Tottenham's Summer Overhaul: How De Zerbi's Spurs Might Line Up

Tottenham did not celebrate survival. They exhaled, briefly, after that nervy 1-0 win over Everton on the final day, then turned straight into the storm. Roberto De Zerbi promised “wholesale changes” and, for once at this club, the talk has been backed by speed and chequebook.

Three signings are already through the door, the tone of the window set early. This is not tinkering. This is surgery.

Defence: a new spine, a new voice

De Zerbi made it clear from the outset: his Spurs would not be as soft as the one he inherited. The first wave of business has gone straight into the back line.

Andy Robertson, the serial winner from Liverpool, arrives as the standard-setter. He is not expected to shove Destiny Udogie aside, but to push him, protect him and cover him. Between them, Tottenham suddenly have a left flank with bite, experience and a voice that carries.

In the middle, the project is even more ruthless. Cristian Romero’s future hangs in the balance, his status as captain no guarantee of a place in De Zerbi’s rebuild. The Italian is ready to move on if the right offer lands, and the club have prepared for that scenario.

Jan Paul van Hecke, a £52million statement from Brighton, has been reunited with his former coach and looks primed to slot next to fellow Dutchman Micky van de Ven at centre-back. De Zerbi knows exactly what he is getting: aggressive front-foot defending, comfort on the ball, and the courage to hold a high line.

Van de Ven himself has suitors, but Spurs are fighting hard to keep him. De Zerbi wants him not just as a cornerstone of the defence, but potentially as the next captain should Romero depart. The message is clear: stay, and this becomes your team.

On the right, there is no debate. Pedro Porro, fresh from signing a new long-term deal, remains first choice. His attacking instincts fit De Zerbi’s plan, his delivery a key outlet in a side that will look to dominate territory rather than merely survive it.

The result is a back four that looks nothing like the one that stumbled over the line in May. It is older in some areas, calmer in others, and unmistakably shaped in the manager’s image.

Goalkeeper: loyalty or a new No1?

The most delicate call of all might come in goal.

Guglielmo Vicario, linked persistently with a move back to Italy and now on the radar of Serie A champions Inter Milan, ended last season in the treatment room after hernia surgery. He has not played a minute under De Zerbi.

In his absence, Antonin Kinsky stepped in and did more than just keep the shirt warm. He steadied a shaken defence, helped Spurs scrape together the points they needed, and gave his manager something to think about.

De Zerbi could reward that form and back Kinsky as his No1, a bold show of faith in a player who seized his chance when the pressure was at its peak.

Yet the club’s eyes have drifted elsewhere. There is longstanding admiration for Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford, who is pushing for regular football next season. No talks have been held so far, but the interest is real, and the idea of a young, homegrown keeper growing with this new-look side is an attractive one.

For now, the door remains open in all directions: Vicario could be sold, Kinsky could keep the gloves, Trafford could arrive. One position, three very different paths.

Midfield: Tonali at the heart of the rebuild

If there is one name that defines this window for Tottenham, it is Sandro Tonali.

De Zerbi wants a midfielder who can dictate, not just destroy. Someone who can set the tempo from deep, take the ball under pressure and drag the team 20 yards higher up the pitch. The club have circled Tonali at Newcastle as that man.

It will take serious money to pull him out of St James’ Park, and everyone involved knows it. But De Zerbi is a long-time admirer and sees him as the heartbeat of his new Spurs.

Should Tottenham get their way, Tonali would likely form a double pivot with Rodrigo Bentancur at the base of midfield. On paper, it is an elegant blend: Bentancur’s press resistance and intelligence alongside Tonali’s range of passing and ferocity without the ball.

There is also interest in West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes, another sign that Spurs want more control and composure in central areas after a season that often saw them overrun and chasing shadows.

If the window goes to plan, the days of a flimsy, easily bypassed midfield could be over. In its place, a platform for De Zerbi’s attacking patterns and high-risk, high-reward football.

Attack: big names, big questions

The real uncertainty lies further forward. Injuries shredded Spurs’ attack last season, leaving De Zerbi short of options and rhythm. The rebuild there is more complicated, but the targets are ambitious.

Man City winger Savinho has been on Tottenham’s radar for some time. Talks have been reopened, with the Brazilian keen to move this summer in search of regular minutes. His direct running and one‑v‑one threat would add a much-needed spark out wide.

On the opposite flank, another headline name has entered the conversation. Marcus Rashford, frozen out at Manchester United and seemingly with no future at Old Trafford, has been linked with a move. For Spurs, it would be a gamble with enormous upside: a player who, at his best, can transform an attack almost single-handedly.

Between them, James Maddison is ready to reclaim centre stage. The playmaker returned from injury at the back end of last season and should start the new campaign as De Zerbi’s No10, the creative hub around which the rest of the front line rotates.

Dejan Kulusevski’s persistent fitness issues, though, cast a shadow. His quality is not in doubt; his availability is. De Zerbi must decide whether to build around him or treat him as a luxury option in a squad that cannot afford passengers.

Up front, the club continue to weigh their options, with Dominic Solanke among the forwards admired for his work rate and penalty-box presence. The notional XI being sketched out in north London has him leading the line, feeding off service from Maddison, Savinho and, potentially, Rashford.

The possible XI – and the stakes

If everything falls their way, if negotiations land and exits are managed, Tottenham’s starting line-up on August 22 could look radically different to the side that clung to safety against Everton.

A projected De Zerbi-era Spurs might read:

Trafford; Porro, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bentancur, Tonali; Savinho, Maddison, Rashford; Solanke.

That is the vision: younger in key areas, hardened by leaders like Robertson, infused with high-end talent and tailored to a coach who refuses to play on the back foot.

De Zerbi has been backed with money, but not with a blank cheque. Every decision now carries weight. Which positions get priority? Which stars are sacrificed? How many risks can one summer bear?

Tottenham have chosen upheaval over comfort. By the time the new season kicks off, we will know whether that courage has delivered a new era – or simply a different version of the same old Spurs.