GiveMeSport

Tottenham Hotspur were creating a lot of excitement among their fanbase during pre-season, following a huge summer spend as last season's struggling squad was transformed.

Things haven't gone to plan for Roberto De Zerbi and his Tottenham team on the pitch so far though, with the club registering just one point from nine available in the Premier League, while they also yet to score a goal.

De Zerbi has used a number of Spurs players in his frontline so far this season as he looks to find the solution to their attacking issues, but he is yet to find it.

One of the other reasons for the increased anticipation during pre-season was the emergence of some of their younger talents, like 17-year-old Luca Williams-Barnett.

The teenager made his first-team debut as a 16-year-old 12 months ago, making a three-minute cameo against Doncaster Rovers in the EFL Cup.

He wasn't seen on the pitch between then and pre-season though, when he played the second 45 minutes in their opening pre-season game against MK Dons, behind closed doors.

Williams-Barnett entered the pitch as a second-half substitute, and he instantly stole the show with his performance.

The 17-year-old prefers to play as a No.10 or out wide on the left, but against the League One outfit he was given a deeper midfield role, and he immediately oozed class with his performance.

He was gliding across the pitch, taking on his opponents and beating them, and generally using the ball well.

Unsurprisingly, observers were raving over the teenager's display, with the suggestion that he should at least be involved in and around the first-team squad this season.

Williams-Barnett backed up that display against MK Dons throughout pre-season, scoring a Panenka penalty as Spurs beat Sydney FC on spot-kicks in Australia, while he also scored against Hoffenheim with a fine low finish on his right foot from the left-hand edge of the penalty area.

GMS has already written about the frustrations Williams-Barnett may have already had this season, with his only minutes being the 12 that came in the Carabao Cup thrashing of Charlton Athletic, despite the club's struggles in the Premier League.

De Zerbi clearly rates him too having called him a 'diamond', and now he needs to work hard on the training pitch to force his way back into a matchday squad.

Williams-Barnett Has Huge Future Ahead of Him

We are yet to really see if Williams-Barnett is ready to make the step up to playing for the first-team more regularly yet, but what is obvious is that he is a homegrown Tottenham player with a huge future ahead of him.

It is natural that someone like the 17-year-old will draw comparisons with former Spurs stars, and it is no surprise that he has been likened to Dele Alli.

Not only did Williams-Barnett show his appreciation for Alli by recreating his famous eye celebration during a 5-2 Premier League cup triumph against Charlton Athletic, but his playing style does bear some resemblance to that of the former England international.

The teenager prefers to play as a 10 and has the same swagger that Alli had during his prime in the same position, while they have a similar style on the ball and offer a big goal threat.

His performance from a deeper role against MK Dons was more shades of Mousa Dembele, who was renowned among the Tottenham fanbase for his silkiness, close control and ability to progress the ball through the lines and up the pitch.

If Williams-Barnett continues to show that he is a bit like a mix of those two players, then he is going to be a future Tottenham superstar.

Tottenham Hotspur entered the 2026/27 season with plenty of hope and optimism after a big transfer window following their relegation scare last season.

The club saved themselves from the drop on the final day of the season, securing a second consecutive 17th-placed finish in the Premier League, with new manager Roberto De Zerbi making it clear that he was looking to turn things around for the better this season.

Spurs spent almost £400m on ten new players, while the Italian manager also sanctioned the exit of a number of relatively young players as he prioritised experience and winning now instead of a long-term project.

But the season hasn't started well, with just one point from the opening three games and no goals scored, and that means De Zerbi needs to start looking at changing things up to get results quickly.

The manager has been using a 4-2-3-1 system for the most part, with Omar Marmoush starting as the centre-forward but being given the freedom to float around the pitch and link up with his fellow forwards and midfielders. That has seen De Zerbi opt for a box-crashing 10 rather than a more traditional playmaker, and Conor Gallagher has been given the nod in two of the three games in the Premier League from the start.

But the former England international, who joined the club in a £35m deal from Atletico Madrid in January, is continuing to prove why there were major question marks over the deal to begin with.

The profile that Gallagher brings isn't unique. He runs a lot, as do all of the Spurs midfielders. But aside from that, the rest of his attributes are pretty average. He's not a particularly good passer, he's not defensive-minded to be a sitter, and he doesn't possess enough of a goal threat to be relied upon for those big moments.

