'Bomba!' De Zerbi delighted as Spurs transfers create 'great squad'

All players we brought, I think are 'bomba'!" Tottenham have gone big in this summer transfer window, spending around £380m on eight first-team signings to transform a squad which only narrowly escaped relegation from the Premier League last season. Head coach Roberto De Zerbi has been key to Spurs' summer spending, some of which he has described this summer as "bombas" - social media parlance for big or unexpected transfer news. Clearly De Zerbi, who called for top additions after saving Spurs' top-flight status, is understandably delighted with the business done.

"In my vocabulary 'bomba' is a great player," he told Sky Sports News' Michael Bridge with a smile ahead of the Saturday Night Football clash with Newcastle, which is live on Sky Sports. We brought all very good players. Especially because they wanted to come.

I want players proud and happy to stay here. To play football now you need big motivation, big ambitions. Without that part it's impossible to make results.

"At the moment we have a great squad, a great team. Maybe we have to close with another player but we have to sell a couple of players. But we can consider us very, very happy." De Zerbi has been praised by some of those signings for his inspirational phone calls, convincing them to join the Spurs project.

So what does he say in those key conversations? "Nothing special," he shrugs. I explain our project - not my project - and we were lucky because they accepted and we're very happy and proud." Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player De Zerbi is perhaps underplaying the impact he can have on players.

His task to rescue Spurs at the end of last season was far from a guaranteed success. But he delivered a priceless run of results for the club. And a priceless memory for himself.