Tottenham’s Pre-Season Tour: De Zerbi’s Debut in Auckland
Tottenham touch down in the southern hemisphere this weekend with money spent, expectations raised and questions still swirling, as Roberto De Zerbi’s first public outing in charge arrives at Eden Park.
On Sunday, Spurs face Auckland FC in the opening game of their pre-season tour of New Zealand and Australia, a fixture that suddenly carries more intrigue than a routine warm-up usually deserves.
De Zerbi’s first look in front of fans
Behind closed doors in England, Spurs have already taken their first step, a 1-0 win over MK Dons on Wednesday that offered De Zerbi a quiet, controlled environment to test ideas. This time, there will be nowhere to hide.
Travelling supporters will see the Italian’s “new-look” side in person for the first time, with a 35-man squad flown out for a tour that stretches from Auckland to Sydney and then on to a meeting with Chelsea.
The mood around the club has shifted. After back-to-back 17th-place finishes in the Premier League, Tottenham have responded with an aggressive summer in the market, spending more than £200million on six new signings. It is a statement, and it comes with a cost of its own: expectation.
New faces, big gaps
Five of those six recruits are on the plane. Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Andy Robertson, Jan Paul van Hecke and Martin Dubravka are all included and in line for their first glimpses of action in front of Spurs fans. Marcos Senesi is the only new arrival to miss out on the tour, the Argentina centre-back staying behind as the squad heads south.
The absentees do not end there. Guglielmo Vicario has not travelled after what the club have called a “minor knock”, while midfield pair Pape Matar Sarr and Rodrigo Bentancur are also missing, both granted extended leave after their World Cup exertions.
Others who went deep into the tournament have been left at home as well. Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero and Djed Spence have all been kept back, their workloads managed after a long season that spilled into international duty.
The uncertainty lingers most obviously over Vicario and Romero. Both have been heavily linked with moves away, and it is not yet clear whether either has already played his final game in a Spurs shirt. For a club that has just tried to buy its way out of trouble, the possibility of losing two pillars at either end of the pitch hangs over the tour.
Walking wounded and rising hopefuls
There is a full treatment room at Hotspur Way, too. Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski, Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert all remain in England as they continue rehabilitation from long-term injuries. None will feature on this tour.
Their absence, and that of several senior regulars, rips open space in the squad. Youngsters have stepped into the light. Luca Williams-Barnett, who impressed in the win over MK Dons, has travelled, as has highly rated Mikey Moore. For them, this is not just pre-season; it is an audition in front of De Zerbi and a sizeable overseas fanbase.
The head coach will want to build on the early winning start, but he will also be ruthless in his assessment. With so many places up for grabs and so much money already committed, every minute matters.
Auckland’s stage, Tottenham’s test
Auckland FC are no mere backdrop. They finished third in last season’s A-League and will fancy the chance to test themselves against Premier League opposition on home soil.
Eden Park is expected to be packed, with a record crowd anticipated to welcome Spurs. For many in the stands, this will be a rare live glimpse of English top-flight talent, and the atmosphere should reflect that sense of occasion.
Tottenham are likely to split their resources, fielding one starting XI in the first half and another after the break, as De Zerbi spreads minutes across his travelling party. Among those tipped to start are Kinsky in goal, a back line of Takai, Micky van de Ven, Van Hecke and Destiny Udogie, a midfield pairing of Fernandes and Tonali, and an attacking unit of Yang, Moore, Mathys Tel and Dominic Solanke.
It will be experimental, it will be disjointed at times, but that is the point. This is where combinations are tested and pecking orders begin to form.
A tour with an edge
Once Auckland is done, Spurs move on quickly. Sydney FC await in Australia, before a more emotionally charged meeting with London rivals Chelsea rounds off the trip next week.
For all the commercial gloss of a pre-season tour, there is a hard edge to this one. A new manager, a heavy spend, key players missing, others potentially on their way out. Tottenham have chosen to reset in public, thousands of miles from home.
The whistle goes at 4am BST on Sunday, July 26, 2026, at Eden Park. By the time the sun comes up in north London, the first clues about what De Zerbi’s Tottenham might become will already be on record.
