Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi confirmed the club board fulfilled recruitment promises as Spurs close in on an £85 million Savinho deal.
De Zerbi insisted Tottenham are not finished yet in the transfer market, with a swoop for Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush developing alongside interest in Liverpool winger Cody Gakpo.
Completing the deals would push the North London club's total summer outlay close to £400 million on nine new players. The heavy investment represents a radical change of policy for Spurs, who have often faced criticism for failing to spend freely on players.
De Zerbi on board support and club ambitions
Speaking ahead of Tottenham's Premier League opener at Brentford on Saturday, De Zerbi expressed satisfaction with the support provided by the club hierarchy.
"I am very happy," De Zerbi said. "I can’t speak about the other coaches [before me]. I just can say, in my experience, they kept their word, kept what they said before I came at the end of March."
"But what we are doing is not for the coach. It’s for the club, for the fans, for the history of the club, for the pride of the club, and for the level of the club. This moment is crucial. We have to change the mood completely," he added.
The 47-year-old Italian manager took charge of Spurs in late March, leading the team through seven games at the end of last season. Tottenham secured safety from relegation by beating Everton on the final day, a moment De Zerbi described as maybe the best moment in football for him.
Following two consecutive seasons where Spurs finished 17th in the Premier League, De Zerbi promised to set ambitious targets for the team, though he stated now is not the right moment to set them.
"Now is not the right moment," De Zerbi said. "Now is the moment to think about Brentford, to complete the transfer market and then to follow the first two targets, to find the soul of the team and the style of play."
"Then we can fix what target you want without arrogance but also with big ambitions because this is Tottenham, not another smaller team," he said.
"When we have finished in this transfer market, for a long time we don’t need many things and we can work all together in the right condition, in the right direction, to build step by step something special, or anyway to go to compete for the top of the table," De Zerbi added. "Not maybe now. Or maybe yes, I don’t know. But we have the squad enough to play in every stadium in the right way."
Captaincy selection and squad availability
De Zerbi confirmed defender Micky van de Ven as his new Tottenham captain, supported by four designated vice-captains in order: Pedro Porro, Ben Davies, James Maddison, and Archie Gray.
Spurs face selection issues ahead of their opening Premier League fixture against Brentford. Neither Van de Ven nor Porro is available to play on Saturday.
Davies is unlikely to start, while Maddison is not a certain starter after sustaining a minor preseason injury. Consequently, 20-year-old Archie Gray could lead Tottenham out for the match.
Transfer outgoings and squad changes
De Zerbi also revealed that midfielder Lucas Bergvall has committed his future to Tottenham after previously seeking a move away. Bergvall had informed the club earlier in the summer that he wanted to leave following interest from Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest.
"He wants to stay and we have no problem," De Zerbi said. "He’s a top-potential player."
Several other players could leave Tottenham before the end of August. Turkish side Galatasaray are interested in midfielder Pape Matar Sarr, while left-back Destiny Udogie has attracted admirers in Italy as Spurs manage an excess of left-backs.
In attack, Richarlison, who has one year left on his contract, and Dominic Solanke are among those who could depart if Marmoush arrives to compete at centre-forward. Meanwhile, teenage winger Mikey Moore is expected to join German club Cologne on loan once Savinho and Gakpo complete their moves to London.
Dressing room competition and squad size
De Zerbi emphasized that he wants a competitive squad of 21 or 22 players and will not guarantee starting roles to anyone.
"I love speaking clearly," the Italian boss said. "Today is the August 21 and every one of those players knows the squad. If one of them doesn’t want to accept the competition inside the dressing room, they can leave."
"I try to be honest and take decisions to find the best first XI, but the players have to accept if we want to become better, to compete for the top of the table, 11 players are not enough, 15 players are not enough," De Zerbi added.
The manager cited elite European clubs as the standard Tottenham must emulate in creating squad depth. "If you analyse Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus, Milan, there is a big competition inside the dressing room," he said.
