Tottenham Hotspur are flying high on momentum under Ange Postecoglou at the start of the 2023/24 season, with the Australian coach keeping them unbeaten and in the Premier League title race in the early months of the campaign. However, it appears that there is still work going on behind the scenes to fill a key role at the club.
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Tottenham Hotspur Hold Talks With Aston Villa Director Johan Lange Over Sporting Director Role
Watch: Life after Harry Kane and how Postecoglou replaced his output
Who is Johan Lange?
The Athletic’s Adam Leventhal reports that the Lilywhites have held talks with Aston Villa’s global director of football Johan Lange over the possibility of becoming their new sporting director. The 43-year-old has been with the Villans since 2020, after being brought in by the Premier League after spending six years as FC Copenhagen’s technical director from 2014 to 2020.
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He was a former sporting director at Aston Villa as well before seeing his role seemingly change in June 2023 following an internal restructuring during the summer. Lange’s current work sees him look into the various teams across all levels and also the smooth operations of their youth academy. He has been praised as the one who oversaw the signings of key players Ollie Watkins, Emiliano Martinez and Matty Cash according to The Athletic.
Are Spurs Close to Appointing Lange?
Leventhal further adds that Spurs have identified Lange as a potential successor to Fabio Paratici, who resigned from his role as sporting director at the club in April after being banned by FIFA. It is also noted that the 43-year-old’s departure from Villa has been internally discussed, but nothing has been finalized yet.
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When it comes to the responsibilities Lange would take on following the switch, Leventhal states that he will report to Chief Football Officer Scott Munn, who began his role recently. The new sporting director will mostly be responsible for player deals, which will involve identifying and signing new players as well as looking into contract extensions for the current players. The Villa chief has been hailed as their “hidden hero” for his good work in the past, but it remains to be seen if the Lilywhites can get this deal over the line anytime soon.
