adminTottenham Hotspur’s start to the new season has already been anything but straightforward.
After spending heavily to strengthen their starting XI, Spurs suffered a shock 3-0 defeat to Brentford last weekend, producing a performance few expected.
However, Roberto De Zerbi’s side responded strongly on Wednesday night, cruising to a 5-1 victory over Championship outfit Charlton Athletic in the Carabao Cup.
Three players stood out in that impressive response: Mikey Moore, Mateus Fernandes and new signing Savio.
Fernandes made his first start for Tottenham and contributed an assist, while Savio marked his debut with an excellent goal to open his account for the club.
With two of Tottenham’s major additions already showing encouraging signs, attention now turns to Sandro Tonali, who has plenty of room for improvement following his disappointing first appearance.
Why Spurs Need More From Tonali
Tonali was rested for the Charlton fixture, although his inclusion might have provided another opportunity to build confidence after his underwhelming debut against Brentford.
The Italian midfielder arrived in north London with enormous expectations after becoming Tottenham’s club-record £100m signing. Unfortunately, his first Premier League appearance fell well short of what supporters had hoped to see.
Tonali struggled to make a meaningful impact and even produced one particularly poor effort that nearly flew out of the stadium. It was a moment that summed up a frustrating afternoon for the midfielder.
He was also comfortably outperformed by Brentford’s record signing, Mamadou Sangare.
Nevertheless, Tottenham supporters should not be too concerned just yet. Tonali remains an outstanding midfielder with the quality to become one of the most influential players in the Premier League.
Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes even suggested last season that Tonali is “better than Declan Rice”. While that is certainly a bold assessment, it underlines the immense reputation the Italian has built.
Could Spurs Have Repeated Their Tonali Strategy With Martinez?
De Zerbi has already made a significant impact since taking charge at Tottenham.
The Italian helped the club avoid relegation on the final day of the 2025/26 campaign before receiving substantial financial backing to reshape his squad. Spurs have subsequently broken their transfer record twice, first with Fernandes and then with Tonali.
One of De Zerbi’s priorities has been adding players with proven Premier League experience. Tottenham have brought in Martin Dubravka, Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson, Jan Paul van Hecke, Savio, Fernandes and Tonali, while also reportedly securing Omar Marmoush from Manchester City.
Another experienced Premier League name who could have fitted perfectly into that recruitment strategy is Emiliano Martinez.
According to a report from TEAMtalk, intermediaries have spoken with Chelsea and Tottenham about a possible move for the Aston Villa goalkeeper.
Martinez’s future at Villa has become increasingly uncertain following the club’s summer arrival of Zion Suzuki. The former Arsenal goalkeeper had also previously been linked with Juventus, although that proposed move failed to materialise.
With his representatives reportedly exploring alternatives, Martinez could potentially be available for around £10m.
At that price, Tottenham would have been presented with a hugely attractive opportunity. A £10m deal would have cost roughly £90m less than Tonali and could have delivered an immediate upgrade in goal.
Signing a former Arsenal player would undoubtedly have generated controversy among Tottenham supporters, but Martinez possesses many of the characteristics De Zerbi appears to value in his new recruits.
Lionel Messi has previously described Martinez as “one of the best players in the world”, highlighting the level at which the Argentine has performed.
Like Tonali, Martinez is a proven Premier League performer with a strong mentality and an uncompromising desire to win.
The goalkeeper has made 228 Premier League appearances and recorded 67 clean sheets. He is also a World Cup winner and Europa League winner, while he was named The Best FIFA Goalkeeper in both 2022 and 2024.
Although Martinez’s reputation has dipped slightly over the past couple of seasons, he remains an experienced and highly capable goalkeeper.
At 33, he could have provided Tottenham with valuable short-term stability while allowing their younger goalkeeping options more time to develop.
Antonin Kinsky has recovered impressively from his difficult outing against Atletico Madrid, but his performance against Brentford again raised questions. He was powerless to prevent Keane Lewis-Potter’s goal but spilled the ball into the path of Vitaly Janelt for Brentford’s second.
Kinsky remains Tottenham’s first-choice goalkeeper and has plenty of time to prove himself. However, during such an important transitional period for the club, Martinez could have represented the ideal experienced stop-gap.
For now, Spurs must hope Tonali quickly demonstrates why they were prepared to spend a club-record £100m on him. If he can rediscover his best form, De Zerbi could soon have another world-class talent anchoring his midfield.
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