Tottenham Hotspur head into the new season with renewed optimism after two consecutive 17th-place finishes in the Premier League. The appointment of Roberto De Zerbi and a significant transfer spend have raised hopes of a major improvement, with the club among the biggest spenders in the summer window.
New signings and a fresh direction
Tottenham have secured the signings of Jan Paul van Hecke, Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali, with Savinho and Omar Marmoush expected to arrive from Manchester City. Andy Robertson has also been added as an experienced head. The outlay resembles the club’s flashy transfer activity of the late 1980s, when Terry Venables collected Paul Gascoigne and Gary Lineker, or the influx of foreign talent in the mid-1990s with Jürgen Klinsmann and Ilie Dumitrescu.
Cristian Romero has departed, a player whose foibles often betrayed his teammates, according to the article. The lack of a top-level striker remains a glaring issue.
Off-field finances and ownership
Finishing 17th two seasons in succession has hurt the club’s finances. The 2025 accounts revealed that the £34.7m earned from winning the Europa League was wiped out by a £38.9m shortfall in Premier League income. Champions League football last season brought in £71.6m, but there are no European funds this season. Revenue streams include an August share issue that raised £100m, and the stadium will host Jay-Z in September, having hosted System Of A Down in July, plus two NFL regular season matches in October.
The removal of Daniel Levy, long desired by many fans, created a vacuum. The family trust of former majority shareholder Joe Lewis took the residual heat. In January, Lewis’s daughter Vivienne was confronted by a fan demanding Frank be sacked and that she sell up. Levy’s 29% share was reduced by his missing the deadline for the August share issue, and the two parties are reported to be battling over an NBA Europe franchise. Chief executive Vinai Venkatesham admitted in May that “a complete reset” was required.
De Zerbi’s vision and key players
De Zerbi’s coaching is admired across the football spectrum, with Pep Guardiola a confirmed fan, though breakdowns in relationships at Brighton and Marseille offer caution. “We need to create a clear playing style and give a soul to this team,” the Italian said in pre-season. “So many talk about ‘projects’, but very few manage to see them through.”
Sandro Tonali, signed for £100m, is expected to be a key figure. “The gaffer was Italian, I knew him,” Tonali offered as a reason for choosing Tottenham. “I was already watching Tonali when he was playing for Brescia, my hometown club and the team I support,” explained De Zerbi. “At the age of 18, he already looked like a veteran.”
Goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, who was subbed off after 17 minutes against Atlético Madrid under the previous manager, was trusted by De Zerbi and is set to be first choice after Guglielmo Vicario’s departure. “He forces you to believe in yourself,” said Kinsky of De Zerbi, who said of Kinsky: “He has great personality, strong character.”
World Cup impact and breakthrough prospects
Pedro Porro scored twice at the World Cup, including in Spain’s semi-final defeat of France, and received a guard of honour on his return to training after beating Argentina in the final. Among Tottenham’s nine players in North America, the new central defensive pairing of Van Hecke and Micky van de Ven was kept apart, with the latter playing left-back.
Mikey Moore is expected to go out on loan again after a season at Rangers. Tottenham were the only Premier League club that overachieved their xG in attack by at least four while underachieving by that margin or more in defence, scoring 7.91 goals more than their chances implied they deserved.
