Five players Roberto De Zerbi must move on this summer to rebuild Tottenham properly - Opinion

Tottenham Hotspur have no realistic path to the future they want without making some painful decisions this summer – and we have now identified the five players who need to go if Roberto De Zerbi is to have any realistic chance of building the squad he needs.

The list of what Tottenham need this summer is not small. A goalkeeper. A striker – a real one, not another loan experiment. A midfield that actually functions in a high-press system. Cover in wide areas that does not evaporate the moment someone picks up a quad injury.

They cannot buy all of that without selling. And the club have already warned that relegation could force significant player sales just to keep the finances in order. Even if Spurs stay up, the rebuild requires ruthless decisions. Roberto De Zerbi has never been a manager who tolerates players who do not fit his vision. The clear-out needs to start now.

Tottenham should sell Guglielmo Vicario to Inter Milan

The good news is that this one has essentially already been resolved. Vicario has given his ‘yes’ to Inter Milan, Inter’s director has already been spotted in London holding meetings, and Fabrizio Romano has confirmed the conversations between his camp and the Nerazzurri are positive. Spurs are looking for around £25m; Inter are offering closer to £16m-£17m. The gap will close.

The logic is straightforward: De Zerbi’s system demands a goalkeeper deeply comfortable in possession, and Vicario’s limitations in that area are precisely why the Italian coach needs someone different. Selling him clears the path, raises funds, and avoids the increasingly awkward situation of a keeper who knows he no longer fits the manager’s plans being asked to perform under pressure.

Get it done. Quickly. At the best possible price.

Roberto De Zerbi is a fan of Conor Gallagher… but still

Nobody at Tottenham has said publicly that Gallagher is going. But some experts have tipped Spurs to listen to offers, which in football language means the same thing.

Against Brighton he was arguably his best in a Spurs shirt – press-resistant, energetic, more composed than usual. But that one performance does not change the broader picture.

In a De Zerbi system built around players who can maintain possession under pressure, dictate tempo, and function intelligently between the lines for extended periods, Gallagher is a square peg. His strengths are about running and intensity. De Zerbi’s system needs brains first, legs second. That being said, De Zerbi does seem to like him and some reports have also called him untouchable.

He still has England pedigree and enough of a Premier League reputation to attract interest at a reasonable fee. Sell him now, while that is still true.

Cristian Romero’s time at Tottenham is over

Nobody wants to write this one. Cristian Romero has been the best centre-back at the club since Ledley King. The Europa League campaign last season – the one genuinely good thing Tottenham have produced in the last two years – ran through him. He captained the side through three managerial changes this season without ever appearing to stop caring, even when half the squad visibly had.

But he is out for the rest of the season, Atletico want Romero badly, and his own father has been openly discussing the figures – which is never a sign that a player is digging in and signing a new contract. It is worth noting that Fabrizio Romano has clarified there is no formal written release clause – the more accurate description is a verbal understanding that Spurs would seriously consider offers from Spanish clubs at the right price. Reports put that price at €60-65m.

If that money is coming, take it. Romero at 27, heading into what may be his last contract at a truly elite club, going to a manager in Simeone who has pursued him for two years – you are not talking him out of that. The question is whether Tottenham manage it cleanly or spend three months being dragged towards the same outcome at a lower price.

Randal Kolo Muani’s loan will not be made permanent

One goal. Twenty-five Premier League appearances. Nineteen touches against Brighton, zero chances created, zero shots on target. His right-back, Pedro Porro, created more from open play in that match than the man playing ahead of him.

There was a window earlier in the season where Juventus tried to cut his loan short and take him back to Turin. That tells you something. His loan expires in the summer, and reports confirm he has long believed he will not remain at Tottenham beyond it. He will not be short of takers – Juventus remain keen, and Liverpool have now entered the race for his signature.

The decision for Spurs is simple: do not make the loan permanent. The harder part is resisting the temptation to immediately replace him with yet another short-term experiment and pretending that solves anything. It does not. Spurs need a striker. A proper one. On a permanent deal. This summer.

Richarlison needs a fresh start away from Tottenham

At some point you have to stop waiting for the version of Richarlison who arrived from Everton. That player – the one who pressed relentlessly, held the ball up, scored in big moments – has barely existed since the 2022 World Cup. What Spurs have had instead is a series of injury announcements, cautious return timelines, and then more injury announcements.

He has not featured meaningfully under De Zerbi. He is 29. He earns substantial wages for a club that desperately needs that money elsewhere.

Spurs were willing to let him go for £20m last summer and found no takers – which tells you where the market is. If they can find a buyer at any figure that clears the wages off the books, they take it without hesitation. This is not a football decision anymore. It is an accounting one.

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