Tottenham spend €366m on new signings and still have no Premier League win

Tottenham spent €366.35 million in the summer transfer window to avoid repeating the nightmare of last season, when they flirted with relegation until the final matchday, but the early weeks of the new Premier League campaign are bringing back all too familiar feelings. After four games, Roberto De Zerbi's side remain winless, have collected just two points and sit in 17th place, a position that is already worrying the London club's supporters. The League Cup defeat to Liverpool, along with the open conflict involving Richarlison, completes a start to the season that offers little room for calm.

• The London club invested €366.35m in Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Savinho and Van Hecke.
• After four league games, Spurs have no wins and are 17th with two points.
• Liverpool knocked them out of the League Cup with a 3-1 victory.
• De Zerbi has left Richarlison out of the first team.

A poor start that brings relegation fears back to Tottenham

Last season, Tottenham lived dangerously close to the bottom of the table until the final day and only survived at the very end. That experience shaped the club's planning over the summer and led to a €366.35 million spending spree designed to leave those ghosts behind. But the first few weeks of the current campaign look far too similar to what happened before. The numbers are poor: two points from twelve and a league position that nobody at the club wanted to revisit so quickly.

The Italian coach is not enjoying his best moment. He built a squad with more resources than the one he managed at Brighton, but results have not followed. The midweek cup defeat to Liverpool also robbed supporters of the excitement they usually feel for a competition in which they tend to perform well. The fanbase is growing impatient as the team looks far away from the group of top English clubs it is supposed to belong to.

What Tottenham risk in the upcoming Premier League fixtures

The table is unforgiving. With only two points, Spurs are closer to the relegation zone than to the European places. Every match without a win increases the pressure on a project that has spent more than 360 million on new signings and still has not delivered results to match that outlay. The margin for error gets smaller with each round, especially for a club used to competing for much more than survival.

De Zerbi now faces a double test: he must prove that the huge summer spend makes sense and stop the negative momentum before the dressing room loses confidence. In such a punishing competition, going three or four more games without a win would leave Tottenham in a very delicate situation and raise serious doubts about the project. The anxiety is already reaching the stands at the Tottenham Stadium.

The Richarlison case and Roberto De Zerbi's firm stance

Results on the pitch are not the only concern at the club. Richarlison is involved in an open conflict with Tottenham and De Zerbi has taken a strong decision: the Brazilian forward has been left out of the first team. He will not be available to help the squad in the coming matches, not even in secondary competitions.

He will not play even if he is available. Not even in the Carabao Cup.

Those words from the Italian coach make the situation clear. Tottenham lose a talented attacker and, at the same time, gain an internal problem at the worst possible moment: just when the team needs solutions rather than distractions. Some believe this lack of harmony is contributing to the disconnect visible on the pitch, although the reasons behind the poor start run deeper.

Tonali, Savinho and Van Hecke: how the big signings are performing

Sandro Tonali arrived to be a key piece in midfield. His signing was a clear statement of intent and his return to the Premier League generated real excitement. However, the team has not managed to turn his presence into victories, something that is also apparent with Mateus Fernandes, Savinho and Van Hecke. The new arrivals offer talent and depth, but the lack of wins is starting to feel like a collective burden.

The London dressing room has enough quality to react. The squad is deeper and more talented than last season's version, and the league is still in its early stages. Tottenham do not need to press the panic button yet, although recent history has already shortened the patience of everyone around the club. Winning as soon as possible has become an obligation to keep the nerves away from the stadium.

Frequently asked questions about Tottenham's start and summer signings