Ahead of Tottenham Hotspur's second Premier League match against Newcastle United, manager Roberto De Zerbi held a press conference to address the media. Here are the key excerpts:

Read more: [De Zerbi: I didn't expect the summer transfer market to be this active – there could be one more signing]

Your thoughts on Tottenham's latest signing, Omar Marmoush?

It's an excellent signing for us. He's an outstanding player – another outstanding player. Everyone here likes him very much, and we hope he can perform to the best of his abilities. I believe he can provide us with additional attacking options. We want players who can score in advanced positions and who excel at ball control. He's extremely fast with outstanding attributes, and we're all very pleased – very pleased indeed.

Do you feel the transfer window is now closed for Tottenham, or could there be more significant signings before the deadline?

No, I think Savinho and Marmoush are major signings. I'm not sure what label you'd put on them – what you'd call them – but they're definitely top-level players.

Obviously Tuesday is the final deadline. Do you expect any more incomings or outgoings? Will anyone else leave?

Both are possible. As I said on Tuesday before, the transfer market is absolutely mad. We must be prepared to bring in replacements if some players choose to leave or transfer, or to bring in other new players. I don't know. The current transfer market is different from before – it's too mad. You can't make sense of it.

On Newcastle United:

Newcastle United sold several good players, but they've also signed other talented young players. This is a young team with very quick, skilled players. However, we lost our opening match to Brentford, and I think we need to play much better – significantly better. We need to compete differently. There's no doubt we need a good result. Even with our new players and other circumstances, we can't make excuses. We're playing at home, we've trained well, there's a positive atmosphere, and everyone is excited about the new arrivals. This will be a difficult match, but there are no easy matches in the Premier League.

We need to improve, but we don't have time to gradually adapt and win matches. We must win this game. Perhaps we're not yet fully ready to perform at our best physically, stylistically, and in terms of quality. But regardless, our current squad is strong enough for us to win and play better. Playing better than we did against Brentford is something that's normal and necessary.

Final question about Marmoush: he can play all three attacking positions. How important is that versatility? And for you, he's an unproven player in the Premier League – is it important that he hits the ground running and makes an immediate impact, or do you think he needs time to adapt?

Yes, I think he's performed very well. He's an intelligent player who understands football like a coach. I hope he's like a coach – perhaps not quite to that extent, but he truly understands football and has great tactical awareness. He can play in different positions across the pitch. Regardless, we need him to demonstrate all his abilities, because we currently lack players with these qualities in our squad. He's the perfect fit for us.

You've described the transfer market as mad. Don't you think it's time to close the transfer window before the season starts?

Those are the rules set by world football, and we simply have to adapt. As I said, you can't change it. We have to understand – even if you can't fully understand it, you have to accept it. I think it's truly mad, but ultimately, we're very satisfied with the business we've done so far. We've signed excellent players, including several young talents like Matheus Fernandes and Savinho, who are very young. This is fantastic for the club because both players have tremendous potential. At the same time, we've brought in experienced players like Tonali, Robertson, Solanke, and Van de Ven. They're excellent as well, because I believe at this stage, the atmosphere in the dressing room and players' mentality are just as important as their technical ability. I'm genuinely very pleased. Our transfer business has exceeded my expectations when the window first opened.

You mentioned last week that you prefer working with a smaller squad rather than a large one with many players. This summer you've brought in around seven or eight players, and while I know some have left, does this mean you might try to move more players out before Tuesday to get the squad down to the size you mentioned?

No, listen to me. I've been very clear with every player – with everyone. If you communicate openly and honestly with them from the start, there are no surprises. Players who wanted to leave have left. Perhaps we still have some who want to move – they're waiting for offers, and we're waiting for offers too. I believe those who want to stay at Tottenham Hotspur must feel proud and happy. It's going to be a long season, but I think it will be an exciting one too. After narrowly avoiding relegation last season, we're building a new project around new players. Without a doubt, the first thing we need is fighting spirit. Mentality is paramount, followed by technical ability and tactical organization. But I absolutely won't compromise on building that fighting spirit from the start.

Final question: for example, if I were a player in your squad and wanted to leave but nobody wanted to buy me, how difficult would it be for you to manage players throughout the season who want to leave but have no offers?

Not difficult at all – not a problem at all. If you want to leave but can't find a suitable offer, that's your problem, not mine. I'll show you respect. I'll kiss you. I'll hug you. But ultimately, you need to stay calm in the dressing room. Don't talk too much, because the rules were made very clear before the season started and at the end of last season. It's really not my problem.

แปลโดย AI

เว็บไซต์ AF เปิดตัวแล้ว! ดูข่าว ความคิดเห็น รายละเอียดแมตช์ และสถิติครบถ้วนบนคอมพิวเตอร์ของคุณ เยี่ยมชม: www.allfootballapp.com