After the gloom of successive 17th-placed finishes in the Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur’s club-record summer spending spree has transformed the mood at the London club, according to Dutch defender Mick van de Ven.
Tottenham only avoided relegation on the final day of last season, but manager Roberto de Zerbi’s wish for the club to provide him with the players to build the “team of his dreams” has been answered with a £237 million ($316 million) outlay.
Midfielders Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes have arrived from Newcastle United and West Ham United respectively while Van de Ven’s fellow Dutch defender Jan Paul van Hecke arrived from Brighton and Hove Albion and more signings are expected.
“It’s really good that you can see the club has made some changes,” the 25-year-old Van de Ven told BBC Sport in Sydney, where Spurs are on a pre-season tour.
“You can see the club has a new ambition. It’s something that’s really important for players who have been here for a long time. Last season was a stressful season, unacceptable from our side, so to leave all of that behind and go into the new season fresh means a lot.”
TURGID FOOTBALL
Tottenham’s turgid football of last season will be replaced with a new philosophy, Van de Ven said.
“It’s going to be more with the ball, I think, more about playing football. I think it’s also going to be more enjoyable for people to watch because we’ll be playing offensive football,” he added.
“You can see he (De Zerbi) has brought a “It’s going to be more with the ball, I think, more about playing football. I think it’s also going to be more enjoyable for people to watch because we’ll be playing offensive football.
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“It is something we needed because everybody was a little bit down. He brings a lot of good energy and, from pre-season, we have really had the time to bring his football into the team. That’s really enjoyable.”
De Zerbi took charge with seven games remaining last season, winning three of them as Tottenham ended up two points above 18th-placed West Ham United.
Tottenham faces Sydney FC on Wednesday.
Published on Jul 27, 2026
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