Whether Tottenham Hotspur hit the ground running or not come May, new manager Roberto De Zerbi will need to oversee some rebuilding at N17 this summer.
While Ange Postecoglou’s men in front of him may be asking for ready-made, guaranteed signings, preparation has begun to some degree in recent years, with the Lilywhites adopting a policy of transferring mostly young players.
Last summer, the north Londoners splashed out £52m on 22-year-old Xavi Simons, and the year before, the midfield pairing of Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall were both added to Postecoglou.
It may take time for those deals to really pay off, however as the older stars fade, it is Gray and his teammates who will shine, and the same, potential top players will be on the agenda ahead of next season.
The £30m England star wants to join De Zerbi at Spurs this summer
For all the chaos this season, there are reasons to look forward to 2026/27, as De Zerbi’s side will be bolstered by a string of returning loanees, be it Mike Moore or Luka Vuskovic.
He’s Tottenham’s captain of the future: De Zerbi may yet have the next Dele Alli
The hype is growing with the next youngster at Spurs.
Whether the pair stay on board, amid significant interest in them, could determine whether the club will be relegated over the next seven games, however, Spurs’ current woes could be problematic when it comes to planning ahead for potential new additions.
That said, there are those who are not willing to make the move regardless of whether the north Londoners stay or not, and TEAMtalk reports that Manchester City’s James Trafford is open to a move even if he steps down.
That willingness to make a change reflects the 23-year-old’s desire for game time after finding himself behind Gigi Donnarumma at the Etihad this season, with the England international looking to become No.1 at his next club.
City, meanwhile, are said to be open to a sale, despite re-signing their former academy graduate in a £27m deal from Burnley last summer, while reports elsewhere suggest that around £30m could be enough for any suitor.
As per this latest piece of news, Trafford are said to be ‘key’ to De Zerbi and co, with Tottenham now ‘pushing to sign him’, amid talk of a return to Italy for current number one, Guglielmo Vicario.
Why Trafford could be Archie Gray 2.0 at Spurs
A fee of £30m for the most watched player on the bench this season at the Etihad may seem steep, although the Lilywhites will be investing for the long term, as they did in Gray’s case.
|
Highest number of U21’s – PL |
|
|---|---|
|
The player |
Price |
|
Estevao |
£70m |
|
Yoro |
£42m |
|
Mainoo |
£42m |
|
Ryan |
£34m |
|
Kroupi |
£34m |
|
Bergvall |
£34m |
|
Lewis-Skelly |
£30m |
|
Gray |
£30m |
|
Hato |
£30m |
|
via Transfermarkt |
|
England’s overseas youth, such as Trafford, the former Leeds United man was snapped up in a £40m deal almost two years ago, having previously progressed to the second tier during the 2023/24 campaign, a successful year under Daniel Farke.
It is in the Championship that Trafford’s best work has come, but as seen in Gray’s rise since then, that should not be a cause for concern, as the 6 foot 6′ goalkeeper was huge during Burnley’s promotion campaign last term.
After losing his place in 2023/24 as the Clarets lost, the youngster recovered to start under Scott Parker in 2024/25, scoring just 16 goals in 46 games – a truly remarkable record.
That includes 12 consecutive clean sheets, with 12.82 goals against for the season. In comparison, the aforementioned Vicario has a goals blocked tally of -5.22 this term, as he also made two mistakes that led directly to a goal.
To say that the goalkeeping department has been a problem for Spurs for a long time would be an understatement, and Vicario’s woes come in the middle. that It was a difficult night for the back-up Antonin Kinsky, at Atletico Madrid, which led to his withdrawal in the 16th minute.
Whether a goalkeeper can recover from such a high-profile disaster, especially at the start of his career, is a tough question, ensuring that Trafford can be the man to finally ease the streak.
A stable, solid first choice has been needed since the departure of Hugo Lloris, with Trafford, aged just 23, looking like a long-term solution. That reflects the midfield, the club is enduring real turmoil in the post-Mousa Dembele world, however Gray is now looking to rectify that.
De Zerbi, for all his tactical brilliance, will get nowhere without settling for the sticks, ensuring that the Trafford youngster can represent the dream of the Italian regime’s first signing in the N17.
De Zerbi will love him: The new Klinsmann could fire Spurs to safety
Who will be the new savior of Spurs relegation?
