The new Tottenham Hotspur head coach has got plans to get the best out of two of the north London club's big signings this season
Roberto De Zerbi believes he knows how to get the best out of Tottenham's £86million duo Conor Gallagher and Xavi Simons.
The Italian has taken the helm of Spurs with the club languishing in the Premier League's bottom three and yet to win a match in the competition in 2026. To stand any chance of beating the drop, De Zerbi must get the north London outfit's star players firing in the final seven matches of the campaign, starting with Sunday's trip to Sunderland.
One of those underperforming stars will be January signing Gallagher, who arrived from Atletico Madrid after turning down the advances of Aston Villa but the 26-year-old has struggled to make any impact since his £35million move. Another is Dutch starlet Xavi, who has created more chances than any other Spurs player since signing for £51million from RB Leipzig last summer but struggled for consistent starts under Igor Tudor and Thomas Frank.
De Zerbi called the 22-year-old former PSG youngster a "big talent" while admitting that "I want to see again the same Gallagher I loved in Chelsea at the time", having tried to sign the England international when he was Brighton boss.
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The new Tottenham head coach has a clear idea of how he can get more out of the potentially dynamic duo.
"Two parts. One part, the focus on the ball, on the pitch, to put them in the best position, the favourite position they feel, for sure, and the mental part," he said. "I think for Gallagher it's not so easy because he left Chelsea after I don't know how many seasons. He went to Atletico Madrid, and now in Tottenham, in this moment for Tottenham.
"He was a leader in Chelsea, and now he has to adapt to a new club, to new team-mates, to a new stadium, to a new everything. I have to help him to put as a target the Gallagher in Chelsea."
The 46-year-old added: "Also for the other players, it's the position on the pitch, [Mohammed] Kudus was one player because he already knew what I demand for the winger (after De Zerbi came close to signing the currently injured attacker before he joined West Ham).
“And all players, one part mental side and one part on the pitch to give more solutions when we have the ball, and change the focus from the defensive phase to the offensive phase, because if we have to concede a goal, we concede a goal.
“But the DNA of these players, of this club, of these players, is to keep the ball and to try the condition to score, not to be worried [about conceding] because we need to win the game."