Tottenham's Transfer Ambitions: De Zerbi Eyes Gakpo Signing
Roberto De Zerbi has made his stance clear. Tottenham’s head coach wants one more signing before the window slams shut – and Cody Gakpo sits firmly in the spotlight.
Spurs are pushing to prise the Dutch forward from Liverpool and are expected to ramp up their efforts in the final stretch of the market. It has already been a busier, more dramatic window than De Zerbi anticipated, but he is not treating this as a time to coast.
“I didn't expect a transfer window like we have done,” he admitted on Friday, before immediately steering the conversation towards what still needs to happen. “I think we can do one player more in one specific position.”
This is not a manager fighting an internal battle. De Zerbi described a united front at the top of the club, recalling a dinner summit on Thursday night with the owners, sporting director Johan Lange and chief executive Vinai Venkatesham. Over food, they mapped out the final days of the window.
“Yesterday we went to dinner with the owners, Johan and Vinai and we spoke about this,” he said. “All of us are on the same page and a very good connection.”
The message is obvious: Spurs are aligned, ambitious and braced for a hectic finish before Tuesday’s 11pm deadline. Incoming business is on the agenda, but so is the other side of the equation. There are players who still want out, and the club is prepared for movement.
De Zerbi has not ducked those conversations. “I've been very clear with all the players: if you speak clearly you can't expect surprises,” he said. The line is sharp, and it sets a standard. “The players who wanted to leave have left. We maybe have some players who want to leave and they are waiting, we are waiting for an offer.”
This is not just squad churn for its own sake. De Zerbi framed the project in emotional terms, a word managers rarely use lightly in the modern game. “You have to feel proud to stay here. It's an emotional project we are building with new players.”
That sense of belonging – or lack of it – hangs over Pape Matar Sarr. The midfielder has drawn interest during the window and has yet to play a minute in Tottenham’s first two league games of the season. On fitness, there is no issue. On his future, there is only uncertainty.
“Pape is good,” De Zerbi said. “We have to see in the last days of the transfer market what can happen with him.”
So Tottenham head into the final days of the window with a clear checklist: secure that “one more” signing De Zerbi craves, resolve the futures of those eyeing the exit, and keep the dressing room filled with players who are proud to wear the shirt. Whether Cody Gakpo becomes the emblem of this late push now depends on how hard Spurs are willing to lean into their own ambition.
