Johan Lange's Tottenham future increasingly uncertain after second successive 17th-place finish

Johan Lange’s position as Tottenham’s sporting director is increasingly untenable, with sources inside and outside the club believing he is unlikely to remain in post beyond the current year, despite non-executive chairman Peter Charrington writing an open letter to supporters on Monday pledging the board’s commitment to the club’s leadership group.

Spurs finished 17th for the second consecutive season under Lange’s watch — a campaign in which they came within two points of relegation. Roberto De Zerbi, appointed during the season, hauled the club clear by claiming 11 points from the final six fixtures, a run that ultimately condemned West Ham to the Championship on the final day.

Lange, 46, arrived from Aston Villa in 2023 and was promoted from technical director to sporting director in October last year following the club’s cycle through four head coaches in twelve months. Fabio Paratici’s brief three-month return alongside him ended in February when the Italian departed for Fiorentina; Paratici has since been linked by the Italian press with a move to AC Milan.

His transfer strategy, heavily shaped by data following a restructuring of the club’s scouting operation, has produced uneven results. Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray have each won the supporters’ player of the year award in back-to-back seasons, but other signings — including Kota Takai and Yang Min-hyeok — are yet to make a single competitive appearance for the club. The club’s most prominent senior acquisitions, Dominic Solanke, Xavi Simons, and Mohammed Kudus, have all suffered significant injury lay-offs.

The side De Zerbi selected to beat Everton on the final day was largely built from players signed before Lange’s appointment, though Tottenham’s injury crisis throughout the season complicated any straightforward assessment of his recruitment record.

Lange drew further criticism in February when he publicly argued the club were right to hold back in the January transfer window, insisting that injured players would return — yet many of the key absentees did not.

Charrington’s open letter was widely interpreted as an endorsement of Lange alongside CEO Vinai Venkatesham, who is understood to remain firmly within the club’s future plans. However, the distinction between the two figures is becoming increasingly significant, with the sporting director’s position now viewed as far more precarious than the chairman’s statement suggested.