Tottenham enter 2026/27 after two 17th-place finishes. With Roberto De Zerbi and major summer signings, can Spurs return to the Premier League’s top six?
Tottenham Hotspur head into the new Premier League season with something they have been missing for much of the past two years: genuine optimism.
That might sound strange for a club that has finished 17th in each of the last two Premier League campaigns, but the circumstances around this season are very different.
Spurs have twice found themselves looking nervously over their shoulders at the relegation battle, with last season ending particularly close to disaster before Roberto De Zerbi arrived in March and helped steer them to safety.
Now, the club has attempted to make sure such a situation does not happen again.
The summer transfer window has been used for a major rebuild, with Tottenham bringing in the likes of Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Jan Paul van Hecke, Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dúbravka. Tonali and Fernandes, in particular, represent a huge investment in the midfield, with their arrivals designed to give De Zerbi the technical quality and intensity he needs.
We are delighted to announce the signing of Sandro Tonali, subject to work permit ✍️
🔗 https://t.co/WBcHW8UZYo pic.twitter.com/dGurwXvD9Z
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 6, 2026
Tottenham’s spending has been remarkable considering where they finished last season. Their combined outlay on Tonali and Fernandes alone was reported at around £185m, taking their summer spending to roughly £237m at that stage of the window.
The message is obvious: 17th cannot happen again.
De Zerbi Has to Turn Investment Into Progress
De Zerbi is arguably the most important piece of Tottenham’s rebuild. The Italian took over at a difficult moment last season and immediately had to focus on survival. This time, however, he has had an entire pre-season and a transfer window to build a team in his image. That distinction could be enormous.
De Zerbi wants his teams to dominate possession, play aggressively and create numerical advantages through movement and positional rotations. His preferred 4-2-3-1 structure should also benefit from the complete overhaul of Tottenham’s midfield, particularly with Tonali and Fernandes providing different qualities in the centre of the pitch.
But De Zerbi has also been clear that Tottenham’s problems cannot be solved simply by buying players.
He has spoken repeatedly about the need to restore the club’s “soul, passion, spirit and mentality“, arguing that talent alone is not enough to compete with the Premier League’s best teams. That could prove just as important as the new signings.
“We’re trying to bring a winning mentality and pre-season is about drilling that home.”
Visit the official Spurs app for Robbo’s full post-match interview 📲
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) August 8, 2026
Tottenham have had enough quality to avoid relegation comfortably in recent seasons, yet their league position suggests something has been fundamentally wrong with the team’s consistency, confidence and mentality. De Zerbi therefore has to create a team that does not simply look better on paper but performs with greater authority every week.
And the rebuild may not even be finished. De Zerbi has said Tottenham are still looking to bring in more players, with attacking reinforcements remaining an area that could be addressed before the window closes.
Where Should Tottenham Finish?
Tottenham supporters should be optimistic, but expectations need to remain realistic.
Going from 17th to the top four in one summer would be a huge leap, particularly when several rivals have also strengthened. Spurs have also lost some stability in defence, with Cristian Romero expected to leave, while the attack still looks like the area most in need of another major addition.
A return to European football should be the minimum realistic ambition.
A top-eight finish would represent significant progress, while a push towards the Champions League places would show just how quickly De Zerbi has been able to transform the club.
My expectation would be sixth or seventh.
That would not immediately restore Tottenham to the level of the title challengers, but it would represent a dramatic improvement from consecutive 17th-place finishes and give De Zerbi a platform to build from.
The most important thing, however, is not simply where Spurs finish. It is whether they look like a team heading somewhere again.
After two seasons spent worrying about relegation, Tottenham need to rediscover their ambition. With De Zerbi in charge, a dramatically improved squad and significant investment behind the rebuild, the expectation should be for Spurs to move firmly into the top half of the Premier League and compete for European football.
Anything resembling another relegation battle would be a failure. A top-six finish, meanwhile, would signal that the Tottenham rebuild is ahead of schedule.
