Tottenham Hotspur’s pre-season training under new head coach Roberto De Zerbi is well underway, with several key storylines emerging from the latest footage released by the club.
De Zerbi and his staff have been putting players through passing drills at Hotspur Way, with a strong emphasis on one-touch play and fitness conditioning work throughout the sessions.
Despite World Cup stars still being on their mandatory rest period, De Zerbi has more than 25 players to work with, including a number of loan players returning to the Enfield training complex.
Tottenham’s first pre-season friendly arrives next Wednesday, when MK Dons visit the training ground before the squad departs on tour to New Zealand and Australia.
One of the most encouraging signs has come from Mohammed Kudus, who has been working intensively with the strength and conditioning coaches despite not yet joining the full group on the grass.
The Ghana international has been seen performing high-intensity movements involving twisting and turning, which suggests he may not be far off returning to outdoor training with his teammates.
Spurs will remain cautious with Kudus following a setback in April after he returned from the quad injury he suffered in January, an injury that ultimately ended his World Cup hopes.
Seventeen-year-old Luca Williams-Barnett continues to train with the first team, building on the debut he received from the bench in the Carabao Cup last season before injury cut short his campaign.
Williams-Barnett was seen being put through his paces by Italy international left-back Destiny Udogie during a gym exercise where paired players had to unbalance each other while on all fours, with the 23-year-old’s superior strength clearly evident.
Playmaker Xavi Simons was also spotted back at the training ground, returning to continue his rehabilitation from the anterior cruciate ligament injury he suffered during the crucial win at Wolves.
The 23-year-old Dutchman is expected to be sidelined until early next year if he follows the standard nine-month recovery timeline for such injuries, but his presence at Enfield allowed him to reconnect with teammates including James Maddison and Archie Gray.
Sandro Tonali has wasted no time getting involved now that his work permit has arrived, with the £100million man focusing on building his fitness ahead of the new season in N17.
The former Newcastle midfielder has been frequently spotted alongside compatriot and international teammate Destiny Udogie as the 26-year-old begins settling into life at Tottenham.
De Zerbi himself was spotted doing sit-ups with a medicine ball in The Lodge gym, showing he has no intention of simply watching from the sidelines as pre-season intensifies.
Will Lankshear, who scored 12 goals in the Championship during a loan spell at Oxford despite their relegation, has returned visibly stronger, with his increased physical bulk clear in recent training footage.
Mikey Moore, who played 47 times for Rangers and won both the Scottish Premiership Young Player of the Year and Rangers’ Young Player of the Year awards, has also filled out noticeably after his loan spell in Scotland.
Spurs have already rejected approaches for Lankshear from Sporting, Wolves and Southampton, and Moore is considered not for sale, meaning De Zerbi could retain both academy products this summer.
One new face joining De Zerbi’s backroom team is Agostino Tibaudi, a 60-year-old fitness and sports science specialist who has worked alongside the Italian since joining him at Sassuolo back in 2018.
Tibaudi brings a wealth of experience from previous roles at AC Milan, Sampdoria, Cagliari and Chelsea, and also holds a master’s degree in Science and Technology of Physical Activity.
Football.london understands that Tibaudi is currently expected to be the only additional returning face from De Zerbi’s past to join the new-look Tottenham backroom setup.
The post Luca Williams-Barnett Impresses Roberto De Zerbi As Mohammed Kudus Shows Positive Signs In Spurs Pre-Season appeared first on Gooner Daily.
