Tottenham's Transformation: How De Zerbi's Spurs May Line Up
Tottenham survived on the final day. That was the starting gun, not the finish line.
Roberto De Zerbi walked into the job promising “wholesale” change after that nervy 1-0 win over Everton. A month on, Spurs have ripped into the squad with a zeal not seen in north London for years, and they are nowhere near done.
Three defenders are already through the door. Big names could yet be pushed out. A new spine is being drawn up on the whiteboard at Hotspur Way, and if the window breaks their way, the team that walks out on August 22 may barely resemble the one that clung to survival in May.
A new No1… or a surprise promotion?
The first big decision sits between the posts.
Guglielmo Vicario, excellent for long stretches of last season, ended it in the treatment room after hernia surgery. He has not played a single minute under De Zerbi and is being heavily linked with a return to Italy, with Inter Milan circling the 29-year-old.
In his absence, Antonin Kinsky quietly changed the mood around Spurs’ back line. Thrown in as understudy, he helped steady a defence that had been leaking confidence as much as goals. Those calm performances have given De Zerbi something he values: a live alternative.
So the choice is stark. Stick with Kinsky and reward the man who helped drag them over the line, or cash in on Vicario and reset the position entirely.
There is long-standing admiration for Manchester City’s James Trafford, a young goalkeeper desperate for regular Premier League minutes. He ticks the profile: homegrown, comfortable with the ball, aggressive off his line. As it stands, though, no talks have taken place. For now, Trafford is the theoretical No1 in any “if-all-goes-to-plan” XI, but Kinsky has done enough to make this a real contest.
Defence: De Zerbi tears it up
If there was any doubt about De Zerbi’s intentions, look at his defence.
Jan Paul van Hecke has arrived for big money and looks set to go straight into the heart of the back four. The £52million Dutchman is not coming to sit on the bench, and with Cristian Romero expected to move on, the path is clear for him to start.
Alongside him, Micky van de Ven is the next battle. There is interest from elsewhere and Spurs know it. De Zerbi, though, is determined to build around the rapid centre-half rather than replace him. Keep Van de Ven, and he is not just a starter – he is a captaincy candidate if Romero walks.
On the flanks, the picture is more settled. Pedro Porro has committed his future with a new long-term contract and will continue as first-choice right-back, his attacking thrust too valuable to sacrifice. On the left, Destiny Udogie remains the main man, with a very familiar name stepping in behind him.
Andy Robertson, the former Liverpool stalwart, has been brought in to add experience and depth at left-back. He may not start every week, but he changes the tone of the dressing room and raises standards around Udogie. Marcos Senesi also joins the defensive reshuffle, offering cover and competition across the back line.
De Zerbi wanted leaders and personality at the back. He has them now.
Midfield: the Tonali gamble
The next phase of the rebuild runs straight through the middle of the pitch.
Spurs have lacked authority in central midfield for too long. De Zerbi wants a controller who can take the ball under pressure, set the tempo and, crucially, handle the physical grind of the Premier League. The name at the top of his list is Sandro Tonali.
Tottenham see the Newcastle midfielder as their marquee summer target. The admiration from De Zerbi is genuine, and mutual respect runs deep. But prising Tonali away will demand a substantial fee and some delicate negotiation.
If Spurs pull it off, the shape of the team changes. Tonali would slot in at the base of midfield alongside Rodrigo Bentancur, forming a double pivot that blends bite, passing range and tactical intelligence. It is a partnership built to give the front four a platform to play.
There is also interest in West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes as another midfield option, a nod to the need for depth over a long season. But the headline move is Tonali. Land him, and the whole project suddenly looks more serious.
Attack: big ideas, fragile bodies
Up front, the plan is bold, but the reality is messy.
Injuries shredded Spurs’ attacking options last season and still cast a shadow. Dejan Kulusevski’s fitness remains a concern. Others are only just returning. That has forced the club to be more cautious than they might like in remodelling the forward line.
One name has been on the radar for a while: Savinho. The Manchester City winger is a long-term target and Tottenham have reopened talks for the Brazilian, who wants regular football and is ready to move on this summer. His pace and directness from the flank would give De Zerbi the kind of wide threat his system thrives on.
On the opposite side, the situation is far more explosive. Marcus Rashford has no future at Manchester United and has now been firmly linked with Spurs. The idea is clear enough: a high-ceiling, Premier League-proven forward looking for a fresh start, dropped into a team that needs star power in the final third.
Behind them, James Maddison is back. The playmaker returned from injury at the end of last season and will expect to reclaim the No10 role, pulling strings just off the striker. A fully fit Maddison is central to any De Zerbi blueprint; he gives the attack its craft and unpredictability.
The projected XI being sketched out inside the club’s corridors tells its own story: Trafford in goal; Porro, Van Hecke, Van de Ven and Udogie across the back; Bentancur and Tonali anchoring midfield; Savinho and Rashford flanking Maddison; Dominic Solanke leading the line.
It is ambitious. It is expensive. It is a million miles from the side that scraped survival.
High stakes, hard choices
This is the reality facing De Zerbi now. He has money to spend and a mandate to rip up what came before, but every decision carries weight.
Let Romero go and Van de Ven must stay. Push for Tonali and other areas may have to wait. Chase Rashford and Savinho and you risk leaving yourself light if injuries strike again.
Youngsters Lucas Bergvall and Luka Vuskovic have already signalled their desire to leave, a reminder that not everyone will buy into the new era. The futures of Vicario and others are unresolved. The churn will continue.
What is clear is the direction of travel. Tottenham are not tinkering. They are attempting a full-scale reset under a manager who thrives on structure, bravery and control.
By the time August 22 rolls around, Spurs could walk out looking like a completely different team. The question is not whether De Zerbi will change them.
It is whether this radical version of Tottenham can finally drag the club away from survival battles and back towards the fight they believe they should be in.