Since joining the club, Gallagher has scored one goal in all competitions for the north London side. That's less than Cristian Romero, Joao Palhinha, Pedro Porro, and the same amount as Archie Gray and Micky Van de Ven.

Considering De Zerbi has the likes of Mohammed Kudus, Savio, Marmoush, Dominic Solanke, James Maddison, Mathys Tel, Mykhailo Mudryk and Dejan Kulusevski as options in the attacking roles, there is simply no need for Gallagher to be in those positions.

Gallagher Should Leave in January

Tottenham went big on midfield in the summer window with the arrivals of Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali, while De Zerbi also convinced Lucas Bergvall to stick around, and Archie Gray has been part of the leadership group at the club.

With Rodrigo Bentancur also proving to be an important member of the squad, and Spurs having just one game per week for the majority of the campaign, it's clear that Gallagher simply isn't needed, and his performances do not make him indispensable.

The summer transfer window may have just closed, but the January window should be something that Spurs are already focusing on. De Zerbi must be ruthless if Spurs are to start climbing the table once again, and Gallagher is one of the first who should be a victim of that ruthlessness.

Juventus fans have already made their feelings clear on Randal Kolo Muani after his permanent transfer from Paris Saint Germain.

Back in January 2025, Kolo Muani first joined Juventus on loan, scoring 10 goals in 22 appearances across all competitions.

Following his impressive stint in Turin, the Frenchman had a tough loan spell in English football, managing only five goals in 41 matches for Tottenham Hotspur.

Ahead of the 2026/2027 campaign, it was confirmed that Juventus had completed the permanent signing of Kolo Muani, in a deal worth up to €53.2 million.

Juventus Fans and Italian Media React After Randal Kolo Muani’s First Three Matches

Kolo Muani has endured a tough start back in Turin, failing to score in his first three matches in Serie A.

According to Italian news outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport, Juventus fans are already losing patience with Kolo Muani. He was booed by his own fans during his side's game against AC Milan last weekend, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Playing against Ruben Amorim’s team, Kolo Muani only managed 32 touches of the ball and lost four out of five aerial duels. In addition, the 27-year-old failed to register a shot on target and did not manage to dribble past an opponent.

However, it was noted that Kolo Muani was dropped from the PSG squad and had to train with the youth team before he got his move to Juventus, which could be a reason behind his slow start.

Meanwhile, Football Italia described Kolo Muani’s performance against Milan as his ‘worst performance’ in a Juventus shirt.

Calcio Mercato also shared similar views, giving Kolo Muani a rating of 5/10 for his performance vs AC Milan and claiming that he is ‘not always precise in his control of the ball’.

As of the time of writing, it is now 174 days since Kolo-Muani found the back of the net. The Frenchman has played 14 games since he scored against Atletico Madrid in March.

Despite his difficult start to the 2026/2027 campaign, Juventus boss Luciano Spalletti remains fully behind Kolo Muani. The Italian went on to compare him to former Manchester City and Inter Milan striker Edin Dzeko.

Spalletti said: “I got on his bandwagon by choosing him and wanting him as a striker. By the end of the season, you'll be talking about him differently.

“Like Dzeko, he has everything to become an absolute top player, but he must learn not to be satisfied with scoring one or two goals or playing a good match: he needs to dig deep into his full potential.”

Kolo Muani will be hoping to finally kickstart his season when Juventus return to Serie A action against Sassuolo this weekend, taking place at the Mapei Stadium – Citta del Tricolore on Sunday night.

Tottenham Hotspur were confident they were going to sign Liverpool attacker Cody Gakpo in the final days of the summer transfer window,

Having landed Savinho and Omar Marmoush from Manchester City, Roberto De Zerbi wanted one more forward in his Tottenham squad, and the Dutchman was his number one target.

The talk was that once the Reds landed a replacement for the Netherlands international, they would be willing to let him leave for Spurs.

The transfer saga took another twist when it was revealed that Manchester City were actually in advanced talks with the Merseysiders over a £85m transfer, with the 27-year-old wanting to join the eight-time Premier League champions instead of Tottenham.

Of course, Gakpo ended up remaining at Anfield and the north Londoners switched their attention to Mykhailo Mudryk, who moved across London on loan with a £75m option to buy.

