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Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison has voiced his enthusiasm for working under new manager Roberto De Zerbi, and is confident that the Italian's attacking philosophy will perfectly align with his playing style as the club prepares for the new Premier League campaign.
De Zerbi, 47, assumed control in March following the departure of interim coach Igor Tudor, as he successfully steered Spurs to Premier League safety with a 17th-place finish secured by a final-day victory over Everton.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the 29-year-old midfielder Maddison explained how De Zerbi is approaching his first full season as Tottenham head coach.
"The manager is very clear. The goals are to be better, to play better football, to be passionate and to be proud to play for this club,” he said.
Maddison elaborated on the importance of embracing the new approach.
"If we listen to his style, principles, if we keep the short-term targets of trying to be better and trying to implement the way he'll play, the long-term targets will be better in the long run,” he added.
Maddison further expressed his personal anticipation, stating: "We're still learning the way he plays. As a player he's a coach you want to play for because he loves everything with the ball. He's very attacking, and I'm really excited."
Maddison, whose previous season was curtailed by an anterior cruciate knee ligament injury, which he only returned from in the final weeks of the campaign, confirmed the immediate focus is now firmly on building momentum towards Spurs' Premier League opener against Brentford on 22 August.
The club has already commenced its pre-season tour, securing a 2-0 victory over Auckland FC in New Zealand on Sunday. They are set to face Sydney FC on Wednesday before a clash with Chelsea in Sydney three days later.
Looking ahead, Maddison underscored the significance of the upcoming campaign: "First game of the season, Brentford — a big season for us under a new manager. We want to have a successful season.
“We need to be better than the last couple of seasons. So it's kind of all just preparation leading to that first game."
Football fans are facing significant price hikes for replica shirts, with some now costing up to £90 after eight Premier League clubs increased their prices.
The move has drawn sharp criticism from consumer experts, who warn of "blatant greed" and the potential for a surge in counterfeit purchases.
Tottenham supporters are now expected to pay £90 for an adult first-team replica shirt, a £5 increase from last year, while a child’s shirt for a three-year-old now commands £70. Chelsea has similarly raised its prices by £5, with shirts now costing £89.99.
Newly promoted Coventry City has seen a £10 jump to £70 for adult shirts, with children’s kits rising by 25 per cent to £60, and baby kits priced at £55. Ipswich Town shirts are up £6 to £65, while Leeds, Bournemouth, and Hull have all increased their prices by £5. Overall, ten clubs now charge £80 or more for a replica shirt.
Brentford stands out as the only Premier League club to keep its kit for two years, offering a slight reprieve.
Consumer expert Scott Dixon, from The Complaints Resolver, condemned the increases, stating: "These price rises will leave many loyal fans wondering when enough is enough. We see this year in, year out, and it smacks of blatant greed and an own goal that could backfire on clubs. These kits are overpriced by anyone’s standards and will leave many fans priced out."
He highlighted the particular impact on families: "Children’s clothing is zero rated and there’s less material used to make their kits, so parents will rightly question how some clubs can justify increases of up to 25 per cent. Clubs know how ‘pester power’ works from a marketing angle and how it puts pressure on parents to buy the latest shirts so they don’t feel left out."
He urged clubs to reconsider their approach. “Loyal fans deserve better. Clubs should be making it easier for the next generation of supporters to feel part of their club, not pricing them out."
Dixon also warned of the wider implications: "Fans ought to vote with their feet and wallets and refuse to pay it. The unintended consequences will be fans buying cheap counterfeits, which is known to fund organised crime."
This warning comes as authorities recently seized counterfeit football shirts worth over £18 million in the UK during the World Cup, citing safety concerns.
Operation Bloxwich, a UK police enforcement effort targeting fake goods, saw the Police Intellectual Crime Unit recover more than 220,000 pieces of football merchandise.
One significant raid uncovered 1,618 fake strips from a Birmingham warehouse, including replicas of those worn by star players like Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.
