Premier League 2026/27 Preview: Tottenham Hotspur | OneFootball

I’m pretty sure I wrote a season preview along the same lines last year. Thomas Frank was coming in. There was a whiff of fresh optimism. And look how that turned out!

As a passionate supporter it’s difficult not to be optimistic and excited about a new campaign, but this season it definitely feels different around Tottenham Hotspur. 

Tottenham coaching staff continues to grow

Roberto De Zerbi came to Tottenham in March with a clear mission, keep the club in the Premier League. He managed to do that with a 1-0 win on the last day of the season against Everton and now the real work begins.

Andrew Crofts joined the club in July. The Assistant Head Coach is reunited with De Zerbi after they spent time together at Brighton. 

Much has been made of the number of injuries at Tottenham over the last couple of years and changes have also been made in the medical department. Ali James comes in as Head of Medical Services, Tom Tombleson has been appointed Head of Athletic Development and Agostino Tibaudi is the new Strength and Conditioning coach. So lots of changes have been made to the Performance department behind the scenes, lets now focus on the main stage and look at the new player recruitments. 

Putting their money where their mouth is

One of the main criticisms of the Tottenham board over the years is that they don’t invest or spend enough money on the squad. 

The shock of near relegation seems to have kicked them into action as they got a lot of business done early in the summer. While everyone was watching the World Cup, Tottenham were making big moves in the transfer market. 

Jan Paul van Hecke was another former Seagull reunited with De Zerbi. While bleeding for the Netherlands in the World Cup, Spurs paid $69 million for his services. 

Then came not one, but two massive midfield acquisitions. Mateus Fernandes broke the club’s transfer record signing for $113 million from West Ham. That record held up a mere four days, as Sandro Tonali followed from Newcastle United for a massive $133 million.

This squashed the perception that the board are reluctant to spend and goes a long way to dispel how the club operated under former Chairman Daniel Levy. 

Buy one get one free

It’s not just big money signings Tottenham have made either. Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka have all joined on free transfers, which is shrewd business indeed. 

With so many comings and goings it feels like a completely different Tottenham will be on show in a couple of weeks time. Three of the big signings are defenders, so it will be interesting to see what De Zerbi’s first eleven will be against Brentford in a couple of weeks time.

Robertson joins from Liverpool with an abundance of experience, so my money is on him to start against the Bees. After winning the World Cup with Spain, Pedro Porro is still not back in training. It’s hard to see him starting the season’s curtain raiser. Djed Spence and Cristian Romero are on their way out the door, so the defence has had a complete overhaul. 

Another Bomba to come?

While on a recent pre-season tour to New Zealand and Australia, De Zerbi said that they will be signing another ‘bomba’ soon. This has led many fans into a frenzy of speculation over who this might be.

The forward line is still in desperate of additions, so it seemed odds on that Manchester City’s Savinho will finally move to N17 after months of speculation. However, this still hasn’t happened. Now there are other names being linked to the North London club, like Cody Gapko from Liverpool. 

Maybe they’re waiting for the transfer funds from the outgoing players (Mathys Tel, anyone?). But whatever the board’s strategy may be, time is starting to run out with only a couple of weeks of the transfer window left to add more firepower upfront. 

Key players for 2026/27

Micky van de Ven

After recently signing a new long-term deal, Micky van de Ven will be a big player for Spurs this season.

There were question marks over his commitment last season, but it must’ve been a tough environment to try and stay focused in a relegation battle. He’s come through that experience with flying colours and having worn the captain’s armband on a number of occasions he will be an important piece of De Zerbi’s puzzle.

With Romero’s imminent departure, it seems the big Dutchman will be skipper more often. He will also be used to playing with van Hecke at the back, as they play for the Netherlands together. This relationship will only benefit the team going forward with the familiarity of playing together.

Pedro Porro

Another player who recently signed a new deal, the recently crowned world champion is another important player for Spurs.

He may not be involved for the first couple of games, but his performances at the World Cup suggest he can become an elite player. With Spence also leaving London, the Spaniard is sure to be one of the first names on the team sheet.

2026/27 prediction

As mentioned earlier, It’s easy to get carried away and think this time is the time for Spurs. Didn’t Leicester City nearly get relegated then win the Premier League the following season!? 

Seriously though, after finishing 17th two seasons running, getting back into the top half of the table and a decent cup run is the most realistic outcome.

However, depending on what extra business Tottenham do in this transfer window, the owners will be looking at the Champions League places, especially without the added distraction of European Football. 

One thing I do know is that it won’t be an easy ride and there will be plenty of bumps along the way on the Tottenham High Road!