From transfers to friendlies: How each Premier League side fared in pre-season

[p]Nine clubs start under a new manager, a record for an opening weekend, and the reshuffle reaches almost every corner of the top six: Enzo Maresca at Man City, Andoni Iraola at Liverpool, Xabi Alonso at Chelsea, Matthias Jaissle at Newcastle.[/p][p]Pre-season, as ever, dealt out its usual mix of flattering thrashings and instructive defeats, most of which will mean nothing by October. With that caveat firmly attached, here is where all 20 stand:[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Arsenal[/a][/h2][p]Champions, and behaving like it when it counted.[/p][p]The friendlies were forgettable - beaten by Real Betis and Borussia Dortmund on home soil, the kind of results that vanish the moment the whistle blows - but the 3-0 dismantling of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]Man City[/a] in the Community Shield in Cardiff was a statement of intent that pre-season rarely provides.[/p][embed guid="97574d1c-6970-4ced-981f-bffd1706a22e" url="https://x.com/Arsenal/status/2089039494439997676" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tzolis-christos/484Acu9H/"]Christos Tzolis[/a], the £34 million arrival from Club Brugge, has looked worth the money, and the £75m capture of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bruno-guimaraes/xtyKanzU/"]Bruno Guimaraes[/a] from Newcastle hands Mikel Arteta a midfield of genuine control.[/p][p]This was a summer of refinement rather than overhaul, though the absence of a new number nine will keep the same tired debate ticking over until someone settles it on the pitch.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/aston-villa/W00wmLO0/"]Aston Villa[/a][/h2][p]Unai Emery's men earned the right to open the European season, contesting the UEFA Super Cup as Europa League holders after that emphatic 3-0 win over Freiburg in Istanbul, their first major trophy since 1996. They lost it 2-1 to PSG, Emery's fourth Super Cup defeat, though 17-year-old Brian Madjo announced himself with the equaliser.[/p][embed guid="6152ff56-8117-42b6-b270-e3c2398f9179" url="https://x.com/AstonVilla/status/2088702903598923935" social-type="twitter" /][p]The pre-season ledger reads badly - defeats to Porto, Real Sociedad, Bayern and Monchengladbach - but the opposition explains most of it. The real concern is subtraction: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rogers-morgan/lp4jm80n/"]Morgan Rogers[/a] gone to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chelsea/4fGZN2oK/"]Chelsea[/a] for £117m, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tielemans-youri/GtkTQyib/"]Youri Tielemans[/a] to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-united/ppjDR086/"]Man Utd[/a], and Amadou Onana sidelined by an ACL injury.[/p][p]Club-record signing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/manzambi-johan/pIqmcnKc/"]Johan Manzambi[/a] and Joao Gomes arrive to rebuild the middle, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/garnacho-alejandro/jqrfFKsi/"]Alejandro Garnacho[/a] on loan to add thrust, but a Champions League campaign and a thinner creative core are a demanding combination.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bournemouth/OtpNdwrc/"]Bournemouth[/a][/h2][p]Life after Andoni Iraola begins under Marco Rose, and the early attacking signs are loud: five past Augsburg, four past St Pauli, 10 past Genoa behind closed doors. Numbers to enjoy without over-reading.[/p][embed guid="a5649eaf-1019-45a0-bef2-f911278aeb0a" url="https://x.com/afcbournemouth/status/2088646675015315845" social-type="twitter" /][p]The bigger question sits at the back, where a summer of defensive turnover has brought in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/samu/CdrqZut8/"]Antonio Silva[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rodriguez-alvaro/QXjmYRUE/"]Alvaro Rodriguez[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hernandez-alejandro-jimenez/YP6KqArN/"]Alex Jimenez[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sanchez-juanlu/CtN0gVgf/"]Juanlu Sanchez[/a], a lot of new faces to weld into a unit before the real thing. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/senesi-marcos/tzX63L7E/"]Marcos Senesi[/a]'s free departure to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tottenham/UDg08Ohm/"]Tottenham[/a] thins the experience further.[/p][p]Rose has the forward tools; the defence still looks like an early work in progress.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brentford/xYe7DwID/"]Brentford[/a][/h2][p]Keith Andrews defied the doubters with a ninth-place finish last season, matching the club's best, and was rewarded with a contract to 2032. The headline of the summer is a non-transfer: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rodriguez-thiago/MmJb4MzQ/"]Igor Thiago[/a], whose 22 league goals were bettered only by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/haaland-erling/UmV9iQmE/"]Erling Haaland[/a], has stayed.