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Tottenham Hotspur boss Roberto De Zerbi gathered the few points needed to keep the team in the Premier League after he was appointed near the end of last season, but 2026/27 has got off to a miserable start.

Spurs are winless and goalless after their first three Premier League matches. Losses against Brentford and Newcastle United preceded a 0-0 draw against Nottingham Forest last Saturday.

After spending a reported £313 million on new signings in the summer transfer window, albeit offset by some big sales, it's been an alarming return to the kind of results that put Spurs in relegation trouble last season.

Mykhailo Mudryk's training ground injury gives Spurs a problem

The North London club made a number of eye-catching acquisitions over the summer but one of the most surprising moves of all was a season-long loan deal for Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk.

De Zerbi has long been an advocate of the Ukraine international, a player he tipped for a Ballon d'Or-worthy future when they were together at Shakhtar Donetsk. He certainly saw the best of Mudryk, who was genuinely exciting in the Champions League group stage in 2021/22.

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The 25-year-old signed for Chelsea in January 2023 but struggled to live up to the expectations set by the previous season, and there was worse to come.

Mudryk was provisionally banned in December 2024 after failing a drugs test. Eventually, he was formally issued with a four-year ban that would have seen him out of action until the end of 2028. He appealed, and the charge was dropped in July.

The Forest match was Mudryk's first competitive appearance for nearly two years. Clearly, there's an element of risk that comes with that – De Zerbi and Spurs absorbed that risk from Chelsea and now find themselves paying an injured player.

Mudryk could miss the next two months after sustaining an ankle injury in training this week.

"The 25-year-old is understood to have sustained the injury on Monday and is currently believed to be in protective boot," reports BBC Sport.

"The injury coincides with a three-week international break and a return in October is considered a realistic prospect."

Mudryk's injury leaves Spurs paying for a player who is missing not only for a couple of months but at a time when he needed to be working his way back to match fitness and getting up to speed with De Zerbi's methods as he aims to turn Spurs around.

It's one of the most important seasons of Mudryk's career, too. His injury is a bitter blow at a crucial juncture.

“He’s the reason”, Tottenham Hotspur fans once sang about Rodrigo Bentancur. In the 2021/22 season, particularly once Antonio Conte took over from Nuno Espirito Santo, the Uruguayan was instrumental in the middle of the park.

He forged a fine partnership with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, and looked a world beater in north London. There was even an argument to be made that he was their most important player. Spurs wouldn’t have secured a Champions League finish without Bentancur in the side.

Disaster, though, struck in February 2023. Bentancur suffered an ACL injury at Leicester City. In the years since, Bentancur wasn’t the same player. A succession of spells on the sidelines owing to knee, ankle and hamstring issues hardly helped the Uruguay international.

Too safe

Nor did the Thomas Frank Reign of Pain. At one stage last season, the Dane’s favoured midfield pairing was Bentancur and Joao Palhinha at the base in the 4-2-3-1 formation. The axis of evil was resoundingly criticised, particularly at home when the north London side were accused of being too safe.

So, when Spurs spent £185m to bring Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium from Newcastle United and West Ham United, respectively, many felt Bentancur would be deemed surplus to requirements. At that point, the idea was that both Tonali and Fernandes would forge the deep-lying pairing in Roberto De Zerbi’s preferred 4-2-3-1 setup.

Yet, three games into the new Premier League season, Bentancur has started twice. He replaced Lucas Bergvall at the break in last month’s 3-0 defeat at Brentford, the Swede having struggled in the opening 45 minutes. He ranks fifth for total league minutes (225) at Spurs.

Admittedly, results haven’t gone in the club’s favour. They have collected just one point from meetings with the Bees, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest, and are one of three teams yet to score a league goal in England’s top tier this season.

Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Forest, though, was a step in the right direction. Spurs looked more threatening going forward, and could have gone ahead in the first half had Omar Marmoush hit the target when one-on-one with Matz Sels.

What caught the eye, however, was Bentancur’s standout performance. The former Juventus midfielder was arguably Spurs’ best player at the City Ground, putting in the necessary nitty-gritty display that helped Spurs claim a first point of the season. They were far tougher to break down than they were in back-to-back defeats to Brentford and Newcastle.

