Roberto De Zerbi on Tottenham's Ongoing Transfer Strategy

Roberto De Zerbi insists Tottenham’s transfer splurge is far from over – and he is in no mood to apologise for it.

Speaking on the eve of Spurs’ 2026-27 Premier League opener away at Brentford, the Italian cut a controlled but clearly satisfied figure as he addressed a summer that has shaken up Hotspur Way.

The London club are closing in on what would be one of the headline deals of the window: an £85 million move for Manchester City winger Savinho. The Brazilian, already billed as the next star turn in north London, is expected to become the latest statement signing in a lavish recruitment drive.

De Zerbi would not be drawn into confirming the deal. He didn’t need to.

"It's not right to speak about the players until they are official," he told reporters. "Just to say, I'm very happy. We have not finished yet in the transfer market."

That line landed with weight. Not finished yet. For a club already deep into a major rebuild, it sounded like a promise.

De Zerbi refused to name names, but he made it clear the work done so far has hit the mark. He spoke with obvious pride about the group that has walked through the doors at Hotspur Way over the past few months, focusing less on price tags and more on personality.

"So far we have had a great summer of signings – great players, great behaviour, great spirit, great personality," he said, underlining the profile Spurs have chased.

The buzz around Savinho’s potential arrival has only intensified that sense of lift. An £85m winger from City is the sort of deal that shifts perceptions and expectations in an instant. It screams ambition.

De Zerbi, though, moved quickly to puncture any idea that spending alone guarantees progress. He leaned on the Premier League’s recent history to make his point: big names, big fees, and sometimes very little to show for it.

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

For him, the real currency is character.

"We have to deserve to win the game," he continued. "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 challenge now. Spurs have spent. They are still spending. The recruitment has been bold, the mood around the club transformed by marquee targets and a manager who knows exactly what he wants.

But De Zerbi has drawn the line in clear terms: this project will be judged not by the size of the deals, but by whether this new-look squad can live up to his demands when the whistle blows at Brentford and beyond.