Ange Postecoglou has revealed he wanted to sign a £54 million Chelsea player during his time at Spurs, speaking just 48 hours after Tottenham sacked Thomas Frank.
Frank was dismissed following a 2-1 defeat at home to Newcastle, a result that left Spurs in 16th place, only five points clear of the relegation zone. The decision had been coming, with pressure mounting for weeks amid poor performances and results.
The club are now searching for their next manager, with two former Chelsea bosses among the contenders. Mauricio Pochettino, currently preparing for the 2026 World Cup with the USA, has reportedly expressed interest in returning to North London.
Ange Postecoglou wanted to sign Pedro Neto before his move to Chelsea
During the conversation, Postecoglou mentioned that he had tried to sign Pedro Neto, who later joined Chelsea in 2024 for £54 million.
Neto has since contributed to 29 goals in 88 appearances for Chelsea, but opinions on him are still mixed. Speaking on Stick To Football, Postecoglou confirmed that he was interested in the winger before his move to Stamford Bridge.
“I was looking at Pedro Neto and Mbeumo and Semenyo at the time, Marc Guehi, because I said we need if we’re going to go from fifth to there, that’s what the other big clubs would do in that moment.”
Pedro Neto yet to find form under Liam Rosenior at Chelsea
Since Rosenior’s arrival at Stamford Bridge, a few players have really started to make their mark. Even without being fully fit, Cole Palmer has managed nine goal contributions in just six games, and Joao Pedro has been finding the net regularly.
Marc Cucurella has also spoken about the boost in confidence among some of the squad since Rosenior took over from Maresca. But not everyone has hit the ground running.
Alejandro Garnacho is still looking for consistency, while Neto is going through a rough patch with no goals or assists in his last 10 league appearances.
Rosenior knows what Neto is capable of – on his day, he’s one of the top wingers around. The challenge now is finding a way to get him firing again without disrupting the flow that Pedro and Palmer are building.
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