De Zerbi Backs Tottenham Rebuild as Summer Spending Nears £300m

Roberto De Zerbi has defended Tottenham Hotspur's major summer rebuild, with the club's transfer outlay expected to pass £300m. The Guardian reported that Spurs have signed Sandro Tonali for £92.5m, Mateus Fernandes for £85m and Jan Paul van Hecke for £52m, while proposed moves for Manchester City forwards Savinho and Omar Marmoush would cost £85m and £75m respectively. Those two deals were described as being close rather than completed.

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The spending follows two seasons in which Tottenham remained close to the Premier League relegation places. Their survival last season was secured only with a victory on the final day. It is also the club's first summer transfer window since Daniel Levy stepped down as executive chair in September 2025. De Zerbi arrived at the end of March on what the Guardian described as a rescue assignment.

De Zerbi said discussions with Tottenham about possible transfer targets had begun in March, before his appointment was confirmed. The 47-year-old viewed the summer as a crucial point for a team that had come close to relegation and needed a significant change in mood. Tottenham's activity is their busiest since 2013, when the club reinvested proceeds from Gareth Bale's move to Real Madrid, though the scale of that spending was far below the current overhaul.

The head coach also pushed back against criticism of the club's financial commitment. His position was that teams cannot consistently compete at the highest level without spending, and that Tottenham's investment should not be treated differently from that of other Premier League clubs. More forwards are expected to arrive as Spurs try to build a squad capable of challenging near the top of the league and competing regularly in Europe.

Despite those ambitions, De Zerbi stopped short of promising an immediate title challenge. He said the completed rebuild should leave Tottenham requiring fewer additions over the longer term, allowing the squad to work together and develop step by step. He nevertheless believes the team is being assembled to compete in any stadium.

Tottenham have also changed their leadership structure. Micky van de Ven has been appointed captain following Cristian Romero's departure for Atlético Madrid, but the defender will miss Saturday evening's Premier League visit to Brentford through injury. Vice-captain Pedro Porro is also injured. Ben Davies, James Maddison and Archie Gray join Porro in a wider captaincy group created by De Zerbi.