Andy Robertson Joins Tottenham: De Zerbi's Rebuild Begins
Tottenham have finally landed Andy Robertson, and in doing so have made the first decisive move of Roberto De Zerbi’s rebuild.
The Scotland captain arrives on a free transfer from Liverpool, nine years after walking into Anfield as a promising left-back and walking out as one of the defining full-backs of the Premier League era. At 32, he is not a project. He is a statement.
De Zerbi’s first pillar
The scars from last season are still fresh at Spurs. Survival only came on the final day, dragged over the line by a home win against Everton. De Zerbi did not sugarcoat what he saw.
He talked of having “10, 11, 12 players good enough to stay” and admitted bluntly: “We have now to change too many players.” That was not a throwaway line. It was a blueprint.
Robertson is the first piece of that plan, drafted in to fill a leadership void that left the dressing room exposed when the pressure rose and results went south. De Zerbi wants voices, not just legs. He wants players who have lived through title races, European nights, and the grind of expectation.
“Andy is someone I’ve admired for a number of years and he will bring outstanding technical qualities, experience, leadership and mentality to our team,” De Zerbi said. “He is a proven winner at the highest level over a long period and is someone who can be a big player for us, both on and off the pitch.”
Spurs tried to prise Robertson away from Liverpool in January and failed. Now they have him without paying a fee, capitalising on the end of his contract after a haul of trophies and a career that turned him from Hull City full-back into Champions League winner and national captain. He will juggle his settling-in period in north London with preparations for the World Cup with Scotland.
This is not just about a left-back. It is about a dressing room tone-setter.
Defensive core under threat
Even as Robertson walks through the door, the foundations of Spurs’ defence are shifting.
Cristian Romero, the captain who missed the closing weeks of the season with a knee injury, has been publicly praised by De Zerbi. The coach has leaned on his personality, his aggression, his presence. Yet inside the club there is a very different expectation: no one in that dressing room believes Romero will still be at Spurs when the summer window closes.
The uncertainty does not stop there. Micky van de Ven, Romero’s partner at the heart of defence, is attracting heavy interest. Liverpool are among the clubs circling. De Zerbi is planning for the possibility that both pillars of his central defence could go.
So he is already moving for replacements. Marcos Senesi of Bournemouth is high on the list. Out of contract, he has a deal in place with Spurs, a move that would give De Zerbi a left-sided option with Premier League know-how. Alongside him on the shortlist is Jan Paul van Hecke, a defender the Italian knows well from his time at Brighton. Van Hecke is not a speculative name; he is someone De Zerbi has already trusted and developed.
If Romero and Van de Ven depart, Robertson will not just be asked to steady the flank. He will be asked to steady the whole back line.
Attacking targets and a midfield anchor
The rebuild stretches far beyond defence.
Spurs are pushing to sign Savinho from Manchester City, a player whose energy and directness would give De Zerbi another option in the attacking lanes. They also hold an interest in Fulham’s Harry Wilson, a left-footed winger with a sharp delivery and eye for goal.
In midfield, João Palhinha’s situation could be pivotal. On loan from Bayern Munich, he wants to stay at Spurs. His desire to remain offers De Zerbi something rare in this window: a proven Premier League holding midfielder, already integrated, eager to be part of the next phase rather than looking for the exit.
If Tottenham keep Palhinha, add Robertson’s authority and secure at least one of their central defensive targets, the spine starts to look less fragile than it did in those fraught weeks of the run-in.
Power plays off the pitch
While De Zerbi reshapes the squad, another battle is brewing in the boardroom.
An American investment group, Eight Sports Capital, led by tech entrepreneur and former DJ Brooklyn Earick, claims it has agreed a deal to buy Daniel Levy’s 24.99% stake in Spurs’ parent company, Enic Sports and Development Holdings Limited.
Levy, forced off the board last September but still holding 29.88% of Enic, has been exploring a sale of his shares for some time. Eight Sports Capital, owned by American entertainment company Triller, has stepped forward again after a hostile takeover attempt last year was emphatically rejected by Tottenham’s owners.
This time, the group says it has an agreement.
“We are delighted to have signed this agreement to acquire a significant stake in Enic,” a spokesperson for Eight Sports Capital said. “We look forward to working with the club’s shareholders, management, staff, players and fans to support Tottenham Hotspur’s continued growth and success.”
The picture is far from clear. Sources close to Levy declined to confirm that any sale had been agreed. Representatives of the Lewis family, who ultimately own Tottenham through Enic, said they were unaware of a completed deal. The club itself offered no comment.
If Eight Sports Capital do secure Levy’s stake, the implications are enormous. A fresh investor with previous designs on control of the club would sit inside the ownership structure, potentially setting up a power struggle over Tottenham’s future direction.
On the pitch, De Zerbi has his first cornerstone in Andy Robertson and a squad about to be torn down and rebuilt. Off it, Tottenham may be heading towards a new era of boardroom tension.
The question now is simple: as the club changes shape from the dressing room to the directors’ box, who will really be in charge of the next version of Spurs?