[/p][embed guid="9046dc0e-c7b5-4ca4-af16-6d398a84d45c" url="https://x.com/BrentfordFC/status/2089732798198272327" social-type="twitter" /][p]Pre-season was sparse but violent, a 7-0 evisceration of Eintracht Frankfurt at the Gtech the standout. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sangare-mamadou/fycPEpMH/"]Mamadou Sangare[/a] arrives from Lens as the marquee addition, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/anthony-jaidon/EHAUhN9R/"]Jaidon Anthony[/a] and a free-transfer [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wilson-callum/YwKMvtoh/"]Callum Wilson[/a] adding depth.[/p][p]The recruitment looks measured rather than transformative, which suits a club that rarely does anything by accident.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brighton/2XrRecc3/"]Brighton[/a][/h2][p]Business as usual on the south coast, which is to say business done cleverly. Two consecutive eighth-place finishes and a Conference League campaign to juggle, and Fabian Hurzeler's side rolled through pre-season with wins over Roma and Bologna, plus a 4-3 thriller at Strasbourg.[/p][embed guid="2e44c9a0-8a97-43a8-9729-13bb15fb484b" url="https://x.com/BHAFC/status/2090156328165540082" social-type="twitter" /][p]The model kept turning: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-hecke-jan-paul/WG59HGIH/"]Jan Paul van Hecke[/a] sold to Spurs for £52m, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/struijk-pascal/dQgXn8kR/"]Pascal Struijk[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/svoboda-michael/d6gJghfB/"]Michael Svoboda[/a] brought in to replace him, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vuskovic-luka/QLMh9ouh/"]Luka Vuskovic[/a] signed permanently. James Milner has retired, and Solly March has been released.[/p][p]The gap, as ever, is whether the restocking holds at the back while a young squad chases Europe on two fronts.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chelsea/4fGZN2oK/"]Chelsea[/a][/h2][p]Xabi Alonso's arrival is the most intriguing appointment of the summer, a coach of real pedigree inheriting a squad assembled at eye-watering cost.[/p][p]Morgan Rogers became a £117m club record, one of 11 arrivals alongside [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/quenda-geovany/StyGYS8e/"]Geovany Quenda[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/palestra-marco/Y3DYaDdP/"]Marco Palestra[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lacroix-maxence/j5bGWFU7/"]Maxence Lacroix[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/emegha-emanuel/by8Xcffd/"]Emmanuel Emegha[/a].[/p][embed guid="291ce35a-07ed-4dd2-bfb9-16fda8aa3bdc" url="https://x.com/ChelseaFC/status/2088900065838452939" social-type="twitter" /][p]Joao Pedro was the pre-season story, a hat-trick against Western Sydney and a double against AC Milan, hinting at a striker hitting form early. There is no European football to contend with this season, the sort of clear diary that helped Antonio Conte drill a title-winning Chelsea in 2016/17.[/p][p]Alonso has the resources; coherence from a sprawling, youthful roster is the only real question, even with the added experience of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/henderson-jordan/UFMlUD6r/"]Jordan Henderson[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/welbeck-danny/86PvpO11/"]Danny Welbeck[/a].[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/coventry/GOvB22xg/"]Coventry[/a][/h2][p]Twenty-five years away, and Frank Lampard's promoted side is spending like they intend to stay. A club-record £23.1m on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/yirenkyi-caleb/INmgLCSF/"]Caleb Yirenkyi[/a], plus [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tchaouna-loum/vij66lN7/"]Loum Tchaouna[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/amenda-aurele/xtDO40Js/"]Aurele Amenda[/a] and, crucially, Premier League-proven [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/awoniyi-taiwo/OWFf8WFm/"]Taiwo Awoniyi[/a] from Nottingham Forest.[/p][embed guid="b7a6a8a3-6a55-403e-8ff0-bef46b6c13f6" url="https://x.com/CoventryCityFC/status/2088385691876987241" social-type="twitter" /][p]The pre-season 2-0 win over Monaco and 3-1 over Espanyol suggest a squad with a pulse, even if an early defeat to AFC Wimbledon offered a reminder of the gap to be bridged.[/p][p]The unknown is simple and unavoidable: none of this has been tested at this level. Ambitious rather than reckless, and seemingly better placed than most promoted sides in recent memory.