Tottenham enjoyed a groundbreaking summer transfer window, shaking off their self-imposed financial shackles to spend more than £300million on new players to fund Roberto De Zerbi’s rebuild.

After successive 17th-place finishes in the Premier League, Spurs’ owners knew they had to act in the transfer market.

Breaking their club transfer record twice in quick succession to bring in Mateus Fernandes and then Sandro Tonali, they also spent big on Brighton centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke and Manchester City duo Savio and Omar Marmoush, who has a £60m obligation to buy in his loan deal.

Premier League experience was central to their recruitment strategy, with Spurs also moving to add free agents Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka.

A double deadline day signing from Chelsea, bringing in winger Mykhailo Mudryk on loan and centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo for a fee of up to £12m, then rounded off a remarkable summer of change for Spurs.

Spurs’ midfield overhaul grabbed headlines as the north London club splashed £185m to bring in Tonali and Fernandes from Newcastle and West Ham, respectively.

Tonali is still taking time to adjust after a disrupted pre-season, while Fernandes has also had his fitness issues.

But up to full speed, it is clear how the two will fit into De Zerbi’s system, with Fernandes finding solutions under pressure and Tonali providing energy with and without the ball.

Spurs made a confident start to the transfer window, quickly identifying and securing their targets before the first batch of players had returned for pre-season.

Their business later on in the window, though, felt more erratic and reactionary as they responded to missing out on several key targets.

Having failed to get deals over the line for Cody Gakpo or Iliman Ndiaye, who picked Manchester City over Spurs on deadline day, De Zerbi’s side scrambled to secure the signature of Mudryk on a season-long loan.

The Ukrainian winger, who has not played a competitive match since November 2024 due to a doping ban, is a big risk and not the sort of sure-fire signing Spurs had made earlier in the window.

Furthermore, the addition of Tosin constitutes a downgrade on Kevin Danso, who left for Sunderland on deadline day.

Spurs’ hand was forced, with Danso expressing his desire to leave. But bringing in Tosin as his direct replacement is a concern and speaks to how Spurs got wrapped up in the dramatic final days of the window.

Spurs moved quickly and decisively to get a number of their targets through the door early on.

But as the window progressed, it felt as though their decision-making became more frantic.

Missing out on key targets in attack has left Spurs short in an area that desperately needs improving, while a difficult pre-season has left many of their new additions struggling for match fitness.

Despite signing Mudryk on loan, with a £75m option to buy next summer, Spurs still lack quality depth in attack.

It is a complicated situation, with De Zerbi having to balance the returns of Mohammed Kudus and Dejan Kulusevski from long-term injuries, but whether in January or next summer, attacking additions remain a priority.

Spurs could also do with a backup right-back following the departure of Djed Spence to Inter Milan. The versatile Archie Gray has filled in there, but that is not a viable long-term solution.