Tottenham Hotspur anticipation is building ahead of next season under Roberto De Zerbi, with club insiders particularly 'excited' about one of their younger players in pre-season, according to Football London correspondent Alasdair Gold.
Tottenham only secured Premier League survival on the final day of the 2025-26 campaign, but there is already a completely different mood around the club ahead of next season.
The quality and ambition of De Zerbi is part of that, and it has been helped even more by Spurs backing the Italian with half-a-dozen signings so far, with more still to come.
The north London outfit have transformed a defence that was in desperate need of freshening up after the number of goals they have been conceding in recent years, with Micky van de Ven, Jan Paul van Hecke, Kevin Danso and Marcos Senesi likely to compete for the two starting spots in De Zerbi's preferred back-four system.
Two top starting midfielders have also arrived in Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali, with De Zerbi's next focus being on adding at least two new players to an attack that also often underwhelmed last term.
What is already clear in pre-season is that Tottenham have signed some big talent.
Gold: Tottenham Insiders 'So Excited' About Fernandes
Tottenham fans haven't had a chance to see the likes of Andy Robertson, Van Hecke and Senesi in action yet following their exploits at the 2026 World Cup, but it has been a different story for Mateus Fernandes.
The 22-year-old scored a stunning goal in Spurs' opening pre-season friendly win against Milton Keynes Dons, and then played half-an-hour of the 2-0 win against Auckland in New Zealand.
The Portugal international has impressed the most so far, including behind the scenes, according to Gold when speaking on his YouTube channel.
He said: "Fernandes scored that incredible goal against MK Dons, and he's only 18 months older than Archie Gray, but he's got a similar all-round ability, I think.
"But he's just got this ceiling that is probably higher than most in the game. Honestly, people inside the club are so excited about him, Mateus Fernandes, because I think they knew he was going to be class.
"They knew the stats suggested he was going to be class, and then they've worked with him up close and personal, and they've realised, 'holy moly, this is a guy that could be one of the best in the midfield in the game'."
Romano: Barcelona Open Talks to Sign Top Tottenham Target
According to Fabrizio Romano on Monday afternoon, Barcelona have just opened talks to sign one of Tottenham's top transfer targets.
While Spurs are focused on agreeing a deal with Manchester City to sign left-winger Savinho, one top Spurs source claims that even if they land the Brazilian, they will also make a move for Bournemouth striker Eli Junior Kroupi.
The 20-year-old is in demand across Europe following an outstanding breakthrough campaign in the Premier League with the Cherries, where he scored 13 goals in 33 top flight appearances to help them qualify for Europe for the first time in their history.
However, Tottenham face stiff competition for his signature, with Barca now making their move for the Frenchman, who Bournemouth won't allow to leave on the cheap.