How Spurs could end up signing the “best player in the world”

When was the last time Tottenham Hotspur had a strong batch of genuine world-class players? Last term, they were few and far between.

In fact, it was difficult to suggest they had anyone of elite quality given they finished 17th in the Premier League.

A year ago, they lost Heung-min Son. Three years ago, Harry Kane left. Outside of those two, you have to go back to their run to the Champions League final back in 2019 to see a solid starting XI.

Now, however, Roberto De Zerbi is beginning to build a squad who could well replicate the days of Mauricio Pochettino before too long.

How De Zerbi is transforming Spurs

You have to give the Italian huge credit for taking the job in the first place. It felt like a poisioned chalice. No one wanted to be known as the manager who took Spurs down.

That said, De Zerbi was never going to let that happen, not under his watch. The former Brighton and Marseille boss steadied the ship, kept Tottenham in the division and now look at them.

The new manager has been promised the earth by the Spurs hierarchy and that has been evident in the transfer market.

De Zerbi is not just building a team he can merely keep in the division, he’s building a team capable of challenging for major honours in the years to come.

While the football is a lot more organised and they look far better for his appointment on the pitch, off the pitch he has also worked wonders. The 47-year-old was a huge reason behind the £100m move for Sandro Tonali. Both hailing from Brescia in Italy, the personal connection was already there.

Yet, he was also the catalyst for the £85m move for Mateus Fernandes. “He [De Zerbi] was the main key for me to join Tottenham and the project,” said the Portuguese after his move across London was confirmed.

Overall, Spurs are certainly winning the transfer window. Further moves for Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi have been sealed while without De Zerbi, they would not have completed a £52m move for Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton.

Some big moves have been completed but there could be an even bigger landmark deal on the cards if De Zerbi has his way.

De Zerbi’s most transformative signing yet could be on the cards

Compared to last season, the starting XI already looks considerably better and that could be strengthened further by signing one or two forward players. The defence has been bolstered, as has the midfield, but the forward line has so far been neglected. That needs to change.

In Tonali and Fernandes, Spurs have signed one elite midfielder and another with the potential to become one of the division’s best in the forthcoming years.

The likes of Savinho and Eli Junior Kroupi could also be on the way. The latter, given interest from Arsenal, would be a particularly exciting addition.

The former, however, would also be a strong signing. Indeed, despite scoring just four goals last term, he has something of an early Gareth Bale vibe to him and for that, it’s certainly worth exploring a deal at least.

The Brazilian would have to go some way to replicating the Welshman. After all, he is perhaps the best left footed player the club has ever seen.

Emerging as a left-back, it was not long before he became one of the best wide players in the world. He left Spurs behind to the tune of £85m having played 237 matches. He later became one of the elite players in the game at Real Madrid, scoring 106 times in 258 games for the Spanish side, winning five Champions Leagues.

However, he is no Kane. The striker is approaching his fourth campaign at Bayern Munich and there is a threat he will leave. His deal in Germany expires in a year and while both parties would like to continue, Spurs have been exploring how they could bring him back to north London.

TEAMtalk report this weekend that Spurs are very much interested in bringing him back to link up with De Zerbi if he does not agree new terms in Munich.

It would be a remarkable move, an even better one than when Bale re-signed for the club in 2020. Indeed, at that time, the Wales legend was past his best. He was simply looking for a place where he could enjoy his football again.

Kane, however, is not past his best. In fact, he’s been playing at an even higher level than Bale ever managed overseas.

On foreign shores, the striker has become the “best player in the world” in the words of journalist Daniel Storey and it’s simply impossible to disagree with that statement.

At Madrid, Bale’s best season saw him score 19 goals in 2015/16. In Germany, Kane has been on a different planet to any other player on the continent when it comes to output.

If you thought the England captain was good at Spurs, well at Bayern he has been at the very top of his game, netting 146 times in 147 outings. No one does it quite like him. He is the best player Tottenham have ever had and a return would simply cap off what has been a scintillating start to the De Zerbi era.

A move is unlikely, it must be said, but if they can get it done, it would be their best signing in years. It would even outstrip Bale’s return from several years ago.