Football Ground Map
Football Ground Map
Tottenham Hotspur are preparing for the first full season at their shiny new stadium and it looks set to host some huge games during 2019/20. The £1 billion arena finally flung open its doors to fans in April 2018 following a seven-month delay. Spurs swept Crystal Palace aside in that game and they have a strong record at their new home, so supporters are understandably excited at the prospect of a full campaign there.
They have played just eight games there, but that included a famous triumph over Man City in the Champions League quarter-finals. They went on to vanquish Ajax in the semis before falling just short against Liverpool in the final. But their strong home form towards the end of the season secured a top four place in the Premier League, and fans can therefore look forward to another exciting Champions League campaign in 2019/20. The players will be desperate to turn it into a fortress and it will be fascinating to see if the fans can replicate the pulsating atmosphere of White Hart Lane inside the new 62,062-seater stadium.
Despite that heartbreaking defeat in last season's Champions League final, there is much for Spurs fans to be excited about. Mauricio Pochettino is still at the club, no players have been sold this summer and Tottenham have finally started spending money in the transfer market. The best-reviewed sports betting sites make Spurs considerable underdogs in the battle to win the Premier League and the Champions League next season, but supporters should be optimistic about their team's prospects.
Danish playmaker Christian Eriksen alarmed fans by saying he is interested in a new challenge, but he remains a Spurs player. Daniel Levy slapped a £130 million price tag on his head and no bids have been forthcoming. It is an outrageous fee to demand for a player with just one year left on his contract, but if Levy's strategy was simply to deter suitors then it has had the desired effect. It seems as though he would rather lose Eriksen on a free transfer next season, as he knows how important the former Ajax man is to the club's attacking prospects. He has reported for pre-season training and he does not look to be going anywhere.
Toby Alderweireld is also still on Tottenham's books and he could well line up alongside Jan Vertongen at the heart of the defence next season. All the big players are fully committed to the club, and Harry Kane, Son Heung-Min and Dele Alli should be even more accomplished next season as they grow in experience. Most importantly, Pochettino has not been lured away by the bright lights of Madrid or Manchester.
Spurs have also snapped up Tanguy Ndombele for £54 million and he should be a great replacement for Mousa Dembele. Spurs looked lightweight in midfield after selling the Belgian last season, and Ndombele is a powerful box-to-box player that should really beef up their options in the middle of the park. Jack Clarke has joined from Leeds of a £9.9 million deal, and it marks the end of a long period of inactivity in the transfer market.
There is still plenty of work to be done. Fernando Llorente has left and they need to sign a back-up striker quickly, while more options going forward and at full-back would be nice. But Spurs are in a much stronger position than rivals like Arsenal, Chelsea and Man Utd, and they look well poised to challenge Man City and Liverpool for glory next season.
The cost of moving stadiums might leave them somewhat hamstrung in the transfer market, but so far they have displayed plenty of ambition. They have also gained approval to covert The Goods Yard in White Hart Lane into 330 new homes, plus retail and office space, so that should help them recoup some of the cash. The future is looking bright for Tottenham and it will be interesting to see what the new season brings at their dazzling new stadium.
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