He’s like Dele: Spurs close to agreeing personal terms to sign £25m star

After two consecutive narrow escapes from relegation, Tottenham Hotspur face mounting pressure to get their summer recruitment right—and avoid a third straight season of struggle.

Roberto De Zerbi showed encouraging signs at the tail end of the 2025/26 campaign, losing just two of his seven matches in charge and proving he can extract strong performances from the current squad.

Still, it’s clear the Italian needs fresh faces to mount a serious push up the Premier League table in his first full season at the helm.

Free transfers for Andy Robertson and Marco Senesi have already been secured, but with the transfer window officially opening on Monday, the recruitment team must now accelerate their efforts.

A host of exciting options have surfaced on their radar in recent days, though it remains uncertain just how much financial backing De Zerbi will receive to reshape the squad.

Spurs close to personal terms with £25m target
Despite the window being open for only three days, Spurs have already made decisive moves and begun flexing their financial muscle. A fee of around £52m has reportedly been agreed with Brighton for centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke, who had already settled personal terms with the Lilywhites. The deal now awaits final confirmation before the Dutchman can officially complete his big-money switch.

But the spending may not stop there, with the board seemingly ramping up their pursuit of Celtic attacker Benjamin Nygren. According to Sports Boom, Spurs have held discussions with the player’s representatives in recent days to explore the feasibility of a summer deal.

Personal terms are said to be progressing well with the Swedish international, though no formal negotiations have yet taken place between the two clubs.

Everton are also believed to be keen on the 24-year-old, with Martin O’Neill’s side demanding at least £25m for their Player of the Season.

Why Nygren could be Spurs’ next Dele
Tottenham have boasted numerous attacking talents over the years, but few captured the imagination quite like Dele Alli.

Signed from MK Dons as a teenager in 2015, the Englishman was initially expected to join the academy—only to explode onto the scene with 32 goals and 21 assists across his first two Premier League seasons.

His knack for making devastating third-man runs beyond the striker made him a nightmare for defences, even if his full potential was ultimately unrealized before his departure in 2022. Still, during his peak, Dele became a fan favourite and one of the league’s most feared attacking midfielders.

Nygren could offer a similar spark. Like Dele, the Celtic star excels at bursting forward from deep positions—a trait that yielded 21 goals and nine assists last season. His underlying numbers from the Scottish campaign further underline his quality.

Dubbed “fearless” by international teammate Alexander Isak, Nygren registered 1.4 shots on target per 90 minutes—placing him in the top 4% of attacking midfielders across Europe and echoing Dele’s willingness to test goalkeepers.

He also created 2.1 chances per 90, finishing the season with five league assists, showcasing his ability to contribute creatively as well as clinically. At £25m, a player of Nygren’s calibre could prove a shrewd investment—especially if he can replicate his impressive output from last term.

The parallels with Dele are striking, and should a move materialize, Nygren may well become the next in a long line of attackers to etch his name into Tottenham’s history.