De Zerbi Promises Another Bomba as Spurs Rebuild Accelerates

Roberto De Zerbi is not done yet. Not even close.

Tottenham’s head coach, already at the centre of one of the most aggressive summer overhauls in Europe, has warned that Spurs are lining up “another bomba” in the transfer market – and says he turns “like a shark” when he locks onto a target.

This is not the language of a man satisfied with his squad. It is the language of a coach building a team in his own image.

Record fees, ruthless intent

Tottenham have torn up their own financial markers in recent weeks. They have broken their transfer record twice in the same window, a statement of intent that would have felt fanciful not long ago.

First came Mateus Fernandes from West Ham for £85 million, a deal that reset the club’s ceiling. Then they went higher. Sandro Tonali arrived from Newcastle in a move that could climb to £100m, a figure that places Spurs squarely among the continent’s big spenders.

Those two deals alone would have defined most summers. At Tottenham, they are only part of a broader reconstruction.

Jan Paul van Hecke has been brought in from Brighton to bolster the back line, while Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi have joined on free transfers, adding experience and depth without a fee. Behind the scenes, Spurs have also been linked with a move for Brazilian winger Savinho from Manchester City, a name that fits the new profile: young, high-ceiling, and fearless.

This is a club moving quickly, and De Zerbi is driving the pace.

“We have another bomba”

Speaking to The Athletic, De Zerbi made it clear that the work is far from complete.

“The transfer market, it’s not finished for sure,” he said. “We have completed 60% of our project in the transfer market. Now we have another bomba.”

That word – “bomba” – has become part of the modern transfer lexicon, a term fans throw around on social media whenever a sudden, explosive deal drops out of nowhere. De Zerbi knows exactly what it means to supporters, and he used it deliberately.

When pressed on how close this mystery signing might be, he didn’t hide his impatience.

“I hope, but it’s not finished, for sure.”

So the tease continues. The coach is publicly admitting the squad is just over halfway to his vision. The implication is clear: one major arrival is still to come, and it is expected to change the shape of this team again.

“Like a shark” in the market

If the numbers show Tottenham’s ambition, De Zerbi’s words reveal his mentality.

“In the transfer market, when I want one player, I become like a shark,” he said. “No chance to say no.

“I love working in the transfer market. It’s not pressure, it’s one of the nicest parts of my work, my job.”

There is no coyness there, no attempt to downplay his influence. De Zerbi is presenting himself as a closer, a coach who does not simply accept what is offered but hunts for exactly what he wants.

It also hints at how Spurs are operating this summer. The club are not just opportunistic; they are targeted. Fernandes, Tonali, van Hecke, Robertson, Senesi – each fills a clear tactical and structural need. The next “bomba” is unlikely to be any different.

A project still being built

Tottenham’s preseason has already offered glimpses of the new era. They needed a penalty shootout to get past Sydney FC in a friendly, a reminder that cohesion does not arrive on the back of transfer fees alone. De Zerbi has also been firm on other squad decisions, notably insisting he does not want to “convince anyone to stay” when it comes to the future of young talent like Bergvall.

The message is consistent: Spurs are building a project, and only those fully committed to it will be part of the journey.

For now, though, all eyes turn back to that one word. Bomba. Supporters have heard it all summer across timelines and message boards. Hearing it from their head coach, with the window still open and the club already deep into record territory, changes the temperature.

If this is only 60% of De Zerbi’s plan, what does the finished version of Tottenham look like?