How Tottenham could line up under Roberto De Zerbi after mega £237m spending spree

After back-to-back 17th-placed finishes in the Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur have made a statement in the summer transfer window, with five new signings and a sixth on the horizon set to take their total spending to £237m.

Sandro Tonali is set to become Spurs’ club-record signing after a £100m package with Newcastle United was agreed earlier this week, with the Italian midfielder in London for his medical.

Tottenham’s current transfer record was broken on Thursday when the club confirmed the £85m arrival of Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United, beating long-term suitors Manchester United to his signature.

Roberto De Zerbi’s side have also forked out £52m on Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton, while fellow centre-back Marcos Senesi, left-back Andrew Robertson and goalkeeper Martin Dubravka have all moved to North London on free transfers.

Ahead of the 2026-27 season, Sports Mole takes a closer look at how Spurs could line up with some of their latest signings from the summer transfer window.

It is widely expected that De Zerbi will predominantly use a four-at-the-back system at Tottenham, though there may be some occasions where the Italian head coach would prefer to switch to a back three for certain matches.

With Guglielmo Vicario expected to leave the club this summer, Antonin Kinsky is currently set to be entrusted with the number one jersey for next season after signing a new contract with the club. Dubravka, meanwhile, will provide experienced backup.

Pedro Porro, who also signed a new contract in June, is Spurs’ undisputed first-choice right-back, ahead of Djed Spence in the pecking order, while new recruit Robertson will provide stern competition for Destiny Udogie, Spence, Souza and Ben Davies for the left-back berth.

While Robertson may not be a guaranteed starter to begin with, Van Hecke is expected to form a centre-back partnership with fellow Dutchman Mickey Van de Ven, while Cristian Romero is expected to leave this summer.

Senesi, who played a crucial role in helping Bournemouth finish sixth in the Premier League last season, is also a strong contender for regular starts and may now climb ahead of Kevin Danso and Radu Dragusin in the centre-back pecking order.

Tottenham’s midfield has been upgraded with the arrival of tenacious 21-year-old playmaker Fernandes, and the expected arrival of dynamic regista Tonali, with the £185m duo expected to slot straight into De Zerbi’s XI.

Conor Gallagher, Archei Gray, Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Sarr will all provide midfield competition, while Joao Palhinha and Lucas Bergvall are likely to depart this summer.

After a frustrating season on the sidelined through injury, James Maddison will hope to be fit and firing for Spurs in 2026-27 and could reclaim the number 10 position,. Xavi Simons - currently recovering from an ACL injury - could also play centrally or operate out on the left where he played 11 times in his debut season at the club.

Dejan Kulusevski is another who endured a nightmare injury-hit campaign, but he will be hoping to battle for starts on either flank when fully fit. Mohammed Kudus appears to be ahead of him for the right-wing position, though, while Mathys Tel, Wilson Odobert and Mikey Moore are other wide options at De Zerbi's disposal.

Dominic Solanke and Richarlison, meanwhile, are the two main centre-forward options for Spurs heading into the new season, though the Lilywhites have been linked with another big-money move for Eli Kroupi Junior.