and could quite possibly report to training a few days after the non-internationals who will be back at the club’s training base on the first day of pre-season training.
Porro, Richarlison and Emerson Royal will also be at Hotspur Way early on after missing out on international duty this summer. The first few weeks of pre-season training should allow Manor Solomon, Ben Davies and Destiny Udogie the chance to get up to speed after finishing the campaign in the treatment room.
A number of loan players such as Sergio Reguilon, Tanguy Ndombele and Japhet Tanganga will also return to Hotspur Way unless a permanent move materialises before then.
Lucas Bergvall will be one of those involved from the start of pre-season as he is due to link up with Postecoglou’s Spurs squad on Monday, July 1. Making such an impression in his homeland of Sweden with Djurgarden, Tottenham supporters will be keeping a very keen eye on the midfielder in the weeks ahead in hope that he stars for the first team in 2024/25.
If Timo Werner is to join Tottenham on a permanent basis, he will be another to be involved from the beginning of pre-season after failing to make Germany’s Euro 2024 squad.
So which players are staying behind and which are featuring at either Euro 2024 or the Copa America this summer? football.london takes a look below.
Euro 2024: Guglielmo Vicario, Radu Dragusin, Micky van de Ven, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, James Maddison.
Copa America: Cristian Romero, Giovani Lo Celso, Rodrigo Bentancur.
Remaining behind: Fraser Forster, Brandon Austin, Alfie Whiteman, Pedro Porro, Emerson Royal, Djed Spence, Ashley Phillips, Joe Rodon, Japhet Tanganga, Ben Davies, Destiny Udogie, Sergio Reguilon, Oliver Skipp, Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr, Tanguy Ndombele, Alfie Devine, Lucas Bergvall, Manor Solomon, Bryan Gil, Brennan Johnson, Dejan Kulusevski, Mikey Moore, Jamie Donley, Son Heung-min, Richarlison, Alejo Veliz, Troy Parrott, Dane Scarlett.
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