"We look at football in the same way — going onto the pitch as a strong team, with fight and energy, to try and win every game." Mateus Fernandes said that about Roberto De Zerbi on Thursday, the same day Tottenham confirmed they'd paid £85 million to make him their most expensive signing ever. At 21. Coming from a relegated West Ham side. The rebuild at Spurs is not messing around.
The fee surpasses last summer's £65 million deal for Dominic Solanke, and with Sandro Tonali publicly confirming he's on his way from Newcastle in a deal reportedly worth £100 million, Tottenham's total outlay this window is heading north of £300 million. Two successive 17th-place finishes will do that to a club's transfer strategy.
De Zerbi is the common thread
Both Fernandes and Tonali cited the new manager as central to their decisions, which tells you something about the appointment itself. De Zerbi arrived with a reputation for technical, high-intensity football — the kind that attracts players who want to actually play rather than survive. That matters when you're rebuilding from the bottom of a mid-table rut.
Tonali's journey to Spurs is complicated. The Italian served a 10-month ban during his time at Newcastle for involvement in a betting scandal, and he's now leaving St. James' Park after three years. He says it's on "very good terms" — and the birth of his son last year factored into what he called a "lifestyle and family choice" as much as a footballing one.
What this means for Spurs' odds
The squad is taking shape fast. Centre backs Jan Paul van Hecke and Marco Senesi are already in. Andy Robertson has arrived from Liverpool at left back. Add Fernandes and Tonali in midfield and you're looking at a completely different team to the one that nearly dropped out of the Premier League — twice.
Whether this group can push for European places next season is the real question. Tonali is world-class when fit and focused. Fernandes showed enough in one Premier League season to justify serious interest, even if £85 million is a bold valuation for a player yet to win a senior cap outside a friendly. De Zerbi's Spurs could be genuine top-half contenders — or an expensive experiment. Right now, the market would be forgiving their over-round on either outcome.
Tonali on De Zerbi's role in the move: "Huge." On leaving Newcastle: "We're all happy and we're ready for this new adventure." At least someone's feeling optimistic in north London.
