Tottenham XI to start 2026/27 season: Big striker signing among SIX new additions in complete formation change

Tottenham Hotspur have already been incredibly productive in the summer transfer window and TEAMtalk has taken a look at how they could line up at the start of the 2026/27 season, including a potential change in formation.

With Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke, Martin Dubravka and Mateus Fernandes already on board, the focus has now switched to additions further up the pitch.

Confirming another record-breaking deal for Sandro Tonali would also be an incredible coup for a team without any European football next season, in what is set to be a complete revamp of De Zerbi’s engine room.

As for the striker addition, we’re taking a plump on Tottenham managing to convince free agent Dusan Vlahovic to head to the Premier League, where the Serbian has the all-round game to be a big hit.

We also think that De Zerbi’s desire to sign both Senesi and Van Hecke could lead to a formation change, given that it now looks almost certain that Micky van de Ven is staying put and skipper Cristian Romero is on his way.

De Zerbi often used a 3-4-3 formation during his last stint at Marseille and has a full pre-season to work on the tactical switch, albeit many of his players will be back from World Cup duty not long before the season gets underway.

So, here you go, Tottenham’s predicted XI to start the 2026/27 season (a slightly tweaked formation 3-4-2-1)…

Goalkeeper: Antonin Kinsky

Kinsky’s redemption arc was one of the stories of the 2025/26 season, going from zero to hero as his meltdown in Madrid was followed by the Czech stopper making several critical saves to keep the club in the Premier League.

The arrival of the experienced Dubravka appears to have signalled that De Zerbi is trusting Kinsky to be his No.1 going forward, especially after the club opened talks to hand the 23-year-old a bumper new contract.

Right centre-back: Jan Paul van Hecke

The £52m signing from Brighton slots right in on the right-hand side of the back three after an impressive World Cup, despite the Netherlands suffering a Round of 32 exit.

Van Hecke is one of the best ball-playing central defenders in Europe and will play a big role in helping Spurs keep possession and play out from the back.

Centre-back: Marcos Senesi

The free agent addition from Bournemouth is another player supremely confident in possession and will be at home in the centre of the back three.

Like Van Hecke, he’s not blessed with great pace, but both have excellent positional awareness and it’s not expected that De Zerbi will adopt too high a line to expose them.

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Left centre-back: Micky van de Ven

Electric pace is the greatest single thing the Netherlands star possesses, and keeping Van de Ven around, when it looked like a summer exit was on the cards, will be a major boost to De Zerbi and the club.

Van Hecke and Van de Ven will probably both have licence to venture forward from their positions, knowing they will have two defensive pivots in front of them to plug any gaps.

Right wing-back: Pedro Porro

Porro was one of very few Tottenham players who could actually hold their hand up and say they had a decent 2025/26 campaign.

The Spain international could flourish further in a more attacking wing-back role, in a move that should diminish his defensive requirements – which is arguably no bad thing.

Central midfield: Sandro Tonali

The midfield conductor Tottenham have been missing since Mousa Dembele was at the peak of his powers and running games alongside Victor Wanyama.

Beating rivals to the signing of the Italy international will be classed as one of the transfer coups of the summer, especially given that Tonali has only just turned 26 and is yet to hit his prime.

Central midfield: Mateus Fernandes

While Tonali will be the dictator, Fernandes will have greater licence to get forward and showcase his box-to-box skills.

The price tag has been questioned for a player relegated in back-to-back seasons with different clubs, but the 21-year-old is a real talent who will only flourish under De Zerbi’s guidance.

Left wing-back: Andy Robertson

This was a tricky one in terms of actually starting the season, as it could well be Destiny Udogie who gets the nod after not being at the World Cup this summer – if he is still around that is.

Robertson will likely be handed the club captaincy and although he probably won’t be a regular starter, the change of scenery from Liverpool might just be the boost he needed to re-energise his career.

Attacking midfield: James Maddison

The 29-year-old gave Tottenham the creative spark they so desperately missed towards the end of last season when so many attacking players out.

A full pre-season under De Zerbi should work wonders for the former Leicester man, who is set to fill one of two No.10 roles in the absence of Xavi Simons until 2027 and the continued doubts surrounding Dejan Kulusevski’s playing future.

READ MORE: €70m winger offered to Tottenham after Man Utd enquiries

Attacking midfield: Mohammed Kudus

Another player who will have the full summer to get over his quad injury and strengthen in pre-season under De Zerbi, with a slightly different role on the cards.

The Ghana international was outstanding on the right side of Tottenham’s front three before injury ended his season in early April. He could get the nod here in a slightly more central role, but with licence to drift out wide.

Striker: Dusan Vlahovic

The only player not yet signed, or about to be signed in the case of Tonali, but Spurs are in the mix to snap up the Serbia international on a free transfer.

The 26-year-old has scored 120 goals in 303 club career appearances to date and has the sort of game that should thrive in the Premier League.

While it might be difficult for Tottenham to convince him to sign without any European football, that hasn’t stopped the club securing some major transfer coups already.

But if they don’t manage to secure Vlahovic, or another top striker for that matter, then Dominic Solanke is the man most likely to start the new campaign in the No,9 position.