Tottenham’s focus remains firmly on survival, yet behind the scenes, plans are already forming for a summer rebuild under Roberto De Zerbi – and it could involve several familiar faces. We have now identified five former De Zerbi players Tottenham should look to sign this summer.
The focus in north London at the moment is on Tottenham Hotspur avoiding relegation to the Championship this season, given their precarious league position.
Roberto De Zerbi has been brought in to steady the ship and help Spurs beat the drop with seven games to go.
The Italian will also be tasked with delivering an attractive brand of football – the type that gets fans off their seats in the long run.
While De Zerbi has explained that it will take time for his principles to be passed across in the early stages of his tenure, the feeling is that eventually, De Zerbi ball will be on display in north London.
The upcoming transfer window will play a key part in how Tottenham shape up under their new manager, and now we have identified a few former players De Zerbi has worked with that he might look to sign for Spurs.
Tottenham target Pervis Estupinan as £12m bargain emerges
One of the few players that the new Tottenham manager might be keen on bringing to north London is Pervis Estupinan. The former Brighton full-back was immense when he worked under De Zerbi a couple of seasons ago.
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He was astute with his directness, often joining in attack, providing a goalscoring threat, while also being capable of picking a pass.
In the two seasons under the Italian, the Ecuadorian managed 17 goal contributions in 68 appearances from full-back.
However, since the two stopped working together, the full-back has barely reached similar numbers. It is now being reported that Spurs are interested in Estupinan.
The former Brighton full-back could be available for as little as £12 million, making him a bargain should Tottenham opt to sign him.
Such a reunion might well be a shrewd piece of business as Spurs look to bolster their full-back ranks even further.
Spurs eye Manuel Locatelli as De Zerbi’s top midfield target
Locatelli represents another player De Zerbi might be keen to sign in the summer transfer window as Tottenham boss.
It has already been reported that Locatelli is De Zerbi’s top transfer target in the summer window.
The two worked together during the Spurs manager’s time at Sassuolo, where he used Locatelli in the heart of his midfield as a pivot in a 4-2-3-1 setup.
We believe De Zerbi could also line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation during his tenure at Tottenham, and bringing in a midfielder who has experience playing in that role makes sense.
At Sassuolo, Locatelli was the midfield general, anchoring a 4-2-3-1 formation. He operated as a deep-lying playmaker who dictated tempo, launched attacks with long passes, and acted as a third centre-back during build-up, ultimately transforming into one of Serie A’s top midfielders.
Tottenham could well do with a player of his profile in midfield and it is no surprise that De Zerbi has named him as a top target.
Tottenham consider Bart Verbruggen amid Guglielmo Vicario exit concerns
The goalkeeping position at Tottenham Hotspur could undergo significant change if recent reports are true.
We already reported that Guglielmo Vicario has given a “yes” to Inter Milan, who are said to have a contract for the Italian as they push to land his signature this summer.
Should the Italian depart, then there is a big need to strengthen the goalkeeping position in his absence.
One goalkeeper De Zerbi could well turn to is Bart Verbruggen, whom he actually worked with during his time at Brighton. The shot-stopper played 27 matches under manager De Zerbi during their time together.
The pair do know each other well, and going for a shot-stopper with Premier League experience will definitely be a bonus.
However, it is worth noting that De Zerbi often rotated Verbruggen with Steele, and that hints that the second goalkeeper for Spurs will remain crucial, which should bode well for Antonin Kinsky.
But Tottenham will not have a free run at Verbruggen. We already reported that Bayern Munich could scupper any potential reunion, as they too are looking to poach the Dutchman, who they see as a Manuel Neuer replacement.
When the pair last worked together, Verbruggen, after making the considerable step up to the Premier League, completed 34.9 passes per game in the top flight that season, doing so at an 89.5% pass success rate. Both were high for any goalkeeper in the entire division.
Tottenham could reunite Roberto De Zerbi with Kaoru Mitoma
Of course, many Tottenham fans will not turn down more firepower, especially in the wide areas of their team.
The sale of Brennan Johnson, with no replacement, has left Spurs short in that area of the field, and the summer definitely provides an opportunity for Tottenham to finally address that.
There are several wingers Spurs could turn to to bolster their ranks. We have seen Harry Wilson linked with Tottenham, while the Lilywhites could also reignite interest in Maghnes Aklilouche this summer.
But De Zerbi still has the option to turn to a familiar face in Kaoru Mitoma. The Japanese international is well known for his ability to take his man on and get past them with astute dribbling.
Spurs, however, are not short of wingers with such fancy feet, with both Mathys Tel and Mohammed Kudus very capable of beating their man.
In the 22/23 season under De Zerbi, Mitoma managed seven goals and seven assists in the Premier League – a career high for the Japanese, who later matched those goal contributions in the 24/25 season, scoring ten and assisting four, although not under the Italian.
This season, his output has significantly dropped, with the Japanese managing just two goals in 20 games.
Spurs were linked with Mitoma back in January when Frank was still boss, but interest could once more be reignited with De Zerbi at the helm.
Spurs could move for Jan Paul van Hecke amid defensive uncertainty
This perhaps might be the one that could well happen, given all the speculation involving Tottenham’s centre-backs.
Cristian Romero’s future in north London remains uncertain, with several clubs said to be interested in the Tottenham captain. There are even talks of Romero having a release clause, one that the Argentine’s dad has confirmed.
Micky van de Ven is also right in the thick of transfer speculation. The Dutchman is on the radar of Liverpool, Manchester United and Barcelona.
Van de Ven, however, has since voiced his discontent over the rumours involving himself and his teammates.
Then, the backup option, Radu Dragusin, could well be headed out. The Romanian centre-back’s agent has since come out to speak about the interest he received for Dragusin, revealing interest from Europe and the Middle East.
Dragusin’s agent hinted at RB Leipzig possibly returning in the summer for the centre-back. If any one of these players were to move on, then Spurs will be desperate for replacements.
