What a summer it’s been for Tottenham Hotspur, who are on the brink of relegation.
Football isn’t played on paper, but Spurs already look significantly improved. Any thoughts of another relegation battle should have long gone.
The Lilywhites signed a number of defenders, including Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke, but there was even room to add Martin Dubravka in a bargain.
There’s also the small matter of a combined £185 million spent on Matheus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali. Maybe a winger is next, maybe Rafael Leao.
How to compare Rafael Leao to Tottenham’s winger target
It would be logical to think that Tottenham’s coffers were empty after clearing their transfer records to sign Tonali.
Unfortunately, Roberto De Zerbi has not yet finished spending and while a new club-record signing may not be in the cards, it is thought that big money could be spent to strengthen the forward.
Leo is one of Spurs’ priority targets and talks are said to have taken place between Tottenham and the player’s camp. But he’s not the only one they’re looking at.
Codi Gakpo, Savinho, and RB Leipzig’s Antonio Nusa are said to be players to watch, but who should be the first choice?
Well, if you want someone with strong ability and already has Premier League football experience, Kodi Gakpo is the one for you. Sabinho has only scored seven goals in his first two seasons at Manchester City, but the Liverpool star has scored 27 goals in the same period. The Dutch are much more prolific.
Spurs winger’s 2025/26 goals | ||
|---|---|---|
player | the goal | assist |
lion | 10 | 3 |
Savigno | 5 | 3 |
steel | 9 | 6 |
Nusa | 5 | 4 |
rashford | 14 | 11 |
He is more prolific than Nusa and better than Leo. The Norwegian sensation has scored just nine times over the past two seasons. Leo has scored 22 points, so he is similar in terms of scoring.
Considering quality and consistency alone, the AC Milan winger would be a great acquisition. He has scored more than 10 goals in each of the last five seasons, which is a big thing, but he has never played for England before. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be a failure, but it does mean he’ll take time to adapt.
That’s why Gakpo and Sabinho might actually spend their money wisely this summer. That being said, there is even better talent on their shortlist, and there is a real chance he could join this summer.
Why Spurs need to prioritize £90m Premier League star
Three years ago, Harry Kane left Tottenham. Finally the unthinkable happened and everything went downhill from then on. Son Heung-min’s departure a year ago didn’t help either.
Without them, the Spurs lacked star power and lacked the talismans and symbols to open the door to glory. In Tonali, De Zerbi may have found a player who can replicate their impact, but he is not a forward and will not inspire his team with goals.
That would be the case with Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Crupi. The French striker has been the subject of interest from a number of clubs this summer, particularly Arsenal.
However, Tottenham have also qualified and according to TEAMtalk over the weekend, the Londoners have new confidence that they can sign Crupi this summer.
That’s because, despite being considered a dream target for PSG, the Cherries attacker does not want to join PSG if he has to play for Ousmane Dembele and others. Fair enough? He needs to play regular football at this age if he is to continue to develop as he has.
Spurs have therefore stepped up their bid for the 19-year-old, who is thought to be very attractive to the idea of joining De Zerbi’s squad. Previous reports had put the asking price at £90 million.
So why is he a better player than Leo and what can he bring to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium? Well, it’s no exaggeration to say that this is one of the best young players in the world at the moment. As a teenager, he has already achieved what his older peers would have dreamed of achieving.
Leading teenage goalscorers – Premier League history | |
|---|---|
player | Aggregation of goals |
1. Michael Owen | 40 |
2. Robbie Fowler | 35 |
3. Wayne Rooney | 30 |
4. Mason Greenwood | 20 |
5. Nicolas Anelka | 19 |
6. Alan Smith | 17 |
=6. francis jeffers | 17 |
8. Raheem Sterling | 14 |
=8. Romelu Lukaku | 14 |
=8. chris bert williams | 14 |
11. So Junior Croup | 13 |
Last season, the youngster scored 13 goals. No teenager has scored more goals in his debut season in the Premier League. To put this number into context, this is a number that Leo has beaten three times, but despite his age, it’s not that big of a difference.
The 27-year-old scored 14 in 2021/22, 16 in 2022/23 and 15 in 2023/24. But Crupi has true world-class potential. This is a player who is becoming an elite player, if he isn’t already.
Rarely have I seen a player adapt to Premier League life so quickly at his age. He only joined Bournemouth a year ago, having joined after playing for Lorient in League Two.
What distinguishes Crupi from Leo is not only his potential and decision-making ability, but also his versatility. This is a player who can play as a striker, as a number 10 or above, and as a wide player. The fact that he can do that at such a young age is impressive, and he will get even better in each of those roles.
The brilliant Frenchman starred for Bournemouth last season, scoring seven goals in 19 games as a striker and six goals in 16 games as a second striker/number 10. The previous year, he found the back of the net seven times in six games as a left winger.
It definitely makes sense to invest in the 19-year-old over Leo this summer, as he is extremely versatile, an incredibly calm finisher and a player with incredible potential.
