Tottenham Hotspur chief executive Vinay Venkatesham says the club have become more decisive in the transfer market after admitting they had kept players for too long in the past.
In an open letter published on Tottenham Hotspur’s official website before the club’s first home game of the new Premier League season, Venkatesham outlined a series of changes he believes will help the club recover from what he described as one of the most difficult campaigns in its history.
“This summer, we have adopted a more proactive approach to player sales, completing deals when we deemed it appropriate,” he wrote.
Venkatesham also said Tottenham had structured some of their transactions so the club could continue to benefit if departing players reached certain milestones later in their careers.
He said the club’s ownership team and board were focused on building teams capable of competing at the highest level, with the same ambition applying to both the men’s and women’s sides.
“Tottenham Hotspur is one club, two teams,” Venkatesham wrote, adding that both would receive the support, resources and environment required to achieve their objectives.
The chief executive acknowledged that some supporters had become frustrated by previous promises that had not been matched by action. He said Tottenham had attempted to address that concern during the summer through changes to the men’s first-team squad, medical department, training facilities and academy.
Tottenham have strengthened the squad with a focus on players possessing the character, physical qualities and ability required to meet the club’s targets. Venkatesham said the recruitment included experienced footballers with extensive Premier League experience as well as younger players considered capable of developing further at the club.
The club have also overhauled their performance team after suffering what Venkatesham described as too many injuries in recent years. New specialists, skills and expertise have been introduced as Tottenham seek to change their approach to performance, medical care and physical preparation.
The first-team training facility has been significantly renovated, with the aim of improving the squad’s resilience and player availability. Venkatesham cautioned that the changes would not produce immediate results but said the club had established the right foundations for improvement.
Tottenham have also recruited a group of players aged 16 and under as part of a long-term commitment to developing first-team talent through the academy. Venkatesham said the academy must remain central to the club’s future.
Further work has been carried out at the Tottenham Hotspur Training Centre, including new tactical meeting rooms, improvements to the players’ dining area and updated wall art and branding. The intention, he said, was to create an environment that maximised team performance and felt more like a home for elite competition.
Venkatesham also addressed concerns about the relationship between the club and its supporters, saying he often heard from fans and former players who felt insufficiently connected to Tottenham.
He said the club wanted to bring supporters, former players and current teams together as “one Tottenham family”, using the club’s history and traditions as the basis for rebuilding that connection.
Tottenham have begun that process through content on their official channels and by inviting many former players to share lunch with members of the current first-team squad. Venkatesham accepted that more work was needed and said rebuilding a sense of belonging would take time.
“Football always comes with challenges, but we will begin the new season with belief, determination, and unity,” he wrote.
“Welcome back, and let’s work together to make this a season everyone can be proud of.”