Tottenham were lauded for their incoming transfer business across the summer as they spent more than £300m to add 10 new players to De Zerbi's squad, but it has so far yielded just one point from nine available at the beginning of the Premier League season.

With so many players arriving, it was inevitable that there would be a number of player exits too across the summer.

Alejo Veliz

Alfie Devine

Luka Vuskovic

Will Lankshear

Manor Solomon

Ashley Phillips

Cristian Romero

Djed Spence

Dane Scarlett

Radu Dragusin

Guglielmo Vicario

Souza

Pape Matar Sarr

Kevin Danso

While a number of first-team players whose minutes would have been very limited this season left, as well as people like captain Cristian Romero, Spurs also sold a number of their promising younger players who had been tipped to breakthrough at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in recent years.

Tottenham Should Already Regret Lankshear Deal

One of De Zerbi's top priorities in the final days of the transfer window was to bring in a new centre-forward, to provide competition for Dominic Solanke.

Spurs ended up buying Marmoush, who can play through the middle and in a variety of attacking positions, and it was expected that Richarlison would leave after the Brazilian continually told De Zerbi throughout the summer that he wanted to leave.

The 29-year-old has since been left out of the north London outfit's Premier League squad and failed to secure a move to Turkish side Trabzonspor, or former club Everton, with the Saudi Pro League the most likely move now as their window doesn't close until October 12.

De Zerbi suggested with his comments about Richarlison after the opening day defeat to Brentford that he likes a centre-forward who can hold the ball up.

"Richarlison, also I love him, but he has to play much better than Brentford.

“In Brentford every one of us we made mistakes, and we were wrong in the game, me as the first always.

But for us, the number 10 and especially when the opponent defend man-to-man, we need the striker to keep the ball, defend the ball and give us the time to go up.

One player who does have the attributes and physical stature to do that is Will Lankshear, who Tottenham decided to sell to Championship promotion hopefuls Middlesbrough in a deal that could be worth up to £20m, including significant add-ons.

The 6ft 2in striker was in demand among a number of Championship clubs following his goalscoring exploits for Oxford United during the 2025-26 campaign, but it was Boro who ended up winning the race after meeting Spurs' valuation.

It was a decision that some Tottenham fans were against, as they believed that Lankshear had the potential to make a breakthrough in the first-team in the coming seasons, and potentially even this term.

Perhaps it was seen as money they couldn't turn down, but it is already looking as though the north London outfit may have made a mistake.

The 21-year-old has been in outstanding form for Boro so far, scoring seven goals in seven appearances for the Championship club, who sit in the automatic promotion places after five league games.

His stats are impressive too, although he is showing that some improvement is needed in terms of winning duels, which he will hope will improve as the season goes on.

We know that De Zerbi likes experienced Premier League players, but with Richarlison on his way out and still some doubts over the profiles of their other centre-forwards, Lankshear could have been a very useful option this season.

Judging by what he is producing at the Riverside Stadium so far, an initial £10m fee could prove to be a bargain for Boro, and a big mistake in the transfer market for Spurs.

After back-to-back defeats to start the new 2026/27 Premier League campaign, a point against Nottingham Forest was a step in the right direction for Tottenham Hotspur.

It was, however, a less than inspiring performance from a Spurs side who boasted £297million worth of new talent in their starting lineup at the City Ground.

Spurs came away from Nottingham with a point, but without a goal and without a single shot on target in the match. It means they remain goalless so far in the Premier League, with the big money spent on ten new signings now gelling yet in an attacking sense.

The defence, at least, looked more solid after shipping three against Brentford on the opening day and then two against Newcastle last weekend.

Head coach Roberto De Zerbi has consistently warned supporters that it will take time for this team to get up to speed with his philosophy. Speaking after the draw with Forest, the Italian said: "We bought very, very good players but you can't just build the team with the names like in Football Manager.

"We are not happy because we didn't win, but I think this is the right spirit and the right way to move on in this moment. Because we started just last Thursday to work [all] together and to create, to build the team, to build the organisation. It's not enough the paper, the transfer market."

De Zerbi started the game with Forest with four of his new signings on the pitch, but it was perhaps one that he left out that was the biggest surprise.

Spurs spent £85million on bringing Mateus Fernandes to the club from West Ham and he has been one of the rare shining lights in what has been a poor start to the season for the side overall.

He did not start against Brentford on the opening day, but came off the bench at half-time and looked lively, showing his array of passing and desire to get on the ball.

