Tottenham Hotspur were never shy of splashing the cash despite the supposedly frugal constraints imposed by former executive chairman Daniel Levy.
It's one of the great misconceptions of Levy's reign. What can't be denied, though, is that he wasn't willing to offer mammoth pay packets to attract elite-level talent. Self-sufficiency ruled, but it put a cap on the level of player Spurs could entice.
In a post-Levy world, there's been a distinct change of emphasis. The Xavi Simons move, just before Levy was let go, signalled the shift, and our frightening relegation tease last season means the policy alteration is being laid bare at the start of the summer window.
While there's little information regarding the potential salaries of free agent arrivals Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi, as well as Jan Paul van Hecke, it's clear that the Lewis family is willing to completely overhaul Levy's strict wage structure to ensure Roberto De Zerbi is appeased. Mateus Fernandes, Tuesday's brilliant bomba, is joining on "silly money" (apparently), and Sandro Tonali, supposedly a separate deal to the Portuguese, won't be signing for peanuts either.
However, there's a chance that another new signing will emerge as Spurs' highest-paid player come the start of the 2026/27 campaign.
Spurs willing to make Marcus Rashford their highest-paid player
After sorting out the defence, De Zerbi has moved on to Tottenham's midfield. The additions of Fernandes and Tonali could be transformative—you'd like to think so anyway, given the money involved—and once a deal for the latter is struck, the club will target a revolution in attack.
The Savinho trail has gone cold, but a familiar alternative has come to the fore. Marcus Rashford won't be signing for Barcelona this summer, and although Manchester United are open to reintegration, the left-winger-needy Spurs have emerged as a potential destination for the explosive England international who still has so much to offer.
Man Utd correspondent Samuel Luckhurst (via Daily Hotspur), one of several United journos who can't quite grasp that little ol' Spurs have beaten the mighty Red Devils to Fernandes' signature, reports that the Lilywhites would be willing to meet Rashford's ludicrous wage demands of £325,000-a-week.
Look, I really like Rashford and would love him in N17, but I don't think we can do this. United won't accept another loan arrangement, so we'd have to pay a transfer fee in addition to the sky-high salary that his talent may warrant, but his consistency doesn't.
Moreover, The Athletic reports that Rashford has no interest in joining another Premier League club. He already misses the sunshine of Catalonia.
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