Tottenham Eyes Double Signing of Marmoush and Savinho
Tottenham are pushing hard on two fronts as the transfer window ticks towards its 1 September deadline, with Omar Marmoush and Savinho at the centre of an increasingly tense stand-off with Manchester City.
The north London club want both attackers in the coming days. It will not be cheap. A double swoop for Marmoush and Savinho could climb towards – and potentially beyond – £140 million, a statement of intent for Roberto De Zerbi’s first season in charge.
City leave Savinho out as future hangs in the balance
The situation around Savinho sharpened on the opening weekend of the Premier League season. Manchester City did not name the winger in their squad for the home game against Bournemouth, a notable omission for a player who had featured in every pre-season match.
Enzo Maresca explained that Savinho had missed training three days before the game because he was “a little bit ill”. The timing, though, felt significant. The Brazilian had been involved throughout the summer, then disappeared from the matchday group just as the transfer noise grew louder.
Maresca did not shy away from the wider context. He drew a clear line between Savinho and Marmoush when asked about their futures.
“Omar is still here, still with us, it's a different situation to Savio and we see,” City’s new head coach said. “Savio, since day one, asked to leave, and Omar didn't ask to leave since day one, not yet.
“It's always complicated when someone leaves, and one has to arrive. We'll see if Omar stays or what happens.”
That last line summed up City’s delicate balancing act. One forward wants out. The other has not pushed for the exit – at least not publicly – but sits firmly on Tottenham’s radar.
“Since day one, he has been clear”
Maresca’s stance on Savinho could hardly be clearer. The Italian knows what it looks like when a key player decides his future lies elsewhere.
“It's quite clear that when players want to leave for any reason, it is complicated to convince them to stay and to change,” he said. “It happened with Rodri, the same is happening with Savinho.
“Since day one, he has been clear that he wants to leave. Now we are waiting. It's complicated when players are clear they want a new challenge, or they want to go to Spain or play more minutes, it becomes complicated to convince them to stay.”
Tottenham are trying to turn that clarity into opportunity. A winger who has told his club he wants a new challenge, a coach who openly admits it, and a window that is closing fast – it is exactly the type of situation ambitious clubs try to exploit.
Marmoush’s case is different. He was among the substitutes after coming off the bench in the Community Shield against Arsenal last weekend, still very much part of City’s plans on paper. Yet his name sits alongside Savinho’s on Spurs’ list, a reminder that De Zerbi wants numbers and variety in his attacking line.
De Zerbi plays it cool – in public
On the other side of this tug-of-war, De Zerbi stayed firmly on the right side of protocol when asked directly about Savinho.
“It's not right to speak about the players until they are official,” the Tottenham head coach said in his pre-match press conference. “Just to say, I'm very happy. We have not finished yet in the transfer market.”
The message was controlled, but the subtext was obvious. Tottenham are not done. The squad that opened the season is not the squad De Zerbi expects to carry into the autumn.
His tone after a 3-0 defeat to Brentford underlined just how much he believes this window will shape the club’s trajectory. The result stung, but his focus quickly moved back to the broader project and the backing he feels he is getting from the Lewis family.
“I am very happy and I think I can't speak about the other coaches [in the past],” he said. “I just can say, in my experience, they kept their word, they kept what they said before I came in March, the end of March, in the middle of March, and then very happy.
“But what we are doing is not for the coach. It’s for the club, for the fans, for the history of the club, for the pride of the club, and for the level of the club. I think this moment is crucial for this club, because after two seasons like we had, we have to change the mood, completely change it, give it a boost.”
That “boost” is exactly what Marmoush and Savinho are being lined up to provide: goals, unpredictability, and the sort of depth Tottenham have lacked when the season stretches into its most demanding months.
De Zerbi made it clear he sees this as a defining window, not just a frantic late scramble.
“Then, I think when we have finished in this transfer market, for a long time we don't need many things and we can work all together in the right condition, in the right direction, to build step by step something special, or to go to compete for the top of the table.”
The clock is ticking. City are waiting on a resolution. Savinho wants out. Marmoush is in limbo. Tottenham are ready to spend.
The next few days will decide whether this is just noise, or the moment De Zerbi gets the firepower to chase the top of the Premier League table.