He then played the full 90 minutes against Newcastle and once again gave a good account of himself in another defeat. Without James Maddison, Xavi Simons and Dejan Kulusevski, it has been hard to find a replacement No.10 in N17.

Fernandes was not brought in to play that role, but has already showcased his capabilities, so it was something of a surprise to see Conor Gallagher start there against Forest.

Gallagher spent a lot of his time filling in at right-back, allowing Pedro Porro to roam, and did enjoy a solid if unspectacular game, with football.london's Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold handing him a six out of ten in his player ratings, saying: "Didn't contribute much going forward but got through a lot of work in the midfield and defence which might not have been spotted."

Not contributing much going forward, when playing the No.10 role, is not ideal and Fernandes was only given seven minutes off the substitutes' bench at the end of the match.

And De Zerbi's statement after the match did not make much sense.

"You know, I have experience enough to know what this stadium is," he said.

This stadium is English football, and Gallagher, he knows better this type of game

"Mateus [Fernandes] will become, for sure, in my time in Tottenham, one of the best players."

Spurs supporters will be hoping the latter part of that statement comes true, but talking about Gallagher knowing this type of game better was a bit of a head scratcher.

The 22-year-old already has 75 Premier League games under his belt and has played at the City Ground twice, once with Southampton and once with West Ham. It is not, you could argue, one of the more hostile atmospheres to encounter in the top flight.

Fernandes grabbed an assist in his appearance at the stadium with the Saints in 2024/25 and played in the ten role for the Hammers in their 3-0 win at the City Ground last season.

Tottenham supporters want to see more of Fernandes in the Lilywhite shirt, but De Zerbi knows he has plenty of talent to choose from and somehow keep happy.

Neco Williams had a goal controversially disallowed in the Premier League clash between Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday afternoon.

Forest thought they had taken the lead in the second half when Williams bundled the ball over the line under pressure from Sandro Tonali.

VAR checked the goal and, after reviewing multiple angles, decided to rule it out due to a handball by the Welsh defender. The Premier League released a statement explaining the decision.

Forest's players and staff were incensed, but there were protests were to no avail. Neither side could find a winner as the match ended in a goalless draw.

Neco Williams Fumes After Disallowed Goal

Williams was furious at the decision. Williams said on Sky Sports, per the BBC: “It’s a goal. VAR is there when there is a clear and obvious error and for me that is not clear and obvious.

“I’ve seen the images and the replays and at not one moment did I think I handballed it. I headed it in between my arms. If you’re going to pause it, it’s going to look like it hit my arm but it didn’t hit my arm.

“VAR is there to intervene with clear and obvious errors and that wasn’t clear and obvious. have seen all the images and at not one moment can you tell that has clearly hit my arms because it never.

“I knew straight away I’ve headed it down in between my arms. At a loss at that one. Disappointing. It’s a goal for me, it didn’t hit my arm so that’s all I can say on that.”

While Oliver Glasner said on the BBC: "It feels we lost two points today because I watched a few situations back and I think the goal must stand. It’s not clear and obvious.

“We have a briefing before the season that the VAR threshold should be high again when VAR intervenes and I think it was not clear and obvious.

“For me it is a clear penalty when Neco Williams gets fouled because [Mohammed] Kudus doesn’t even jump into the ball and when this situation happens anywhere on the pitch it is always a foul."

Ex-PGMOL chief and former FIFA referee Keith Hackett does not think VAR should have intervened and that the goal should have stood.

He said: "When you look closely on the big screen at that disallowed Nottingham Forest, having played it on several occasions, it is actually inconclusive that the ball struck the hand or arm, either accidentally or deliberately. Therefore, VAR should not have intervened.

"And certainly, on the evidence I have witnessed, the goal should not have been ruled out. The law is specific, and I want to clarify that

if the ball does strike the hand and arm, and it goes directly into the goal, then the goal would be ruled out. On this occasion, it is inconclusive that the ball actually made contact with the scorer's hand or arm."

Forest are, at the time of writing, in 16th in the Premier League having not won any of their opening three matches. They return to action on Saturday, April 12, when they travel to the Midlands to face Aston Villa, who are also winless.

Tottenham spent around £380m during the summer transfer window, but they've somehow ended up with a front line that is worse than their Premier League big-six rivals.

