SPURS IDENTIFY SURPRISE PREMIER LEAGUE STRIKER AS THE FINAL SIGNING OF THE WINDOW AFTER SAVINHO AND OMAR MARMOUSH
SPURS IDENTIFY SURPRISE PREMIER LEAGUE STRIKER AS THE FINAL SIGNING OF THE WINDOW AFTER SAVINHO AND OMAR MARMOUSH.
Spurs have been extremely active during what has been a major squad rebuild under new manager Roberto De Zerbi. The north London club have already invested heavily in reshaping their team, and their spending is set to rise considerably once their expected agreements for Savinho and Marmoush are officially completed.
Tottenham are understood to have reached an agreement with Manchester City over the signing of Savinho. Multiple reports indicate that the proposed deal is worth an initial £75 million, with a further £10 million potentially payable through add-ons.
The Brazilian winger has been one of Tottenham’s major targets throughout the summer, and after weeks of negotiations, Spurs now appear to be closing in on securing his signature. However, their interest in Manchester City players does not appear to end with Savinho.
According to The Athletic, Tottenham are also making significant progress in their attempts to sign City forward Omar Marmoush. Talks between the clubs are described as advancing, although the Egyptian international’s potential transfer would be negotiated separately from the Savinho agreement.
Should both deals be completed, Tottenham would have added two high-profile attacking players from one of the Premier League’s strongest squads, further underlining the scale of De Zerbi’s plans for the club.
The spending is particularly notable given how much Tottenham have already invested this summer. The club had reportedly surpassed the £225 million mark in transfer expenditure before the anticipated arrivals of Savinho and Marmoush. That figure highlights just how dramatic the rebuild has become since De Zerbi took charge.
Tottenham supporters have endured a relatively quiet period in terms of new arrivals since July 6, when Sandro Tonali joined from Newcastle United in a club-record transfer worth £100 million. However, the apparent acceleration of activity in recent weeks suggests that the wait for further reinforcements could soon be over.
And if reports are accurate, Tottenham may not stop after completing the Manchester City double swoop.
Mateta emerges as another Tottenham target
Football Insider claim that De Zerbi remains keen to strengthen his attacking options and has identified Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta as a player who could be added to his squad.
The 29-year-old French striker has established himself as one of Palace’s most dependable goalscorers in recent seasons. Mateta has managed to score at least 10 Premier League goals in each of his last three campaigns, making him an attractive option for a Tottenham side looking for additional firepower.
His performances at club level have also helped him break further into the France setup. Mateta was included in France’s World Cup squad and made three substitute appearances during the tournament, playing a combined 21 minutes as his country progressed to the semi-finals before ultimately being eliminated by eventual champions Spain.
A move to Tottenham would nevertheless come with some concerns, particularly because of the striker’s previous injury problems.
Mateta was reportedly close to joining Italian giants AC Milan during the January transfer window, only for the proposed transfer to collapse after medical examinations raised concerns about an old knee injury.
The issue reportedly traced back to 2019, when Mateta suffered a meniscus rupture during his time with Mainz. Although the problem had been treated, Milan’s medical staff identified concerns that eventually led to the player undergoing surgery before returning to competitive action for Palace.
Mateta later revealed just how significant the discovery had been and expressed his appreciation towards Milan’s doctors for identifying the problem.
Speaking to French outlet Canal+ in July, the striker questioned how long he might have continued playing with the issue had the medical examination not brought it to light. His comments highlighted the seriousness of the problem and could naturally make any potential suitor more cautious.
For Tottenham, that could be particularly relevant given the injury concerns that have surrounded their existing striking options.
Dominic Solanke and Richarlison have both experienced injury problems during their time at the club, meaning adding another forward with a complicated medical history could represent a potential gamble.
However, Mateta has since returned to action and demonstrated that he can still make an important contribution. He came back from his knee problem in March and played a role in Crystal Palace’s successful run to the Conference League title.
Following the end of that campaign, Mateta was also selected by France for the World Cup, further suggesting that his fitness had not prevented him from remaining an important player at both club and international level.
There is some uncertainty surrounding his current fitness, though. Mateta has not featured for Palace during pre-season since returning from the World Cup.
Despite that absence, new Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage is reportedly confident that the striker will be ready to feature when Palace begin their Premier League campaign away against Everton on Saturday.
That could be encouraging news for Tottenham if their interest develops into something more concrete, as it would indicate that the forward is expected to be available for competitive football again.
Tottenham’s attacking plans continue to evolve
Tottenham’s potential interest in Mateta also raises questions about the club’s wider plans for their forward line.
With Savinho and Marmoush seemingly close to arriving, Spurs would already have significantly increased their attacking options. Savinho would provide additional creativity and pace from wide areas, while Marmoush would give De Zerbi another versatile attacking player capable of operating in different positions.
Adding Mateta would give Tottenham another natural centre-forward and potentially provide greater competition for Solanke and Richarlison.
The club are also believed to retain an interest in Liverpool attacker Cody Gakpo. Tottenham’s pursuit of Gakpo could, however, be influenced by what happens with their other attacking targets.
If Spurs successfully complete deals for Savinho, Marmoush and potentially Mateta, it remains unclear whether they would still consider Gakpo a priority. Alternatively, De Zerbi could see the Liverpool forward as a separate target who would further strengthen the squad rather than simply being an alternative to one of the other players.
For now, Tottenham appear to be keeping their options open.
The potential pursuit of Mateta is particularly intriguing because it would represent a different type of signing from the expected Manchester City deals. While Savinho and Marmoush are both high-profile attacking additions, Mateta would offer De Zerbi a more traditional centre-forward option with considerable Premier League experience.
His record of scoring consistently for Palace over the past three seasons could make him an appealing option, especially if Tottenham want additional depth and competition in the striker position.
At the same time, his previous knee problem means Spurs would need to carefully assess the potential risks before making a major financial commitment.
With the club already spending heavily under De Zerbi, every additional transfer will attract significant attention from supporters. The prospect of bringing in Savinho, Marmoush and another Premier League-proven striker demonstrates just how ambitious Tottenham’s recruitment strategy has become.
For now, Savinho and Marmoush appear to be the immediate priorities, with negotiations progressing on both fronts. But if Football Insider’s report proves accurate, Spurs could soon turn their attention towards Mateta as they look to complete what could become one of the most dramatic squad rebuilds in the club’s recent history.
And with the new Premier League season about to begin, Tottenham supporters may not have to wait much longer to discover just how far De Zerbi intends to take his overhaul.
