Tottenham's Summer Tour Squad: New Faces and Academy Talents

Tottenham will head to the other side of the world this summer with a squad that blends marquee arrivals, seasoned internationals and a clutch of ambitious academy talents – but several of the club’s biggest World Cup names will stay behind.

New faces on the plane

New signings Jan Paul van Hecke and Andy Robertson have both been included in the 35-man group travelling to New Zealand and Australia, despite only reporting back for pre-season this week after extended breaks following the World Cup.

The pair sat out the behind-closed-doors win over MK Dons on Wednesday, a 1-0 tune‑up settled almost immediately by Mateus Fernandes, who smashed in a third‑minute volley to underline his own readiness for the campaign ahead. Sandro Tonali also featured in that game and will make the tour, giving Spurs fans in Auckland and Sydney an early look at a rebuilt midfield.

Tottenham will face Auckland FC, Sydney FC and Chelsea on the tour, a schedule designed to sharpen fitness but also test combinations in a squad that is being quietly reshaped.

Big names stay at base

Not everyone is boarding the flight. Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons, Dejan Kulusevski and Wilson Odobert will remain at Hotspur Way to continue rehabilitation work, with the club unwilling to risk setbacks at the start of a long season.

Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has picked up a minor knock in training and will stay behind for treatment, another precautionary call rather than a major alarm.

Several of Tottenham’s World Cup contingent have been handed extra time off after deep runs at the tournament. Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Matar Sarr have both been granted extended leave, while World Cup finalists Pedro Porro, Marcos Senesi and Cristian Romero are also resting up. Djed Spence, who reached the latter stages of the competition, will not travel either.

The message is clear: this tour is about balance – conditioning those available without burning out the players who carried heavy international loads.

Academy opportunity

With senior names missing, the door opens for youth. Highly rated academy prospects Luca Williams-Barnett, Tyler Tingey and Mikey Moore have all been called into the touring party, a significant show of faith as Spurs look to refresh from within as well as through the market.

They join a group stacked with emerging talent: Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray, Rio Kyerematen and Reiss Russell-Denny among the midfielders, and Malachi Hardy and Kota Takai in defence, all handed a stage far from north London to stake their claims.

The travelling squad

• Goalkeepers: Brandon Austin, Martin Dubravka, Antonin Kinsky, Dylan Thompson
• Defenders: Kevin Danso, Ben Davies, Malachi Hardy, Andy Robertson, Kota Takai, Tyler Tingey, Destiny Udogie, Micky van de Ven, Jan Paul van Hecke
• Midfielders: Lucas Bergvall, Harry Byrne, Jamie Donley, Mateus Fernandes, Conor Gallagher, Archie Gray, Tye Hall, Tyrese Hall, Rio Kyerematen, James Maddison, Reiss Russell-Denny, Sandro Tonali, Luca Williams-Barnett, Yang Min-Hyeok

The miles will be long, the schedule tight, and the spotlight sharp. For Tottenham’s new core and its next generation, this tour is more than a pre-season stretch – it is an early audition for places when the real games begin.