Tottenham 'not a big club', says former manager Ange Postecoglou

Ange Postecoglou has criticised Tottenham's transfer strategy while claiming his former side are "not a big club" in the wake of Thomas Frank's sacking.

Frank, who replaced Postecoglou as head coach last summer, was sacked on Wednesday with Spurs five points above the Premier League relegation zone.

Speaking on The Overlap's Stick to Football, external podcast, the Australian praised the club's "unbelievable" facilities but said financial limitations meant they could not sign his main targets, such as Pedro Neto, Bryan Mbeumo, Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi, in 2024.

"When you look at their expenditure and particularly their wages structure, they're not a big club," he said.

"I saw that because, when we were trying to sign players, we weren't in the market for those players."

Portuguese forward Neto joined Chelsea in a £54m deal in 2024, Mbeumo moved to Manchester United for £65m last summer, while Semenyo and Guehi moved to Manchester City for a combined £85m last month.

Postecoglou guided Spurs to fifth in the Premier League during his first season in charge, but he was sacked after a 17th-placed finish the following season.

He did, however, end the club's 17-year wait for silverware by winning the Europa League in 2025.

"I think they didn't realise that, to actually win, you've got to take some risks," he said.

"I felt like Tottenham as a club were saying, 'we're one of the big boys', and the reality is I don't think they are."

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