Tottenham sporting director Johan Lange has shed light on the club’s decision to break the bank to refresh the squad this summer.

After two back-to-back 17th-place finishes and nearly being relegated from the Premier League last season, Tottenham decided to spend big in the summer to ensure the situation does not repeat itself.

The North London club shelled out just under £400m on 10 new signings, managing to complete an overhaul of the squad in a single window.

The club also broke their previous transfer record of £65m on Dominic Solanke three times in the window to bring in Sandro Tonali (£100m), Mateus Fernandes (£85m) and Savio (£85m).

The decisive and ambitious nature in which Spurs acted represented a clear depature from their cautious manner in which they operated under Daniel Levy.

Johan Lange admits Tottenham’s summer business has raised expectations

The Tottenham sporting director admitted that those working at the highest level have got used to the big fees, insisting that Spurs had to operate at that level to compete with their rivals.

However, Lange conceded that the club’s big spending in the summer has raised expectations on Roberto De Zerbi’s side this term.

When asked about Tottenham’s splurge in the transfer window, the Dane told Borsen: “Well, the prices. To a certain extent, you get used to them. After all, these are the same amounts that competitors pay. All clubs’ scouting networks are so good these days that finding a player that others have overlooked, in a league that no one has heard of, for a tenth of the price – that race is over.

“It certainly raises expectations (the money spent). But it’s not because I think about it every day. I think all clubs think it’s hard to find good players. For people who aren’t into football, it might sound completely insane that there aren’t a lot of players to choose from when you have £80m. But how many players have the quality to justify such an investment?

“For every player you buy, you might have three or five clubs you talk to. If we need a right winger, we might be talking about five different players, five clubs, five agents. That’s a lot of balls to keep in the air at the same time.”

Lange explains his empowering leadership style

The 46-year-old is in charge of a number of various football departments at the club, but he admitted that he is not one to micro-manage.

Lange revealed that Tottenham have hired the best specialists in each department and they have been empowered to do their job.

He added about his leadership style: “The best in their field shouldn’t be managed in detail. I’m a big believer in hiring the best people in your management team without compromise. They hire the best specialists in their teams, and slowly, but surely, you develop a fantastic organisation and culture.”