De Zerbi’s new Caicedo wants to sign for Spurs

There may be few Tottenham Hotspur managers in years to envy the financial support Roberto De Zerbi will receive this summer, and the Lilywhites will do everything in their power to build a star-studded squad under the Italian.

Where was this kind of investment two years ago, for example, in Ange Postecoglou’s second summer in charge, following a fifth-place finish, which saw the north London side invest in youth rather than the already established, with current record signing Dominic Solanke perhaps the only exception.

The likes of Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall have arrived in that 2024 window, two players who may now be fighting for their place in the N17, amid De Zerbi’s desire to bring in more midfield players to bolster his squad.

As the man who allowed the likes of Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister to flourish back at Brighton and Hove Albion, the former Seagulls boss knows how to get the best out of dazzling midfield talent.

Can he do that again?

The big-money midfielder now wants to join De Zerbi at Spurs

Yves Bissouma has already left on a free transfer, while the aforementioned Bergvall appears to be looking to increase game time elsewhere, amid interest from Nottingham Forest.

With a decision yet to be made on loanee Joao Palhinha, too, it’s easy to see why the midfielder is a priority, especially given the long-term injury woes of the likes of James Maddison and Rodrigo Bentancur.

The Lilywhites look set to use Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali as their two mainstays, with rave reviews given about the Newcastle United man, in particular.

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, there are suggestions that personal terms are close to being agreed with the Italian, with ‘broad conditions set’ as things stand.

Club-to-club talks with the Magpies will continue, although the 26-year-old has given the ‘green light’ to a move, after three seasons at St James’ Park.

Another report from Sky Sports’ Lyall Thomas indicates that Tonali is ready to sign for Spurs and is keen to play under his team-mate, De Zerbi, with a £275k-a-week deal said to be on the table.

Why Tonali could be De Zerbi’s new Caicedo

As mentioned, De Zerbi has gone above and beyond to nurture and develop midfield talents, as he once made the aforementioned Caicedo the centerpiece of his Brighton side.

The Ecuadorian had made eight Premier League appearances by the end of the 2021/22 campaign, although his first full season in the top flight came under De Zerbi’s watch, making 35 appearances in 2022/23.

Aged just 20 at the time, the South American quickly cemented his place as one of the country’s top midfield talents, ranking second in the league that season in both tackles and interceptions, and sixth in passing accuracy.

A mobile, versatile midfielder, Caicedo was central to everything that was good about that Brighton team, as he has gone on to show real brilliance at Chelsea, now arguably “the best midfielder in the world”, in Enzo Maresca’s view.

The hope will be that Tonali can be another midfield force for De Zerbi to build his side around, with the Italian “one of the best players in the world”, according to his agent.

While 2025/26 proved to be tough both collectively and individually on Tyneside, Tonali shone last year, scoring and assisting six league goals, creating four ‘big chances’ and boasting an 86% pass accuracy rate in the top flight.

That record is no match for Caicedo’s return under De Zerbi in 2022/23, the then-youngster registering two goals and an assist, creating three ‘big chances’ and recording an 89% pass rate.

As a natural ball-winner, Caicedo is clear, enjoying the highest rate of tackles and interceptions in those consecutive seasons (4.2 vs 2.3), although the two are similar in being a midfield quality, players who are easily beaten in the middle of the park.

Indeed, Tonali was outscored just 0.7 times per game in 2024/25, while Caicedo enjoyed a similar average of 0.6 in 2022/23.

Equally as well, both men are capable of striking from distance, with Tonali firing home twice to beat Aston Villa in the FA Cup earlier this year.

Having all that, a dominant presence in midfield could help boost Spurs after such woes in that department in recent seasons, with some still shuddering at the thought of Oliver Skipp and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg teaming up so soon.