Ange Postecoglou was pleased with how Tottenham strengthened their squad in January, though he had reporters on edge with a joke about one failed deadline-day move.
Spurs were one of the busier Premier League sides during what was a quiet transfer window overall, bringing in £21million centre-back Ragu Dragusin and signing RB Leipzig forward Timo Werner in a loan-to-buy deal.
They arrived early in the window as Spurs worked to plug gaps in their squad, having suffered from injuries in defence and seen Son Heung-min link up with South Korea for the Asian Cup.
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Speaking ahead of Saturday’s trip to Everton, Postecoglou hailed the work done by Spurs, who also sanctioned loan exits for the likes of Eric Dier, Alejo Veliz, Ashley Phillips and Alfie Devine.
However, he began his press conference with a joke about missing out on seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton, who confirmed he will leave Mercedes for Ferrari in 2025 amid a slow news day in the football world on Thursday.
“Probably the only disappointing one for us yesterday was one where I felt there was a good opportunity for us, but the club didn’t feel it was right,” Postecoglou said.
“I was disappointed at that… But he ended up at Ferrari so we just have to cop it! I got you all there didn’t I? I felt you needed something after a bit of a flat day yesterday.”
There was one deadline day move Ange wasn’t too happy about… ????️ pic.twitter.com/2x33L50co8
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) February 2, 2024
Providing a more serious assessment, Postecoglou continued: “From our perspective, we had some clear objectives.
“One was we had a real gap at centre-back, particularly after letting Davinson Sanchez go [to Galatasaray] after the window closed last time.
“Getting Radu Dragusin early was great. Obviously getting Timo Werner early was also excellent for us.
“With the injuries we’ve had and with Son away, the beauty of getting them early is they have made a contribution.
“If we had left it to the last day yesterday, it still takes them time to settle. Both of them have settled well. Even in terms of outgoings, we got some good loans.
“With Alejo Veliz it’s great for him to get game time at Sevilla in a good league. Players like Ashley Phillips and Alfie Devine got good loans, too.”
Spurs could be set for another boost ahead of their trip to Goodison Park, with midfielder Pape Sarr in contention to feature following Senegal’s surprise exit from the Africa Cup of Nations.
“In terms of the other night, everyone got through. It’s a short turnaround, so we haven’t done too much,” Postecoglou added.
“Pape is back. He had a long trip. We’ll assess him but it’s fair to say he’s involved, although we’ll see to what extent.”
