Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, France defender Alice Sombath has become Tottenham's record signing
ByEmma SandersBBC Sport women’s football news reporter- Published45 minutes ago
It is clear from Tottenham's summer transfer business that they have big ambitions in the Women's Super League next season.
Martin Ho's side have strengthened in the market, building a squad that, on paper, could cause a stir among the league's top clubs.
They finished fifth in the WSL last season - a significant improvement on the year before when they flirted with relegation.
Tottenham broke their club-record signing this summer to bring in France defender Alice Sombath from Lyon, having spent around £375,000 on Signe Gaupset in January.
They also signed forwards Shekiera Martinez and Kirsty Hanson, defender Caitlin Dijkstra, midfielder Victoria Pelova and goalkeeper Selma Panengstuen.
So how have they approached their transfer business and what are the club's ambitions this year?
What is Spurs' recruitment plan?
It is Spurs' seventh season in the top flight and their growth has been vast - the number of staff has increased and training facilities have improved.
They have their own base at the club's training centre on Hotspur Way but plans for a new women and girls academy facility was blocked in court this week.
Just months after promotion in 2019, they hosted almost 40,000 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the north London derby defeat by Arsenal.
A year later, they signed USA superstar Alex Morgan on a short-term loan after she gave birth and in 2024 they reached the Women's FA Cup final.
A disappointing season under Robert Vilahamn in 2024-25 led to his sacking and Ho's subsequent arrival, and Spurs jumped back up the table in his debut campaign.
Since Ho joined the club in July 2025, Tottenham have had a 12-month plan for recruitment and had identified targets in the three windows that followed.
Talks with striker Cathinka Tandberg and defender Toko Koga, who both joined in 2025, were advanced before Ho's contract was finalised and they have become key players under him.
Ho took time to look at the squad in his first summer to see what was needed before implementing widespread evolution plans.
Since then, sources at Tottenham say they signed all of their key targets in January and have already done the same this summer despite the window remaining open until 3 September.
There was a deliberate attempt to get deals wrapped up early so Ho could work with the entire squad for a full pre-season programme.
Meanwhile, managing director Andy Rogers, who has been at Spurs for 24 years, has led their transfer business this summer, keen to leave the club in a strong position and ensure a smooth handover before he steps down.
What is the ultimate ambition?
What that forward-planning and successful business does for Tottenham will be clearer at the end of the season.
They have consolidated their position as a WSL club and have enough off-field resources to start building towards European football.
Ho has been consistent in his messaging, stressing Tottenham's ambition is to compete with the WSL's best and to build a squad capable of playing in Europe.
With only the top three teams in the WSL qualifying for the Women's Champions League and with Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United dominating those spots, it is a huge step for Tottenham to make.
They also have to compete with fellow big-spenders London City Lionesses and Brighton, who themselves have ambitions of breaking into the top three.
Their investment and growth has been a catalyst for Spurs, who know they cannot be left behind in a period when transfer fee records are constantly being broken.
It is also a period in the women's game's development when discussions involving financial regulations and salary caps are still in their infancy.
That means clubs have the ability to pour in more money should they wish and with little regulatory fightback - though that could change in the near future.
Tottenham's spending on the women's side this summer has coincided with an ambitious window for the men's team, who are looking to bounce back from a poor campaign that almost led to their relegation from the Premier League.
It is part of an overall change in strategy following the departure of chairman Daniel Levy in September 2025 and subsequent movement in the boardroom.
Vinai Venkatesham also joined as chief executive officer from Arsenal in April 2025 and was crucial in their women's team's success, something he hopes to emulate at Tottenham.
By signing some of the best young talent across Europe - such as Gaupset and Sombath - and mixing that with proven WSL goalscorers Hanson and Martinez, Tottenham hope to supply Ho with a squad he can develop and mould.
Another huge challenge for the club remains the growth of the fanbase. Spurs had an average attendance of just 1,734 in the WSL last season - a figure that factored in higher-attended crowds at sporadic matches at the main stadium.
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