Tottenham finished 17th and on 38 points, so Roberto De Zerbi is treating survival as a starting point, not a finish line. He says Spurs must "begin a stronger team" after the season ended, and his message is blunt enough: they cannot make the same mistakes, and the job starts now. He also made the hierarchy clear, saying mentality matters more than quality.
Why De Zerbi is pushing a hard reset
The summer message is about more than buying talent. De Zerbi said he came in at a difficult moment and believes it made the club stronger, but only if they learn from it properly. That is the right way to frame this rebuild. A club that has just scraped clear does not need another round of name-chasing. It needs players who bring leadership, habits and a bit of edge.
The club's recruitment clues match that tone. Vinai Venkatesham said the squad lacks the right balance and needs experience, leadership and physical robustness, with this transfer window described as critical. That is not a shopping list built around headline value. It is a clear attempt to raise the floor of the squad.
Which targets fit the plan
The defensive end of the market appears to be where Tottenham are looking first. John Stones has already said his goodbyes to Manchester City after a decade there, while the reports also mention Marcos Senesi and Andrew Robertson as part of the wider picture. None of that means deals are done, and the brief is clear that they are not confirmed signings. But it does show the sort of profile Spurs are chasing.
The Brighton links are more interesting because they fit the same brief. Carlos Baleba made 31 Premier League appearances for Brighton, Jan Paul van Hecke made 36, and Bart Verbruggen played 38. Those are the kinds of availability numbers that matter when a club wants reliability as much as upside. Luka Vušković is in the mix too after spending 2025/26 at Hamburger SV, where he scored six goals in 27 Bundesliga appearances and was named in the Bundesliga team of the season. There is still dispute over his next move, with another loan being suggested elsewhere, so that part remains open.
The wider point is that De Zerbi and the club seem aligned on the same problem. Tottenham survived, but 17th place and 38 points leave little room for self-congratulation. The rebuild starts with mentality, and the recruitment notes back that up. If Spurs add the right mix of leadership and defensive stability, this summer will look like a reset rather than another patch job.
FAQ
What does Roberto De Zerbi want Tottenham to change this summer?
De Zerbi says Tottenham need to begin a stronger team and avoid repeating the same mistakes. He stressed that mentality matters more than raw quality, while the club also wants experience, leadership and physical robustness in the squad.
Why are Tottenham focusing on mentality as well as transfers?
De Zerbi linked Tottenham's survival with the need for a reset, saying the club can become better if it does not make the same mistakes. He called the summer work critical and said the job starts now, with mentality more important than quality.
Which Tottenham transfer targets fit the defensive rebuild idea?
The reporting points to defensive and experience-led targets such as John Stones, Marcos Senesi and Andrew Robertson, while Brighton-linked options like Carlos Baleba, Jan Paul van Hecke, Bart Verbruggen and Luka Vušković also sit in the frame.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →
