The Spurs spending spree – is it a wise move or a risky gamble?
While everyone else is fixated on the FIFA World Cup and waiting for it to end, Tottenham Hotspur has quietly concluded a majority of its transfer business. Spurs have already made six major signings for the new season. Andrew Robertson on a free from Liverpool, Marcos Senesi on a free from Bournemouth, Jan Paul van Hecke (£52 million) from Brighton and Hove Albion, Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United (£92.5 million), Mateus Fernandes (£85 million) from West Ham United and goalkeeper Martin Dúbravka from Burnley on a free. They had also hired a new manager in Roberto de Zerbi from Marseille late last season and he helped save them from relegation.
Spurs ended last two seasons in the lower half of the table having been involved in a relegation scrap which was unbecoming of a club of their stature. Consequently, the Spurs management have decided to back De Zerbi with key signings in order to avoid suffering déjà vu and regain their lost status in the Premier League. Spurs had a major fall from grace in the past two years due to several mitigating factors along with poor form. Coaching changes, dressing room unrest and multiple long-term injuries have contributed to two massively underwhelming seasons.
Under new coach De Zerbi though, they have made some really impressive signings. Spurs have tightened up their defense with Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi, Andrew Robertson and backup goalkeeper Martin Dubravka. They have also shored up their midfield with incredible talents like Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes. However, it seems even after spending around £230 million in transfer fees, they are not done yet. As per BBC Sport transfer rumours, Spurs are still in the market for additional signings and are interested in RB Leipzig winger Antonio Nusa and Bournemouth forward Eli Kroupi Junior, so there’s more to rejoice for the Spurs fans as their club is showing positive intent in the market.
They have made a couple of astute signings on a free transfer and even the expensive ones are Premier League proven talented players who could make a decisive impact on their campaign. However, when a club makes a number of signings, that also indicates a mass exodus of players who either want to leave or are viewed as surplus to requirements. There have been rumours involving Richarlison, Cristian Romero, Luka Vuskovic, Lucas Bergvall and Guglielmo Vicario along with Radu Dragusin as possible departees. Through selling players, Spurs would want to recoup some of that massive summer spending. Since the transfer window will end at the end of August 2026, their spending could definitely increase and with player exits, there’s no way of knowing what their net spend will look like, hence, we will base our opinion on the recent signings and the expected outgoings.
Spurs haven’t been known to be huge spenders and only outspent their current transfer fee last season when they spent almost under £300 million although the net spend was somewhere about £240 million. It is believed that De Zerbi has a lot of power over transfers and he is the one driving these signings. Of course, all new managers want to find the kind of players that they believe will suit their system and playing style but this seems like patching up issues rather than building a robust squad for upcoming seasons. For context, with Van Hecke and Senesi coming in, if either Micky Van de Ven or Romero or both leave, they are putting themselves in a critical situation as they will again be short of quality on the bench. We are all aware that the Premier League season is brutal and if a top club is participating in multiple competitions, they are expected to handle the entire season cognizant of the fact that injuries are inevitable. If there is a dearth of quality squad players, it could pose serious repercussions and if Spurs haven’t learnt that from the last two seasons, they never will.
Additionally, Spurs are not in continental competition this season which could affect their revenue as they will miss out on earnings from the European competition which in turn could affect their future transfer window. Besides, just signing top players isn’t enough, they need to click in the system and we have often seen that big money signings wilt under the pressure and seldom perform barring a few exceptions. While Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali have displayed their skills and talent in the league, it seems Spurs paid too much in desperation as other viable options might have been available for less. If we look at the Spurs spending patterns over the past few years, they have surprisingly done well when they have spent wisely as opposed to spending big and failing miserably.
Another big concern could be their manager. Roberto De Zerbi is known to be an excellent coach and does well with young talent as well. However, he is also known to be temperamental, has been involved in bust-ups with players indicating poor man-management skills and is a potential flight risk. Having said that, De Zerbi plays an attractive brand of football and could become a fan-favourite if he brings the right energy, tactics and results at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. However, it could easily go south as well.
We do believe Spurs will take major strides and improve this season and would definitely end the season in the top half of the table. Since they will still be in a transition phase with multiple incomings and outgoings, we don’t think they will be ready to challenge for titles or trophies this season as being back in the Champions League would be their immediate priority. It’s understandable that they would want to recoup their spending through player sales but if they can manage to hold on to a few of their key players and bring in quality squad options, that would be the best possible strategy.
At the moment, it feels like De Zerbi is far more interested in assembling a star-studded lineup to try and make an instant impact. We may be wrong but, in our opinion, this approach doesn’t solve the underlying issues for Spurs. Unless the club can retain its key players and add reliable squad depth, Spurs will find themselves dealing with issues similar to the previous two campaigns.
We do hope Spurs are back playing an exciting brand of football and compete against the top teams in the league and we also believe that their massive spending spree could have the desired effect for the upcoming season as they chase European places. Having said that, we are doubtful that they can build it up further over the next few seasons with the quick fix strategy that they are employing and it does seem like a gamble that could prove costly for them.
