Tottenham's Transfer Window: De Zerbi Seeks One More Player

Roberto De Zerbi has made his position clear. Tottenham’s summer business is not finished yet – and the final act could be a headline one.

The Spurs head coach wants “one more player” through the door before Tuesday’s 11pm deadline, with the club pushing to prise Cody Gakpo from Liverpool in the closing days of the window. Interest in the Dutch forward has been bubbling for weeks; now Spurs are ready to turn up the heat.

“I didn't expect a transfer window like we have done,” De Zerbi admitted on Friday, a nod to the scale of the overhaul already undertaken. But he is not treating that as a full stop. “I think we can do one player more in one specific position.”

That “specific position” remains under wraps, but the profile is obvious enough: attacking quality at the top end of the pitch, someone who can step straight into a side trying to evolve without losing its edge. Gakpo fits that description neatly, and Spurs know it.

The push for that final signing comes with full backing from the hierarchy. De Zerbi revealed a summit of sorts on Thursday night, when he dined with the club’s powerbrokers – owners, sporting director Johan Lange and chief executive Vinai Venkatesham – to align on the final days of the window.

“Yesterday we went to dinner with the owners, Johan and Vinai and we spoke about this,” he said. “All of us are on the same page and a very good connection.”

That unity will be tested in the frantic final stretch. Tottenham expect to be busy right up to the deadline, not just with potential arrivals but with exits for players who see their futures elsewhere.

De Zerbi has tried to strip away any ambiguity inside the dressing room.

“I've been very clear with all the players: if you speak clearly you can't expect surprises,” he said. “The players who wanted to leave have left. We maybe have some players who want to leave and they are waiting, we are waiting for an offer.”

This is not just a squad rebuild; it is a cultural reset. The Italian framed the project in emotional terms, stressing that staying at Spurs must be a choice, not a compromise.

“You have to feel proud to stay here. It's an emotional project we are building with new players.”

One of the unresolved stories is Pape Matar Sarr. The midfielder has drawn interest during the window and has yet to feature in either of Tottenham’s first two league games, a conspicuous absence for a player of his talent.

De Zerbi insisted there is no fitness issue. “Pape is good [fitness-wise]. We have to see in the last days of the transfer market what can happen with him.”

So the picture is clear. One major target in, one or two restless squad members out, and a manager determined to shape a group that is fully committed to his vision.

Tottenham’s window has already been busier than De Zerbi anticipated. The real question now is whether that “one more player” – potentially Gakpo – turns a promising rebuild into something far more dangerous for the rest of the league.