Three Tottenham issues Roberto De Zerbi must solve in summer transfer window | OneFootball

Questions right down the spine of the team must be addressed

Tottenham have a huge summer ahead of them after securing Premier League survival on the final day of the season.

Roberto De Zerbi has admitted that he wants to keep only “11 to 12” of the current players at the club next season as he looks to get Spurs challenging again for a top-four finish.

A squad overhaul is expected, with captain Cristian Romero weighing up his options, while Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson are close to completing free transfers to the north London club.

Spurs are desperate to put last season behind them, with Micky van de Ven describing the last 12 months as unacceptable.

But in order to do so, De Zerbi will need to be decisive in the transfer market as he remodels his squad after a difficult season.

Luka Vuskovic has yet to make a competitive appearance for Spurs, but it appears as if his future will be one of the major talking points of the summer.

The 19-year-old Croatian centre-back is regarded as one of the brightest young talents in Europe and enjoyed a hugely impressive season on loan at Bundesliga side Hamburg.

It is felt that Vuskovic, who will play in this summer’s World Cup, is ready to come in and challenge for minutes at Spurs next season.

But Vuskovic has made no secret of his desire to play alongside his brother, Mario, at Hamburg, who returns from a drugs ban in November.

Along with growing interest in the player, there are complications surrounding Vuskovic’s future in north London.

Spurs will be in the market for defensive reinforcements should Romero leave the club this summer, and De Zerbi must decide whether he believes Vuskovic is ready to step in for the Argentine.

De Zerbi will hope that any decision on Vuskovic remains in his hands, but knows interest from the likes of Bayern Munich and Barcelona could tempt the teenager to leave permanently.

Can Kinsky become Spurs’ permanent No1?

A huge amount of credit must be given to Antonin Kinsky for the way in which he recovered from his nightmare performance against Atletico Madrid in March to steer Spurs to safety.

The Czech goalkeeper, standing in for the injured Guglielmo Vicario, played a pivotal role as Spurs picked up 11 points from their final six league games to avoid the embarrassment of relegation.

Crucial saves against Wolves and Leeds preserved precious points for Spurs, who avoided relegation by just two points, and there is now a question as to whether Kinsky is capable of becoming Spurs’ first choice keeper.

With Vicario’s future uncertain amid interest from his native Italy, Spurs could be looking for a new No1 next season.

There is a longstanding interest in Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford, but De Zerbi has been impressed, if not surprised, by Kinsky’s renaissance and could look to focus resources elsewhere as he attempts to remodel his squad.

Xavi Simons could be sidelined until 2027

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Do Spurs need to invest in another creative midfielder?

Technical director Johan Lange got it wrong in the January transfer window when he insisted that Spurs did not need to be proactive in responding to a slew of injuries that decimated their squad.

In only managing to bring in Conor Gallagher and Brazilian teenager Souza, Spurs were left desperately short of options, particularly in attack, as their form plummeted after the turn of the year.

Spurs say they will be aggressive in the transfer market, and look set to wrap up deals for Senesi and Robertson.

However, it is in attack where De Zerbi needs to decide whether to wait on injured players or enter the market for reinforcements.

Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons are not expected to return to fitness until the new year after suffering anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries.

There is no timeline in place either for when Dejan Kulusevski or Mohammed Kudus will be back to fitness.

Kulusevski has been out since May 2025 with a complicated patella injury, while Kudus suffered a setback in his recovery from a serious quad injury. Both players have been left out of their respective World Cup squads.

James Maddison played a small part in Spurs’ run-in as he stepped up his recovery from an ACL injury.

Spurs, though, will need to learn from the mistakes of January if they are to push on next season.