Tottenham's Bold Moves: De Zerbi's New Signings Savio and Marmoush
Roberto De Zerbi could barely hide his excitement. Tottenham, already deep into a lavish summer, have just landed what he called two “bomba” signings – Savio and Omar Marmoush – and he is still pushing for one more before the window slams shut on Tuesday night.
Spurs go big again
This week brought a double deal with Manchester City that underlined just how hard Spurs are leaning into De Zerbi’s vision. Long-term target Savio has arrived in a package worth around £85million, while Marmoush joins on a season-long loan that includes an obligation to buy.
Factor in the clauses and Marmoush could eventually cost up to £60m. Add that to the rest of the business and Tottenham’s summer outlay has surged past £350m.
De Zerbi admitted even he did not foresee this scale of backing.
“I didn't expect one transfer market and one window like we have done,” he said before Newcastle’s visit to north London in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Italian, though, is not quite done.
“I think we can do one player more and in one specific position,” he revealed, describing a dinner summit with the club’s hierarchy – the owners, Vinai Venkatesham, Johan Lange and Enrico Venturelli – where the final days of the window were mapped out. The message from that meeting? Alignment.
“We have all of us on the same page and there is a very good connection.”
Marmoush the new attacking wildcard
Marmoush becomes Tottenham’s eighth signing of the summer and arrives to thicken the plot in the final third. De Zerbi wants variety, goals, and pace. Marmoush ticks all three.
The attacker hit 37 goals in a prolific 18-month spell at Eintracht Frankfurt and added 16 more at Manchester City. Those numbers explain the fee. They also explain why De Zerbi’s eyes light up when he talks about him, even if Marmoush may have to settle for a place on the bench against Newcastle.
“A great signing for us. A great player, another great player and every one of us loves him as a player,” De Zerbi said.
“We hope he can do what he is able. I think he can give more solutions in attack. We need players in attack capable to score goals, to play well with the ball also, a very fast player, great qualities and we are all happy.
“I think he can play as a central striker. He is a different number 10 than (Conor) Gallagher or Maddison, more of an attacker, but he is a player of big qualities. The most important thing is to have players with qualities.”
That line says everything about De Zerbi’s Tottenham: technical edge first, then everything else.
Marmoush’s versatility also arrives at a useful moment. James Maddison is still short of full sharpness, and Mohammed Kudus is only just returning after a long tendon injury. An extra option between the lines and up front could prove decisive in the early weeks of the season.
Savio ready, captaincy settled, Kudus close
While Marmoush might have to wait for his first start, Savio is being lined up for his full debut after completing his move from City. The Brazilian’s direct running and one-on-one threat are expected to add another gear to a side already transformed by De Zerbi’s aggressive attacking style.
New captain Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro both came through Wednesday’s 5-1 Carabao Cup win over Charlton and are pushing to start again. The spine is forming: Van de Ven with the armband, Porro marauding on the flank, and a fresh wave of forwards arriving to feed off the platform behind them.
Kudus, who has not featured since January, could finally return to a matchday squad. If he does, De Zerbi will suddenly have a front line stacked with speed, power and unpredictability.
Pape Sarr in limbo
Not everyone’s future is quite so clear. Pape Sarr remains available for selection, but his situation is hovering in that awkward space that only the final days of a transfer window can create.
“Pape? No, he's good. We have to see in the last day of the transfer market what can happen with him,” De Zerbi said.
Then came the blunt edge that has already become a hallmark of his management.
“If you want to leave and you have not found the offer, it's your problem, not my problem. I give respect, I kiss you, I hug you, but at the end have to stay calm inside the dressing room.”
The message is simple: the door isn’t locked, but the dressing room comes first.
Tottenham now head into the Newcastle clash with new faces, a new captain, and a manager who has been backed to the hilt – and is still asking for one more piece. With the money spent and the squad reshaped in his image, the question is no longer what Spurs can buy.
It’s what this group is about to become.
