This Tottenham Transfer Window Review – Summer 2026 starts with an uncomfortable backdrop: two straight 17th-place finishes, a new head coach, and a squad that needed major repairs. Roberto De Zerbi arrived on 31 March and kept Spurs up, then received major backing. As of 5 September, the reshaped squad faces an early test. Spurs lost 3-0 at Brentford and 2-0 at home to Newcastle, leaving them goalless before the trip to Nottingham Forest. That matters because Spurs need points, not merely fresh names.
Tottenham Transfer Window Review – Summer 2026: A new midfield core
The biggest statement came in central midfield. Sandro Tonali arrived from Newcastle for an initial £92.5m, rising to £100m through conditions, while Mateus Fernandes joined from West Ham for £85m. Those deals gave De Zerbi two players who can pass, press, carry possession and cover ground. Tonali brings the profile of an established international midfielder, while Fernandes offers a younger option at 21.
Spurs needed that mix. Last season they collected 41 points from 38 matches and scored 48 goals, while conceding 57, so the problem stretched beyond one position. That distinction matters because a window can look transformational in a spreadsheet while leaving the starting XI short of rhythm, trust, defensive certainty and cohesion too.
Tonali should bring control and bite, and Fernandes should increase the speed of circulation. Yet the opening defeats have already created difficult selection calls. Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Rodrigo Bentancur and Conor Gallagher now compete for minutes, while Pape Matar Sarr has gone to Juventus on loan with a conditional obligation to buy.
The defensive rebuild looks more measured. Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi arrived as free agents from Liverpool and Bournemouth, then Jan Paul van Hecke joined Brighton for £52m. Tosin Adarabioyo came from Chelsea on 1 September, with the fee undisclosed, adding another Premier League-tested centre-back. Spurs sold Luka Vuskovic to Brighton for £46m and agreed a deal sending Cristian Romero to Atlético Madrid, although the club did not disclose that fee. Djed Spence left for Inter, with Sports Mole listing the fee at £30m.
Robertson adds experience and delivery, Senesi offers a left-footed passer, van Hecke provides a younger central option, and Adarabioyo strengthens the rotation. However, selling Romero removes one of the squad’s strongest personalities and best defenders. De Zerbi now has to rebuild the centre-back hierarchy and teach his new defenders when to hold their line or step into midfield.
Tottenham Transfer Window Review – Summer 2026: Attack gets a shake-up
The attack received a fresh set of options, though the final business looks different from some early reports. Sávio moved from Manchester City for a reported £75m and can play on either wing. Omar Marmoush joined City on a season-long loan with an obligation to make the transfer permanent next summer, while Mykhailo Mudryk arrived from Chelsea on another season-long loan. The moves give De Zerbi more pace, width and movement.
Richarlison, meanwhile, did not complete the anticipated £35m return to Everton before the English deadline. De Zerbi confirmed on 4 September that the Brazilian refused a contract extension and asked to leave, while Spurs left him out of their Premier League squad. That matters because Richarlison scored 11 Premier League goals last season, more than any other Tottenham player, and Spurs now need several forwards to replace that output.
There was another twist. Iliman Ndiaye did not join Tottenham; Manchester City signed him from Everton for £65m. That changes the attacking picture because the Spurs frontline now centres more heavily on Sávio, Marmoush, Mudryk, Mohammed Kudus, Dominic Solanke and Mathys Tel. Xavi Simons is recovering from injury, and James Maddison has fitness concerns, so De Zerbi has options but no settled attacking formula.
Reuters put Tottenham’s summer spending at about £303m after the deadline, while Sports Mole’s confirmed-transfer list calculated £312m in gross spending and £99m in recorded income, giving a £213m net spend. Source totals vary because outlets treat add-ons, loan obligations and undisclosed fees differently. Either way, this is one of the club’s most aggressive windows. Tonali, Fernandes, van Hecke and Sávio account for roughly £304m at their reported headline values before loan obligations and the Adarabioyo fee.
The squad has more athleticism, experience and technical variety, but De Zerbi must build a settled side while managing players who arrived at different points of pre-season after the World Cup. The opening two matches produced zero goals and five conceded, so the warning signs have arrived before the new arrivals have had much time together.
Tottenham have moved out several players who formed part of the previous core, including Romero, Spence and Sarr, while loans have taken Radu Dragusin, Kevin Danso and Mikey Moore elsewhere. That turnover can clear space, but it can just as quickly leave a team short of continuity. De Zerbi has repeatedly stressed character and collective spirit, and the recruitment reflects that.
Still, spending alone cannot solve poor home form or defensive lapses. Spurs lost 21 of their last 39 home league matches before the start of this season, and the Newcastle defeat exposed the same old problem: periods of possession without enough cutting edge, followed by openings at the other end. The next few weeks will reveal whether recruitment has solved those issues.
As squad building, the summer earns credit for ambition and range. Robertson, Senesi, van Hecke, Tonali, Fernandes and Sávio give De Zerbi more quality than the side that finished 17th with 41 points. Marmoush and Mudryk add intrigue, while Adarabioyo gives the back line another option. But the price tags have raised expectations sharply, and Spurs cannot hide behind a rebuilding label forever.
Tottenham Transfer Window Review – Summer 2026 now comes down to a blunt question: can this expensive new group turn control into goals and possession into points? Two league defeats have made that question louder, not quieter. De Zerbi has the players he asked for, the club have spent at an extraordinary rate, and Richarlison’s unresolved exit shows the rebuild still carries unfinished business. At Forest, Spurs went into the test still chasing their first league goal of the season.
