Tottenham Hotspur’s aim is to invest upfront, having broken transfer records twice with the signings of Matheus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali.
A number of big names have been rumored, the most notable being Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Crupi. The problem is that he has no shortage of suitors, with rivals Arsenal also interested.
Other targets include Codi Gakpo and Marcus Rashford, with AC Milan’s Rafael Leao also an option.
Leo has been regarded as one of the most skilled wingers in the game for some time and is set to leave the San Siro in the summer window.
Why Spurs want to sign Rafael Leao
Although a deal has yet to proceed, word on the street is that Spurs have met with super agent Jorge Mendes, who will oversee Leo’s next move.
This would be a fantastic signing, especially as the Portuguese is widely regarded as one of the best wingers in European football.
He is especially snappy on his left side, and his long legs resemble those of an elite sprinter rushing towards the goal line. Milan manager Stefano Pioli even thinks that the way he cuts inwards from the left side with his strong right foot is “similar to early Thierry Henry.”
Spurs have been lacking an elite, dynamic winger on that side of the pitch since the departure of Son Heung-min a year ago, but Leo ticks so many boxes.
He is very fast and an incredible dribbler, terrorizing opposing right-backs.
But the 27-year-old is no trick pony. He is a player who has been scoring and assisting very regularly for Milan for some time now.
In each of the past five seasons, the wide forward has scored 10 or more goals. He had double-digit assists in each of the previous four seasons before registering just three in the 2025/26 season. It’s certainly not bad.
Rafael Leao’s career by season | ||
|---|---|---|
season | the goal | assist |
2021/22 | 14 | 10 |
2022/23 | 16 | 11 |
2023/24 | 15 | 12 |
2024/25 | 12 | 11 |
2025/26 | 10 | 3 |
However, he is not Roberto de Zerbi’s top target in wide positions.
Why the £60m star is Tottenham’s priority target
It remains to be seen who Spurs will sign for the side, but according to Fabrizio Romano, it is likely to be Manchester City’s Savinho this weekend.
He said on his YouTube channel: “My understanding is that the main names Tottenham should consider in the winger position are Codi Gakpo (although Liverpool have not yet opened the door for him to leave at the moment) and Savinho. Savinho is Tottenham’s top target. These two players are considered priorities for Tottenham in the winger position.”
“I’m not saying they’ll come in, because it depends on the negotiations, but Savinho is number one, number two and number three[targets]because Tottenham have been wanting to sign him for a year already.”
Supporters have concerns about the Brazilian this summer, although it is reported that they are already in talks to sign him at a valuation of around £60 million. After all, he is a player who scored just one goal in the Premier League in the 2025/26 season.
The Manchester City winger is no match for Leo in that regard. He was never a regular goalscorer, finding the back of the net just seven times in 84 games with the Citizens.
But beyond that, the two are similar, especially when it comes to their ability to advance the ball quickly. Both players are masters when it comes to defeating their opponents.
Savinho vs Leo: Creativity and Carry | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistics (per 90 minutes) | Savigno (25/26) | Leo (25/26) |
big chance involvement | 0.77 | 1.16 |
Expected number of assists in open play | 0.17 | 0.16 |
shot end carry | 1.86 | 1.11 |
through ball pass | 0.22 | 0.24 |
dribbling success | 1.86 | 1.26 |
progressive action | 9.76 | 5.03 |
progressive carry | 7.45 | 3.24 |
progressive path | 2.30 | 1.79 |
From a carrying standpoint, Savinho has a clear lead. By this metric, he is one of the best players in Europe’s top five leagues. He’s definitely more electric in that regard.
This statistic might not suggest that they are particularly similar, but when you watch them in action, there’s a lot to enjoy watching them slip past markers and advance the ball.
When it comes to successful dribbles, there isn’t much of a difference in the numbers, and they seem to be about the same level of creativity, with a similar number of expected assists and through passes in open play.
Expected Assist (xA) is a metric designed to measure the probability that a pass results in a goal assist.
Creativity is where the two players thrive. Sabinho also provided 13 assists in his debut year at the Etihad, while Leo averaged 11 assists a season between 2021/22 and 2024/25.
The 22-year-old has Premier League experience and a big future ahead of him, so there could be a case for signing City’s star instead.