Indeed, Bentancur made nine clearances, two interceptions and one tackle in the Midlands. He managed five ball recoveries, won six duels and four aerial duels. While Spurs splashed the cash to improve the squad in the off-season following their relegation scrap, it’s the 2022 £18m addition that continues to shine in a key area.

Conte identified Bentancur as a vital player when he took charge back in 2021, and De Zerbi has done similar following his appointment back in April. In time, De Zerbi may plump for a pairing of Tonali and Fernandes to help take Spurs forward. For the foreseeable future, however, Bentancur needs to be a starter at the base of the midfield.

Forget the £185m pairing, it’s Bentancur who De Zerbi should be building his midfield around. There’s a reason, after all, that Spurs were happy to - briefly - entertain bids for Lucas Bergvall and willing to sanction Pape Sarr’s Juventus switch. When it came to Bentancur, however, there was no chance he’d be shown the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium exit.

And with the welcome of a battling Everton side looming, De Zerbi needs to continue with Bentancur in a key position. The Toffees thrive in midfield duels and winning second balls, meaning Spurs have a battle on their hands against David Moyes’ men this weekend.

Saturday’s Forest stalemate proved that Bentancur is more than up for the challenge. It also showed just why De Zerbi will look to the experienced figurehead in the middle of the park in his first full campaign in the capital. Spurs are a far more cohesive unit when Bentancur starts. Despite the shiney new toys, he’ll start in midfield, and deservedly so.

As more clubs in the Premier League and Championship have moved from their historic homes into shiny new grounds, the impressive potential of stadium naming rights has made its way into the English game.

Renaming Highbury or Goodison Park would have been beyond the pale, not to mention a futile exercise in terms of what the supporters of Arsenal or Everton would have called them.

But nobody refers the Emirates Stadium as Ashburton Grove or the Hill Dickinson Stadium as Bramley-Moore Dock, and why would they? That's not what they're called.

Tottenham Hotspur have been in their new ground since 2019 and its name has been the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ever since. For supporters of a certain sensibility, it's been a breath of fresh air in a game where revenue is king.

That's not to say Spurs are commercially reluctant – they're anything but. Nevertheless, not referring in everyday chatter to the AIA Stadium or similar is a small relief for traditionalists.

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Premier League clubs are increasingly governed by the need to balance their football spending against their revenue, especially those playing regularly in Europe.

UEFA's squad cost ratio (SCR) regulations have been adopted, tweaked and repackaged in the Premier League as the successor to its risible Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

The simple version is that SCR "limits Premier League clubs’ on-pitch spending to 85% of their football-related revenue and net profit/loss from player sales." The even simpler version is that clubs who want to spend money also need to make money.

Spurs are no exception, yet the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium remains resolutely unsponsored. Given the varied and constant use of the ground, whose ability to host concerts and other sporting events was central to its development, the door remains open to a windfall.

"We are in a highly competitive industry alongside a number of clubs with similar ambitions, and we will only look to partner with the most-respected, renowned brands that align to our club values and can bring something to our fan experience," a Spurs spokesperson told BBC Sport.

Clearly, the financial benefit of any such deal will be paramount when Spurs do sign over their stadium naming rights.

What that number might look like is unknown, but estimates in the region of £20 million per season several years ago now feel very much out of date, especially when the club in question is holding out for the big bucks.

Everton are bringing in a reported £10 million per season for the naming rights to the striking new Hill Dickinson Stadium. Arsenal's latest renewal of their Emirates deal, which extends far beyond the stadium alone, is understood to be worth £70 million a year.

Take out the shirt sponsorship and split the difference, and the potential value of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium naming rights comes into view. Build in the London factor, the sheer heft of the place as a venue and Spurs' willingness to wait for a suitable deal, and a figure around the £40 million should be achievable.

Former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has opened up on his summer departure to Juventus, as well as admitting the dressing room was 'not aligned' last season.

The 29-year-old Italian spent three seasons in North London after making the switch from Empoli in 2023. During his spell with the club, Vicario established himself as Tottenham's No. 1, making 81 appearances across all competitions.

However, his general level of consistency could not shield the team from a dismal 2025/26 campaign. Tottenham endured one of the most damaging seasons in their recent history, finishing 17th in the Premier League and narrowly escaping relegation to the Championship.

