Club captain Cristian Romero is among the players expected to leave. He drew criticism for flying to Argentina to treat an injury before the season finale, although he did return in time to play. De Zerbi defended him, calling his conduct “unbelievable” during the coach’s spell at the club, while acknowledging it’s Romero’s wish to move on.
De Zerbi said that when he arrived in April he held countless one-to-one meetings in which players told him whether they intended to stay. His message to them was clear: help keep the team up and he would help them secure moves; refuse and they would “sink” with him.
Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is also expected to depart after losing his place to Antonin Kinsky.
Earlier this month, Spurs broke their transfer record on consecutive days, first by signing midfielder Mateus Fernandes from West Ham for £85m, then bringing in Sandro Tonali from Newcastle for £100m. Jan Paul van Hecke also arrived from Brighton in a £52m deal, with Marcos Senesi, Andrew Robertson and Martin Dubravka joining on free transfers.
De Zerbi says the club still want another attacking recruit alongside their pursuit of Manchester City’s Savinho. The Brazilian is among the forwards in advanced talks, and Spurs are also chasing another unnamed attacker.
Speaking in Sydney, De Zerbi said the window is “not finished,” estimating that about 60% of their plan is done, and hinting at “another bomba” to come. Asked if that meant a winger or a striker, he replied simply: “Attackers.” He added that he doesn’t believe in fallback options—no plan B or C—because players aren’t interchangeable, and stressed the need to score more goals. He described himself as being “like a shark” this summer in pursuit of targets.