Tottenham's head coach Roberto De Zerbi has affirmed that rebuilding team spirit and mentality is essential for the club's resurgence.
The North London outfit has spent the last couple of seasons languishing in the lower half of the Premier League table.
De Zerbi, who took charge in March, managed to steer the club clear of relegation by finishing just a place above the drop zone. He believes that simply having an aggressive transfer campaign this summer won't be enough for sustained success.
This summer, Spurs have already welcomed a number of new faces, including Sandro Tonali, Mateusz Fernandez, Jan Paul van Hecke, Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Cole Ramsey, and Martin Dubravka.
“We are not finished in the transfer market yet. We are looking forward to the new season with different ambitions and results,” De Zerbi stated on the Men in Blazers YouTube channel.
“We need to create the conditions for a strong team, one that is different from the past seasons, to compete at the top of the league again.
I usually think about the soul, passion, spirit, and mentality of the team, and then about how we can improve for the future because I cannot focus solely on the present,” he added.
The Italian wishes for fans to recognise his team not just for their playing style, but for the commitment and character of the players.
“I want when we step onto the pitch in the Premier League... people to see the soul, passion, and value of the player,” he remarked.
“Having quality players is not enough. If you aren’t putting in something more, something from your heart, it's very difficult to compete with the best teams in the world in the Premier League,” the coach concluded.
Tottenham's first match of the new Premier League season is against Brentford on August 22.
