According to journalist Enrico Camellio, if Tottenham Hotspur successfully avoid relegation this season, head coach Roberto De Zerbi will "stop at nothing" to sign goalkeeper Mile Svilar and attacking midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini from Serie A giants Roma. This transfer storyline directly ties North London's relegation battle to the summer window puzzle on the Apennine Peninsula.
Survival Still the Transfer Switch
De Zerbi's start at Spurs has been anything but dull: two wins and a draw in his first four matches in charge, with the club climbing above West Ham United and temporarily out of the Premier League relegation zone. The club handed him a five-year contract—a clear signal that if they stay in the top flight this season, the hierarchy is willing to give the Italian boss full authority to shape next season's squad. Conversely, if they go down, the script of "going all out for Roma's twin stars" is unlikely to materialize, with budget, appeal and European spots all shrinking in tandem.
For supporters in the stands, this feels more like a community consensus of "survive first, then strengthen": every point in the short term is ammunition for summer negotiations, while the long term hinges on whether the club can complete the structural upgrades in goal and midfield according to De Zerbi's vision.
Why Roma's Twin Stars Are on the List
Tottenham have long been told they need to upgrade in goal in recent years. If incumbent No. 1 Guglielmo Vicario is, as widely reported, closer to joining Inter Milan, North London would have to fill the vacancy in goal while also potentially losing a Serie A rival in the race for Milinković-Savić—a chain reaction that may matter more than any single transfer.
On the numbers, Milinković-Savić has kept 16 clean sheets in Serie A this season, second only to Jean Butez; his save success rate of 78.3% ranks third in the league. For Spurs, who urgently need stability at the back, that sample size is enough to show an "upgrade" is more than a slogan. Pellegrini has contributed seven goals and four assists across all competitions this season, operating mainly as an attacking midfielder and offering link-up play and long-range threat in De Zerbi's attack-minded system—a front-to-back pairing with the goalkeeper pursuit on two fronts.
What warrants a sober look is that Milinković-Savić is not a new name. As far back as January, when Thomas Frank was still in charge, Tottenham were linked with joining the chase; after two managerial changes, the club's interest has endured. Reports at the time put his asking price at around £60 million and suggested it "would not deter English clubs"—Manchester United, Chelsea, Inter, AC Milan and others also surfaced on lists of potential buyers. If De Zerbi is truly prepared to go "all out," Tottenham must show greater intent amid a crowded hunt, rather than simply repeating January's feelers.
Summer window landscape and what to watch next
Viewed against the competition format and the broader table, Tottenham's most pressing task remains securing their survival. De Zerbi himself has repeatedly stressed that escaping the relegation zone is not the finish line—the side must turn "painful memories" into sustained momentum for picking up points. Only if they stay up does the Roma double act outlined above become workable; otherwise, talk of Milinković-Savić and Pellegrini amounts to little more than paper plans.
Professional read: De Zerbi has singled out former Roma players from his time there — they offer the lowest cost in terms of tactical familiarity and trust, but carry the highest price tag financially and in terms of competition for their signatures. Svilar addresses the stability issue, while Pellegrini strengthens creativity; the two roles do not overlap. The real difficulty lies in the premium on the goalkeeper market and multi-club bidding wars. If Vicario moves to Inter, it may objectively remove a Serie A rival from Tottenham’s path, but it will not bring down the player’s asking price.
Fans will now want to watch three storylines closely: whether Tottenham can stay clear of the relegation zone over the remaining league fixtures; whether Vicario’s destination is confirmed; and how Svilar and Pellegrini’s playing time and contract situations unfold at Roma. If all three trends break the right way, North London could see the first wave of familiar-face reinforcements in the De Zerbi era this summer; if survival is lost, everything reverts to a survival-first track.
