Portugal Colonial - Spurs spending spree vital to raise standards: De Zerbi

De Zerbi saved Tottenham from the humiliation of crashing into the Championship for the first time since the 1970s.

The Italian arrived late in the season and dragged Tottenham to safety on the final day.

Since securing their top-flight status, Tottenham have splashed out over £200 million ($272 million) on new signings, with more expensive recruits on their way to north London.

Tottenham reached an agreement with Manchester City on Friday for Brazil winger Savinho, who will join for an initial £75 million.

That will take Tottenham's beyond the £300 million mark in the close-season, with £100 million paid for Sandro Tonali, while Mateus Fernandes cost £85 million.

Ahead of Tottenham's Premier League opener at Brentford on Saturday, De Zerbi made it clear the extravagant spending was necessary after successive 17th place finishes.

"I think the Premier League is a different league. It's a different price, different competition in the transfer market," he told reporters on Friday.

"On the market, you can't say if it's right, fair or not. You can accept or not. And if you want to compete in the Premier League now, you have to adapt.

"I think I've heard too many times, 'Tottenham money, Tottenham money,' but I loved football for a long time and I didn't see any team competing for the high level without spending money."

Aware of the inevitable focus on Tottenham's form after such an outlay, De Zerbi said he could handle scrutiny.

"Maybe if Tottenham spend money is a problem in the Premier League? I don't know why, but all the other teams have spent money in the past and also in this season," he said.

"For me it's not a pressure, it's just a consideration."

Tottenham remain keen on Savinho's City team-mate Omar Marmoush, but De Zerbi side-stepped talk about the pair.

"It's not right to speak about the players until they are official. Just to say, I'm very happy. We have not finished yet in the transfer market," he said.

"It's an important part, I think because so far we have had a great summer of signings.

"Great players, great behaviour, great spirit, great personality, but you know better than me in the Premier League, you don't win the game without the names, the big players."

De Zerbi will be without Micky van de Ven, who was announced as Tottenham's new captain on Friday, and Pedro Porro for the trip to Brentford.

"Without talking too much about the target, the goal of this season, the first two targets we have very clear in ourselves is to find the soul of the team and the second target is to improve in our organisation of football," De Zerbi said.

A.Santos--PC