Tottenham have already been extremely busy this transfer window with Roberto De Zerbi preparing his squad for the upcoming Premier League season
Tottenham have broken their transfer record twice already this summer as they aim to bounce back from a majorly disappointing 2025/26 season.
The Spurs midfield has been totally transformed with the signings of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes for a combined fee of £185million. Roberto De Zerbi had smashed the club's transfer record with Fernandes' signing for £85m last week, before splashing an initial £92.5m plus £7.5m in add-ons for the Newcastle star.
That might not be the end of the spending either, with more big money moves in the pipeline. However, Spurs have also utilised the free agent market, having completed shrewd deals for Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka, after the expiry of their contracts at previous clubs.
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De Zerbi could continue in this vein of spending and saving big with high-profile signings and cheeky free agent deals to balance the budget. Here, football.london examines three former free agent signings and how they performed for the Lilywhites.
Teddy Sheringham
Teddy Sheringham wasn't initially a free transfer to Spurs; he signed his first contract with the club from Nottingham Forest for around £2.1m in 1992. He stamped his authority on the Premier League during his time in north London and became a prolific striker - but his lack of major honours pushed through a £3.5m move to Manchester United in 1997.
Here, Sheringham would complete the coveted Treble by clinching the Premier League, FA Cup and winning the Champions League in dramatic fashion against Bayern Munich. The England international scored one and set up another as United beat the German side in the dying minutes.
He continued excellent form at Old Trafford, winning more trophies and then returned to north London on a free transfer by 2001. Throughout his Spurs career, Sheringham made 277 appearances and scored 125 goals, as well as contributing 53 assists.
Stats show that the former striker played the majority of his career with Tottenham and was inducted into the club's Hall of Fame alongside Clive Allen in 2008 - the same year he stepped down from professional football.
William Gallas
William Gallas is a curious case in Premier League history, having played for three of London's biggest clubs one after the other. He started his career in England at Chelsea, signing for £6.2m in 2001 before moving to Arsenal by 2006.
Gallas would go on to become the Gunners captain for a period before tensions saw him replaced by Cesc Fabregas as the man with the armband. His contract expired with Arsenal in 2010 and he would make the short trip to sign for Spurs on a free.
The defender made 78 appearances for the Lilywhites, scoring one goal and seeing out the rest of his Premier League career. Gallas would depart Spurs in 2013 and became the first Frenchman to play in the Australian league when he signed for Perth Glory in October.
He retired that same year at the age of 37 after winning two Premier League titles and two domestic cups - all of these with the Blues.
Edgar Davids
Edgar Davids had a short but sweet tenure in the Premier League with Tottenham, spending two seasons in north London. The Dutch midfielder had already earned the 'world-class' tag from his time with Juventus, where he made his presence known both for club and country.
Between 1997 and 2004, Davids won three Serie A titles, a host of domestic cups and was part of the Netherlands squad that finished fourth in the World Cup and third in two European Championships. He racked up 235 appearances for Juve and made 32 goal contributions.
He would have stints at Barcelona and Inter Milan before joining Spurs on a free transfer in 2005. He would only make three goal contributions in 44 appearances for the club but continues to hold a soft spot in his heart for the Lilywhites.
Speaking before a friendly between two of his former clubs - Juve and Spurs - in 2017, Davids said: "It’s no coincidence that everything is coming together and you’ve had the last couple of unbelievable seasons in the Premier League. It’s not a one-off. Spurs are at that level and that’s why I’m so proud of the club. Spurs have created that culture.
"I like this team a lot. When I see this team play I see fun, I see youth, enthusiasm, football on the edge, fun football. They have fun and they are big, big talents. How can you not love this team?"