Excitement is building again at Tottenham Hotspur, with the woes of last season quickly being pushed aside amidst an excellent summer of business under ENIC so far.
Recent relegation fears could quickly subside if manager Roberto de Zerbi can get the Lilywhites back to the top of the table, and after such dramatic spending and without the ‘distraction’ of European football, there is a sense that anything can happen.
Look at Leicester City 10 years ago. The Foxes made a huge comeback in the 2014/15 season and went on to win the Premier League title the following season.
The King Power side were blessed with players like Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez at the time, but who can really energize Spurs next season? Will it take a contract like Eli Junior Crupi’s to make that happen?
What the Spurs can expect from Junior Crupi
Crupi, who spent just one season at Bournemouth, is thought to be keen to join Spurs this summer after a record-breaking campaign on the south coast.
However, it remains to be seen whether ENIC will make a move to meet the 20-year-old’s asking price of £90m, but it is certainly a large sum for a player still in the early stages of his senior career.
The young Frenchman has at least shown plenty to be encouraged about, scoring 36 goals in all competitions since the start of the 2024/25 season, despite playing in France’s second tier before joining the Cherries.
25/26 PL – Goals per 90 | ||
|---|---|---|
player | GP90 | the goal |
haaland | 0.82 | 27 |
Osra | 0.78 | 7 |
croup | 0.70 | 13 |
Sesco | 0.61 | 11 |
Thiago | 0.60 | twenty two |
Gokeres | 0.57 | 14 |
church | 0.57 | 2 |
fleming | 0.56 | 11 |
grind | 0.56 | 4 |
horse riding | 0.55 | 11 |
His 13 Premier League goals in 2025/26 came after missing just three ‘big chances’, and he also ranks third in the division for goals per 90 (0.70).
In terms of Crupi’s striker profile, the most notable comparison would be with Jermain Defoe. The youngster is another small, agile forward with really natural and clinical movements in front of goal.
It’s a view shared by the great Thierry Henry, with the former Arsenal man praising his young compatriot as “very Jermain Defoe-like when he’s in the box.”
Comparisons like this bode well for the impact he could have in N17, but he’s not the only offensive player on the table.
Spurs close in on £60m deal in seventh summer
Up until now, it has been all about Spurs’ defense and midfield, but with Richarlison’s future in doubt and Randall Kolo Muani returning to Paris Saint-Germain, attention has shifted forward.
The need for depth and quality in the side is perhaps more pressing than signing another striker, with both Xavi Simons and Wilson Odbert still sidelined and Mohamed Kudus also out since January.
Well, no matter how you look at it, the signing of a new winger seems all but certain, with TEAMtalk reporting that the north Londoners are close to signing Manchester City’s Sabinho for £60m.
Spurs are in talks with the Etihad to reach an agreement between the clubs, but personal terms are “already in place” and De Zerbi is said to be leading the charge for the 22-year-old.
It is thought that a move for AC Milan’s Rafael Leao may have been avoided in order to target the Brazilian instead, and Savinho has long been a target for N17 players.
Now, he may not have enjoyed his most productive season in 2025/26, scoring and assisting just two goals in the league, but there is still real talent out there waiting to explode in the right environment.
Savinho provided eight assists on his top-flight debut, and in the 2023/24 season he starred for Girona, leading La Liga in terms of successful dribbles.
That year he proved to be a devastating threat on both flanks, scoring and assisting 19 goals in the league, creating 14 ‘big chances’ and averaging 1.5 key passes per game.
In fact, the big advantage of having Sabinho in the team is that he can play on either flank in one-on-one situations, making him extremely lethal, as seen in his average of 2.8 successful dribbles per game in 2023/24.
Crupi, 20, is the best scorer, but Sabinho is the real game-changer, someone who can win games on his own with his combination of speed, trickery and directness.
Given the cost of signing Crupi after just one season in one of Europe’s top five leagues, a £60m move looks like a better bet for Savinho, especially if he can recapture the performances he showed at Girona.
Spurs at least already have Dominic Solanke capable of leading the line in midfield, but there is a current lack of reliable, injury-free options on the flanks, so there are reasons why Sabinho should be prioritized.
The idea of a South American player lining up under coach De Zerbi is really tantalizing.