Vicario: 'Spurs dressing room was not aligned last season'

As part of an extensive summer overhaul aimed at resetting the culture, Vicario was allowed to return to Serie A by head coach Roberto De Zerbi, who had chosen not to field the goalkeeper during the final stretch of the 2025/26 campaign.

Speaking to Sky Italia, the goalkeeper has expressed his gratitude towards De Zerbi, revealing that the manager acted with transparency when the opportunity to join Juventus materialised.

“I thank him, I did it personally the day I signed with Juventus,” Vicario said. “With me he was a real person, direct and above all a man of his word. He gave me the opportunity to take this step that I had in mind, he supported me and I will always be grateful to him.”

While Vicario held no grudges against De Zerbi, his comments regarding the wider team environment shed light on the deeper issues that undermined Tottenham’s league campaign.

Whispers of squad divisions, cliques, and conflicting agendas had lingered throughout their fight for survival, and the goalkeeper's reflection effectively confirms that key figures inside the building were pulling in opposite directions.

Acknowledging the dysfunction without going into detail, Vicario admitted: “There have been some dynamics that have not aligned, probably for several reasons that make no sense to mention now.”

Vicario’s departure was symbolic of a broader summer clear-out under De Zerbi, who actively dismantled a squad that proved unfit for purpose last term. As Vicario embarks on a fresh chapter in Turin, Tottenham face a significant rebuilding task, particularly after their start to the new league season, sitting third from bottom in the Premier League after three matches.

Richarlison has been dumped by Tottenham Hotspur, failing to appear in their submitted 25-man Premier League squad list.

The news arrives days after Richarlison was reportedly asking the club to allow him to leave, with Super Lig side Trabzonspor entering the equation and gunning for his signature.

The Brazilian was also close to an Everton homecoming, however, he ultimately turned the Toffees down after unsuccessful negotiations.

Richarlison dumped by Tottenham Hotspur

Richarlison was a foundational player in Spurs' relegation survival last term, bagging 11 goals, and recording four assists, in 32 Premier League appearances.

His sole appearance so far this campaign came from the start versus Brentford, where he played 61 minutes in a 3-0 loss.

Last Saturday, before Spurs were beaten for a second successive game, losing 2-0 at home to Newcastle United, De Zerbi was brief and blunt in his assessment of the Brazilian's future.

"Richarlison has said too many times that he wants to leave," the Italian revealed.

"I love these players, and these are great guys - but if they want to leave, they have to bring the economic solution to the club.

"Then they can go, and we'll find other players [to replace them]," concluded De Zerbi.

Days later, Richarlison's name was omitted from Spurs' 25-man squad list, amid rumours of the Brazilian making the move to the Super Lig.

The 29-year-old was linked by two Turkish transfer experts to the current club of Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah: Trabzonspor.

That news arrived days after Richarlison took to Instagram to reveal a breakdown in negotiations between himself and former club Everton.

“My intention was to go back to the place where I was very happy, yes," wrote the 29-year-old. "“But the negotiations happened only in the way certain people wanted.

"It will no longer be like that. I am under contract at Spurs and will remain at the club’s disposal," he concluded, before links to the Turkish top-flight emerged.

A busy summer of transfer business is over for Tottenham Hotspur, but injuries to James Maddison and Xavi Simons have left the Lilywhites short in one area.

It seems Spurs have bolstered pretty much every area of their squad apart from central attacking midfield (or the No.10 role). Jan Paul Van Hecke and Marcos Senesi are new faces in defence, Matheus Fernandes and £100m man Sandro Tonali are the fresh midfield pairing, while Savio and Omar Marmoush add quality to Roberto De Zerbi’s attack.

However, with the passing of deadline day, De Zerbi may be left wishing he had added a playmaker to his roster. Still, the solution could be right under their nose.

James Maddison 2.0

Tottenham fans waited a long time to see James Maddison return to the field after a spate of injuries last season. They got their wish when the 29-year-old came on as a substitute in the opening day defeat to Brentford, but it wasn’t long before he was causing concern once again.

After the game, De Zerbi confirmed (via London Evening Standard) that Maddison had “suffered a small injury in his shoulder,” and it’s thought he could be out for a couple of weeks at least. Speaking to the club website, the Spurs boss added: “I think with James, we have to find the right plan… We have to work consistently for three, four weeks, and then he's a different player - a different player on the pitch, outside the pitch.”

