Tottenham expect some players to be sold this summer, but are determined to retain the core of their squad. Lucas Bergvall, the Sweden international, has expressed a desire to leave amid concerns over game-time but the stance is that he is not for sale. De Zerbi and Lange are both understood to have held talks with the midfielder to assure him of his part in the club’s future. Bergvall also signed a new contract up to 2031 in April.
There is also an intention to be more decisive, and strike quickly and ruthlessly in the transfer market. Four signings have already arrived, with £52m centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke, former Liverpool captain Andy Robertson, Marco Senesi and Martin Dubravka signed before the end of June. De Zerbi wants at least two more signings, with a centre-midfielder and wingers understood to be the priorities.
Manchester City’s Savinho is admired by the recruitment team. The plan is to sign “oven-ready” players with Premier League experience who will not require any time for adaptation.
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While De Zerbi will provide his input on signings, the responsibility of recruitment will largely fall on Lange and his staff. De Zerbi is comfortable working within a structure similar to former club Brighton.
Lange was given a more hands-on role in October and has become more prominent since Fabio Paratici’s exit earlier this year. He has overseen a revamp of the medical and sports science departments this summer.
Tottenham’s owners, the Lewis family, recently injected another £100m into the club and have their sights set on a top-four finish. Former executive chairman Daniel Levy stepped down last September after 25 years in the role, and the Lewis family want to alter the perception of the club. Levy was known as a tough negotiator who only wanted the best deals for Tottenham. However, that stance often frustrated rival clubs to an extent that transfers became fractious affairs and, sometimes, abandoned.
Take their £60m pursuit of Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White last summer as a perfect example. Gibbs-White’s previous contract included a release clause but Levy’s attempts to alter the payment structure infuriated Forest, whose owner Evangelos Marinakis was already livid with what he perceived to be an illegal approach. Within the space of a week, the deal was completely off.
Tottenham now want to operate far more quickly and that is the clear message from the club’s owners down to the football department.