Tottenham Hotspur have made defensive reinforcement a clear priority after a season that laid bare significant vulnerabilities at the back. The club has already moved swiftly, reportedly agreeing verbally to bring in Liverpool’s Andy Robertson and Bournemouth’s Marcos Senesi on free transfers this summer.
Focus is now turning to the attacking end of the pitch, a department that was badly disrupted by injuries throughout the campaign. Roberto De Zerbi was frequently left to patch things together, shifting Randal Kolo Muani to the right wing after Mohammed Kudus was ruled out through injury. The Frenchman never truly convinced in the role, and De Zerbi was even forced to field Djed Spence as a makeshift winger during the final-day fixture against Everton.
With those shortcomings in mind, Spurs are keen to land a winger who can offer both creative output and a genuine goal threat. Getting those recruitment decisions right will be vital if Tottenham are to push higher up the Premier League table and close the gap on the clubs above them.
Tottenham’s pursuit of Christos Tzolis hits a wall
Club Brugge wide man Christos Tzolis has been firmly in Tottenham’s sights for some time. Spurs scouts tracked the Greek international closely throughout the recently completed season, with the club initially considering him as a potential replacement for Brennan Johnson following his January switch to Crystal Palace.
Despite that sustained interest, no deal materialised, and Tzolis went on to produce the finest season of his career — registering 22 goals and 29 assists across 52 appearances in all competitions, a return that has drawn admiring glances from some of Europe’s top clubs.
However, Tottenham’s hopes of landing him appear to have taken a serious hit. The 24-year-old has been candid about his ambitions, making clear that his next destination would need to be a Champions League club.
“It would have to be a Champions League team from England, Germany, Spain or Italy. Only PSG would be a better option than Club Brugge. The Crystal Palace train has already left the station for me,” Tzolis told Belgian outlet Het Nieuwsblad.
A significant blow for Spurs
Those words will sting for Tottenham, who had identified Tzolis as a player who could make a real difference to De Zerbi’s attacking options. Naturally suited to the left flank, he offers many of the qualities Spurs currently lack — direct running, strong ball-carrying, creativity in congested areas, and the vision to unpick defences with incisive passing.
After firmly establishing himself as one of the Belgian Pro League’s standout performers, Tzolis would have been a welcome addition to Tottenham’s forward line. But with Spurs facing the prospect of no European football next season, persuading him to head to North London looks an increasingly tall order, leaving this particular transfer looking very difficult to pull off.
