Micky van de Ven has declared Tottenham's record £237m summer spending a sign of 'new ambition' after what he called an 'unacceptable' season that saw the club narrowly avoid relegation on the final day.
The defender, who joined Spurs from Wolfsburg in 2023 on a six-year deal and is now in talks over a new contract, said the investment proves the club is serious about leaving behind a campaign that finished 17th in the Premier League for the second consecutive year.
“Micky van de Ven says Tottenham's £237m summer spending shows new ambition after back-to-back 17th-place finishes.”
'It's really good that you can see the club has made some changes,' the 25-year-old told BBC Sport from Sydney, where Spurs are on their pre-season tour. 'You can see the club has a new ambition. Last season was a stressful season, unacceptable from our side, so to leave all of that behind and go into the new season fresh means a lot.'
Tottenham lurched through three managers last term. Thomas Frank lasted less than eight months before being sacked after a dismal start, criticised for a 'safety-first' approach that failed to connect with fans. Igor Tudor then departed after just 44 days as interim. It was not until late March that Roberto De Zerbi took over, with seven games remaining.
Van de Ven believes De Zerbi's full pre-season – and the new arrivals – will transform the team's style. 'It's going to be different compared to the manager we had last season,' he said. 'It's going to be more with the ball, more about playing football. More enjoyable for people to watch because we'll be playing offensive football. He has brought a lot of passion into our group, a lot in terms of mentality. It is something we needed because everybody was a little bit down.'
Earlier this month Spurs broke their transfer record twice in two days, first signing midfielder Mateus Fernandes from West Ham for £85m, then landing Sandro Tonali from Newcastle for £100m. Netherlands team-mate Jan Paul van Hecke arrived from Brighton in a £52m deal, while experienced trio Marcos Senesi, Andrew Robertson and Martin Dubravka joined on free transfers.
De Zerbi's side are aiming for a hat-trick of pre-season wins before facing Chelsea, with Van de Ven confident the squad has finally embraced change. 'From pre-season, we have really had the time to bring his football into the team. That's really enjoyable,' he added.
Whether the record outlay can drag Tottenham from the relegation scrap back into contention remains the defining question of their summer.