Tottenham's Ongoing Summer Spending: De Zerbi Seeks More Firepower

Tottenham’s summer of heavy spending is not done yet. Not if Roberto De Zerbi has anything to do with it.

After a window that has already seen around £237million spent on six new arrivals, the Tottenham head coach has made it clear he still wants more firepower – and that another attacking signing is edging closer.

De Zerbi the “shark” in the market

Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Jan Paul van Hecke have all arrived for substantial fees, reshaping the spine of the side. Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka have joined on free transfers, adding experience and depth.

For many clubs, that would be plenty. De Zerbi does not see it that way.

“In the transfer market, when I want one player, I become like a shark. No chance to say no,” he told football.london, underlining the relentlessness with which he is pursuing the final pieces of his squad.

He estimates Spurs have “completed 60 per cent” of their transfer project. The remaining 40 per cent, he hinted, includes what he called “another bomba” – a major attacking addition he expects to land before the window shuts.

Pressed on how close a deal is, De Zerbi admitted there are details still to be ironed out but made it clear he wants negotiations wrapped up soon.

Savinho high on Spurs’ attacking wishlist

Attacking reinforcements are the priority between now and the September 1 deadline. Tottenham are in the market for a winger and, potentially, another striker as they look to arm De Zerbi with enough variety to sustain a long season.

Standard Sport understands that Manchester City winger Savinho is high on their list. The Brazilian has informed City this week that he wants to leave in search of regular minutes, and Spurs have been tracking him closely.

His profile fits what De Zerbi has been pushing for since early in the year. During talks in March with sporting director Johan Lange, Savinho emerged as a standout option thanks to his direct running and his knack for darting in behind defences – qualities Tottenham believe will translate well to De Zerbi’s high-tempo, front-foot game.

Built from the full-backs out

For all the focus on a new forward, De Zerbi’s thinking starts somewhere else: the full-backs.

“No two players are the same,” he said. “A winger can be a very wide winger, one able to come inside, a winger without a full-back, a winger able to play with the full-back.”

His point is clear. Any wide attacker Spurs sign must be tailored to the full-backs already in place, not the other way around.

“We have four great full-backs at the moment, maybe the four most important full-backs in the world,” he said, before launching into a striking assessment. “Because I think Pedro Porro is the best right-back in the world, with [Destiny] Udogie, Robertson, and Djed Spence can play right and left.

“Before bringing in a winger, we have to consider the full-back, because we start from the full-back, from the player we already have, no?”

That philosophy will shape the final moves of Tottenham’s window. The next attacker through the door will not just be judged on goals and assists, but on how well he unlocks the overlapping runs of Porro, Udogie, Robertson and Spence.

De Zerbi has his “bomba” in mind. Now it is down to Tottenham to deliver it before the clock runs out on this lavish, uncompromising rebuild.