Three key players have been omitted from Tottenham’s pre-season tour of Australia and New Zealand.
Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to bounce back from their disappointing Premier League campaign last season, and they have certainly been making moves during the summer transfer window.
The North London club have been recruiting players that fit Roberto De Zerbi’s style of play and vision. Half a dozen fresh faces have arrived at N17, and there is still more to come. It is clear De Zerbi wants to build a strong Spurs squad that can challenge in the top half of the Premier League table.
Preparations for the 2026/27 season began earlier this week with the first friendly against MK Dons. New signing Mateus Fernandes scored a screamer in the first minute to hand Tottenham a 1-0 win over MK Dons. And on Thursday, the club announced a 35-man travelling squad for the pre-season tour of Australia and New Zealand.
Tottenham trio omitted from pre-season tour squad amid exit links
According to a report from TEAMtalk, Tottenham have omitted Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr and Guglielmo Vicario among several players from their squad for their pre-season tour. The club have revealed that Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Matar Sarr have been granted ‘extended leave’ after their World Cup duties.
Sarr was a part of the Senegal squad that crashed out of the World Cup at the last-32 stage, while Bentancur’s Uruguay did not advance from the group stages. This has led to speculation surrounding their futures. Sarr has been linked with an exit from White Hart Lane, with Brentford and Galatasaray vying for his signature.
Meanwhile, Bentancur was a key player for Tottenham’s survival in the top flight. The Uruguayan international was favoured ahead of Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray in midfield, as the Lilywhites clinched Premier League safety on the final day of last season. However, the report adds that questions have been raised over the 28-year-old’s ‘lack of mobility’ and whether he can actually return to being the same player who was so crucial to the team before suffering an ACL injury in February 2023.
Then there is Guglielmo Vicario also left behind at the club. Tottenham have officially said that Vicario suffered a ‘minor knock’ in training and will undergo treatment at Hotspur Way, although it’s no secret that the Italian international wants out amid interest from Juventus in recent weeks.
With the club snapping up Martin Dubravka on a free transfer from Burnley, Vicario’s position under De Zerbi has become untenable. And especially with Antonin Kinsky impressing at the back end of last season and expected to become the No.1 heading into 2026/27, it is unlikely Vicario stays in North London.