Tottenham in danger of breaking Premier League rule as Roberto De Zerbi set to make crucial Deadline Day decision

Tottenham Hotspur have been busy in the transfer window this summer as they build a squad for Roberto De Zerbi to compete for silverware this season.

This has seen Spurs acquire the likes of Jan Paul van Hecke, Sandro Tonali, and Savio, with their total expenditure being £304.5 million.

However, they have not had the desired impact on the club in their opening two fixtures, as they were comfortably beaten by both Brentford and Newcastle United.

This poor start has seen De Zerbi and Spurs once again turn towards the transfer market to find solutions, with the club now set to acquire two signings from their London rivals Chelsea.

The arrival of Mykhailo Mudryk and Tosin Adarabioyo will mean that Spurs have made 10 additions to their squad this summer, the Ukrainian joining on loan, while the defender makes a permanent move that will initially cost £ 7 million before rising with add-ons.

However, these deals will have a seismic impact upon the club as they are set to break a Premier League rule, one relating to non-homegrown players.

Premier League clubs can register up to 25 senior players for the 2026/27 season, but the rules state that only 17 can be non-homegrown.

A homegrown player is someone who was registered with an English or Welsh club for at least three complete seasons before turning 21, with the player being developed, not their nationality, alongside the fact that eligible Under-21 players sit outside this limit.

These two additions will mean that Spurs have 18 non-homegrown players and so they will have to bid farewell to one of their squad to follow the rules of the Premier League.

Mykhaylo Mudryk

Solutions to Tottenham Hotspur’s non-homegrown player issue

The obvious solution is to bid farewell to Richarlison, with Spurs wanting the attacker to exit the club this summer.

It was believed he was part of the deal with Everton that would have seen him return to Goodison Park for the campaign, while Iliman Ndiaye would have made the move to London.

Or he could be the man not registered for their Premier League campaign following the closure of the transfer window if he is still at the club come 11 pm tonight.

However, another method of freeing up a place regarding the non-homegrown players would be to not register Xavi Simons for the first half of the season as he recovers from his ACL injury. This would allow him the time to fully recover and to help them in the second-half of the campaign.

The only other easy solution would be to not register the summer signing of Martin Dubravka; however, this would make his acquisition pointless if he was not able to fulfil his role as deputising keeper, leaving this role to Brandon Austin.