Tottenham Hotspur’s plans for a new training facility in a London park have been halted after a High Court judge quashed Enfield Council’s decision to grant planning permission.
The ruling follows a challenge by campaign group Guardians of Whitewebbs, who argued the council’s approval for a women and girls’ football academy on 16 acres of Whitewebbs Park was unlawful.
During a hearing in June, lawyers for the campaign group told the court that Enfield Council had breached regulations by failing to provide councillors with all relevant information regarding the development’s environmental impact. This omission, they contended, meant councillors were "materially misled" when making their decision.
Sir Tim Kerr, sitting as a High Court judge, agreed with this assessment in his ruling on Monday. He found that the result "could well have been different" had all pertinent information about the scheme been available to the decision-makers. He concluded that the council’s non-compliance with rules was "serious" and that councillors were indeed "materially misled" by the exclusion of a key ecological report.
However, the judge dismissed claims of potential bias, which suggested Spurs had "unparalleled access" to senior council figures. Sir Tim described these arguments as "weak," stating that "cordial relations" between the council and the club were "normal given the overlapping functions and interests."
The club had secured a 25-year lease for the site in 2023 – a decision that faced an unsuccessful High Court challenge earlier in 2024. Enfield Council, which was Labour-controlled at the time but is now under a Conservative minority administration, had resolved to approve the planning application in February last year. The proposed development included the construction of 10 football pitches and other works, situated near the club’s men’s training facilities.
Central to the Guardians of Whitewebbs’ case was a report by ecologist Giles Sutton, carried out in November 2024. Jenny Wigley KC, representing the group, highlighted Mr Sutton’s advice to the council that while he did not oppose the scheme "as such," it was "counter-intuitive" to accept the club’s claims of environmental benefit, given that around 40 per cent of the park would be lost. He warned: "In my opinion, if the council were to accept this, their decision could be easily challenged."
Ms Wigley further argued that council officers subsequently stated in a planning report for councillors that there was "no objection to the proposed development," despite Mr Sutton informing the authority that this did not reflect his advice. She accused the council of "salami slicing," asserting that the law "does not permit this kind of salami slicing, where a planning officer can disclose parts of a report they agree with but can avoid public scrutiny of the parts of the report they do not agree with."
Tottenham Hotspur, through their representative James Maurici KC, continued to oppose the challenge even after Enfield Council withdrew its defence last month. Mr Maurici contended that Mr Sutton’s views were "no more than an assertion" and that the campaign group had "failed to provide any evidence" of prejudice.
He claimed it was "highly likely, indeed inevitable, given the absence of any evidence of prejudice, that the outcome for the claimant would not have been substantially different if the conduct complained of had not occurred."
Nevertheless, Sir Tim rejected the club’s submission, stating it was "wrong to submit" that "there is nothing that (Guardians of Whitewebbs) could or would have usefully said if Mr Sutton’s ecological report had been disclosed."
He emphasised: "It was important for the public to have access to (Mr Sutton’s report) before the meeting precisely because its content was not correctly represented in the officers’ report."
Alessandro Georgiou, leader of Enfield Council, said that the authority was “delighted” with the decision and that it withdrew its defence as it would “not have been in the best interests of residents across the borough”.
He said: “We said we would protect Whitewebbs Park from this unacceptable proposal and we will now move forward with plans that reflect the needs of the local community and also preserve and protect this important area of Enfield.”
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Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven believes the club is demonstrating "new ambition" following a substantial £237m summer spending spree, and has promised a more entertaining brand of football under Roberto De Zerbi next season.
The significant investment comes after a turbulent period for Spurs, which saw them narrowly avoid relegation on the final day of the 2025-26 Premier League campaign.
Majority owners the Lewis family subsequently pledged to be "all in" for a necessary rebuild, leading to six new arrivals. The club has twice broken its transfer record, first for £85m midfielder Mateus Fernandes, then securing Sandro Tonali from Newcastle in a £100m deal.
Van de Ven acknowledged that European qualification is now the target for a club that has finished 17th for two consecutive seasons.
