Not even the greatest sporting event on Earth is slowing Roberto De Zerbi's project down.
The Italian laid out his intentions for a critical summer window right after we enjoyed the cathartic release of Premier League survival on the final day. He pointed towards a major personnel reshuffle after such a wretched season, and his work in keeping the club up means it's going to be hard to say no to him when it comes to player recruitment.
De Zerbi's a very powerful man in north London right now, and he's trying to flex his might by engineering a move for Sandro Tonali. He's also convinced the club's hierarchy to spend £52m on Jan Paul van Hecke, the likely replacement for Cristian Romero, despite the Dutchman having just a year left on his deal.
Van Hecke looks set to become Spurs' third summer arrival, and supporters will be pleased to learn that the highly-regarded Luka Vušković won't be heading in the other direction as part of the deal—not yet anyway.
Brighton have opening bid for Luka Vuškovic rejected by Spurs
I don't think anyone knows what to do with this kid. Clearly gifted and highly valuable, Vuškovic, who officially joined the club in 2025, is a rare Johan Lange success story.
We've only seen him in Lilywhite in a non-competitve capacity, scoring in pre-season last summer, and it doesn't seem as if De Zerbi is ready to integrate him into his project just yet. After shining on loan with Hamburg last season, Vuškovic has Europe's elite on his tail and clubs were ready to pounce in the event of our relegation.
Survival means we can't be bullied into selling, but there's still a chance the young Croat leaves this summer.
Knowing Van Hecke was on the way out, Brighton tried their luck with a £30m bid. Spurs rightfully rejected, and the BBC understands that the Seagulls won't immediately come back in with another bid. They'll be monitoring the situation, the report says.
For now, it seems as if Vušković will be in the shop window playing for Croatia at the World Cup. An excellent tournament will only inflate his stock, potentially leading to a big sale later this summer. While it'd be a shame for Vušković to never appear in Lilywhite, if De Zerbi doesn't render him an immediate part of his plans, then cashing in if a mammoth offer arrives may be the wise thing to do.
Ideally, though, the Italian gets a good look at the defender after the tournament, and believes him to be too talented to overlook.
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