Tottenham's Summer Rebuild: Senesi and More Signings
Tottenham have barely drawn breath after surviving on the final day, but their summer is already roaring into life. Three first‑team deals are on the table. One is effectively done. Two more could reshape the spine of Roberto De Zerbi’s side before pre-season has truly settled.
Senesi set to lead defensive refresh
The first domino is Marcos Senesi. Fabrizio Romano has delivered his trademark “Here We Go”, and inside Tottenham the expectation is clear: the Bournemouth defender will be the first signing through the door.
The agreement, long in the works, hinged on one thing – survival. Spurs stayed up. The trigger has been pulled.
Senesi, out of contract and available on a free, offers exactly what De Zerbi’s back line has lacked: a left-footed defender comfortable stepping into midfield, aggressive in duels, and seasoned in Premier League traffic. For a club walking a tightrope with Financial Fair Play, a defender of his profile on a Bosman is the kind of deal that changes the tone of a window.
Tottenham’s hierarchy see him as more than depth. He is part of a structural reset. And he is not arriving alone.
Robertson: a second Bosman with a point to prove
Across the league, another free agent with a Champions League medal and a reputation for relentlessness is in play.
Andrew Robertson has confirmed he is leaving Liverpool at the end of his contract, closing a hugely successful chapter at Anfield. Tottenham tried to prise him away in January, only for Liverpool to shut the move down. The door has reopened.
TEAMtalk report that, like Senesi, Robertson has had a framework in place to join Spurs this summer, again dependent on the club remaining in the Premier League. That box is ticked, and De Zerbi’s camp are now pushing to get it sealed.
Tottenham have been searching for an experienced organiser in their defensive unit, someone who can drag standards up by sheer force of personality. Robertson fits that brief. He brings a decade of Premier League know-how, a history of title races, European nights, and the sort of intensity De Zerbi demands from his full-backs.
Add Robertson to Senesi and suddenly a fragile back line begins to look hardened, with two leaders who know the league, know the tempo, and know what it takes to chase Champions League football again – or at the very least, to drag a team back into the European picture.
Palhinha pursuit tests Tottenham’s resolve
The third deal is more complicated, and more delicate.
Joao Palhinha remains high on Tottenham’s list, but this one is being fought on multiple fronts. Bayern Munich are in the conversation, with Spurs ready to negotiate with the German giants, while three Portuguese clubs are circling in the background, sensing an opportunity if the player decides to move closer to home.
Reports suggest family reasons could pull Palhinha back to Portugal. That has injected a layer of anxiety into discussions, with the midfielder suddenly at the centre of a tug-of-war between sporting ambition and personal life.
Inside Tottenham, though, there is no sense of surrender. The club remain confident they can put a deal together, convinced that the project under De Zerbi – and the promise of a central role in a rebuilt midfield – can still turn his head.
A destroyer of his calibre in front of a retooled defence featuring Senesi and potentially Robertson would give Spurs something they have lacked for years: a true spine, rugged and reliable, around which De Zerbi can build his more expansive work.
For now, the pressure is on the recruitment team. Survival has given Tottenham a second chance. The question is simple: can they turn three carefully targeted moves into the launchpad for a very different season?
