De Zerbi begins Tottenham overhaul in pre-season after March survival
Roberto De Zerbi's Tottenham have started reshaping the squad during pre-season, having signed six players this summer after he secured the club's Premier League safety following his arrival in March. Patterns from friendly matches and training sessions point to the manager implementing his preferred build-up methods as he integrates new recruits.
De Zerbi first entered the Premier League with Brighton in September 2022 and introduced tactical ideas that were widely noted for their approach to ball progression. Pep Guardiola called him "one of the most influential managers in the last 20 years" and De Zerbi's influence was particularly visible in how his teams constructed build-up play from the back. A defining feature has been the ability to convert slow, controlled possession in the defensive third into one-on-one situations higher up the pitch.
That original blueprint has carried into Spurs' preparations: centre-backs are instructed to "stand on the ball" and wait for pressure, two narrow holding midfielders position themselves close to the defence, and the side works on accelerating possession into vertical, high-possession transitions. De Zerbi's sides have repeatedly sought to play through the centre, using quick combinations between defenders and midfielders to generate decisive forward passes.
Opponents in pre-season have responded by narrowing their defensive shapes to block central routes, prompting Spurs to develop responses such as pulling central opponents out of position or advancing down the flanks. In Spurs' 3-0 pre-season win against Hoffenheim, the visitors deployed a very narrow 4-4-2 with both strikers standing in front of Spurs' midfield two; Tottenham operated frequently in a 4-2-4 on the ball, using wide full-backs as decoys to drag Hoffenheim's wide midfielders away from the centre and create passing lanes to forwards dropping deep.
Getafe presented a different compact structure, lining up in a 5-4-1 mid-block, and Spurs countered by moving one of their midfield pair toward a centre-back to drag opposition midfielders across. When a midfielder such as Lucas Bergvall dropped deeper to join the two centre-backs and form a temporary back three, Spurs created a dilemma for the opposing central midfielder: follow him and leave a gap, or hold position and concede an unpressured defender on the ball.
Sandro Tonali provided a concrete example of these principles in the Hoffenheim game, pulling into a wider, deeper role, carrying the ball powerfully and helping create the opening goal; the article notes "The Italian boasts an impressive physical base that allows him to carry the ball with power." Transfer activity aligns with these tactical aims: the newly signed centre-backs are described as technical and willing to play progressive passes, midfield additions such as Mateus Fernandes and Bergvall can pass under pressure and recycle possession, while Tonali, Conor Gallagher and Destiny Udogie offer ball-carrying from wider positions. Links to Cody Gakpo and the signing of Savinho are cited as adding one-against-one pace and dribbling, and Richarlison and Omar Marmoush are noted for ball-striking and the physicality to arrive around the box to finish crosses.
The piece observes that opposing teams may still find solutions to De Zerbi's methods as the season unfolds, but that this summer's recruitment appears aligned with the coach's tactical priorities, producing a clearer coherence between manager, playing style and the players targeted.