It was all doom and gloom at Tottenham Hotspur last season, and rightly so, but this is now a clean slate, a chance to get back on track with Roberto De Zerbi at the helm.

Not since Mauricio Pochettino's exit in 2019 has there felt like a semblance of a plan at N17, so much churn and upheaval both among the playing and coaching staff.

The north Londoners now need stability, something that the club's spate of early summer arrivals could well help to provide, having pushed for Premier League-proven additions in the form of Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke and Martin Dubravka.

That investment, which so far totals just £52m dished out on Van Hecke, looks set to be just the start for De Zerbi and co, however, with the club pushing to make signing number five by all accounts.

Spurs "pushing like crazy" to seal fifth summer signing

As those four arrivals showcase, there is a theme emerging with regard to Spurs' business, with De Zerbi seemingly intent on signing players who have already flourished in the Premier League.

Moves appear to be being made for a string of attacking targets by all accounts, with Cody Gakpo, Marcus Rashford and Savinho just three of those on the radar.

Bids have already been lodged too for Newcastle United man Sandro Tonali, although there is perhaps greater intrigue surrounding the pursuit of West Ham United's Mateus Fernandes, as the Lilywhites bid to beat Manchester United to his signature.

As revealed by Fabrizio Romano - speaking on his YouTube channel - both clubs are still "pushing like crazy" to get that deal over the line, albeit with there not a clear frontrunner as things stand.

"Manchester United and Tottenham are still fighting. Tottenham have been there for days trying to push with the player, pushing with his agent, but Manchester United remain in contact with West Ham. Man United are still working on the Mateus Fernandes deal.

"So West Ham have been clear with the agent of the player. The player will be sold for the best offer to the club offering the most money.

"...So many clubs interested in Mateus Fernandes, but now May United and Tottenham are pushing like crazy to get the deal done."

Why Fernandes signing could be bad news for Maddison at Spurs

Exciting times could lie ahead in north London, although there may be a fair few of the current squad looking over their shoulder, such is the nature of this ongoing recruitment drive.

Yves Bissouma is set to leave on a free transfer, while Lucas Bergvall appears to be pushing for an exit of his own, with his already limited involvement only likely to be reduced even further if young Fernandes arrives.

There might also be something of a changing of the guard too, with De Zerbi able to fashion an exciting, new-look side, phasing out those who have toiled over recent years, particularly due to injury.

James Maddison, an evident fan favourite at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, could well be one casualty of Fernandes' capture, with the 29-year-old suffering yet another frustrating campaign last time out.

In all, the Englishman made just three appearances at the tail-end of the season, having previously missed out on the club's Europa League triumph the year prior.

Of course, when fit and firing, Maddison has been masterful at times in a Tottenham shirt, up to 37 goals and assists in just 78 games in all competitions.

And yet, with the ex-Leicester City man set to turn 30 later this year, it would be no surprise to see his influence and involvement begin to wane, with Fernandes representing a direct threat to his role in the side, be it as a number ten or a number eight.

Indeed, the young Portuguese is the man with the momentum, having scored and assisted seven Premier League goals for the Hammers last term, following his Southampton switch.

According to one notable analyst, Fernandes could actually emerge as the "most complete number eight in the world", with it no surprise that there is such intense interest in him.

Much of what there is to like about Fernandes is centred around his physical attributes, having averaged a standout 3.9 tackles and tackles per game last term, alongside 5.1 ball recoveries.

He would provide a real injection of energy and mobility, something Maddison arguably lacks in the centre of the park. In the top flight in 2024/25, for instance, he averaged just 1.4 and 2.5 for those same two metrics, respectively.

Perhaps De Zerbi could still find a role for Spurs' number ten, but with Fernandes and Tonali in line to sign, and with Conor Gallagher starting to come good last season, there could well be a fresh feel to the midfield unit moving forward.