Tottenham's Ambitious £300 Million Overhaul Driven by Owners
Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi says the club’s £300million summer overhaul is being driven not by him, but by the ambition of the owners.
Spurs have torn into the market, reshaping the squad with a flurry of big moves and, this week, landing Manchester City pair Omar Marmoush and Savio. They arrive on top of headline additions such as Mateus Fernandes, Sandro Tonali and Jan Paul van Hecke, all persuaded to join a club that only just escaped relegation last season.
De Zerbi has been widely praised as the architect of this new project, the charismatic coach selling a bold vision to players who had plenty of options. Yet when the question came – how much of this aggressive recruitment is down to him? – he immediately shifted the spotlight upstairs.
“No, (what) makes the difference (is the) behaviour and ambition of the owner,” De Zerbi said.
“Because 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.
The Lewis Family have bankrolled a squad transformation that would have been unthinkable just a few months ago, when Spurs were staring over the edge of the Premier League trapdoor. Now the spending has surged past £300m, the dressing room looks very different, and the recruitment drive is still not finished.
De Zerbi revealed he met the powerbrokers again on Thursday night, sitting down for dinner with members of the Lewis Family, CEO Vinai Venkatesham and sporting director Johan Lange as the club mapped out its final moves before the window shuts.
“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 exploring one last addition, with another winger or a backup right-back to challenge Pedro Porro under consideration.
One more piece, in one key position. After a summer of upheaval, Tottenham’s owners show no sign of easing off.
