Why Spurs should sign an unstoppable £43m winger instead of Sabinho

Tottenham Hotspur are like precious racehorses, sprinting through every hurdle and clearing country miles as they prepare for the Premier League season.

This was a great start for Spurs. Roberto de Zerbi managed to strengthen the defense in the form of Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke.

But in what feels like a complete rebuild of the squad, he has secured an £85m deal for Matheus Fernandes and is also poised to snap up Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali for a whopping £100m, a club record.

Let’s not forget about the goalkeeper department. Just before these eye-catching transactions were to be completed in the middle of the park, Martin Dubravka arrived to play second fiddle to Antonin Kinski.

What’s next for De Zerbi’s rebuild at Tottenham?

Spurs’ next big priority is signing a new batch of attacking players. It’s true that defense was a big problem last season, but they also had problems creating and scoring goals.

Therefore, in order to further improve the quality of the side, they appointed Savinho from Manchester City. A year ago, the Lilywhites tried to sign the Brazilian player, but to no avail.

Spurs made several bids to City, but they would not let him go. But a year on, their hopes of signing him appear to have brightened.

That’s because after the arrival of Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo, he barely kicked a ball all season. Tottenham are currently in talks to complete a move that could cost £60m.

But he is not the only winger the club is eyeing. The Independent’s Miguel Delaney reports that Rafael Leao has become an option in Spurs’ hierarchy.

It is noted that the Londoners are already informally discussing the idea of ​​signing the Portuguese player this summer with AC Milan.

Leo has made it clear he is leaving the San Siro and could move for a cut price of £43m, as Football FanCast has already discussed this term.

Comparison of Rafael Leao and Savinho

Signing Sabinho a year ago made a lot of sense. He had a great season with Josep Guardiola, scoring just three goals in all competitions but providing 13 assists.

The Brazilian was one of Europe’s most creative wingers until the 2024/25 season, making as many key passes as Bernardo Silva in the Premier League with 1.6 key passes per game, just behind the great Kevin De Bruyne, who made 2.1 key passes per game.

However, the winger was not at his best throughout last season, suffering from a lack of playing time, mainly due to Cherki and Semenyo, but also due to his own form.

In 2025/26, he only scored four goals and provided three assists in all competitions, starting just seven league games.

He’s still just 22 years old and there’s a good chance he could get a deal out of Sabinho, but there’s no doubt that Leo, who has more experience, would be a better deal for De Zerbi.

Hailed as “one of the best left wingers in the world” by Como scout Ben Mattinson, the 27-year-old has shown himself to be a truly elite winger in recent years. In fact, his final product is much more consistent than Savigno’s.

Leo has scored double-digit goals in each of the past five seasons. He is certainly a more prolific player than Sabinho in that regard. But the Portuguese star is also a strong creator. The 2025/26 season was the first season in five years that a forward did not reach double figures in assists.

One of the Man City winger’s biggest plus points is his ability to dribble and carry the ball. He ranks in the best 1% of wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive actions per 90 minutes, the best 1% for progressive carries, and the top 5% for successful dribbles.

Although Leo isn’t quite up to him in that regard, he still has an incredible ability to confuse defenders. The Milan superstar ranks in the top 4% for progressive actions and top 2% for progressive carries.

Needless to say, he’s also in his prime right now. All for £43m, which feels like a no-brainer considering the spending Spurs have already completed this summer.