Alasdair Gold’s behind-the-scenes account of Tottenham’s pre-season tour to Australia and New Zealand, published by football.london, covers De Zerbi’s transfer ‘bomba’ hint, Cristian Romero’s exit, Richarlison’s indecision, and Archie Gray’s brief pre-match mix-up as captain.
De Zerbi told football.london he believes the club have completed roughly 60 per cent of their transfer business, adding there is still a ‘bomba’ arrival to come – an attacker, and one he hoped was close. He subsequently softened the comment the following day, claiming the word carries a different meaning in Italian. Given he also said he hoped the deal was close, that walkback didn’t land cleanly.
The expected move for Savinho is thought to be separate from that ‘bomba’, and De Zerbi made clear he expects two to three further arrivals before the window shuts. Omar Marmoush and Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo are understood to be among the attacking targets, with Rafi Moersen’s connections at the City Football Group helping facilitate a potential approach for Savinho.
Romero, Vicario and the Richarlison puzzle
According to Gold’s report, both Romero and Vicario have informed De Zerbi they want to leave this summer. The manager described Romero as one of the world’s best centre-backs, which makes it all the more deflating that a sale to Inter Milan could come in below what Spurs paid for Luka Vuskovic and Jan Paul van Hecke – a reality shaped by Serie A’s financial limitations rather than any doubts about the player’s quality.
Gold clarifies that De Zerbi’s recent texts with Romero were simply to arrange the Argentine’s return to Hotspur Way after his post-World Cup break, nothing more dramatic than admin. Richarlison’s situation is genuinely murky: De Zerbi said the striker keeps changing his mind about whether he wants to stay or go, while also noting that 12 goals last season are not easily replaced.
Gray’s captaincy and the pre-match sprint
Gray captained Spurs across all three tour games despite older players being named in the sides – a deliberate choice by De Zerbi to give the 20-year-old something to grow into. The ‘mistake’ referenced was charmingly low-stakes: Gray marched off down the pre-match handshake line without his young mascot, leaving Kinsky to prod the child along. New to the captaincy lark, as Gold puts it.
De Zerbi was clear that Gray’s versatility – covering right-back and midfield – and his willingness to put the team first make the captaincy a genuine statement rather than a token gesture. The same logic is being extended to Lucas Bergvall, even as both will feel the impact of Tonali and Fernandes taking the central midfield places once the season begins.
The broader picture from what has been a notably relaxed pre-season tour is of a club trying to do things differently – fewer commercial demands on the players, more recovery time, and a manager who at least got to run his own schedule. Whether the bomba arrives before the window closes is another matter entirely.
