RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 3 sourcesTottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven believes the club is demonstrating "new ambition" following a substantial £237m summer spending spree, and has promised a more entertaining brand of football under Roberto De Zerbi next season.
The significant investment comes after a turbulent period for Spurs, which saw them narrowly avoid relegation on the final day of the 2025-26 Premier League campaign.
Majority owners the Lewis family subsequently pledged to be "all in" for a necessary rebuild, leading to six new arrivals. The club has twice broken its transfer record, first for £85m midfielder Mateus Fernandes , then securing Sandro Tonali from Newcastle in a £100m deal.
Van de Ven acknowledged that European qualification is now the target for a club that has finished 17th for two consecutive seasons.
Spurs broke their transfer record to sign Sandro Tonali from Newcastle (PA)
Speaking to British media during Spurs’ pre-season tour of Australia, he stated: "It’s really good that you can see the club has made some changes. They have brought a really good new manager, in my opinion, and some really good new signings. You can see the club has new ambition. It’s something that’s really important for players that have been there for a long time."
He added: "Spurs is a team that needs to play Europe every year, so obviously the European spots are something we are going to aim for. The most important thing is we play our football and that we are a difficult team to play against."
The past 12 months have been marked by considerable change at Tottenham. Long-serving chairman Daniel Levy departed in September, months after a Europa League triumph that ended a 17-year trophy drought.
Levy’s exit was followed by another spell of poor form, resulting in Thomas Frank’s dismissal in February and interim boss Igor Tudor lasting only seven games.
With the Lewis family now wielding greater influence and chief executive Vinai Venkatesham tasked with revitalising the club’s fortunes, De Zerbi was appointed in March. Van de Ven expressed confidence that the Italian would restore the attacking flair that was absent under Frank.
"It’s going to be different compared to the former manager we had last season," Van de Ven explained. "It’s going to be more with the ball, more playing football. I think it’s going to be more enjoyable for people to watch playing offensive football."
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