Roberto De Zerbi: Tottenham's Transfer Ambitions Continue

Roberto De Zerbi insists Tottenham are not done yet in the transfer market – even as the club edges towards one of the biggest deals in its history.

Speaking on the eve of Spurs’ 2026-27 Premier League opener away to Brentford, the Italian cut a satisfied but guarded figure. The noise outside is deafening: an £85 million move for Manchester City winger Savinho, a Brazilian talent billed as the next headline act in a lavish summer spree. Inside the media room, De Zerbi kept his cards close.

“It’s not right to speak about the players until they are official,” he told reporters.

No names. No confirmations. But the smile between the lines was obvious. “Just to say, I’m very happy. We have not finished yet in the transfer market.”

That last line will echo around north London. Spurs have already pushed hard this summer, reshaping a squad that De Zerbi wants to reflect his aggressive, high-tempo style. He made a point of praising not just the talent coming through the doors at Hotspur Way, but the mentality.

“It’s an important part, I think, because so far we have had a great summer of signings – great players, great behaviour, great spirit, great personality.”

The message is clear: this is not a scattergun spree. De Zerbi wants character as much as he wants flair. Savinho, if and when the deal is finalised, would arrive as the latest symbol of Tottenham’s ambition, an £85m statement that the club intends to fight at the sharp end of the league.

But De Zerbi refused to let the conversation drift into fantasy football. He cut through the excitement with a reminder that should probably be pinned to every dressing-room wall in the division.

“You know better than me in the Premier League, you don’t win the game with the names, with the big players,” he said. “There are a lot of examples in the last years in the Premier League.”

Money can buy headlines. It cannot guarantee points.

For De Zerbi, the real work starts when the transfer window closes and the noise dies down. He hammered home the standards he expects from this remodelled squad: intensity, resilience, and a clear identity with the ball.

“We have to deserve to win the game and to deserve to win the game, we have to reach a high level in character, in passion, in value and in the style of play as well.”

That is the bar. Not the fee, not the name on the back of the shirt, but the level on the pitch.

Spurs will walk out at Brentford with a fanbase buzzing over what might still be coming before deadline day. De Zerbi, though, has already drawn the line in the sand. The transfer market can shape a season; it will not define his.