Tottenham Close in on Savinho Signing for £75million
Tottenham are closing in on one of the headline deals of the window, having struck an agreement to sign winger Savinho from Manchester City for £75million, with a further £10m in potential add-ons. And they are not stopping there. Spurs are also targeting his City team-mate Omar Marmoush as Roberto De Zerbi’s rebuild gathers pace and cost.
If Savinho’s move goes through as expected, Tottenham’s summer outlay will surge past the £300m mark. They have already smashed their transfer record twice in a matter of weeks: first with the £85m arrival of Mateus Fernandes, then eclipsing that again with Sandro Tonali’s £100m switch from Newcastle. This is not a tweak of the squad. It is a reset.
“It is not right to speak about players until they are official,” he said, batting away the question but barely hiding his mood. “Just to say, I am very happy. We have not finished yet in the transfer market. It is an important part.
“So far, we have had a great [summer for] signings. Great players and personalities. But you don’t win the game with big-name players. We have to deserve to win games.”
The message was clear: the spending is spectacular, but it is only a starting point.
De Zerbi praised the alignment behind the scenes, highlighting the work of the club’s football structure as the deals continue to drop.
“We are working very well with Johan Lange, with Vinai [Venkatesham], and with Nick [Beucher] — with the whole board,” the Spurs head coach said, underlining a recruitment operation that has shifted into overdrive since his arrival.
Appointed in March, De Zerbi walked into a club staring over the edge. Tottenham only secured safety on the final day of last season, a brush with relegation that has left its mark on the Italian and his players.
“It feels like I’ve been here ten years, but just three months,” he admitted. “Three very intense months. We can’t forget what happened last season. It’s a big lesson for us. We are building a big project.”
That experience has shaped his demands for this summer. The chequebook is open, but De Zerbi’s priorities run deeper than headline fees and marquee names.
“Now the big challenge — the first two targets — we are very clear in ourselves, is to find the soul of the team,” he said. “The second target is to improve in our organisation of football, with the ball and without the ball.
“Our style has to be the key of our season. These two characteristics I want to find as soon as possible.”
Savinho and, potentially, Marmoush would add pace, flair and depth to a squad being rebuilt at speed. The real test is whether De Zerbi can turn this lavishly assembled group into a side with that “soul” he craves — and do it quickly enough to match the scale of Tottenham’s ambition.
