Alli out, Kane in doubt: The Tottenham players who could leave this summer

Paul Macdonald

• Updated: 23 May 2023 08:39 CDT
• 4 min read

Although a Carabao Cup final is on the horizon and a chance to end a 13-year wait for a major trophy beckons, you’d be hard-pressed to find any Tottenham Hotspur supporters who are currently content with their team’s performances.

Jose Mourinho’s men were dumped out of the FA Cup and Europa League by Everton and Dinamo Zagreb, respectively, while just three points from a possible 12 in the league has left their top-four hopes hanging by a thread.

The north London outfit are staring at a second consecutive campaign without Champions League football, and it could mean a summer clear-out is just around the corner. We take a look at who could be given the axe as Tottenham attempt to rebuild their faltering side.

READ MORE: Brandt out, Sancho in doubt: The Dortmund players who could leave this summer

Goalkeepers

Current number one Hugo Lloris has been a fabulous servant to Spurs since he arrived from Lyon back in 2012, making over 350 appearances for the capital club. However, the France international is set to enter the final 12 months of his contract at the end of the season, and several reports have seen him linked with a return to his homeland.

It could be a summer of upheaval in the goalkeeping department with former Manchester City shot-stopper Joe Hart failing to make an appearance since February 24. His social media gaffe won’t have done him any favours either, and Mourinho could start from scratch when it comes to his goalkeeping options.

Defenders

Despite Tottenham having the joint-fifth best defensive record in the Premier League this season, their backline has come under fire on multiple occasions throughout the current campaign for their less than convincing displays.

The likes of Eric Dier, Matt Doherty, Davinson Sanchez and Ben Davies have bore the brunt of the backlash, but in truth, it’s only summer-signing Sergio Reguilon who has covered himself in glory.

Doherty has struggled to settle since joined from Wolves less than a year ago, and although Serge Aurier has shown improvements, right-back continues to be a problem position for the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium side.

Mourinho is likely to show at least one right-back and one centre-back the exit door over the coming months to make room for incomings, however, who the departures will be remains unclear.

Midfielders

The purchase of former Bayern Munich and Southampton man Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has been a resounding success for Spurs this season, and Mourinho has also managed to extract the best form out of Tanguy Ndombele after the 24-year-old had a difficult first 12 months in English football.

Nevertheless, the centre of the park could see several changes in the upcoming transfer window as Tottenham attempt to tackle issues that have plagued their engine room throughout 2020/21.

It’s hard to see a future for Dele Alli or Harry Winks in north London after the pair have been restricted to a combined total of just nine top-flight starts this time around, meaning highly-rated youngster Oliver Skipp could get a chance to shine next season after impressing on loan at Norwich City.

An ageing Moussa Sissoko is expected to stay for one final campaign with the Lilywhites, while Argentina international Giovani Lo Celso is expected to be given another opportunity to prove his worth after multiple injuries prevented the creative talent from hitting form this season.

The transfer story that is set to dominate the headlines throughout the summer is whether Harry Kane will depart his boyhood club in search of silverware after scoring over 200 goals in a Tottenham shirt.

Many of the continent’s top teams have been linked with the 27-year-old, including both of the Manchester clubs, but Daniel Levy is expected to demand at least £150m for the England captain, and it’s extremely unlikely that he would sanction any sale to a domestic rival.

Two players who are almost guaranteed to depart, though, are loanees Gareth Bale and Carlos Vinicius. Bale has already revealed it is his intention to return to Real Madrid over the summer, while Tottenham are not expected to activate the £36m option to buy that was included in Vinicius’ loan move from Benfica.