Micky van de Ven has described Tottenham Hotspur's record summer outlay as evidence of a "new ambition" at the club, while expressing confidence that Roberto de Zerbi will deliver a more attacking and entertaining brand of football after a season the defender called "unacceptable."

Speaking to BBC Sport in Sydney during Tottenham's pre-season tour, the 25-year-old centre-back said the club's transformation under De Zerbi had already injected fresh energy into the group.

"You can see the club has a new ambition," Van de Ven said. "It's something that's really important for players who have been here for a long time. Last season was a stressful season, unacceptable from our side, so to leave all of that behind and go into the new season fresh means a lot."

A miserable season to forget

Tottenham finished 17th in the Premier League in consecutive seasons, only avoiding relegation on the final day of last term. The club cycled through three managers — Thomas Frank, interim boss Igor Tudor, and finally De Zerbi — with Frank lasting fewer than eight months before his dismissal following a poor start, and Tudor departing after just 44 days.

Frank drew widespread criticism for a cautious, defensive style that failed to win over supporters. De Zerbi arrived with seven games remaining and took over a squad low on confidence.

Record spending and fresh faces

Under De Zerbi, appointed in late March, Spurs have spent a club-record £237m this summer. Earlier this month, they broke their transfer record twice within 48 hours, signing midfielder Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United for £85m and then landing Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United for £100m.

Netherlands team-mate Jan Paul van Hecke has also arrived from Brighton for £52m, while Marcos Senesi, Andrew Robertson, and Martin Dubravka have joined on free transfers.

Van de Ven, who joined Tottenham in 2023 on a six-year deal and is currently in talks over a new contract, believes the new arrivals have settled quickly.

"The guys who are coming in have been unbelievable," he said. "They have fit in well to the group."

De Zerbi's influence already felt

The Dutch defender spoke enthusiastically about De Zerbi's impact, pointing to a shift in mentality and a more expansive style of play that he expects fans to appreciate.

"It's going to be more with the ball, more about playing football," Van de Ven said. "It's also going to be more enjoyable for people to watch because we'll be playing offensive football. He has brought a lot of passion into our group — that's something we needed because everybody was a little bit down."

With a full pre-season to implement De Zerbi's system, Van de Ven is optimistic that Tottenham are ready to put two damaging campaigns firmly behind them.