Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi will have plenty of work to do in the summer transfer window, regardless of which division Spurs find themselves in.
The North Londoners pulled themselves out of the bottom three last weekend thanks to a 2-1 win over Aston Villa, but there is still work to be done in their final three games of the season to retain their Premier League status.
If they get the job done and avoid relegation to the Championship, two free transfers have already been lined up in the shape of Andy Robertson from Liverpool and Marcos Senesi from Bournemouth.
De Zerbi has enjoyed success with his Spurs midfield
But De Zerbi will want to make more changes to the playing staff and put his stamp on the Spurs squad moving forward into the 2026/27 campaign, during which the Italian will be targeting much better.
Despite all of their injury issues, Tottenham have actually been blessed in the midfield department this season, although there are question marks over the futures of a number of players.
Joao Palhinha is only on loan for the season, with no guarantees of a permanent deal, although GIVEMESPORT understands the Portuguese wants to stay, even if the club are relegated.
Yves Bissouma will depart at the end of his contract this summer, while Pape Matar Sarr could also depart the club for pastures new.
That could see De Zerbi enter the market for a central midfielder and Mandela Keita has emerged as a potential candidate.
Keita has spent the last two seasons with Parma in Serie A, becoming the lynchpin of their midfield, missing just one game through injury this season and starting 33 of the 34 other matches in the division.
Keita models his game on a Premier League legend
The 23-year-old models his game on former Chelsea star N'Golo Kante and Bareclona's Frenkie de Jong. Speaking when he joined the Italian outfit, he said: "If I think about football today, I would mention two players in particular: N’Golo Kanté and Frenkie de Jong. I don’t want to become a carbon copy of them, I’d like to take some characteristics from each of them to improve my own game and reach the highest level I can.
"I hope that the manager will help me to improve, even if he inspires me to become like one or the other, for me it doesn’t matter.”
According to reports, Spurs have registered an interest in the midfielder this season, although they are not alone, with Aston Villa and Atalanta also named as suitors for Keita's services.
Parma signed Keita for €15million in 2024 and would likely demand more than that to sell him now, given his stock will only have risen with his 2025/26 season displays.