TOTTENHAM have announced their renewed Europa League squad… and there are a few surprises.
Spurs punched their ticket straight into the Last 16 after finishing fourth in the league phase.
The North Londoners were allowed to make three changes to the squad ahead of the knockouts.
Manager Ange Postecoglou added two January signings in Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel.
Danso, 26, moved to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on loan from Lens with an obligation to buy for around £21million.
Tel, 19, also joined on loan from Bayern Munich with an option to buy for about £52m, which would then lead to a six-year contract.
The forward initially rejected Tottenham but changed his mind after a long phone call with Postecoglou, who won him over after he explained how he plans to use him on the pitch.
Danso and Tel were joined in the Europa League squad by Djed Spence, who has shone bright this season amid Spurs’ injury hell, as the third change.
Postecoglou had to make two major omissions to make space for the aforementioned trio.
That led to Timo Werner and another January signing in Antonin Kinsky being axed.
Kinsky, 21, joined Tottenham from Slavia Prague after a £12.5m deal as an emergency transfer following Guglielmo Vicario’s injury and a series of gaffes from back-up goalkeeper Fraser Forster last month.
However, Vicario is expected to return from an ankle injury and Postecoglou decided to have Brandon Austin as the Italian shot-stopper’s back-up after also axing Forster.
Werner has fallen down the pecking order following a series of below-par performances.
The winger, who earns about £200,000 per week amid his loan stint from RB Leipzig, recently received some brutal criticism from Postecoglou, who claimed: “He wasn’t playing anywhere near the level he should”.
The Germany international is also dealing with a hamstring injury, which could have contributed to his omission.
Radu Dragusin has also been axed following a knee injury that could sideline him for the rest of the season.
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