De Zerbi tells unhappy Tottenham players to leave the club

Roberto de Zerbi drew a hard line at Tottenham Hotspur, saying players who are not “proud and happy to stay” should leave the club. The message landed in the middle of a summer rebuild that has already cost Tottenham £237m and is still open to more movement.

De Zerbi paired that ultimatum with a public declaration of loyalty to the club. “Hello to all the Tottenham fans. I’m very happy to stay here with you,” he said. “For me, it’s an honour and [I’m] very proud to be your coach.” He also said he wanted to be at the “big club” Tottenham for a “long time,” signaling that the pressure is now on players, not just the manager, to commit to the project.

The timing matters because Tottenham’s overhaul has not been a one-window reset. A club that has already spent £237m can still keep reshaping the squad, which gives De Zerbi leverage over unsettled players and makes the transfer market the release valve for any unrest. In practical terms, a player who does not buy into the manager’s plan is not being invited to ride it out.

That stance reflects the modern balance of power in elite football. Managers still need results, but clubs with spending capacity can treat dissatisfaction as a tradeable problem rather than a dressing-room issue to be tolerated. De Zerbi’s comments suggest Tottenham will not reward half-commitment, and that the club’s identity under him will be built around visible buy-in from the players who stay.