Emile Heskey believes that Roberto De Zerbi won’t be able to completely transform Tottenham’s fortunes next season, forecasting that the club will remain outside the top six.
Although Spurs narrowly avoided relegation on the final day of the current campaign, there is cautious optimism at the club ahead of the new season, largely due to the energy De Zerbi has injected into the team.
Tottenham are also moving quickly to rebuild their squad, with widespread reports suggesting they’re ready to invest heavily in new signings to climb back up the table.
However, not everyone is convinced a swift return to the upper echelons of the Premier League is on the cards. While Gabby Agbonlahor has suggested Spurs could challenge for European places under De Zerbi, and Sandro has even tipped them for a top-four finish, Heskey disagrees.
Asked to predict his top six for the 2026–27 season, the former Liverpool and England striker told Hajper (via The Metro): “Manchester City will be champions with or without Pep Guardiola. They look good now but they’re really going to come together as a team next season. Top four I’ll say Man City, Man United, Liverpool and Arsenal. Then Aston Villa fifth and Newcastle United in sixth.”
Heskey’s forecast leaves no room for Tottenham in the top six.
Why Spurs could still surprise
Pundits often underestimate the advantage of playing just one game per week, which will be Tottenham’s reality for most of next season after missing out on European competition. The last time Spurs had no European fixtures, they finished fifth under Ange Postecoglou in 2023–24.
There’s little reason De Zerbi couldn’t achieve a similar result. Moreover, having already had a couple of months to work with the squad, the Italian is well placed to address the team’s weaknesses ahead of the summer transfer window.
