Tottenham: Ange Postecoglou makes 'urgent' Spurs transfer admission as injuries mount

Ange Postecoglou is not expecting any imminent new signings at Tottenham, but says the club will exercise “urgency” in the transfer market after another defeat and with more injuries piling up.

Spurs have only signed 21-year-old goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky from Czech side Slavia Prague so far this month, while teenage winger Yang Min-hyeok also completed his move from Gangwon FC in South Korea that was agreed in the summer.

That is despite a wretched run of Premier League form that has seen Tottenham win just one of their last 10 matches and led to legitimate worries over yet being dragged into a potential relegation fight.

Postecoglou’s free-falling side on Sunday slumped to a 12th defeat in 22 top-flight games this season to increase the pressure on their under-fire manager, going 3-0 down away at struggling Everton before eventually fighting back to lose 3-2.

Spurs’ list of absentees for the trip to Goodison Park again stretched into double digits with the latest worsening of an injury crisis that has blighted their squad throughout a tough winter period, with forwards Dominic Solanke (hamstring) and Brennan Johnson (calf) both now set for weeks on the sidelines and midfielder Yves Bissouma also absent on Merseyside with a knock, joining Guglielmo Vicario, Destiny Udogie, Timo Werner, Rodrigo Bentancur, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Wilson Odobert in missing the game.

Of that number, only Bentancur could possibly be back soon as he goes through concussion protocols following a head injury sustained in the Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg win over Liverpool earlier this month. Tottenham face an even worse predicament for Thursday night’s Europa League trip to Hoffenheim in Germany with full-backs Djed Spence and Sergio Reguilon both ineligible to play.

Postecoglou has repeatedly stressed the need for new signings in the January window to help boost his depleted squad, but has insisted that he is not frustrated by the lack of arrivals so far and is convinced that the club are doing everything possible to find solutions.

“There will be urgency, but it doesn't need me to say it,” Postecoglou told Sky Sports on Tottenham’s transfer search after the loss at Everton.

“Everybody can see that. I've no issues with how the club are going about it, they are working hard and trying to find solutions.

“These players need help that is for sure and hopefully over the next 10 days or so we'll find a solution. It is really tricky, we're not the only ones in the market. The club are trying hard.”

Asked in his post-match press conference if there was any sign of imminent transfer activity, the Australian said: “Look, as I said during the week, I'm sure like everybody, the club's well aware of our situation and they're doing their utmost.

“As far as I know at the moment there's nothing imminent, but you know, I assume between now and we're getting to the end of the window that hopefully something comes up.”

When put to Postecoglou that new signings are tied in with his future as he does not currently have the numbers necessary to battle to positive results, he added: “I separate myself from that. This is not about me, but what is about me right now is I have the responsibility of the group of players I do have, to try and get us through this, and that's what I've got to focus on.

“For me to focus on anything else is abstaining myself from the responsibility I have. I'm just determined to get us out of this. The club's doing its best. It’s more about helping the players than helping me because they're the ones we're asking some massive jobs of. 18-year-olds.

“We had a 17-year-old out there trying to win games of football for us. And others who are just playing week on week, so, you know it's more about getting the players help rather than me help.”

Postecoglou reiterated that the need for new signings at Tottenham was obvious even before the latest injuries to Solanke and Johnson.

“I mean it doesn't really [increase the need for more players]. I mean I think it was pretty evident before that, but yeah, like I said, we had 11 or 12 missing today and we've got to see how Rodri's [Bentancur] going through the protocols. Apart from him, no one else is really due to come back.

“We've got a European game on Thursday, we obviously can't use Djed or Reguilon in that, so we're in this situation.”