De Zerbi aims to revive Tottenham after a challenging season

Roberto De Zerbi, Tottenham's manager, has had a particularly challenging start to the 2025-26 season with the Spurs. After a 1-0 defeat to Sunderland in his first match at the helm, he found his players "lying on their backs, some in tears" in the dressing room. Seven matches later, the club had secured its Premier League survival, but under difficult circumstances.

  Four months after that shattered dressing room, the atmosphere has changed dramatically. During their pre-season training camp in Sydney, near the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, De Zerbi’s players train in a relaxed atmosphere, with a private barista and ping-pong matches. The club has made record signings, such as Sandro Tonali for £100 million or Mateus Fernandes for £85 million, symbolising a desire for rebuilding. An ambitious rebuild Tottenham has undergone a complete overhaul of its squad and management. New sporting director Vinai Venkatesham, backed by technical director Johan Lange, has pursued an aggressive recruitment policy. Among the new arrivals are also Jan Paul van Hecke, Andrew Robertson and Martin Dubravka. Marcos Senesi, absent for the tour due to his participation in the World Cup final, is now back in training. De Zerbi fully embraces his role in the transfer market: “When I want a player, I become like a shark.” He notably convinced Mateus Fernandes’ father to entrust him with his son, promising to act as a “second father.” Negotiations for Tonali were handled directly by the manager, who sent him a message after the survival win against Everton before meeting him at his home in Italy.

A club in search of stability

The club has also seen departures, such as Luka Vuskovic’s move to Brighton for £45 million. The futures of Lucas Bergvall and Djed Spence remain uncertain. De Zerbi defends responsible financial management, noting that big clubs like Chelsea, Arsenal or Liverpool have done the same in recent years. He also mentions turning down Joao Palhinha, not due to a lack of quality, but because of a disagreement over the financial package. To restore confidence in his team, De Zerbi has introduced strict rules. After the Sunderland match, he held a meeting without the players and threatened to immediately exclude anyone expressing negative thoughts. He also organised a dinner in Mayfair to strengthen cohesion, despite a mixed final result. “I think they considered themselves worse than what others thought of them,” he confides, while acknowledging that healing will take time.

A long-term project

The club benefited from a £100 million injection from the Lewis family in June, a sum described as "desperately needed." De Zerbi emphasizes the necessity of building a five-season project, balancing sales and purchases. He even hints at the imminent arrival of an "offensive bomb," with ongoing negotiations for two strikers, including Savinho from Manchester City. The goal? To restore Tottenham's ability to compete with England's and Europe's best clubs. After a 2024-25 season that ended in 17th place despite winning the Europa League under Ange Postecoglou, the club is banking on a new dynamic. De Zerbi, who could have continued coaching in the Championship, is now focusing on a revamped team to return to the top of English football. As recent performances by other clubs show, rebuilding also involves rigorous management and bold choices.