Speaking to British media during Spurs’ pre-season tour of Australia, he stated: "It’s really good that you can see the club has made some changes. They have brought a really good new manager, in my opinion, and some really good new signings. You can see the club has new ambition. It’s something that’s really important for players that have been there for a long time."
He added: "Spurs is a team that needs to play Europe every year, so obviously the European spots are something we are going to aim for. The most important thing is we play our football and that we are a difficult team to play against."
The past 12 months have been marked by considerable change at Tottenham. Long-serving chairman Daniel Levy departed in September, months after a Europa League triumph that ended a 17-year trophy drought.
Levy’s exit was followed by another spell of poor form, resulting in Thomas Frank’s dismissal in February and interim boss Igor Tudor lasting only seven games.
With the Lewis family now wielding greater influence and chief executive Vinai Venkatesham tasked with revitalising the club’s fortunes, De Zerbi was appointed in March. Van de Ven expressed confidence that the Italian would restore the attacking flair that was absent under Frank.
"It’s going to be different compared to the former manager we had last season," Van de Ven explained. "It’s going to be more with the ball, more playing football. I think it’s going to be more enjoyable for people to watch playing offensive football."
Brighton have completed the signing of Croatian defender Luka Vuskovic from Tottenham for an initial club record £46 million.
The 19-year-old, who played against England at this summer’s World Cup, has agreed a five-year contract with the Seagulls, with an option for a further 12 months. Spurs could receive an additional £4m in add-on fees, taking the overall fee to £50 million, and the deal includes a 20 per cent sell-on clause.
Vuskovic joined Tottenham from Hajduk Split in 2025 and spent last season on loan at German club Hamburg. The centre-back, who made no competitive appearances for Spurs, was eager for first-team football and favoured a permanent move over another loan.
Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler told his club’s website: "Luka has enjoyed a fantastic start to his career – it’s one we’ve followed closely. Last season he demonstrated he can play at a very high level and we want to help him build on that within our environment.
“There’s been a lot of external noise about Luka joining us, but he is still a young guy who will need time to adjust to the demands of playing for Brighton and the Premier League. We are confident that he will take this in his stride though."
Vuskovic is Tottenham’s first major outgoing of the summer, following a number of high-profile signings made by the north London club.
Tottenham spent £100 million to sign Sandro Tonali from Newcastle, and also splashed out £85 million on fellow midfielder Mateus Fernandes following West Ham’s relegation from the Premier League.
Meanwhile, the club also brought in Jan Paul van Vecke from Brighton earlier this month for £52 million.
This follows Tottenham’s decision to sign a number of players on free transfers, including Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka.
Spurs are expected to continue adding to their squad, and have shown interest in Bournemouth youngster Eli Junior Kroupi.
Brighton are also expected to bring in new players as they look to bolster their ranks ahead of their return to European football. The Seagulls will be playing in the Conference League next season after finishing eighth in the Premier League last term.
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Five things to know about the BTS concerts at Tottenham Hotspur stadium
Rosie Slater
Tuesday 07 July 2026 14:16 BST
K-pop group BTS are performing in London at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium as part of their 2026-2027 world tour, featuring over 70 dates across Asia, North America, South America, Australia, and Europe.
The concerts will be held across consecutive nights on Monday 6 July and Tuesday 7 July, with doors opening at 5pm for both gigs.
Visitors attending the stadium are reminded of strict bag size regulations, with only items no larger than A4 (21cm x 30cm) permitted inside. Any bags exceeding this dimension will be denied entry, unless they contain merchandise purchased on-site and remain in the supplied sealed transparent packaging.
While a bag drop facility is available at the South East Entrance, guests should be aware that a fee applies per item and capacity is limited. Therefore, patrons are strongly encouraged to adhere to the bag policy to avoid inconvenience.
Food and drink is available to purchase at the stadium, with over 60 outlets onsite offering a variety of options. Food bought outside the stadium is usually not allowed into the venue.
