Tottenham Mobilized After Major Spending: "It Will Be Different From Last Season"

Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven believes the club's record transfer spending signals a "new ambition" after finishing 17th in the Premier League for a second consecutive season. Under Roberto De Zerbi, who was appointed in late March and saved the team from relegation, the Spurs have splashed out £237 million (€277 million) on new players. "It's great that the club is making some changes. You can see there's a new ambition. This is very important for the players who have been here for a long time. Last season was stressful, unacceptable from our side, so putting that behind us and starting the new season is very important," Micky van de Ven told the BBC.

The Dutch defender expects the London side to perform better under the Italian manager, aided by new signings and a rigorous pre-season. "It will be different compared to the manager we had last season. We will play more with the ball, it will be more important for us to dictate play. I also think it will be more enjoyable to watch because we will play more attacking football. You can see that De Zerbi has brought a lot of passion to our group, he has greatly helped our mentality and confidence on the pitch. This is something we needed because we were all down in the dumps. He brings a lot of good energy, and we've already had time to implement his football into the team. It's very pleasing," Van de Ven added.

Earlier this month, Tottenham broke their transfer record twice in two days, signing midfielder Matheus Fernandes from West Ham for £85 million, followed immediately by midfielder Sandro Tonali from Newcastle for £100 million. Van de Ven's Netherlands national teammate, Jan Paul van Hecke, arrived from Brighton for £52 million, while the free transfers of defenders Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson, along with goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, will bring much-needed experience to the Spurs squad.

"The feeling in the team is very good, to be honest. I'm really enjoying working with De Zerbi. That's what we've been doing so far in pre-season, and the lads who are coming in are also incredible. They've fit into the group wonderfully," the Dutchman further stated. In their two matches so far, Tottenham defeated third-tier Milton Keynes Dons 1-0 and New Zealand's Auckland 2-0 in friendly matches. Before the start of the season, they have upcoming friendlies against Australia's Sydney, city rivals Chelsea, Spain's Getafe, and Germany's Hoffenheim.