Ange Postecoglou fires blunt Tottenham transfer warning | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou admitted that his injury-ravaged squad "needs help" in the form of January transfers and warned that making no outfield additions would be "playing with fire".

Spurs have endured a testing campaign. While they remain well placed in three different cup competitions, the north London outfit have lost 12 of their 22 Premier League games this season - as many top-flight defeats as they suffered throughout the entirety of last term.

Persistent injuries, particularly to the crucial centre-back duo of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, have forced several players to line up in unfamiliar positions while playing Postecoglou's typically demanding style of football. Goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky joined from Slavia Prague at the start of the month, but Postecoglou has publicly called for more arrivals.

"This playing group needs help, there's no doubt about that," the Australian manager told reporters ahead of his side's league meeting with Leicester City on Sunday. "We're sort of playing with fire by not bringing anyone in, but the flip side of that is the club is trying to change that situation."

Ange Postecoglou has had to rely upon Tottenham's young player this season / Michael Regan/GettyImages

Postecoglou insists that he has no direct involvement in the club's transfer dealings, but does have a regular dialogue with Tottenham's technical director Johan Lange.

"My discussions with Johan and the club have been about trying to get some help for the players and I'll let them do their jobs," the 59-year-old explained. "I have daily communication with Johan in particular and he's trying everything he possibly can to get the help we need.

"I don't think I'm stating anything other than the obvious and for me to come here and say something else would be disingenuous."

Tottenham finished Postecoglou's debut season in charge in fifth place, above the likes of Chelsea, Newcastle, Manchester United and West Ham. All those teams currently sit above Spurs in the league table.

Postecoglou had a simple explanation for the severe downturn. "It's just injuries," he shrugged. "I mean you can walk outside and say, 'Jeez it's really bright', and say to yourself maybe it's not the sun. But it is the sun, mate, we've just got injuries."

Only two clubs in world football - Saudi giants Al Hilal and infamous free-spenders Paris Saint-Germain - have recorded a larger net spend than Spurs since Postecoglou took over in the summer of 2023. However, the beleaguered boss, whose position is not under threat just yet, is adamant that more arrivals are needed.