It says it all that Maddison has completed just five full 90-minute games for Spurs since signing for the club in 2023. That’s a real problem, especially considering Tottenham’s other option in that position, Xavi Simons, is out of action until at least early 2027, having suffered the same ACL injury as Maddison, only seven months later.

There is one positive to take from the current Tottenham injury list, however, with Dejan Kulusevski finally back in full training after more than 15 months on the sidelines. Spurs will have to be patient with the Swedish ace, but he could well fill that number 10 role when he’s back to his best.

In the meantime, it looks like Matheus Fernandes will be filling the gap, but that’s far from ideal and not where he has been signed to play.

Ten regrets

After signing so many players this summer and rebuilding the squad to De Zerbi’s liking, many had expected that a number 10 would be among the new additions. It wasn’t to be.

Morgan Gibbs-White has long been linked with Tottenham, but he stayed at Nottingham Forest. Meanwhile, the likes of Cody Gakpo and Iliman Ndiaye were strongly mooted as potential signings, and they could have eased the pressure in the space behind the striker, but the Liverpool man stayed at Anfield while Ndiaye ended moving to Man City at the last minute.

It could be that Tottenham go for a playmaker in January instead, but by that point, will it be too late? Spurs have the potential to challenge at the top this season given the quality of the squad, but not having adequate options in the number 10 role will limit them.

In Luca we trust

But Tottenham could already have a solution to their problem, and it’s staring Robert De Zerbi right in the face. While the Italian coach clearly favours experience over everything, particularly Premier League pedigree, he’s also taken a liking to Tottenham’s teenage sensation, Luca Williams-Barnett, who plays centrally as an attacking midfielder/forward.

Fans in N17 are already raving about the 17-year-old, and rightly so. He’s already flown through the youth ranks and has found himself on the fringes of the first team since the second half of last season. A strong pre-season with plenty of minutes has seen Williams-Barnett’s stock rise further, while he’s already made an appearance for the Lilywhites this term in the 5-1 win over Charlton in the Carabao Cup, coming off the bench after 78 minutes.

Spurs have pedigree for producing highly-rated youngsters. Harry Kane is a prime example, but the likes of Alfie Devine, Dane Scarlett, Troy Parrott, Harry Winks, and Oliver Skipp have all tried and failed to make the necessary impact in North London. Mikey Moore and Jamie Donley could still do that, but they’re now out on loan, leaving Williams-Barnett as the most promising prospect in the building right now.

Giving the teen substantial minutes this season would not be a token gesture. He absolutely has the quality needed to finally become the next big academy graduate at Tottenham. Williams-Barnett’s skillset includes dazzling dribbling, incredible vision, and an unbelievable level of swagger and flair for someone so young. He’s the kind of maverick Tottenham – and indeed, any club – dream of producing. To let him tread water in the reserves this season would be criminal.

Spurs cannot let another exciting young talent stagnate until he decides to move on in search of first-team football. Instead, De Zerbi needs to embrace the vitality and fearlessness Williams-Barnett brings and allow this rough diamond to flourish. Adding a splash of youth could be the perfect way to balance what is a very experienced team.

Williams-Barnett is the kind of player who can produce moments of magic, something Spurs have been severely lacking in the last couple of years. While Maddison and Simons are injured, it would surely make sense to give a homegrown talent his chance, rather than shoehorning other midfielders into a role they’re not comfortable in.

The supporters would love to see Williams-Barnett get an opportunity; the player himself would almost certainly rise to the challenge, and it could well be the kind of decision that ends up saving Tottenham tens of millions of pounds.

Richarlison has reportedly reached an agreement with a suitor club, and is pushing to exit Tottenham Hotspur, days after rejecting an approach from former side Everton.

The Spurs striker bagged 11 Premier League goals last term, as the North London club fought tooth and nail to avoid final day relegation.

In all competitions, he tallied 12 goals and five assists in 42 appearances, and has now set his sights on the Super Lig in a transfer that will see him join forces with Liverpool royalty.

Richarlison reaches verbal agreement with Trabzonspor, will play alongside Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah

According to Turkish transfer expert Yagiz Sabuncuoglu, Richarlison has verbally agreed to an offer made by Trabzonspor, and is now pressuring Tottenham Hotspur to allow him to depart.

