Tottenham Hotspur's lavish summer spending spree, which topped £300million and brought in players such as Sandro Tonali, Omar Marmoush and Savio, could soon be complemented by a significant boardroom appointment. The north London club are reportedly moving to install Piero Ausilio as their new sporting director, a role he held at Inter Milan for 16 years before departing the San Siro.
Italian media have suggested Spurs are prepared to confirm the appointment as early as January, a move that would mark a major shift in the club's recruitment strategy. Ausilio's reputation was built over nearly two decades at Inter, where he was responsible for identifying and negotiating a series of transfers that shaped the club's fortunes both domestically and in Europe.
Among his most notable successes is the signing of Lautaro Martinez, who arrived from Argentine club Racing for €23million in 2018. Nearly a decade on, the striker has amassed close to 200 goals for Inter, lifted multiple Serie A titles, and played a central role in two Champions League final appearances. He has also gone on to win the World Cup with Argentina, cementing the deal as one of the shrewdest of Ausilio's tenure.
Other midfield reinforcements have also proven pivotal. Nicolo Barella joined from Cagliari for €25million in 2020 following a loan spell and has since become an indispensable presence in a squad that has claimed domestic honours and competed for European glory. Hakan Calhanoglu's arrival in 2021, controversial given his free transfer from bitter rivals AC Milan, similarly paid off as the Turkish international established himself as a key figure in Inter's recent successful era.
Defensively, Milan Skriniar's move from Sampdoria in 2017 strengthened the backline during a period that included Inter's first Serie A title in a decade in 2020/21 and a Champions League final appearance two years later. Ausilio also showed an eye for value in goal, bringing in Yann Sommer for just €6.75million in 2023. The Swiss shot-stopper went on to win four domestic trophies across three seasons and featured in the 2025 Champions League final, earning praise as one of the finest goalkeepers in the world during that spell.
Not every deal was solely about the player's on-field contribution. Romelu Lukaku's arrival from Manchester United preceded a prolific 2020/21 campaign in which he scored 30 goals to help Inter win the title. However, his departure to Chelsea after just one season for €115million represented an even greater financial success, generating a profit of roughly €50million for the club.
A similar pattern emerged with Andre Onana, who joined on a free transfer from Ajax in 2022. Despite a solitary season that ended in Champions League final defeat to Manchester City, his subsequent €51million move to Manchester United proved lucrative for Inter, even if it has not worked out as hoped for the goalkeeper himself.
Not every Ausilio deal blossomed, however. Xherdan Shaqiri's switch to Inter failed to ignite, and he was sold to Stoke City for around €17million after just six months, while Mateo Kovacic, signed from Dinamo Zagreb for €13million in 2013, was later moved on to Real Madrid for €35million before establishing himself at Manchester City.
Should Ausilio indeed take up the sporting director role at Tottenham, his track record of blending value-for-money signings with shrewd sales suggests he could bring a similar approach to recruitment in north London.
Based on reporting from Standard Sport.