Australian Ange Postecoglou accepts Tottenham Hotspur job with player clear-out planned

Ange Postecoglou has won 14 trophies in senior management across Celtic, Yokohama Marinos, the Australian national team, Brisbane Roar and South Melbourne. Photo / Getty Images

Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspur’s 70-day hunt for a new head coach has finally come to an end with Australian Ange Postecoglou agreeing to become chairman Daniel Levy’s 11th permanent appointment.

Postecoglou, who won a Scottish domestic treble in what proved to be his final season in charge of Celtic, has accepted the Spurs job after Julian Nagelsmann dropped out of the running and Arne Slot decided to stay at Feyenoord.

It is believed Postecoglou has agreed a contract that could run for three years and that he has cost Tottenham less than £5 million (NZ$10.2m) in compensation, with an announcement being prepared.

The biggest issue facing Postecoglou will be whether or not Harry Kane will be part of his squad, with Real Madrid joining Manchester United in the race to try to sign the striker.

Levy is understood to remain determined to keep Kane, who he values at over £100m (NZ$204m), but Real are willing to test that resolve after losing Karim Benzema.

Britain’s Daily Telegraph understands that senior players at Real believe Kane is the best candidate to replace Benzema, with the Spaniards also interested in Chelsea’s Kai Havertz and Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez. A move for both Kane and Havertz has not been ruled out.

Kane has not signed an extension to his contract that will expire at the end of next season and is not expected to do so this summer.

While Spurs do not want to sell Kane, Postecoglou’s arrival is expected to precede a huge attempted clear-out as the club look to re-shape the first-team squad for the 57-year-old.

Tottenham are believed to be willing to let go as many as seven first-team players, led by captain Hugo Llloris and Ivan Perisic, in what could be a big summer of change.

The futures of Davinson Sanchez and Ryan Sessegnon are also in doubt, while Spurs have decided not to sign Arnaut Danjuma, who spent the second half of last season on loan at the club, while Clement Lenglet may be allowed to return to Barcelona. Bids, should they be forthcoming, could also be listened to for Ben Davies or Eric Dier.

Tottenham’s disappointing campaign, in which they finished eighth and missed out on qualification for Europe, is understood to have prompted a will to clear out a number of players this summer.

On top of the first-team players who could be allowed to leave, Spurs will attempt to sell Giovani Lo Celso, Sergio Reguilon and Harry Winks, who spent last season out on loan, but have not made a decision on the future of midfielder Tanguy Ndombele.

Ndombele spent last season on loan at Napoli and made 30 league appearances as the Italian club won the Serie A title and sources have indicated that Postecoglou may wish to take a close look at him before a decision on the 26-year-old’s future is made.

Postecoglou permanently replaces Antonio Conte, who officially left Spurs on March 27, and becomes the latest man to try to end the club’s long trophy drought.

The previous 10 permanent managers hired by Levy have won 62 trophies between them, with only one of those - the 2008 League Cup under Juande Ramos - coming at Tottenham.

Postecoglou’s appointment takes that figure to 76, with the Australian winning 14 trophies in senior management across Celtic, Yokohama Marinos, the Australian national team, Brisbane Roar and South Melbourne.