Tottenham are once again under scrutiny as questions are raised over their transfer dealings, but former manager Harry Redknapp has delivered a bold verdict on what lies ahead under Roberto De Zerbi.
Tottenham Hotspur will begin the 2026-27 Premier League season with a home fixture against Brentford, a test that will immediately set the tone for their campaign.
Spurs will be desperate to make a strong start, particularly after a disappointing run of form across the calendar year that left them languishing near the bottom of the table.
Efforts are already underway in the transfer market, with the club determined to strengthen the squad and avoid a repeat of last season’s 17th-place finish.
Harry Redknapp accuses Tottenham of wasting money
Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson and Jan Paul van Hecke have already arrived, while Tottenham continue to push for further reinforcements, with Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes among those linked.
The expectation is that Roberto De Zerbi could oversee a very different-looking Spurs side if the club follows through on its promise to go all in and secure their top targets.
Speaking to GOAL in association with BuzzBallz, former Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp was asked whether Tottenham needs to spend more.
Addressing the question, Redknapp insisted that the real issue at Spurs lies in how the squad has been built and called for “a big change”.
He said: “They need a big change. They need to change that squad. The manager, I do not know him but I like what I see of him. I think he will come in and he will not stand for what they have done the last two years.
“He will not have that and he will push them and change them. If they are not good enough, they will be gone. He will bring players in for sure but he is relying on recruitment. Whoever was doing the recruitment the last couple years has not been very good at doing it.”
Redknapp slams Spurs recruitment but tips De Zerbi for success
The former Spurs boss was pressed further on whether too many players have become comfortable after securing big-money moves.
Redknapp was scathing in his assessment of Tottenham’s recent transfer business. He told GOAL: “They have bought players in and I do not even know who half of them are, to be honest – £60 million here, £50 million there, £70 million there. Average players who have not performed.
“Two years finishing 17th in the Premier League. They were so lucky not to go down this year. They got the biggest break of all when they went to Villa and Villa put a very average team out, mostly reserves, and probably the worst performance I have seen from a Premier League team that day was Aston Villa against Tottenham. So they caught Villa on the right day, just before they were due to play Forest in the semi-final of the European competition, and that win really kept them up.
“But overall this year, they have been shocking Tottenham, absolutely shocking and they got away with it. But I do think this fella will push them on and I think next year they will finish in the top six.”
Spurs now have the chance to right many of their wrongs in the last few years and back De Zerbi in this summer transfer window.