Spurs were held to a 0-0 draw away at Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon, meaning they've failed to win any of their opening three Premier League games.

More concerningly, Spurs have also failed to score in any of their matches so far, and they sit on just one point.

Tottenham started with a three behind the striker of Mathys Tel, Conor Gallagher, and Savio. Omar Marmoush led the line for Tottenham, but all four players were substituted at some point in the second half.

Spurs brought on the likes of Mohammed Kudus, Mykhailo Mudryk, and Dominic Solanke in the second half, but they looked blunt in the final third once again.

It's looking like a real concern for the north London club, especially considering the amount of money they spent in the summer transfer window.

Tottenham spent a large portion of their budget on Savio from Manchester City, but he's struggled to get a consistent run of games in the Premier League during his time in England.

He was the marquee signing in terms of financials, but there's a debate as to whether he can be the marquee signing in terms of performance.

Mudryk was another addition, but the Chelsea loanee made his first competitive appearance in two years this weekend, meaning he's going to take a lot of time to get up to speed.

Omar Marmoush was brought in as the starting centre-forward option, but there's an argument to suggest he's best suited to playing a little deeper.

In reality, Spurs' forward line is far from complete and where they would want it to be, meaning their squad isn't in the place you'd expect after spending £380m in the summer transfer window.

Their attack, in reality, is the worst of the Premier League's big six.

Scatter-gun approach not working for Tottenham

As mentioned, Spurs spent significantly in the summer transfer window, hitting double figures in terms of incoming players.

It was a scatter-gun approach from Tottenham, and it's clearly not working out so far as they sit battling towards the relegation zone without scoring a goal.

Their attack certainly doesn't look like one that is part of a squad that improved through £380m of signings, which is a serious concern for Roberto De Zerbi and his team.

The north London club need to improve fast, particularly in the final third, if they want to avoid finishing in the bottom half of the Premier League table again.

Tottenham have failed to become killers, and there is no sign of them becoming what they most need to be. It may be early to judge the current Spurs group, which has been revamped by a spending bill of more than £300million this summer, but while Roberto De Zerbi can put performances down to players finding their feet, there is a mentality issue that cannot be excused.

Tottenham's latest outing saw them play out a goalless draw with Nottingham Forest away from home on Saturday, and they were fortunate to see Neco Williams have a potential second-half winner ruled out. Forest are well organised, but Spurs barely threatened other than a very late push for a winner.

With the number of signings made this summer, this Spurs team was always likely to take time to come together. There is no guarantee that they will, even with the obvious quality that has been brought in, but there is a chance that the poor form to start the season is a consequence of the squad overhaul.

But where is the mentality change everyone expected to see this summer? Roberto De Zerbi was supposed to bring an intensity and seriousness that would have this Spurs side looking fearless. The Italian has had all summer to implement that, and even in the absence of good results, Spurs fans should be seeing the ultra competitiveness they signed up for in this De Zerbi project.

Selling the likes of Cristian Romero and not re-signing Joao Palhinha, who are both of that mould, will not have helped, and perhaps there is an element of the new players not yet feeling truly comfortable in taking the lead.

But Spurs don't look close to delivering in that department. They don't look like a team that has a killer attitude, one that can be ruthless in games. It appears to be a more competitive side than the last two seasons, at least in terms of actual quality on the ball, but they are not going to qualify for Europe without that intensity they are lacking.

Tottenham's results so far

Brentford 3-0 Spurs

Spurs 5-1 Charlton (Carabao Cup)

Spurs 0-2 Newcastle

Nottingham Forest 0-0 Spurs

Most managers would be given time to deliver that, but it's one of the central reasons that De Zerbi is in charge, and he has now had the end of last season, the whole summer and the first few games of this season. This isn't a call for him to be sacked, that would be silly at this early stage, and the results may yet turn as players get their feet under the table, but De Zerbi must answer for how pliable and lax this Spurs side still feels. This currently feels like a team that can be bent to the will of opponents, and not one that can do the same to their rivals. That has to change.

Richarlison looks set to leave Tottenham, despite the English transfer window closing, after being left out of Roberto De Zerbi's 25-man Premier League squad for the first half of the 2026/27 campaign.

The Brazilian can still leave north London, but only for Saudi Arabia or Turkey, with the Super Lig transfer window open until Friday, September 4 and the Saudi Pro League window closing on Sunday, September 6, meaning he needs to tie up a deal quickly in order to move on.

