Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven said the club's record £237 million summer transfer spending signals a fresh ambition following an unacceptable 17th-place Premier League finish last season.
Speaking in Sydney on July 27, 2026, ahead of Wednesday's friendly against Sydney FC at Accor Stadium, the 25-year-old Dutch center-back highlighted the dramatic squad overhaul under manager Roberto De Zerbi.
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De Zerbi took charge late last season after the club dismissed Thomas Frank and brief interim manager Igor Tudor.
Spurs narrowly avoided relegation on the final day of the previous campaign, prompting heavy summer investment that included breaking their transfer record twice.
The club signed midfielder Mateus Fernandes for £85 million and Sandro Tonali for £100 million, along with defender Jan Paul van Hecke for £52 million.
They also added free agents Marcos Senesi, Andrew Robertson, and Martin Dubravka, while negotiating a new long-term deal with Van de Ven.
New Mentality Under De Zerbi
Van de Ven emphasized that the squad needed a complete mental shift after enduring a stressful year near the bottom of the table.
He noted that the new additions have integrated seamlessly into the team dynamic ahead of their upcoming matches against Sydney FC and Chelsea.
"You can see the club has a new ambition.
It's something that's really important for players who have been here for a long time," Van de Ven said.
The center-back expressed strong confidence that De Zerbi's tactical approach will deliver a far more attractive and dominant style of football than the defensive, set-piece-heavy tactics used previously.