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/crystal-palace/AovF1Mia/"]Crystal Palace[/a][/h2][p]Pierre Sage, plucked from Lyon, takes over a group that has just lost Maxence Lacroix to Chelsea for £52m, a significant hole at the heart of the defence.[/p][p]The incomings lean on free transfers and loans - [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mingueza-oscar/YkHSwt2b/"]Oscar Mingueza[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tomiyasu-takehiro/OSNvjZSP/"]Takehiro Tomiyasu[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mcneil-dwight/2sHSjL7k/"]Dwight McNeil[/a] in a swap with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/everton/KluSTr9s/"]Everton[/a] - alongside the £21m arrival of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/khalaili-anan/I5przTNI/"]Anan Khalaili[/a].[/p][embed guid="2e6f9aa2-7063-45ab-baa5-3e6bfc6d7b69" url="https://x.com/CPFC/status/2089644489849618542" social-type="twitter" /][p]Pre-season was choppy: a 3-1 win over Wolves offset by 3-0 defeats at Bromley and Freiburg.[/p][p]A first-time Premier League manager, a departed key defender and a squad in flux are a lot to reconcile.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/everton/KluSTr9s/"]Everton[/a][/h2][p]David Moyes has added creativity and legs - [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/george-tyrique/QPjr5Otn/"]Tyrique George[/a] from Chelsea, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/johnson-brennan/6XhWIWPP/"]Brennan Johnson[/a] via a swap, Merlin Rohl and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hackney-hayden/rFk11Hin/"]Hayden Hackney[/a] through the middle, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/norgaard-christian/E3lsxLi7/"]Christian Norgaard[/a] for balance.[/p][embed guid="8b23f36a-3522-4af7-92bd-d75a4c0ba19b" url="https://x.com/Everton/status/2088666911366058002" social-type="twitter" /][p]Pre-season was solid without being emphatic: four past Dundee, a 3-1 win over Newcastle at Murrayfield, offset by defeats to Stoke and Stuttgart.[/p][p]The perennial Everton riddle remains unanswered, though. For all the midfield reinforcement, the question of who reliably scores the goals is one the summer has so far not resolved.[/p][infobox id="314a301d-f483-4867-bbc5-21ccdbccb872" /][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/fulham/69ZiU2Om/"]Fulham[/a][/h2][p]The summer's boldest gamble sits at Craven Cottage, where Alvaro Arbeloa steps into senior management for real.[/p][p]Pre-season was thin, three matches, closing with a 1-0 win over Stuttgart, which tells you little.[/p][embed guid="6a08abd2-daec-4671-8e4d-5ada6ac2afdc" url="https://x.com/FulhamFC/status/2089405647242539447" social-type="twitter" /][p]The recruitment is a bet on youth: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/garcia-gonzalo/feJoJ67b/"]Gonzalo Garcia[/a] arrives from Real Madrid for £34m to replace the goals of Raul Jimenez, who left on a free transfer, with Shea Charles adding some steel.[/p][p]Losing Jimenez and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wilson-harry/YaDI3Fok/"]Harry Wilson[/a] while handing the attack to a 21-year-old under a rookie coach is a lot of faith placed in potential. High risk, and the early evidence is too scant to grade.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hull-city/S66R0t75/"]Hull[/a][/h2][p]After nine years away, Sergej Jakirovic, who steered the Tigers through the play-offs and past Middlesbrough at Wembley, has been backed with wholesale change: Jack Butland, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tzolakis-konstantinos/G0ZL7CGI/"]Konstantinos Tzolakis[/a], Nobel Mendy, Matt Targett, Joe Gelhardt and a small squadron of others in, a similar number out.[/p][embed guid="c08b62b2-5e51-46a7-a330-ec8335033817" url="https://x.com/HullCity/status/2088654517030056228" social-type="twitter" /][p]Pre-season ticked along steadily: wins over Konyaspor and Rizespor, a goalless draw with Nice, a defeat to Frankfurt.[/p][p]The scale of the turnover is the story and the risk in equal measure. A dozen new faces make for an unpredictable few opening months, and it starts against Man Utd at the MKM.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ipswich/thqhB2MB/"]Ipswich[/a][/h2][p]Kieran McKenna's departure was the summer's surprise, with Gary O'Neil inheriting a heavily rebuilt squad: Emersonn, Julio Enciso, Abdul Fatawu and Daizen Maeda among a dozen arrivals north of £150m combined.[/p][embed guid="03869d3f-6f9c-4dbf-a2b9-572ef230b3cd" url="https://x.com/IpswichTown/status/2088692148904317322" social-type="twitter" /][p]The football warmed up nicely, a 3-0 win over Rayo Vallecano and a 4-2 victory at Union Berlin closing pre-season on an upswing.[/p][p]The concern is the familiar one for a promoted side rebuilt at speed: cohesion. O'Neil's record reads as survival-flavoured, and he has precious little time to make a new group move as one.