The news arrives mere hours after Trabzonspor were revealed to have made an offer to the North London club in exchange for the Brazilian’s services, also reported by Sabuncuoglu.

Richarlison publicly denied rumours of returning to Everton, who also failed to sign USMNT striker Folarin Balogun before yesterday's deadline, clarifying that he remains in charge of his own future and “never again will anyone decide my future for me.”

“If they reach an agreement between Spurs and Everton, I will return to my beloved club,” he continued. “My intention was to go back to the place where I was very happy, yes.

“But the negotiations happened only in the way certain people wanted, and it will no longer be like that. I am under contract at Spurs and will remain at the club’s disposal,” concluded the Brazilian.

Trabzonspor expert Hasan Tuncel supported the claim that Richarlison is on the verge of moving to Turkey, claiming on X (formerly Twitter) that “serious efforts are being made to get him out of Tottenham” shortly after Sabuncuoglu’s exclusive was posted.

The Super Lig side have made headlines in recent months for securing the services of Liverpool legend Salah, who has bagged three-in-three for Trabzonspor domestically this season.

The Turkish top-flight side also paired the Egyptian with Richarlison’s fellow Brazilian, and Salah’s former Reds team-mate, Fabinho, with both players starting versus Amed on Monday evening and combining for the game’s opening goal.

The Super Lig club have prioritised an additional forward since the Egyptian signed, with rumours circling that Darwin Nunez could reunite with Salah, but that move did not materialise.

FourFourTwo suggested that Trabzonspor approach free agent Wilfried Zaha as a wing partner for the Egyptian, but it now appears that Richarlison will make a Papara Park arrival, and possibly fill that flank.

The Super Lig side’s current striker, Paul Onuachu — who hit 22 top-flight strikes last term — has endured a goal-less start to the season, with fans rallying to see greater depth in the position.

Richarlison would also act as a natural replacement for Onuachu in the starting line-up; only time will tell whether Spurs allow the Brazilian to leave, as the 29-year-old pushes for his move.

Even after relegation scares in back-to-back seasons, the most pessimistic of Spurs supporters probably wouldn't have predicted being rock bottom after two games, with a -5 goal difference.

Or perhaps they would have, from recent trauma build-up. Still, Tottenham Hotspur’s summer incomings have been impressive, and arrived with an expectation of achieving European football this season.

But the North London club, at best, could be considered slightly overzealous in regard to its expenditure this summer, and their haste in helping to solve Chelsea’s wage bill issue is worrying, to say the least.

Tottenham Hotspur secure services of Chelsea duo, but why?

Ahead of Tuesday’s transfer deadline at 11pm BST, Spurs look set to secure the services of Chelsea duo Mykhailo Mudryk and Tosin Adarabioyo.

Their London rivals are willing to shift the pair in an effort to solve their wage bill issues, and Spurs seem all too eager to aid them in this regard.

Mudryk will sign on a season-long loan, while Adarabioyo is expected to move on a permanent transfer for around £7 million — combined, they recorded zero goals and zero assists in 23 Premier League appearances last season.

Chelsea, in contrast to the North London club, are fourth in the Premier League table, having taken two wins from two against Brighton and Fulham — blockbuster 3-2 and 4-3 victories.

Last season, they finished in 10th, accumulating just nine additional points to Spurs’ tally of 41, which saw them capable of being relegated all the way until the Premier League’s final gameweek.

If you stare hard enough, you’ll find that there was likely an expectation for the two clubs to perform as peers this season, yet Tottenham Hotspur have, rather alarmingly, found themselves vacuuming the crumbs up off the floor in Chelsea’s kitchen.

And that should worry fans of the North London club — after an initially serious summer in which Spurs secured the services of Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Savio, Jan Paul van Hecke, Omar Marmoush, and further Premier League-proven talent, this is a concerning sign.

It’s one thing to take players from Manchester City; Enzo Maresca’s men will likely challenge for the Premier League title this season, and the Savio-Marmoush duo bring multiple top-level seasons of experience under Pep Guardiola’s wing to London.

But a pair of 'B squad' players from Chelsea with little observable Premier League impact? What benefits could this duo bring that outweigh the positive impact it will have on the Blues’ wage bill, and their rivals’ ability to compete?

