FPL signings: Will Senesi still rack up defensive contributions at Spurs?

The Scout assesses appeal of Argentinian defender following his move from Bournemouth

Ahead of 2026/27 Fantasy Premier League, The Scout analyses some of the biggest transfers of the summer 2026 window.

Marcos Senesi has joined Tottenham Hotspur from AFC Bournemouth on a free transfer, where he’s just had his best season in Fantasy Premier League.

The Argentinian amassed 175 points in 2025/26, making him Fantasy’s third highest-scoring defender.

He racked up 11 clean sheets, six assists, 14 bonus points and, perhaps most importantly, a massive 50 points from defensive contributions (DC), more than any other defender.

He reached the required threshold for two DC points in 25 of his 37 starts, an impressive success rate of 67.6 per cent.

Top defenders for defensive contribution points 25/26

Player
DC pts
Team
Matches played

Senesi
50
BOU
37

Tarkowski
44
EVE
37

Andersen
40
FUL
33

Lacroix
40
CRY
35

Esteve
38
BUR
34

Scroll across on mobile to see full table

The big question is whether Senesi will maintain his success with defensive contributions after switching teams. Is it something Senesi will offer in Fantasy at ANY club?

Notably, his fellow Bournemouth defender James Hill also performed well for defensive contributions in 2025/26. Despite starting only 22 matches over the season, he returned 28 DC points, a total bettered by just 10 defenders. 

This suggests the Cherries’ style of play helped their centre-backs to rack up defensive contributions, and that Senesi’s success last season was largely due to who he was playing for, rather than something he will naturally offer for any club.

Do Spurs centre-backs get defensive contributions? 

Let’s look at how Spurs’ centre-backs performed in their seven matches under Roberto De Zerbi at the end of last season, after he took charge ahead of Gameweek 32.

Only two defenders managed to return defensive contributions points in that period – Kevin Danso and Pedro Porro.

But the pair did so consistently, each hitting the threshold in five of their seven appearances. Danso’s tally, intriguingly for Senesi as a centre-back, came in just 572 minutes played. 

See: Why Senesi looks a perfect fit for De Zerbi’s Spurs

On the flip side, Micky van de Ven, who played every minute under De Zerbi, failed to get any DC points. In fact, he never got close – his best tally in a match was seven defensive contributions, which he only managed once.

This suggests De Zerbi has clearly defined roles in his back four which has a big impact on which players get defensive contributions, and that Senesi’s potential will depend on who he replaces in the Lilywhites’ backline. 

How Spurs defenders performed under De Zerbi (GW32-GW38)

Player
DC pts
Matches
Mins

Danso
10
7
572

Porro
10
7
630

Van de Ven
0
7
630

Romero
0
1
63

Spence
0
6
279

Udogie
0
6
487

Dragusin
0
2
17

Scroll across on mobile to see full table

Senesi also offers attacking returns

Importantly, Senesi isn’t solely reliant on defensive contributions. Only two defenders got more assists last season than his six.

Defenders with most assists 25/26

Player
Total
Team

Nunes
8
MCI

Digne
7
AVL

Timber
6
ARS

Hartman
6
BUR

Senesi
6
BOU

Truffert
6
BOU

James
6
CHE

Dalot
6
MUN

Diouf
6
WHU

Scroll across on mobile to see full table

Although it is rare for a central defender to produce that many assists, his Expected Goal Involvement tally of 6.2 suggests Senesi more or less delivered the goal contributions that he deserved over the season.

The 29-year-old laid on seven big chances for his team-mates, ranking joint-third among all defenders, and created a chance every 137 minutes.

Senesi also showed his attacking threat two seasons previously, in 2023/24, returning four goals and five assists for Bournemouth. 

So, will he offer the same attacking returns at Spurs?

Encouragingly, Spurs’ first-choice centre-backs Van de Ven and Cristian Romero scored eight goals between them in 2025/26.

There is other data that suggests Spurs will give Senesi chances from set-plays. Only five players took more successful corners than right-back Pedro Porro in 2025/26, and midfielder James Maddison’s return from injury should also increase the set-piece threat.

So, will Senesi be a good Fantasy asset in 2026/27?

It remains to be seen whether Senesi can carry over his impressive Fantasy form at his new club. 

Spurs have six senior centre-backs in their squad, which suggests that – barring any departures – Senesi will have to fight for his place at the start of the season.

However, there are encouraging conclusions to be drawn. The Argentinian’s underlying attacking data is strong, and Danso has proved there is potential for regular defensive contribution points from a centre-back in De Zerbi’s Spurs team.