Tottenham's Summer Overhaul Driven by Owner's Ambition
Roberto De Zerbi insists Tottenham’s eye‑watering summer overhaul is being driven from the boardroom, not the dugout.
Spurs have smashed through the £300million mark in this window, ripping up and rebuilding a squad that flirted dangerously with relegation last season. The latest statement of intent came this week with the arrival of Manchester City pair Omar Marmoush and Savio, two more high‑profile additions to a rapidly changing dressing room.
De Zerbi has been widely praised for persuading big names such as Mateus Fernandes, Sandro Tonali and Jan Paul van Hecke to buy into a project that, not long ago, looked like a salvage job rather than a grand plan. Yet when the Italian was asked how central he has been to Tottenham’s aggressive market push, he immediately deflected the spotlight.
“No, (what) makes the difference (is the) behaviour and ambition of the owner,” he said, pointing firmly towards the Lewis Family rather than himself.
“These players are not here for me or because I need them. I am an employee of the club, I’m not the owner. But the ambition of the owner made the difference, for sure, because the owner pushed to close (deals for) the players.
The owners’ ambition is so big, right through transfers, for every one of us, the players, the board, the staff, with myself. The motivation to do better.”
That ambition has already delivered eight new faces, yet the shopping is not finished.
On Thursday night, De Zerbi sat down for dinner with members of the Lewis Family, CEO Vinai Venkatesham and sporting director Johan Lange, a summit that underlined how tightly aligned the football operation and ownership now appear as the window enters its final stretch.
“I think we can do one player more and in one specific position,” De Zerbi said.
“But yesterday we went for dinner with the owner, with Vinai, with Johan and with (De Zerbi’s translator) Enrico Venturelli. We spoke about this, but we have all of us on the same page and there is a very good connection.”
Spurs are understood to be weighing up one last move, with another winger or a backup right-back to push Pedro Porro under serious consideration. One more signing, one more push from owners who, for now, show no sign of easing off the accelerator.
