Roberto De Zerbi wants to continue strengthening the Tottenham Hotspur squad despite having already forked out nearly £250m on new players this summer.
Roberto De Zerbi has suggested that Johan Lange needs to further bolster the Tottenham Hotspur squad before the transfer window slams shut. The Lilywhites have enjoyed an excellent start to the summer, forking out well over £200million on six Premier League-proven players, but there's plenty of work still to be done.
Spurs began by signing Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi from Liverpool and Bournemouth, respectively, for free, following the expiry of their contracts. Eager to add greater experience to the dressing room, Tottenham then secured the signature of Martin Dubravka, who looks set to replace Guglielmo Vicario and deputise Antonin Kinsky.
Lange started to splash the cash, paying £52m to reunite De Zerbi with Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton before then paying £85m to prise Mateus Fernandes from West Ham. The Spurs sporting director eventually got his hands on Sandro Tonali, too, who commanded a club-record fee worth £92.5m plus £7.5m in add-ons.
Despite having already coughed up nearly £250m, the Tottenham boss has told Lange that there's still lots of work to be done. Speaking to SpursPlay ahead of the Lilywhites' clash against MK Dons on Wednesday evening, De Zerbi expressed his delight with business so far, but more players need to be signed and sold.
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"I feel very good because we are working well," said the Italian ahead of the first friendly of pre-season. "I think we are building a very good team, with some very important new players, and we starting the project in another part of the history of the club.
“I spent a lot of time (understanding the club) before joining in April, and I knew very well the ideas of the owner of the club, and the plan was clear before the Everton game.
"Now we are inside (the project), we are excited with the idea to build a very strong team. Now we have to finish as it's not finished yet, our transfer market, in and out, but at the moment I’m very happy, very proud and very positive."
De Zerbi continued: "To build a soul, to build a new team with the qualities for sure, but with soul, with passion, with all the values we have. Football now is not just on the pitch, it's not just with the ball, it's before in the private life, it's how many hours during the day you think you’re doing your job, and they have to be happy and proud to stay in Tottenham.
"Of course, Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Senesi, Robertson, JP van Hecke, all of them are very important as qualities of the players, for sure, but first of all as a quality and level of the person."
Reflecting on last term, when Tottenham escaped relegation from the Premier League on the final day of the campaign, De Zerbi said: "Last season, I think we reached the target showing character, showing the right spirit.
"Now we have to push in the style of play, the quality of the play and the organisation. It was totally different because the seven games at the end of the season, you have no time. It’s not the right way to push too much the principles of play.
"Now we have time, we have everything in the right way, right place, and the right position to work and to become better and better and better in the quality of play. I think Tottenham deserve to compete for the top of the Premier League.
"I know very well the Premier League is very tough, but if you have a good motivation inside of the players, a good organisation on the pitch and outside of the pitch, I think you work well, and at the end you reach your target.
"I feel a big responsibility because they (the fans) loved me at the beginning in my time at Tottenham, and it is a pleasure to be Tottenham coach. At the same time, I feel responsibility to give results, to give pride when they are in the stands and when we are on the pitch, and to build a great Tottenham."