Roberto De Zerbi defends Tottenham's heavy spending and claims rivals 'wanted to kill' them

Roberto De Zerbi has claimed every club “wanted to kill” Tottenham last season and has been reminding his players of that throughout the summer as he also defended their heavy spending in the transfer market.

Tottenham’s outlay is expected to pass £300m after bringing in a series of high-profile signings, including Sandro Tonali for £92.5m, Mateus Fernandes for £85m, and Jan Paul van Hecke for £52m. Savinho and Omar Marmoush are poised to also arrive from Manchester City for £85m and £75m respectively.

After two seasons dangling above the relegation zone – and needing a final-day win to survive last season – Spurs have spent aggressively in their first summer transfer window since Daniel Levy stepped down as executive chair last September. De Zerbi was brought in on a rescue mission at the end of March and has been struck by how strongly rivals wanted them to fail. “I don’t know why the people don’t love if Tottenham becomes better,” he said. “It’s one motivation more for us. Last season, all other clubs wanted to kill us. Every week we have to remember last season.”

The scale of this summer’s rebuild has not come as a surprise to De Zerbi. The 47-year-old revealed he had discussed transfer targets with the club in March, before his appointment was confirmed. He described this as a “crucial” moment for a team that had come so close to catastrophe, with something needing to change. It is Tottenham’s busiest window since summer 2013, when they reinvested the £85.3m recouped from selling Gareth Bale to Real Madrid on Erik Lamela, Christian Eriksen, Étienne Capoue, Roberto Soldado and Nacer Chadli – though the £80m spend pales in comparison to this year’s overhaul. “After two seasons like we [had], we have to change the mood, completely change it, give a boost,” De Zerbi said.

The spending has not finished yet. More forwards are expected to join as Spurs aim to assemble a squad capable of challenging for the Premier League title and regularly competing in Europe. “I’ve heard too many times Tottenham money, Tottenham money, but I loved football for a long time and I didn’t see any team competing for the high level without spending money,” De Zerbi said. “Maybe if Tottenham spend money [it] is a problem in the Premier League? I don’t know why, but all the other teams have spent money in the past and also in this season.

“When we have finished in this transfer market, for a long time we don’t need many things and we can work all together in the right condition, in the right direction, to build step by step something special, or anyway to go to compete for the top of the table. Not maybe now – or maybe yes; I don’t know. But we have the squad to play in every stadium.”

Micky van de Ven, who will miss Saturday evening’s visit to Brentford with injury, has been named club captain after the departure of Cristian Romero to Atlético Madrid. De Zerbi has created a captaincy group, including the vice-captain Pedro Porro, who is also injured, Ben Davies, James Maddison and Archie Gray.