Alan Shearer concedes his Tottenham top‑six forecast was doomed by overspend

Alan Shearer has publicly reversed his pre‑season view that Tottenham Hotspur would finish in the Premier League top six, acknowledging that the club’s massive summer outlay has left them bottom of the table after five games.

Summer spending fails to translate into points

Tottenham’s recent spend, which exceeded £300 million, sparked optimism among supporters. Yet the team have amassed only two points from five matches and remain winless, scoring their first Premier League goals of the term late in a 3‑2 defeat to Aston Villa.

Roberto De Zerbi’s side entered the campaign with record‑breaking signings – Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali arrived for club‑record fees, while Jan Paul van Hecke was bought from Brighton and Savio and Omar Marmoush arrived from Manchester City.

Shearer slams the transfer policy

Speaking to Betfair, Shearer said: “I guess De Zerbi went into this summer with a list of players that he wanted and they have spent a fortune perhaps on all those players. I’m not sure the fees warrant the ability, but no one would have expected them to be bottom of the league.”

He added, “I’ve said many times that they brought the players in this summer, but they spent an absolute fortune on them. Van Hecke was a lot of money, Tonali was incredible money, Savio and Marmoush (on loan) are others as well.”

Shearer warns Roberto De Zerbi that Spurs risk relegation despite Champions hopes

Future outlook remains uncertain

Despite the dire start, Shearer believes Spurs can avoid a relegation battle, citing the club’s recovery after a similar poor opening five games last season. “I still think they’ll have enough to stay up,” he said, noting the “massive amount of work to be done at Spurs.”

He also recalled that Tottenham finished 17th in each of the two previous seasons, warning that “successive 17th place finishes” underline the challenge ahead.

The criticism comes from a piece published by Samuel Meade, Sports Brand Writer, at 08:03 on 23 Sep 2026, under the Sport section, with the article marked “View 2 Images”.

Robertson backs De Zerbi as Spurs grapple with a painful start in London

Boos rang out in north London as the team failed to break their winless run, and the club’s fans now question whether the £300 million investment will ever deliver a European spot.