The Lilywhites have struggled for a long time since Son Heung-min left Tottenham Hotspur a year ago. Of course, it’s not all Son’s fault, but it was clear last term that they didn’t have a real talisman.
Whether it was due to injuries or defensive deficiencies, the Spurs looked doomed. 17th place was well worth their effort.
But with Roberto de Zerbi in command, they returned with a vengeance. They are finally set to replace Son and potentially Harry Kane.
In fact, attention has been focused on strengthening the front line after the club-record arrivals of Matheus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali.
Spurs sign £52m Savinho replacement
It will look as if Spurs have clear instructions this summer. Sign a player with a proven track record in the Premier League. In attack, Eli Junior Crupi is the latest exciting name to be linked with a move to Tottenham. However, they face competition from some of Europe’s elite clubs to sign him from Bournemouth.
The most concrete link is Manchester City winger Sabinho. Previous reports revealed that Tottenham are already in talks with City over the Brazilian.
Spurs’ recruitment team tried to sign him a year ago, but in the end Sabinho ended up staying at the Etihad. However, this time, there is a growing possibility that he will leave after starting just seven league games throughout the season.
The arrival of Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo had a negative impact not only on his game time, but also on Omar Marmouche’s game time. Coincidentally, the Egyptian is another player on De Zerbi’s wishlist.
This comes as Caught Offside reported this weekend that Spurs have shown a strong interest in the forward and are planning to launch an “official bid” to sign him in the coming days.
City are demanding a £52m fee to sell Marmouche this summer, with a number of clubs interested including Juventus, Aston Villa and several Bundesliga teams.
Why is Marmouche preferred over Sabinho?
Do you want to strengthen your defense? Tick-tock. Reinforce the midfield? Tick-tock. Do you want to strengthen your attack? Still pending.
Spurs have had a promising start to the transfer window with the big-money arrivals of Jan-Paul van Hecke and Matheus Fernandes. Tonali’s impending move has yet to be officially announced, but he is widely expected to head to north London for a staggering £100m fee.
Immediately the spine of the team looks much better, but now they need to invest a little in star power, a forward player who is ready to surprise and transform the attacking nature of De Zerbi’s team.
It’s safe to say that Sabinho will definitely help, considering he’s probably not the better choice of the two City players here. Sabinho has shown some creative flair and even provided 13 assists in 2024-25, but he is not a regular goalscorer.
Spurs already have a creative side. Xavi Simmons will be out until the end of the 2026/27 season, but James Maddison and Mohamed Kudus will both return to join that division.
What they needed after Harry Kane left was a regular goalscorer. Well, in the form of Marmouche. They would land it.
Like Savinho, the Egyptian international struggled to feature in the 2025-26 season, starting just eight games in the Premier League. It must be said that there are very few players who start before Erling Haaland. Josep Guardiola also played a little differently than in previous years, when the likes of Marmouche and Julian Alvarez served as second strikers for the big Norwegian.
Marmouche, by competition 2024/25 | ||
|---|---|---|
competition | game | the goal |
Bundesliga | 17 | 15 |
premier league | 16 | 7 |
europe league | 6 | 4 |
FA Cup | 4 | 1 |
DFB Cup | 3 | 1 |
club world cup | 3 | 0 |
champions league | 2 | 0 |
But last season he was electric. He is a ruthless attacker who can play on the flank, behind the centre-forward or as a lone frontman. Sabinho has only scored seven goals in 84 games for the Citizens, while Marmouche has scored 16 goals in 61 games.
This may not be the best number on paper, but he only started 36 games under Pep.
However, 2024/25 was particularly beneficial for the 27-year-old. After securing a move to City in the winter, he enjoyed an incredible run of form at Eintrach Frankfurt, scoring 15 goals in 17 Bundesliga appearances. He then went on to score seven goals in 16 Premier League games in his final domestic game in England.
He is far more prolific than Sabinho and could be the game-changing forward player De Zerbi needs after strengthening his back and midfield.
Why new Dele looks complete at Spurs after Tonali and Fernandes signings
Let’s take a look at how Spurs’ current squad could be affected following the signings of Tonali and Fernandes.
