Tottenham opened their pre-season tour in Oceania with a victory, beating Auckland FC 2-0 in front of a record crowd in New Zealand for a football match (over 40,000 spectators), but Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi wanted to make one thing clear to his players, inviting "anyone who is not happy, anyone who is not proud to be here, to leave".
The Italian who arrived in London at the end of March must have deemed it necessary to spell out his approach in no uncertain terms, as transfer market rumours — a veritable merry-go-round of moves and money in the Premier League — continue to unsettle the dressing room.
For the friendly, De Zerbi rested most of his best players, fielding among the numerous new signings only former West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes. Jan Paul van Hecke and Andy Robertson are not yet match fit, and Sandro Tonali, who cost £107 million, is also sidelined with an unspecified injury — "a minor issue" — that occurred before the squad's departure from London.