Richarlison was Spurs' top goalscorer last season with 12, but has clearly frustrated De Zerbi during pre-season, with the Italian admitting to the media that he did not know what the striker would do this summer - stay at the club or leave.

"I don't know, because as a player, as a guy, he's unbelievable [in] his attitude and behaviour, but in the end, we have to respect what he wants to do," said De Zerbi.

I didn't understand well because sometimes he says [he wants] to stay, sometimes he [wants to] leave.

De Zerbi did then confirm, later in the summer, that Richarlison, like Kevin Danso and Pape Matar Sarr, had indicated he wanted to leave the club and had looked set for a return to Everton, with Iliman Ndiaye moving the other way.

The reason Richarlison has not left Spurs already

However, the Brazilian could not agree personal terms with his old club and Ndiaye would make the move to Manchester City instead.

That left him looking at an extended Spurs stay, although reports emerged that Turkish club Trabzonspor were keen to make a move. They have already had two bids of £15million and £20million rejected, with Spurs looking for nearer £40million for the 29-year-old.

Richarlison was left out of De Zerbi's 25-man squad for the Premier League when it was named on Thursday, that despite Xavi Simons being unlikely to return to action until the start of 2027, when clubs are able to make changes to their squad to add January transfer signings in.

Tottenham's 25-man Premier League squad:

Antonin Kinsky, Martin Dubravka, Brandon Austin, Andy Robertson, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke, Xavi Simons, Conor Gallagher, James Maddison, Destiny Udogie, Sandro Tonali, Savio, Mateus Fernandes, Dominic Solanke, Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski, Omar Marmoush, Pedro Porro, Mykhailo Mudryk, Wilson Odobert, Rodrigo Bentancur, Ben Davies, Micky van de Ven, Jacob Knightbridge

The decision may be an attempt to force the Turkish club's hand when it comes to agreeing a deal and former Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah has now got personally involved.

Reports suggest that Richarlison would triple his salary with the Turkish side, but the club will need to stump up the required transfer fee first. According to ESPN Brasil, Salah has phoned the Spurs striker to convince him to make the move.

Salah completed a move to the Turkish outfit this summer, after his contract at Liverpool was terminated by mutual consent. fellow Brazilian and another former Liverpool star Fabinho has also spoken to the Spurs star about the move.

If a deal with Trabzonspor cannot be agreed before Friday's deadline, Richarlison will have to consider Saudi Arabia, or face at least half a season with the Spurs U21s.

Tottenham secured the signature of Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk from Chelsea on loan for the season.

At the end of July, all of the charges were dropped against Mudryk after he was initially charged with violating anti-doping rules.

That means the Tottenham loanee will be available to play again and was back training with Chelsea and involved in their pre-season.

Despite that, Xabi Alonso's side opted to allow him to depart in the summer transfer window, and he eventually linked up with one of his former managers.

Roberto De Zerbi previously worked with Mudryk at Shakhtar Donetsk, and they are now set to reunite at Tottenham.

Whether De Zerbi can get the best out of him remains to be seen, as he was hardly pulling up any trees at Chelsea before his ban.

Journalist Alasdair Gold claims he spoke to people in and around Chelsea, and he was told Mudryk's decision-making was poor.

That's something that De Zerbi will need to work on with Mudryk if he wants to get the best out of him at Tottenham.

"Speaking to people in and around Chelsea, his decision-making was poor on a lot of occasions. That's what De Zerbi will need to fix and get him back to what he was when he had him at Shakhtar."

It's unclear if Gold means his decision-making on the pitch or off it. Either way, it's something De Zerbi will have to try to change with the Ukrainian international.

De Zerbi will be hoping that, having worked with him previously, the two of them already have a relationship that can continue heading into the 26-27 season.

Low-risk, high-reward deal

The signing of Mudryk is a low-risk, high-reward deal for Tottenham.

The Chelsea loanee will spend the 26-27 season at Tottenham, but they are under no obligation to turn the deal permanent.

It's easy to forget that Mudryk was once a huge money signing for Chelsea. It just didn't work at Stamford Bridge before he was banned.

Tottenham now have a high-value player on the cheap, and if it doesn't work out for them, they can simply send him back to Chelsea.

On the plus side, if De Zerbi can get the best out of him, it could be one of the smartest deals we saw in the summer transfer window.