Tottenham Hotspur's season commences next weekend when they travel to West London to take on Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.
The Lilywhites narrowly avoided relegation last term and will be eager to avoid a third straight season of flirting with the drop zone this time around. The North London club's hierarchy have backed Roberto De Zerbi in the transfer market in an attempt to provide the Italian with the squad he needs to ensure yet another disastrous campaign doesn't ensue.
Sandro Tonali has arrived for £100 million from Newcastle United as the marquee addition, while Mateus Fernandes and Jan Paul van Hecke have also arrived from West Ham United and Brighton, respectively. On top of this, Spurs have added free agents Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka to their ranks.
Further reinforcements are needed in the forward line to give De Zerbi a chance of fielding something resembling his dream eleven against Brentford.
Goalkeeper and Defence
In goal, Antonin Kinsky looks to be De Zerbi's definitive first choice. Recovering from his humiliation at the Wanda Metropolitano earlier this year, the Czech shot-stopper ended last season on a high and is now firmly favoured over Vicario in the pecking order.
Pedro Porro hasn't featured in pre-season yet as he's been enjoying a well-earned break following his exceptional World Cup campaign. However, the world champion is set to return to Hotspur Way this week, giving him enough time to prepare for the Brentford clash.
At centre-back, De Zerbi could field a brand-new partnership on the opening day. Like Porro, Senesi reached the World Cup final and has subsequently only just been integrated into the Spurs fold. He should, however, be ready to feature against the Bees alongside fellow new signing Jan Paul van Hecke.
There have been suggestions that Micky van de Ven will be shuffled across to left-back to accommodate the two new centre-backs, acting as a Kyle Walker-esque sweeper, while the new additions focus on ball progression with their excellent range of passing. There's little reason as to why De Zerbi wouldn't look to implement this system from the outset.
Midfield
Like at centre-back, De Zerbi is expected to roll out a completely new pairing in midfield for the majority of next season. Spurs have spent a combined £185 million on Fernandes and Tonali, and thus, the two should be in line to dominate the midfield minutes in 2026/27.
The duo have only started together once throughout pre-season, but could be granted their first outing together in a competitive fixture at the Gtech in less than two weeks' time.
There is significant debate around whom the third midfielder might be in De Zerbi's dream eleven. Conor Gallagher is the most likely to start in West London given how readily available he's been in pre-season, but James Maddison might be De Zerbi's idealistic number ten. The latter is yet to feature in the recent friendly matches as his physical condition is carefully monitored, but the Italian manager might be saving the playmaker for the opening match of the campaign.
Forwards
Spurs' forward department looks somewhat bleak at the moment. With Xavi Simons, Mohammed Kudus, Wilson Odobert and Dejan Kulusevski all out injured or unfit, De Zerbi has a thin selection of attackers to select from heading to Brentford.
Major work needs to be done in this part of the Lilywhites' squad before the end of the window. While it's extremely unlikely that three new additions will be through the door before the trip to West London, De Zerbi can dream.
Savinho has long been mooted as a priority target for Spurs, and it looks increasingly likely that they'll get a deal for the Brazilian over the line. He'll slot into De Zerbi's team perfectly on the right-hand side.
Down the middle, Tottenham are said to be going 'all in' to sign Victor Osimhen. The Nigerian is hopeful of securing a move to a top five league after plying his trade in Turkey for two years, and Spurs are seemingly willing to do everything in their power to land the player before turning to alternatives.