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/leeds/tUxUbLR2/"]Leeds[/a][/h2][p]Daniel Farke's side, safe in their first season back, ran through pre-season with a swagger, beating [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/liverpool/lId4TMwf/"]Liverpool[/a] 4-2 in Chicago, RB Leipzig 2-0 and Augsburg 4-0.[/p][embed guid="75e53a0f-fbd6-4923-888e-5d28539b01fa" url="https://x.com/LUFC/status/2088668875663565265" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/trafford-james/ET616yZQ/"]James Trafford[/a]'s £40m arrival from Man City is a statement in goal, with Harry Wilson and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/muharemovic-tarik/O0Ss5jSf/"]Tarik Muharemovic[/a] adding quality across the pitch. Pascal Struijk's sale to Brighton and Illan Meslier's free exit are manageable losses.[/p][p]The lingering doubt is the one that undoes most promoted survivors: whether this squad scores enough to stay comfortable. On this evidence, the mood at Elland Road is justified.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/liverpool/lId4TMwf/"]Liverpool[/a][/h2][p]The most precarious rebuild in the division is occurring at Anfield as Andoni Iraola replaces the sacked Arne Slot and walks into a spine stripped bare - [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/salah-mohamed/08FBycgB/"]Mo Salah[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/konate-ibrahima/QJlbDbQe/"]Ibrahima Konate[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/robertson-andrew/6e7Be9VI/"]Andy Robertson[/a] all departed on free transfers, a staggering trio of exits for nothing.[/p][p]The incomings do not come close to matching that outlay in stature: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jacquet-jeremy/h0WK6DL4/"]Jeremy Jacquet[/a] for £55m, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/munoz-victor/EBMXXrd3/"]Victor Munoz[/a], and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/araujo-ronald/M3sbJix9/"]Ronald Araujo[/a] on loan from Barcelona.[/p][embed guid="fb2ed0c2-a7e4-4ddb-8ca0-d2f511c2692d" url="https://x.com/LFC/status/2089374151400153283" social-type="twitter" /][p]Pre-season mirrored the uncertainty, a bright win over Como set against defeats to Leeds and Monaco.[/p][p]Replacing Salah's fear factor is the defining problem of Liverpool's summer, and right now there is no obvious answer on the books.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]Manchester City[/a][/h2][p]The end of an era, and a stop-start beginning to the next.[/p][p]Enzo Maresca succeeds Pep Guardiola after FA Cup success but a surrendered title, and his reign opened with a 1-1 draw against Inter Milan in Hong Kong, lost on penalties despite 24 shots to Inter's 10. Back-to-back 3-1 wins over a K-League All Stars XI and Atletico Madrid followed, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/semenyo-antoine/r1Gz1yPk/"]Antoine Semenyo[/a] the pick of the attackers and Omar Marmoush scoring twice against the Spanish side. [/p][embed guid="3beca50d-8485-431d-8632-0ddfcea5b731" url="https://x.com/ManCity/status/2089306253122027736" social-type="twitter" /][p]Then came Cardiff, and a chastening 3-0 Community Shield defeat to Arsenal that undid much of the goodwill.[/p][p]The squad has been reshaped around Maresca; Rodri, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/silva-bernardo/lUg03qcR/"]Bernardo Silva[/a] and John Stones are gone, and a club-record £116m has been spent on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/anderson-elliott/KdYCbsbE/"]Elliot Anderson[/a]. [/p][p]As a disciple of Guardiola, the burden now is to prove he is more than an echo.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-united/ppjDR086/"]Manchester United[/a][/h2][p]Michael Carrick, now permanent, delivered a third-place finish after Ruben Amorim's exit, and that is the bar he must now defend.[/p][p]The pre-season was a curiosity: a 1-0 defeat to Wrexham in Helsinki raised eyebrows before a 5-0 rout of Rosenborg restored order, only for a 4-2 loss to Amorim's AC Milan to muddy it again. [/p][embed guid="50157f69-cc6a-4c19-a18d-e0def153463e" url="https://x.com/ManUtd/status/2089298769300820336" social-type="twitter" /][p]The midfield has been rebuilt around Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rashford-marcus/COnT2Lh0/"]Marcus Rashford[/a] returns from his Barcelona loan. The glaring gap is up front: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hojlund-rasmus/0lk9Mt7D/"]Rasmus Hojlund[/a] was sold to Napoli with no marquee replacement signed.[/p][p]For all the midfield investment, the question of who leads the line is unresolved and pressing.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/newcastle-utd/p6ahwuwJ/"]Newcastle[/a][/h2][p]The summer's biggest gamble, and it is not close.