Tottenham Set for Double Raid on Manchester City: Savinho and Marmoush
Tottenham are on the brink of a double raid on Manchester City, closing in on deals for Savinho and Omar Marmoush in a late-window statement of intent from north London’s big spenders.
£85m Savinho deal set to smash City record
Spurs have agreed an £85m package for Savinho. The structure is heavy up front: £75m paid immediately, with a further £10m in add-ons. Around £5m of those bonuses are regarded as virtually guaranteed, meaning City are set to bank at least £80m.
For City, that fee would be a landmark. Savinho’s exit is poised to become the most expensive sale in the club’s history, eclipsing Julian Alvarez’s £82m move to Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2024.
The 22-year-old Brazil international is due to undergo his medical at Tottenham on Friday afternoon, the final formality in a move that underlines just how aggressively Spurs are now operating in the market.
Savinho has never truly broken through at the Etihad. Since arriving in 2024, he has been used sparingly, starting only seven of his 24 Premier League appearances last season. One goal, two assists – flashes, not a run. Now he is about to be handed a far bigger stage and far more responsibility in north London.
Marmoush next as Spurs keep spending
The Savinho deal is only half the story. Tottenham are also closing in on City forward Omar Marmoush, with talks at an advanced stage and described as moving “in the right direction”. The Egypt international is understood to be fully on board with the switch to Spurs, ready to swap the fringes at City for a more central role under the new regime in north London.
If Marmoush follows Savinho through the door, it will cap an extraordinary summer of spending.
Tottenham have already pushed past the £200m mark on six first-team signings. The midfield has been rebuilt at huge cost: £185m spent on Sandro Tonali from Newcastle and Matheus Fernandes from West Ham. At the back, Jan Paul van Hecke arrived from Brighton for £52m to replace Cristian Romero.
On top of the big cheques, there has been smart opportunism. Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson and Martin Dubravka have all joined on free transfers, bolstering depth and experience without adding to the fee column.
This is not tinkering. It is an overhaul.
Why Spurs can spend – and keep spending
The scale of Tottenham’s outlay has raised an obvious question: how are they doing this without crashing into the Premier League’s financial regulations?
The answer, as outlined by Sky Sports News’ Michael Bridge earlier in the window, lies in a combination of financial strength and a deliberate change of strategy.
Spurs have qualified for Europe in 18 of the last 20 seasons. That consistency has built a powerful revenue base, now supercharged by their stadium. Boxing, concerts, NFL games – the venue has become a money machine as much as a football ground.
The numbers back it up. In the latest Deloitte Money League, Tottenham leapfrogged Chelsea to become the ninth richest club in the world, posting annual revenues of £549.2m.
There is also a regulatory tailwind. The Premier League’s move from the old PSR model to a squad cost ratio approach has worked in Tottenham’s favour, giving them more room to manoeuvre relative to their income.
But the real shift is political. Daniel Levy stepped away at the start of last season. Under new leadership, the club has abandoned its reputation for caution and is now aggressively channelling revenue into the first team.
After surviving relegation on the final day, the owners promised supporters that the club’s financial muscle would be used to rebuild the squad. This summer, they are making good on that pledge.
Maresca: Savinho wanted out from day one
For Manchester City, this is a summer of upheaval under Enzo Maresca, who steps in after Pep Guardiola’s era-defining nine-year spell.
He has already watched Ballon d'Or and World Cup-winning midfielder Rodri head to Barcelona. Now Savinho is on the verge of leaving, with Marmoush also likely to follow.
Maresca has been blunt about Savinho’s stance.
“Since day one, he has asked me that he wants to leave,” the City manager admitted, explaining that when a player’s mind is set on a new challenge – whether that is more minutes, a different league, or a return closer to home – the battle to keep them becomes “complicated”.
The same logic applied to Rodri. When elite players decide they want out, even a club as powerful as City often has to step aside and negotiate the best possible deal.
City face late scramble to replace outgoing pair
Inside the Etihad, there is no sense that Savinho and Marmoush are being pushed out. Sky Sports News’ Ben Ransom has described both as “surplus to requirements” in footballing terms, but only in the sense that they are not guaranteed starting roles.
Maresca has been clear: they were entitled to stay and fight for their place. City would not have forced them out. Yet when players want regular first-team football and a serious offer lands on the table, the club will not stand in their way.
That stance creates a new problem. With less than two weeks left in the transfer window, City now have big positions to fill. Ransom expects the champions to replace at least one of Savinho or Marmoush and says they would like to bring in two.
Doing that this late, at City’s level, is no small task.
Tottenham, meanwhile, are seizing the moment. They are raiding a rival, paying record money, and reshaping their squad at speed. If Savinho and Marmoush hit the ground running, this could be the summer that drags Spurs from survival mode back towards the top table they are so desperate to join.
