Tottenham's catastrophic 25/26 — and the De Zerbi reset
Tottenham finished 17th in 2025/26 with 41 points — escaping relegation by just 2 points. The season was a chaotic three-manager run (Postecoglou → Frank sacked Feb after 2 wins in 17 → Tudor interim → De Zerbi confirmed for 26/27). Son Heung-min has left for LAFC; Mohammed Kudus arrived from West Ham. For Fantasy Premier League managers, Spurs are the largest tactical re-set of any PL club for 26/27 — every Spurs asset is being re-rated under De Zerbi's possession-based system.
De Zerbi's system — and the Spurs assets it favours
Roberto De Zerbi's system from Brighton: 4-2-3-1 with possession-heavy build-up, high-pressing wide forwards, and a deep-lying playmaker who unlocks the final third. The Spurs assets best-positioned to benefit: Mohammed Kudus (projected £7.0-8.0m) as the floating attacking midfielder, James Maddison (£7.5m if he stays) as the deep-lying playmaker, and any new arrival from De Zerbi's shortlist (Rodrygo from Real Madrid REPORTED — not confirmed).
The system risk: De Zerbi rotation patterns at Brighton historically punished single-attacker FPL bets. Captain Spurs only in home openers against bottom-half sides; otherwise differential bracket.
Spurs defence: Romero, Vicario, and the new arrivals
Cristian Romero (£5.5m, captain) is Spurs' standout defender — set-piece target, set-piece distribution lead. Guglielmo Vicario (£5.0m) is the goalkeeper. The summer 2026 confirmed signings: Andrew Robertson (Bosman from Liverpool) and Marcos Senesi (Bosman from Bournemouth) — both budget defender alternatives at £4.5-5.0m.
The Robertson arrival is the FPL-relevant headline at the budget tier — at 32 years old he is the cleanest "experienced attacking-FB" budget pick for 26/27.
Spurs' 26/27 ownership angle
Tottenham are 9/1 for a top-4 finish — bookmakers expect a De Zerbi bounce but not a top-4 challenge. The recommended exposure: wait for the new manager's pre-season signal. Kudus + Romero is the cleanest "double Spurs" template if pre-season minutes confirm. No premium Spurs picks are mandatory; even Kudus at £7-8m is a fade-or-buy debate identical to Palmer at Chelsea.
The opening 5 fixture difficulty will determine whether Spurs assets enter your squad at all. If Spurs draw favourable fixtures in GW1-5, Kudus becomes a 20%+ ownership pick. Otherwise defer until the first international break.