Amid the doom and gloom of this season for Tottenham Hotspur, it's worth remembering Jose Mourinho's words during his first press conference at the club.

The Portuguese had been studying Spurs closely during his time out of the game and when he was asked about his aims for next season he did not hesitate in his aims.

"We cannot win the Premier League this season," Mourinho explained. "We can – I’m not saying we will do – we can win it next season."

English football suspended until at least April 30

Despite everything that has been thrown at him in recent months with injuries galore to key players, the Spurs boss was still declaring this month, before the Premier League shutdown, that the club will win trophies with him at the helm.

"I believe Tottenham is not going to be my only club without silverware," he said.

"I won it at every club and I believe I am going to do it also with Tottenham.

"I've been here for three or four months. I took on the team in a very difficult situation and now it is even more difficult with so many problems we're having but I believe in me, in the players, in the club and I believe that during my contract I am going to help the club to do it.

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"It's not me winning, it's me helping the club and the players to do it."

Mourinho has made it clear that he expects Tottenham to have a more balanced squad next season in order to achieve what he wants.

So what would his starting line-up look like for the first game of the 2020/21 season, whenever that actually arrives, taking into account potential departures and arrivals?

Mourinho has said that his squad does not need an overhaul, as there is a lot of talent in the ranks, more that it just needs some tweaks to make it more balanced and add some winning mentality.

Let's look at every department of the Tottenham squad and where it might be come the start of the next campaign.

Goalkeeper

There could well be a new face here but it's more likely that it will be a goalkeeper to challenge Paulo Gazzaniga for the back-up spot and eventually Lloris rather than straight away.

Michel Vorm is unlikely to get a third contract at the club despite coming back to help out and Mourinho will have to decide between giving Brandon Austin a chance when he returned from Denmark or promote Alfie Whiteman, or bringing in a likely British keeper to bolster his senior numbers.

As for Lloris, he hasn't had that much time to work with Mourinho and Nuno Santos, Spurs' goalkeeper coach.

The Frenchman is a winner, something that's a rarity in the Tottenham squad, and he will not be discarded before the new coaching set-up have had a proper spell of working with him.

Defence

There could be new faces in all positions across the backline but how many are seen in the actual starting XI is another thing.

Tottenham need more bodies in both full-back slots. Serge Aurier requires competition on the right and the club have scouted Norwich City's Max Aarons extensively to boost their homegrown numbers.

On the other side there is Ben Davies but Mourinho does not believe Ryan Sessegnon is ready yet for the role.

Most clubs will want Leicester's Ben Chilwell but the England man will cost a lot of money with the British premium and the fact that the Foxes will not want to sell him as they likely play Champions League football next season. The left-back may well not want to leave either with that in mind.

Mourinho could instead raid his homeland for a talented left-back in Alex Grimaldo, the 24-year-old Spaniard has been turning heads at Benfica since joining from Barcelona B almost four years ago.

In the centre of the defence, Tottenham could well see Jan Vertonghen and Juan Foyth depart at the end of the season, the Belgian with just three months left on his contract.

Eric Dier has now decided that he is a centre-back, which adds to those defensive numbers and Spurs could do a lot worse than making a move for Ben White, the 22-year-old Brighton defender who is impressing on loan at Leeds.

White, rated at around £20m, will be in demand but he ticks a lot of boxes for Tottenham and is another homegrown talent to provide real depth in the centre of defence with Japhet Tanganga, who can also cover the full-back slots.

White also has versatility of his own as he has stepped into a defensive midfield role at times for Leeds this season.

(Image: Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)

Midfield

Tottenham need a defensive midfielder and they could do with some experience as well in the centre of the pitch.

It might not go down well with some fans, but Nemanja Matic fits the role Spurs are missing like a glove.

He's very much a Mourinho man, having played for him at two different clubs, knows his 'principles of play' inside out and the 31-year-old Serbian is a two-time Premier League winner.

United have recently taken up an option to extend Matic's deal by a year, which ensures they won't lose him for free at the end of the season, and they are believed to be in talks about extending it further.

However, Mourinho can offer the big, experienced midfielder regular football in the defensive midfield position, while at United, with Scott McTominay back, Matic could return to his back-up role from the first half of the season at Old Trafford.

Tottenham have looked at Lille's Boubakary Soumare, but he is less of a defensive midfielder and more of a cross between Tanguy Ndombele and Moussa Sissoko.

Sissoko signed a new deal this season and Ndombele will be given every opportunity to adjust to life in the Premier League and will also benefit from a Mourinho pre-season.

The 23-year-old Frenchman has plenty to work on but also plenty to work with and the fans shouldn't give up on him yet. Mourinho certainly hasn't, he's challenging him to be better.

In contrast, Giovani Lo Celso has cemented his position as Tottenham's playmaker going forward, while Harry Winks will continue to develop under Mourinho.

There are high hopes for Oliver Skipp as well and the Spurs boss will have to decide whether the teenager is is better served by developing at the club next season or getting more regular football on loan, particularly with Gedson Fernandes also looking to earn himself a permanent deal.

Dele Alli will have plenty of opportunities to play in either a midfield three or behind the striker as Mourinho works out where he fits in best.

There is plenty of competition in the attacking midfield slots with Alli, Lo Celso, Son Heung-min, Erik Lamela, Lucas Moura, Steven Bergwijn, Gedson and Sessegnon, and it will be interesting to see whether all of them remain next season, with Tottenham looking at a move for QPR's young homegrown star Eberechi Eze.

Sessegnon could well play a more important role in the next campaign as he develops physically and works more with Mourinho, a manager who wanted him at Manchester United.

(Image: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Striker

Harry Kane is unlikely to be leaving Spurs at the end of the season as few sides in the world will be able to afford Daniel Levy's price tag for one of the best strikers around with four years left on his contract.

Mourinho's promise of silverware and full season at the helm could also persuade the England captain to give it another go around anyway.

He needs back-up though, in order to rest him at times and give Tottenham another option when Kane's injured or not hitting his rhythm.

Tottenham looked into the possibility of signing Olivier Giroud in January and will likely return for him on a free transfer this summer.

Like Matic, it's not the sexy signing the Tottenham fans will want but he's another experienced winner and he proved against Spurs in the recent defeat at Stamford Bridge that he's a major weapon when he's used in the right way.

Giroud, a close friend of Lloris, will be 34 next season and could prove to be the short-term bridge between Troy Parrott stepping up to more first team football while helping guide the young Irishman if he doesn't head out on loan in the next campaign. Tottenham will not want to block the gifted teenager's eventual path to the first team.

Lucas and Son can also play up front at a push but as we've seen this season, you can't beat a proper striker up there.

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Mourinho's team and bench for the opening game of next season

(4-3-3) Lloris; Aarons, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Grimaldo; Lo Celso, Matic, Ndombele; Son, Kane, Bergwijn. Subs: Gazzaniga, White, Tanganga, Sissoko, Alli, Sessegnon, Giroud.