Ahead of Tottenham Hotspur's pre-season friendly against Kobe Victory Ship on Friday, Tottenham Hotspur manager Angie Postecoglou attended a press conference to give his thoughts on the team's transfer situation, preparations for the game, and his outlook on future reinforcements.
Regarding the upcoming pre-season friendly, Postecoglou said, "I'm very happy to be able to lead the team here for the match. We've had a great training day, the players have shown good form and we're looking forward to a great game against Kobe Victory. Kobe Victory is a strong team and their performance has been impressive, so we are looking forward to this match."
Speaking about the situation in the transfer market, Postecoglou admitted that fans may be bothered by the lack of information: "I understand the fans' concern about the progress of transfers, but the outside world tends to be flooded with a lot of inaccurate information during the process. We are actively working to bring in players who meet the needs of the team, but this process takes time and patience. The transfer targets we have set remain part of the plan and we must remain disciplined and free from outside interference. Although sometimes the timing of transfers may not be perfect, it is important that we stay focused and not get distracted by other things. The transfer plan for the summer is still valid, but we won't set a specific timetable because a lot of things are not in our control. What we need is patience and persistence."
In response to the rumors of signing K-League player Yang Min Geok, Postecoglou expressed his recognition of the quality of the K-League and mentioned the influence of Korean players in European football, especially the outstanding performance of Son. However, he did not directly respond to the specifics regarding the transfer of Ryong Min Geok, only stating that the team will be looking widely for good players.
When asked if he would sign a Japanese player for Spurs, Postecoglou shared his deep roots in Japanese soccer: "I spent almost four years in Japan and have an in-depth knowledge of the J-League. I think the quality of the J-League is very high and fully comparable to other leagues outside of the big five in Europe. Japanese soccer has made great strides in recent years and many Japanese players have shown great strength around the world. We saw Kaoru Mitaka's outstanding performance at Brighton, which proved how competitive Japanese players are in Europe. When I was at Celtic, I also led some Japanese players and their contribution to the team was huge. Therefore, I will keep an open mind as to whether I will sign Japanese players in the future and continue to look for those good players who can enhance the team."
