Tottenham blocked me from signing Semenyo, Mbeumo - Ange Postecoglou

Former Tottenham Hotspur head coach, Ange Postecoglou has disclosed that he wanted to sign Ghanaian forward Antoine Semenyo and Cameroon’s Bryan Mbeumo during his time at the club.

He noted that there were several other players such as Marc Guéhi and Pedro Neto whom his recruitment team recommended before they eventually moved to top clubs.

The Greek-Australian manager explained that club officials did not pursue the deals, despite his belief that Spurs needed Premier League ready players to compete at the highest level.

Antoine Semenyo makes history

“So we ended up with Dom Solanke, who, absolutely, I was really keen on, and three teenagers. I was looking at Pedro Neto, Mbeumo and Semenyo at the time. Marc Guéhi. Because I said if we’re going to go from fifth, that’s what the other big clubs would do in that moment.

"And those three teenagers are outstanding young players, and they will be brilliant players for Tottenham. But they’re not going to get you from fifth to fourth and third. But what was coming out from the club was, ‘No, we’re a club that can compete on all fronts,’” he said on The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast.

He further added that, “there are certain players… at the end of my first year, when we finished fifth. For me, OK, how do you go from fifth to really challenging? Well, we had to sign Premier League ready players. But finishing fifth that year didn’t get us Champions League. We didn’t have the money.”

This revelation comes after the recent dismissal of Thomas Frank as Tottenham boss following abysmal performances.

Postecoglou was sacked despite winning the UEFA Europa League with Spurs in the 2024/2025 season.

SB/JE

Meanhwile, watch highlights of U20 match between Black Princesses vs South Africa