Roberto de Zerbi has said he wants to build Tottenham back into a top side after guiding them to Premier League survival at the end of a torrid 2025-26 season. The Italian took charge with Spurs facing relegation, describing a broken dressing room after his first game, a defeat at Sunderland, but he kept the club up on the final day and now believes he can lead a genuine revival rather than simply managing decline.

The turnaround has been backed by a club-record £237m spending spree during pre-season, with new signings including Sandro Tonali (£100m from Newcastle), Mateus Fernandes (£85m from West Ham), Jan Paul van Hecke, Andrew Robertson and Martin Dubravka. De Zerbi, who describes himself as becoming "like a shark" in negotiations, is working closely with chief executive Vinai Venkatesham and technical director Johan Lange under the club's new ownership structure, while some existing players, such as Cristian Romero and Guglielmo Vicario, may still leave.