Decision-makers at ENIC Group were all smiles as they watched Tottenham Hotspur players’ elation (or relief) on the final day of the season when it was finally safe to do so.
But the hard work begins now, as so many changes will have to be made in the final months of the season if they are to avoid finishing bottom of the Premier League again. Spurs have been languishing in 17th place for two seasons in a row, and there have recently been serious concerns about their decline in the standings.
Tottenham have lost their star quality. Even without the injury crisis, it’s hard to imagine London’s players still challenging for Champions League qualification.
Where did Harry Kane and Son Heung-min go? Where is Christian Eriksen pulling the strings and is Moussa Dembele running the show from center?
De Zerbi becomes Premier League star Spurs’ dream target
With Tottenham narrowly avoiding relegation, the Lewis family have vowed to turn things around and get Spurs back into the league their fans expect – and rightly so.
The players have dragged their feet to the finish line, but now the board needs to get behind Roberto De Zerbi and sign a player who can make a real difference.
A Spurs source said De Zerbi had told senior management that Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimarães was a dream target heading into the transfer window.
Even after Newcastle slip into 12th place, Guimarães’ summer transfer fee is expected to be around £100m, especially considering the sale of Anthony Gordon to Barcelona and continued interest in Sandro Tonali from the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City.
It may seem like an outrageous ambition, but Guimarães could be the ultimate addition to a team looking to make a comeback.
Why Bruno Guimarães could be Spurs’ new Dembele
Guimarães knows a thing or two about loyalty and there is no doubt that it will be difficult to remove him from the captaincy at St James’ Park and place him in a Tottenham team that has been comfortable deceiving for some time now. Still, De Zerbi has prioritized him above all other targets and Tottenham would be wise to listen to his manager’s judgment.
He is an all-action midfielder and a leader of men. Hailed as “one of the best midfielders in the world” by Brazilian teammate Gabriel Martinelli, the 28-year-old has become a central figure in Eddie Howe’s project, which is combative on the ball, creative and cultured.
Listen closely and you’ll hear echoes of Dembele, the Belgian once described by former Tottenham player Jermaine Jenas as “like a vacuum”, sucking opponents in and releasing the ball at the perfect time. Timing and precision have been traits that Dembele has maintained throughout his career.
Now, Tottenham could reinvent that role through Guimarães. Guimarães was even better than Dembele during his prime with the Lilywhites, which is no small feat.
Lowest xG total in Premier League (25/26) | ||
|---|---|---|
team | Number of points scored | xG |
Nottom Forest | 48 | 48.94 |
tottenham | 48 | 46.80 |
sunderland | 42 | 43.14 |
wolf | 27 | 38.44 |
burnley | 38 | 36.94 |
Expected Goals (xG) is a metric designed to measure the probability that a shot will result in a goal.
During his four-and-a-half years on Tyneside, Guimarães was omnipresent in Newcastle’s midfield, leading the club to two Champions League titles and the Carabao Cup in 2024/25.
Playing for Newcastle in the Premier League this season, he scored nine goals and provided five assists in 29 games, averaging two tackles won each game and just six duels.
There aren’t many players who will change Tottenham just by joining this summer. This is a major rebuild of Johan Lange’s desk, but Guimarães has the highest level of technical ability, leadership skills and experience to make a big difference.
He’s better than Van Hecke: Spurs plan to sign new defender in coming days
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