Tottenham's Transfer Moves: Marmoush Joins Spurs as Newcastle Targets Gonzalez
Tottenham’s summer rebuild took another twist on Wednesday, and this time the ripple effect stretched from Manchester to Frankfurt – and on to the City Ground and St James’ Park.
No payday for Frankfurt as Marmoush heads to Spurs
Eintracht Frankfurt will receive nothing from Omar Marmoush’s move from Manchester City to Tottenham Hotspur, despite speculation that the German club were in line for a sell-on bonus.
BBC Sport understands Frankfurt stand to earn no fee from the Egypt forward’s transfer, ending talk that City had inflated the price of Savio to limit what they owed on Marmoush.
Reports suggested City had overcharged Spurs on Savio, who is joining for £75m, to reduce a supposed sell-on payment to Frankfurt for Marmoush, who left the Bundesliga side in 2025. Frankfurt have now confirmed there is no such windfall coming their way.
That leaves the deal as a straight piece of business between City and Spurs – no hidden bonus for the club where Marmoush made his name in Germany.
De Zerbi’s “bomba” and Spurs’ crowded squad
The question in north London is simple: how many more?
Tottenham began the summer aiming for five major signings plus a cluster of free transfers as they reshape Roberto de Zerbi’s squad. With Savio and Marmoush arriving from City, the next steps hinge on outgoings.
Spurs currently have well over 30 senior players on their books, depending on which academy products are counted. De Zerbi has already spoken of wanting a “bomba” signing alongside Savio – and Marmoush looks very much like that explosive addition up front.
He joins a forward line where Dominic Solanke has battled injuries over the past 18 months and Richarlison is entering the final year of his contract. The pressure on Tottenham’s recruitment is clear: refresh the attack without clogging the pathway for those already in the building.
What Marmoush actually brings
Strip away the noise around fees and sell-ons and you are left with a very modern forward.
Marmoush scored 16 goals in 62 appearances in all competitions for Manchester City after arriving from Frankfurt. Eight of those came in 36 games last season, but his Premier League minutes dropped sharply.
He started only eight league matches in 2025-26 and played around 700 minutes – fewer than he managed after joining midway through the previous campaign. Even so, he produced three goals and three assists in the league, with his 3.53 expected goals almost exactly matching his output. The problem was not his finishing. It was opportunity.
At City, he operated in the long shadow of Erling Haaland as the champions strengthened their attacking options again, limiting Marmoush to a supporting role.
At Frankfurt he had been used mainly through the middle but also as a second striker and from the left. City mirrored that versatility: predominantly central, occasionally off the flank or just behind another forward. That flexibility should appeal to De Zerbi, who demands fluidity and movement across the front line.
Former City defender Nedum Onuoha believes the key is how Spurs use him.
As Onuoha put it, Marmoush is at his best playing on the shoulder of the last defender, thriving in a team that repeatedly fires balls in behind and forces opponents to sprint back towards their own goal. Opta data from last season backs that up: he averaged 11.46 runs in behind per 90 minutes in the Premier League, almost identical to Solanke’s 11.61 and ahead of Richarlison’s 10.03 – while also offering more on the ball.
Give him space to attack, and he will.
Newcastle turn to Gonzalez after Guimaraes exit
While Spurs look to sharpen their attack, Newcastle United are rebuilding the core of their midfield.
The club have agreed a deal worth up to £52m for Manchester City’s Nico Gonzalez, a move that delivers head coach Matthias Jaissle exactly the kind of player he has been asking for.
Newcastle’s young side came within seconds of beating Liverpool on the opening weekend, but Jaissle warned last week that “adjustments need to be done and will be”. Six signings had already arrived – goalkeepers Lukas Hornicek and Ewen Jaouen, defender Amar Dedic, midfielders Aladji Bamba and Sean Steur, and forward Bazoumana Toure.
The sale of talisman Bruno Guimaraes to Arsenal, though, left a glaring hole. Gonzalez is designed to fill it.
The 24-year-old, signed by City from Porto, has spent only a season and a half in the Premier League, yet fits Newcastle’s age profile: young enough to grow, experienced enough to handle the league. Of midfielders who played at least 900 minutes in Europe’s top five divisions last season, Gonzalez led the way for high turnovers per game with 2.13. He also ranked among the Premier League’s top five midfielders for line-breaking passes per match at 12.
Aggressive without the ball, incisive with it – that blend is why Newcastle have stretched to this deal, and why he is expected to take on a major role at St James’ Park.
Forest gamble big on Delap
Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, are betting heavily that Liam Delap can rediscover the form that once marked him out as a future England striker.
Forest have agreed a club-record fee worth around £50m to sign the Chelsea forward. The 23-year-old is set to undergo a medical and sign a long-term contract at the City Ground this week.
Delap’s route here has been anything but straightforward. He emerged from Manchester City’s academy before loan spells at Stoke, Preston and Hull, then joined Ipswich Town in 2024 for about £20m. There he scored 12 goals in 37 top-flight appearances and was widely tipped for a senior England call-up.
Chelsea moved in with a £30m deal last year, beating Manchester United and Everton to his signature. But his time at Stamford Bridge never caught fire. A shoulder problem and hamstring injuries disrupted his campaign, and he finished with just one Premier League goal. The arrival of Brazil forward Joao Pedro further squeezed his opportunities and Chelsea made him available for sale this summer.
Forest’s decision to go to £50m underlines how strongly they believe he can become a regular Premier League goalscorer again.
They have already spent £34m on defender Ousmane Diomande from Sporting and brought in Austrian midfielder Xaver Schlager and goalkeeper Steve Benda on free transfers. Big money has also come in: England midfielder Elliot Anderson joined Manchester City for a club-record £116m and striker Taiwo Awoniyi left for Coventry City in a £9m deal.
Delap will now compete with Chris Wood and Igor Jesus, both of whom failed to score in Forest’s 1-0 home defeat by Leeds on the opening weekend. The expectation is clear: he has not been signed to share the load. He has been signed to carry it.
A frantic final week
Across the league, the clock is ticking. Less than a week remains in the window, and deals are still being pushed through at pace.
Nottingham Forest are closing in on Delap’s arrival. Newcastle are moving for Gonzalez. Tottenham are reshaping De Zerbi’s forward line with Savio and Marmoush. Aston Villa, for their part, are weighing up a move for Jean-Philippe Mateta as they prepare for life after Ollie Watkins.
Money is moving, squads are shifting, and the margins for error are shrinking.
The question now is not who wants to do business – it is who dares to stop before the work is truly done.
