Roberto De Zerbi expecting more Tottenham signings after £237m spending spree | OneFootball

Roberto De Zerbi feels Tottenham’s summer spending spree is “not finished yet” as he looks to “build a soul” for his new-look team.

Spurs have already spent some £237m as the club look to move on from consecutive 17th-placed finishes in the Premier League – and having only avoided relegation on the final day of last season.

Sandro Tonali arrived from Newcastle in a club-record deal which could rise to £100m, which followed on from a £85m swoop for Mateus Fernandes from relegated West Ham and Jan Paul van Hecke coming in from Brighton for £52m.

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Sandro Tonali joined Tottenham for a club-record fee of £100m (PA)

Martin Dubravka, Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi have also signed on as free agents, though there have been outgoings - with Will Lankshear becoming the second highly-rated youngster, after Luka Vuskovic, to leave the club as he moved to Middlesbrough in a death worth up to £20m.

De Zerbi believes everyone is fully bought in to the “project” under the Italian coach, who took over for the run-in following the departure of Igor Tudor.

“I feel very good because we are working well. I think we are building a very good team, with some very important new players, and we are starting the project in another part of the history of the club,” De Zerbi told SpursPlay.

“I spent a lot of time (understanding the club) before joining in April and I knew very well the ideas of the owner of the club and the plan was clear before the Everton game.

“Now we are inside (the project), we are excited with the idea to build a very strong team. Now we have to finish as it is not finished yet, our transfer market, in and out, but at the moment I am very happy, very proud and very positive.

“To build a soul, to build a new team with the qualities for sure but with soul, with passion, with all the values we have.

“Football now is not just on the pitch, it’s not just with the ball, it is before in the private life, it is how many hours during the day you think you are doing your job and they have to be happy and proud to stay in Tottenham.”

Spurs are set to play their opening first pre-season fixture against MK Dons at the training ground in Enfield on Wednesday night.

De Zerbi hopes it will be the first step in a return to seeing Spurs moving forwards once again.

“I think Tottenham deserve to compete for the top of the Premier League,” the former Brighton and Marseille boss said.

“I know very well the Premier League is very tough, but if you have a good motivation inside of the players, a good organisation on the pitch and outside of the pitch, I think you work well and at the end you reach your target.”