De Zerbi has no intention of selling Spurs’ £21m star player

When it rains, it pours, and it has certainly been pouring down at Tottenham Hotspur this season.

But just as the British weather turns to scorching heat, Roberto De Zerbi’s Spurs side narrowly emerge from the storm with their Premier League status intact.

The 2025/26 season was a draining one, as the scorching sun could signal the start of a summer break that is perhaps in the best interest of everyone at Tottenham, but the powers that be cannot afford to allow this to happen again, resulting in a 17th place finish. Finishing on the right side of the dreaded dotted line for the second year in a row is evidence of unforgivable failures at board level, which have trickled down to the playing field.

Tottenham have bounced back from a slump midway through this season and De Zerbi has a clearer picture of next year’s squad.

Spurs players De Zerbi needs to build around

The likes of Randall Kolo Muani, Cristian Romero and Yves Bissouma will all need to contribute to this summer’s clean-up, and Tottenham not only bring quality to the squad, but also a fresh mentality.

Antonin Kinski has firmly secured his place in the Lilywhites’ line-up this season, but while Micky van de Ven would prefer to stay, there will also be potential suitors interested in his £90m price tag.

De Zerbi also expressed his admiration for on-loan midfielder Joao Parinha. An enforcer who specializes in tough tackling will definitely be needed next season.

But he’s not the only big star to really develop under the Italian coach. The other has emerged as a talisman similar to Gareth Bale – and no, he’s not a forward.

Spurs must not sell new signing Gareth Bale

Bale is one of Tottenham’s greatest ever players, a volatile full-back turned destructive winger who has ripped defenses to shreds across the continent.

He may not be born from the same cloth, but Pedro Polo’s all-action performance against Everton on Sunday gave us a glimpse of his talismanic nature, refusing to give in and working tirelessly to push forward and make things happen in the final third.

He also won seven duels and four tackles, contributing when he connected with Jed Spence on the ragtag right flank.

Liverpool have been named among the interested parties this season, with the Spaniard said to be available for a cut price of £21 million, but the truth is they will need Bale-like flair and decisiveness next season.

Polo is clearly not as good an attacker as Bale was in his prime, but he is emerging as arguably one of De Zerbi’s most effective attacking outlets in the current Spurs economy.

Even as Tottenham battle relegation, Polo maintains an excellent creative flow, creating 1.6 chances per game. His season heatmap outlines his willingness to step forward and impact offensive play.

The full-back has the widest skill set, diving into tackles to protect Spurs’ goal from Everton’s breakthrough attempts, while also showing off his creative skills by creating three chances and driving six crosses into the penalty area.

Journalist Jack Pitbrook said he had “developed a lot for Spurs in the final weeks of the season” and emerged as a talisman at the right time for De Zerbi.

Although he is not a forward, the Spain international proved why he was called up to the North American World Cup and why his playmaking and willingness to dive into attacking areas could benefit Tottenham next season.

Bale will start as a left-back and Polo is unlikely to feature as a free-scoring winger next season, but his focused performances at a time when Tottenham needed him most gave credence to the notion online that he is the reincarnation of Bale. This is a tongue-in-cheek comment on his ability to launch a powerful forward run and fire a rifle attack into the back of the goal.