De Zerbi backs £300m Tottenham to challenge for the title after summer overhaul

Roberto De Zerbi has declared Tottenham capable of challenging for the Premier League title following a summer rebuild that is set to surpass £300m in spending, with the arrivals of Manchester City pair Savinho and Omar Marmoush the latest additions to a heavily reshaped squad.

The Italian head coach acknowledged he would not have a definitive verdict on his new-look side until the transfer window closes, but expressed clear optimism about what has been assembled. “Big potential,” De Zerbi said. “At the end of the transfer market, I will be more accurate in my opinion. Maybe we have to see on the pitch. To be honest, everyone is very excited — but in the end the pitch speaks, as we say in Italian.”

The ambition marks a dramatic shift in expectations at Spurs, who finished 17th in each of the last two Premier League seasons and were genuine relegation candidates for much of the previous campaign. De Zerbi acknowledged that near-miss must not be forgotten, describing the past three months of reconstruction as feeling more like “10 years”.

Central to the rebuild is Sandro Tonali, the club’s first £100m player, whom De Zerbi says has exceeded even his own expectations. Mateus Fernandes and defender John Paul van Hecke have also been brought in to strengthen the squad’s depth.

De Zerbi was careful to temper his language, insisting it was too early to set firm targets. “On paper it’s very close. On the pitch we have to see and we have to work,” he said. “I am experienced enough not to say too much. I’m very happy with the squad. But if we have to push, I will be the first to push — to fix the target higher. Now is the moment to think about Brentford and to complete the transfer market. Then we can fix what target we want, without arrogance but also with big ambitions, because this is Tottenham, not another smaller team.”

His comments reflect a club-wide shift in mentality, with De Zerbi framing the title conversation not as hype but as a natural consequence of the investment made. Whether the pieces connect on the pitch, he stressed, remains the only question that matters.