More bulletins
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Five things to know about the BTS concerts at Tottenham Hotspur stadium
Rosie Slater
Monday 06 July 2026 14:48 BST
K-pop group BTS are performing in London at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium as part of their 2026-2027 world tour, featuring over 70 dates across Asia, North America, South America, Australia, and Europe.
The concerts will be held across consecutive nights on Monday 6 July and Tuesday 7 July, with doors opening at 5pm for both gigs.
Visitors attending the stadium are reminded of strict bag size regulations, with only items no larger than A4 (21cm x 30cm) permitted inside. Any bags exceeding this dimension will be denied entry, unless they contain merchandise purchased on-site and remain in the supplied sealed transparent packaging.
While a bag drop facility is available at the South East Entrance, guests should be aware that a fee applies per item and capacity is limited. Therefore, patrons are strongly encouraged to adhere to the bag policy to avoid inconvenience.
Food and drink is available to purchase at the stadium, with over 60 outlets onsite offering a variety of options. Food bought outside the stadium is usually not allowed into the venue.
More bulletins
Tottenham have significantly bolstered their squad with the club-record signing of midfielder Sandro Tonali from Newcastle, marking a substantial escalation in their summer spending.
The agreement between the two Premier League rivals was finalised last Wednesday, with the move officially announced on Monday morning. Spurs are understood to be paying an initial £92.5 million, with an additional £7.5 million in add-ons to take the total fee to £100 million.
Tonali expressed his delight at the transfer, telling the official club website: "I’m very happy to be here. When I arrived at the club today, it felt fantastic. People said about there being four or five clubs – there was only one. I spoke to the head coach (Roberto De Zerbi) for close to two hours about the club, the fans, the stadium and our football. It was like magic because I knew immediately that I had to sign for Tottenham. I’ve played against Tottenham a few times and always found a great atmosphere made by great fans. I can’t wait to start the season."
This record-breaking acquisition follows the £85m deal for Mateus Fernandes announced last Thursday and Jan Paul van Hecke’s £52m arrival from Brighton earlier in the summer, bringing Tottenham’s total expenditure to £237m. Free agents Martin Dubravka, Andy Robertson, and Marcos Senesi have also joined.
Tonali, aged 26, was at the top of De Zerbi’s wishlist and is seen as a statement signing to complete the club’s midfield revamp.
De Zerbi praised his new recruit, stating: "Sandro is a special player and a great signing for our club. I have followed him for a long time, as he came through the youth system at my hometown club, Brescia, and I’m so happy to be working with him now. Given his qualities, there was a lot of interest in Sandro this summer. However, he was very clear in his desire to join Tottenham, and I know our fans will love what he brings to the team."
Tonali began his career at Brescia before moving to AC Milan in 2020. Three years later, the Italian giants allowed the popular midfielder to join Newcastle for a significant fee. His time at St James’ Park was notably interrupted by a worldwide 10-month ban from football for breaching betting regulations during his tenure in Italy. Upon his return, he played a key role in Newcastle’s Carabao Cup triumph at Wembley, but will now continue his English chapter with Spurs.
In an emotional Instagram post, Tonali bid farewell to Newcastle fans: "Three years ago I came to Newcastle not really knowing what to expect. Today it’s time to say goodbye and it’s hard to find the right words. Above all, I want to speak directly to the fans. When things were hard for me, you were there. Not for one day did I feel alone. I felt it every time I was at St James’ Park. That’s something I will carry with me for the rest of my life."
After back-to-back 17th place finishes in the Premier League, Tottenham’s previously stringent financial model appears to have been abandoned this summer by majority owners the Lewis family.
Despite regularly boasting the lowest wages-to-revenue ratio among domestic rivals, at 45 per cent for the 2024-25 campaign, and revenue streams exceeding £500m – partly due to non-football events at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – the north London club has relaxed its rigid wage structure and broken its transfer record twice.
Tonali is not expected to be the final arrival, with attacking reinforcements now a key focus, and interest understood to be in Bournemouth forward Junior Kroupi.