Tottenham Hotspur are preparing for another major change ahead of their Premier League opener against Brentford on Saturday.
The north London club endured a turbulent 2025-26 domestic campaign before eventually securing survival on the final day.
Spurs finished 17th after moving through Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor before Roberto De Zerbi took charge.
Tottenham Hotspur have responded with an aggressive summer rebuild and invested heavily across several areas of their squad.
Sandro Tonali arrived from Newcastle United for £92.5 million, while Mateus Fernandes joined from West Ham for £85 million.
Jan Paul van Hecke also strengthened the defence after Cristian Romero completed his transfer to Atletico Madrid.
De Zerbi has now named Micky van de Ven as Tottenham’s new captain following Romero’s departure. The Spurs boss said (via football.london):
“Yes, the new captain is Micky van de Ven. The second, Pedro Porro. The third, Ben Davies. The fourth, James Maddison. And the fifth, Archie Gray. Why five captains? Just because I want many captains inside of the pitch.”
The Netherlands international signed a new five-year contract this summer after attracting transfer interest earlier in the year.
However, Tottenham will begin their Premier League campaign without their newly appointed captain because of an injury problem.
Van de Ven picked up the issue during Tottenham’s preseason trip to Australia and will miss Saturday’s clash with Brentford.
Porro will also miss the opening fixture after only recently returning following his involvement with Spain at the World Cup.
Pape Matar Sarr is unavailable after suffering a hamstring problem, adding another concern before the trip across London.
Tottenham should have James Maddison, Dominic Solanke, Destiny Udogie and Mateus Fernandes available for selection.
De Zerbi still has defensive alternatives, with Marcos Senesi and Davies among the options available against Brentford.
Spurs have also agreed an £85 million package for Manchester City winger Savinho as their ambitious rebuild continues.
Want to get the latest transfer news direct to your phone? Join our WhatsApp community by clicking here.
