Tottenham's Pre-Season Tour Squad: New Signings and Academy Prospects

Tottenham will take a fresh-looking squad – and two headline summer signings – on their long-haul pre-season tour to New Zealand and Australia, with Jan Paul van Hecke and Andy Robertson both on the plane.

The pair only reported back this week after extended breaks following the World Cup and sat out Wednesday’s 1-0 behind-closed-doors win over MK Dons, but Ange Postecoglou has wasted no time drafting them into his travelling group. Their first minutes in a Spurs shirt could now come on the other side of the world.

While the new defenders watched from the sidelines, Mateus Fernandes seized centre stage against MK Dons, crashing in a fierce third-minute volley that proved the difference. The Brazilian midfielder, along with fellow recruit Sandro Tonali, did feature in that friendly and both now head into the tour with valuable early rhythm.

Not everyone is fit enough – or ready – to join the trip. Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons, Dejan Kulusevski and Wilson Odobert will stay back at Hotspur Way to continue rehabilitation work, a clear sign Spurs are prioritising long-term sharpness over short-term spectacle. Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has picked up a minor knock in training and will also remain in London for treatment.

The World Cup continues to shape Tottenham’s summer. Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Matar Sarr have been given extended leave after their efforts at the tournament, as have finalists Pedro Porro, Marcos Senesi and Cristian Romero. Djed Spence, who went deep into the competition himself, will also not travel.

In their place comes opportunity. Three highly regarded academy prospects – Luca Williams-Barnett, Tyler Tingey and Mikey Moore – have been promoted into a 35-man squad that will test itself against Auckland FC, Sydney FC and Chelsea. For them, this is the sharp end of the pathway: long flights, big crowds, and a manager who has never been afraid to back youth.

The goalkeeping group for the tour features Brandon Austin, Martin Dubravka, Antonin Kinsky and Dylan Thompson, offering a blend of experience and development behind the established No 1, Vicario, who stays home to recover.

Defensively, Spurs will be well stocked despite the absentees. Kevin Danso, Ben Davies, Malachi Hardy, Andy Robertson, Kota Takai, Tyler Tingey, Destiny Udogie, Micky van de Ven and Jan Paul van Hecke form a unit that mixes proven Premier League quality with raw potential. The presence of Robertson and van Hecke gives an early glimpse of how Postecoglou might reshape his back line.

Midfield, as ever under the Australian, looks busy and aggressive. Lucas Bergvall, Harry Byrne, Jamie Donley, Mateus Fernandes, Conor Gallagher, Archie Gray, Tye Hall, Tyrese Hall, Rio Kyerematen, James Maddison, Reiss Russell-Denny, Sandro Tonali, Luca Williams-Barnett and Yang Min-Hyeok are all on the list, a crowded engine room where reputations can grow quickly over 90 summer minutes.

Spurs head south with a squad that is neither full strength nor experimental for the sake of it. It is something more interesting: a snapshot of where this project stands, with stars resting, new signings bedding in, and academy hopefuls stepping into the light as the season’s story starts to take shape.