How good can Mudryk and Tosin possibly be, for paying £7m and the pair’s wages, to prevent Chelsea from getting the last laugh here?

During a summer in which Spurs appeared determined to turn a page, their performances on the pitch have scarcely improved, and their transfer business will conclude on a sour note.

And while fans of the North London club will surely stay focused on seeing the likes of Fernandes, Tonali, Savio and Marmoush come good, they should keep a closer eye on the duo that Chelsea appear overwhelmingly likely to have fleeced them for.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a lift on transfer deadline day as Swedish international Dejan Kulusevski returned to full team training, 477 days after suffering a complex knee injury.

The 26-year-old forward has not featured in a competitive fixture since May 2025, when a challenge during a Premier League defeat to Crystal Palace left him with patella cartilage damage in his right knee.

While initial diagnoses suggested a minor knock, subsequent scans revealed significant cartilage damage requiring surgery.

Dejan Kulusevski returns to Spurs training after 477 days

His rehabilitation was heavily disrupted by setbacks and because cartilage lacks a direct blood supply, the joint failed to heal naturally under increased workloads, forcing Kulusevski to undergo a second surgical procedure to clean out the affected area.

In total, the Swede's 15-month ordeal has forced him to sit out well over 60 matches for club and country.

From the sidelines, Kulusevski has watched a turbulent chapter in Spurs’ recent history unfold. Former manager Ange Postecoglou departed, Thomas Frank arrived and left, then so did Igor Tudor.

New head coach Roberto De Zerbi has since taken the reins, but Kulusevski has been out of action for so long, he has missed Tottenham's 2025 Europa League title, as well as the entirety of last season's domestic struggles, including a 17th-place Premier League finish. He was also forced to miss Sweden’s 2026 World Cup campaign.

For De Zerbi, who has faced a frustrating start to the 2026/27 campaign following consecutive losses to Brentford and Newcastle, Kulusevski’s return provides a boost to Tottenham’s attacking options.

The versatile attacker’s ability to operate as a direct right-winger or more of a central playmaker offers De Zerbi the options his side has lacked for quite some time.

Given that Kulusevski has spent 477 days away from first-team action, realistic expectations must be maintained. Re-integrating into high-intensity Premier League football following two surgical procedures and a prolonged period of inactivity will require significant patience from Spurs supporters, and it will inevitably take time before he recovers full match sharpness and rhythm.

Nevertheless, stepping back onto the training pitch alongside his teammates is a significant milestone.

"After 477 days I came back to full team training," Kulusevski wrote on social media.

"Everything is impossible until is [sic] not. Want to see a miracle. Be one. See u soon."

Tottenham will be hoping that the 2025/26 season saw the club bottom out following a series of recent struggles.

The club only secured their Premier League status on the final day of last season, as they meandered to a second consecutive 17th-place finish, but did not have a cup win to fall back on this season, following their 2025 Europa League triumph.

The reasons for Spurs' recent struggles have been well-documented, with managerial upheaval and questionable recruitment two of the main issues the club have faced over the past few years.

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Peter Crouch on Tottenham's need to rebuild

Former Spurs striker Peter Crouch has pinpointed last season's hire of Igor Tudor as a particularly poor decision, and also believes his old side are in need of a significant rebuild, in order to back new boss Roberto De Zerbi.

"Roberto De Zerbi has been amazing at Spurs," Crouch tells FourFourTwo. "The Igor Tudor reign was disastrous.

"No-one saw that appointment coming and it didn’t ever start making any more sense."

Crouch believes that for a club with Tottenham's ambitions, this decision was symptomatic of a wider problem that has impacted the club for some time.

“There’s been serious mismanagement for a while now,” he continues, adding that Tottenham's recruitment has also been below par.

“They haven’t bought well enough,” Crouch adds, backing their recent summer spending spree, which has seen the club spend more than £300million going into the final days of the window.

This has seen the likes of Savio, Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes join, and despite an opening weekend 3-0 defeat to Brentford, Crouch insists it is now time for the club to kick on again.

"A club of that size can’t be trying to stay up by a couple of points," he insists, in a statement which also illustrates the size of the challenge facing De Zerbi and his side this year.

"I hope to see Spurs back to their best this season,” Crouch concludes.