Roberto De Zerbi expects ‘two, maybe three’ more Tottenham signings this summer

Roberto De Zerbi says he expects “two, maybe three” more arrivals at Tottenham Hotspur this summer.

Spurs have had a busy start to the window, breaking their record transfer fee twice and completing six signings. Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka signed as free agents, before they spent £52 million on Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton and Hove Albion, a then-club record £85m fee for Mateus Fernandes, and then £100m (including add-ons) to bring Sandro Tonali to the club from Newcastle United.

But when asked how many further incomings he expects at Spurs this summer, De Zerbi said he is targeting a few more before the window shuts on September 1.

“I think two, maybe three,” he told reporters in his pre-match press conference on Friday before Tottenham’s pre-season friendly against Chelsea in Sydney on Saturday. “We have to see.”

De Zerbi also confirmed that midfielder James Maddison, who missed the majority of last season due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, will not be risked during Spurs’ pre-season tour due to a “small problem.”

He said: “I don’t want to take any risks, especially in this part of the season and especially for James because he suffered a long injury last season.  He’s an important player for us and it is not the right moment to take risks. We will work again when we are back in London.”

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In a roundtable interview on Thursday, De Zerbi told reporters, that the club is working on a “bomba” signing. It is understood that this deal is separate from their pursuit of Manchester City winger Savinho, which the club are confident of completing.

“Bomba in Italian is different from bomba in English,” he said. “You can write what you want, no problem, no pressure. But I said we have to complete the transfer market. I think we have some other players to complete the squad, and the player will be here in the next days are for me, top player. I don’t know if the expectation are bigger than two days ago, but we have to go forward and to think to the good of the team, of the club, of the squad, But in Italian it’s a different word.

When asked to clarify what “bomba” means, De Zerbi described it as a “top player”, in the ilk of some of their major summer signings.

“I think Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Senesi, Robertson are bomba,” he said. “For me, top player for us.”

Spurs have spent more than £230 million on three transfer fees for Tonali, Fernandes and Van Hecke, and are positioned to continue spending in the window, a notable departure from their transfer strategy in recent years under former executive chairman Daniel Levy. Referencing the activity of some of their ‘big six’ competition, De Zerbi says spending of this magnitude is a requirement for clubs to compete at the “highest level”.

“Zero pressure,” De Zerbi responded when asked whether the club-record fees increase the pressure to compete this season. “You know why? Because one day the taxi man in London stopped me to congratulate me on the transfer market. He said, “Eh, you are spending a lot of money”. I said, “But who are you a fan of?” “Arsenal”. You have spent the money for a long time in the last three or four years.

“I think Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, to stay at the top of the table, they have spent money. If you want to compete, now, for the top of the Premier League, and to put Tottenham in the highest level, I think we need to bring top players, like we are doing.”

Lucas Bergvall started Tottenham’s 1-1 draw (4-2 on penalties) against Sydney FC on Wednesday, but he has been linked with a move away, with Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest among his suitors. Guglielmo Vicario is expected to depart, as is current club captain Cristian Romero, both of whom have attracted interest from Serie A clubs. These potential departures may help to facilitate incomings.