It’s been a rocky start to the transfer window for Tottenham Hotspur, but some may be wary of facing a repeat of last summer’s campaign, as the Lilywhites were thwarted by one potential target after another.
From Morgan Gibbs-White to Eberechi Eze and Antoine Semenyo to Brian Mbeumo, it was almost a window of bad luck for then boss Thomas Frank, who was nailed time and time again in terms of recruitment.
Will it be a similar story with Roberto De Zerbi pursuing Sandro Tonali? While they are pursuing a deal for England star Elliott Anderson, rivals Manchester City could be ready to pounce on the Italian as well.
City could sanction two £100m-plus deals for the midfield pair, who boast financial strength that few other clubs across Europe can match.
Tonali may end up at the Etihad, but Spurs have not lost hope yet, with the north London side also keeping tabs on further targets in any case.
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It remains to be seen what City’s interest in competing for Tonali means, but reports earlier this week suggested that Spurs have indeed agreed personal terms with the 26-year-old.
The north Londoners appear intent on pursuing proven Premier League options such as Tonali, with work still underway to sign Brazilian winger Savinho from the Manchester side.
Amid their disastrous run in the top flight, many of the team’s attacking options are lacking, and reinforcements on the wing appear to be a priority following a breakout season in the division.
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This has prompted the ENIC regime to consider options abroad, with TEAMtalk reporting that Spurs have begun negotiations ahead of a move for Cologne star Said El Mara.
According to reports, the Lilywhites are hoping to beat Newcastle United by signing his 19-year-old brother Marek and break Marek’s contract. Marek, 21, also has a contract with the Bundesliga side.
El Mara appear to be open to a move to the Premier League, with it said they are “positive” that a deal for the teenager, likely to be worth around £40 million, could be concluded “in the coming weeks”.
Why El Mara could be another son at Spurs
Last season’s N17 had problems all over the park, with no single main cause, pushing the club to the brink of relegation.
PL Goals and Assists – 25/26 | |
|---|---|
player | commitment to goals |
Richarlison | 15 |
straw | 7 |
simon | 7 |
holy | 7 |
Searle | 6 |
Romero | 5 |
van de ven | 5 |
telephone number | 5 |
gray | 4 |
mountain wall | 4 |
However, it was the attacking team that was particularly underwhelming, with Richarlison surprisingly leading the way to goals, taking total goal involvement and becoming one of the few players to record at least a stellar track record in the top flight.
Quality and stability on the flanks is particularly tenuous, with Spurs still unable to find a true successor to Son Heung-min on the left. Even after growing up, the Korean player still scored 16 goals and provided an assist in the league in the 2024/25 season.
The relatively unknown talent, plucked from Bayer Leverkusen a decade ago, rose to superstardom in north London and assumed talismanic status following Harry Kane’s departure in 2023.
El Mara is currently a rising star in German football, and the teenager will be expected to make similar strides if he agrees to a deal after impressing last season.
Like Son, the young German is primarily a left winger, but is also capable of playing centrally and looks to be devastating wherever he lines up.
In fact, over the course of the 2025/26 season, the £40m-rated starlet scored 13 goals and contributed four assists in the Bundesliga, an impressive figure considering he only actually started 20 games.
Such a record is not that different from what Son achieved during his time with Leverkusen. The fleet-footed speedster scored 11 goals and provided one assist in the Bundesliga in 2014/15, followed by 14 goals and an assist in 2013/14.
Even before last season, El Mara was active in the third tier of German football and the past 12 months or so have proved to be a real breakthrough year, with 12 goals in the 2024/25 season.
Although he missed 17 ‘big chances’, he created eight of his own and scored at an incredible pace of one goal every 151 minutes, boasting a goal conversion rate of 17%.
He comfortably outperforms all Spurs players in terms of goals scored and total goal involvement, making his £40m transfer fee look like a bargain for a player with such notable potential.
Much like Son before him, El Mara feels like a talent waiting to explode over the next few years, and north London is perhaps the perfect platform for his stock to truly rise.
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Big moves are being made to strengthen Tottenham Hotspur’s ranks.
