Tottenham has spent two consecutive seasons finishing in 17th place in the Premier League. This summer, they are determined to change everything. More than 300 million pounds were spent on the transfer market, the squad was refreshed and Roberto De Zerbi was given the right to rebuild the team. But after 5 Premier League rounds, Spurs are at the bottom of the table. They have not won any matches and scored only 2 goals.
That is not the beginning that Tottenham imagined after such a busy summer.
It is worth mentioning that most of the transfer plan was completed quite early. However, when the season started, De Zerbi still had to manage with a squad that was not really in sync. In the 0-3 defeat to Brentford, Tottenham's attack consisted of Mikey Moore, Richarlison and Mathys Tel. Among them, only one person was in Tottenham's regular use plan.
That patchwork made the investment of more than 300 million pounds quickly become the focus of debate.
Jan Paul van Hecke is a typical case. De Zerbi brought Brighton's center-back to Tottenham, while Luka Vuskovic moved in the opposite direction. Vuskovic is having a fairly favorable start, while Van Hecke disappointed in the match against Aston Villa, especially when facing Nicolas Jackson.
In midfield, the story is even more difficult to understand. Tottenham spent 85 million pounds for Mateus Fernandes and 100 million pounds for Sandro Tonali. The two midfielders were bought for a very high fee, but the way they combined with each other has not yet taken shape. Fernandes has been on the bench for 2 out of 5 Premier League matches and was substituted in another match.
Behind this duo is usually Rodrigo Bentancur, a defensive midfielder. Meanwhile, Tottenham owns many players who tend to play in the number 10 position. Dejan Kulusevski and Xavi Simons have not reached their best condition, causing De Zerbi to still have to adjust the system.
Another paradox lies in Conor Gallagher. This midfielder is not a creative player, but he scored 2 out of 3 goals for Tottenham in the Premier League. That number partly shows the deadlock of Tottenham's attack.
The problem above is even clearer. Omar Marmoush sometimes plays as a center forward, sometimes being pulled to the left wing. Dominic Solanke often has physical problems, while Richarlison is not in the main plan but has not yet left the club. Tottenham is lacking a truly stable center forward.
Savio is also in the group of contracts subject to much scrutiny. Tottenham paid £75 million initially for the Brazilian player, not including at least £5 million in extra fees. Savio's talent is undeniable, but his scoring record is not commensurate with the huge transfer fee.
Trouble does not stop at player buying and selling. De Zerbi once said Tottenham lacks leaders, but Andy Robertson is not named in the new leadership group. The Italian coach also declared "cannot buy spirit". That saying becomes even more thought-provoking as Spurs have just experienced an unprecedented spending summer.
5 matches cannot decide the fate of the whole season. De Zerbi still has time to rearrange the squad and find a suitable formula. But Tottenham cannot forever use the integration process to explain the current problems.
More than 300 million pounds have been spent. Expensive contracts have appeared. What is missing at this time is a Tottenham that is clear enough on the pitch. If they do not soon find stability, the largest investment in the club's history could become pressure on De Zerbi himself.
