Roberto De Zerbi hints FFP rules prevented Tottenham from making big 11th signing

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Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi has explained why the club did not sign an out‑and‑out striker during the summer transfer window, amid a slow start from Spurs’ centre‑forwards.

Tottenham Hotspur finally ended their goal drought after playing six hours of football in the Premier League, scoring twice against Aston Villa.

Conor Gallagher opened Spurs’ account for the season with a close‑range finish following impressive work from Mohammed Kudus, before centre‑back Jan Paul van Hecke added a second for the Lilywhites.

However, two goals were not enough for Tottenham, who ultimately lost 3-2 to Aston Villa at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Roberto De Zerbi explains Tottenham’s lack of striker signing in the summer

But it could well have been more for Spurs had they taken their early chances against Unai Emery’s side.

Tottenham started the first half in lively fashion and could easily have been three goals up had it not been for brilliant saves from Zion Suzuki, who denied Savio three times and Archie Gray once.

However, none of the Lilywhites’ chances fell to their strikers, with Dominic Solanke failing to register a single shot on target.

Villa’s new striker signing Nico Jackson, on the other hand, caused the Spurs centre‑backs plenty of problems and eventually scored the second for Emery’s men.

Given the struggles of Tottenham’s forwards, De Zerbi was asked why the club failed to bring in a striker during the summer transfer window. His answer appeared to hint that Tottenham were relying on the sale of a certain Mr Richarlison to make room for a new striker.

He told football.london: “Listen, the transfer market is long to explain. Because I am happy for the squad, first of all. Otherwise we play polemic.

“But the transfer market was long. The situation changed many times. There was also the financial fair play, at the end of the transfer market.

“And we had to respect the financial fair play. We did not sell the players who we thought, in the beginning, there was the possibility, the chance to sell.

“There are a lot of reasons. I think the club and the coach, we are not sleeping, we know the characteristics of the players, we know everything. And if we did not make any different decisions, it was because we could not.”

Spurs still waiting for Omar Marmoush to settle

Tottenham did sign a forward in Omar Marmoush, but the Egyptian has also struggled to make an impact in the final third.

Against Villa, Marmoush worked hard and got into good positions, but his touch and decision‑making often let him down in the final third.

There is quality there, and it may just take time before Tottenham see the best of the Egyptian. With the club’s goalscoring drought finally broken, there is every reason to believe the goals will follow.

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