[/p][p]Eddie Howe has gone, replaced by Matthias Jaissle, and the squad he inherits has been gutted at the very top: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gordon-anthony/EFo95m2P/"]Anthony Gordon[/a] to Barcelona, Bruno Guimaraes to Arsenal, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tonali-sandro/fmQVO5TQ/"]Sandro Tonali[/a] to Spurs for £92.5m, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/trippier-kieran/GMqWRFGS/"]Kieran Trippier[/a] released.[/p][embed guid="c441541f-4908-411a-b9fc-133b35a86c07" url="https://x.com/NUFC/status/2089036292499689554" social-type="twitter" /][p]In their place come [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/toure-bazoumana/jqfhZBWt/"]Bazoumana Toure[/a], Aladji Bamba, Amar Dedic and Sean Steur, players of promise rather than proven Premier League output.[/p][p]Pre-season offered flickers, a 2-1 win at Valencia among them, but the arithmetic is stark. Three of the club's best players sold, a coach new to England, and a rebuild that has to click almost immediately.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nottingham/UsushcZr/"]Nottingham Forest[/a][/h2][p]Oliver Glasner arrives with genuine pedigree, a Europa League with Frankfurt and an FA Cup with Palace, to replace the dismissed Vitor Pereira.[/p][p]His inheritance is complicated by the £116m sale of Elliot Anderson to Man City, a windfall that funds a rebuild but leaves a creative void, as well as Taiwo Awoniyi's exit to Coventry. Still, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/diomande-ousmane/ngCb1gCI/"]Ousmane Diomande[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/schlager-xaver/M1bcCLIU/"]Xaver Schlager[/a] look like shrewd additions.[/p][embed guid="6f92d799-ecdb-4c67-8d35-53112ca7cbde" url="https://x.com/NFFC/status/2089442137515655255" social-type="twitter" /][p]Pre-season was a genuine mixed bag, with wins over Bayer Leverkusen and Brest running alongside defeats to Sporting and Barcelona.[/p][p]European nights return this season, and squad depth behind the departed pair is the thing to watch.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sunderland/WSzc94ws/"]Sunderland[/a][/h2][p]Seventh place and European football in their first season back was one of last season's great overachievements, and Regis Le Bris deserves the credit.[/p][embed guid="842b29b7-b251-4980-991b-7027d2a8045e" url="https://x.com/SunderlandAFC/status/2088717362560151878" social-type="twitter" /][p]Pre-season carried the same spirit, a 5-1 romp at York and a 2-1 win over Rennes bookending a decent tour.[/p][p]The unease is in the transfer market: on confirmed deals, Sunderland's incoming business has been strikingly light next to their peers, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/meunier-thomas/WUyrShAL/"]Thomas Meunier[/a] the notable free arrival and a raft of loanees returning.[/p][p]After punching above their weight and with a Europa League diary to fill, a quiet window is a risk, though these things can shift late.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tottenham/UDg08Ohm/"]Tottenham Hotspur[/a][/h2][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-zerbi-roberto/pYizckpN/"]Roberto De Zerbi[/a], in the job since March, gets his first full pre-season and a substantially rebuilt spine.[/p][p]The spending has been heavy: Sandro Tonali for £92.5m, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fernandes-mateus/rFdshPHI/"]Mateus Fernandes[/a] for £85m, Jan Paul van Hecke for £52m, plus experienced free transfers in Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi. The club is also welcoming long-term absentees [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/maddison-james/YwP0q0m8/"]James Maddison[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kulusevski-dejan/fXLqHCYi/"]Dejan Kulusevski[/a] back into the fold after missing practically all of last season through injury.[/p][embed guid="91ac4eef-2117-42ad-a75d-35f9c4e893c9" url="https://x.com/SpursOfficial/status/2088697050565128457" social-type="twitter" /][p]Selling captain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/romero-cristian/jBZTWXMn/"]Cristian Romero[/a] to Atletico Madrid leaves a hole that the incoming defenders must fill.[/p][p]The football on the pitch has been encouraging, including a 2-1 win over Chelsea in Sydney and a 3-0 dismantling of Hoffenheim, with Richarlison looking sharp throughout.[/p][p]Ambition is not in doubt; how quickly De Zerbi makes a reshaped group cohere will ultimately decide their season.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/brentford-xYe7DwID/tottenham-UDg08Ohm/summary/stats/?mid=EPW0kJF8"]Follow the Premier League with Flashscore[/a][/h2][infobox id="2c720a26-5e94-4574-b4b0-b0f1fe5932e5" /]