Tottenham's Transfer Strategy: Savinho Leads the Pack
Tottenham have drawn up a clear pecking order for late-window attacking reinforcements – and a Chelsea winger sits some way down it.
Roberto De Zerbi has spent most of the summer reshaping Spurs from the back. Midfield and defence were addressed early. The message since then has been blunt: the attack needs fresh legs and new ideas, with “two or three” forwards still to come.
At the top of that list is Savinho. Tottenham are set to commit a total of £85million to land the Manchester City winger, a deal that has been treated inside the club as the cornerstone of their attacking rebuild.
Transfer insider Pete O’Rourke has now lifted the lid on who follows.
“Pedro Neto is on Tottenham’s list, maybe not at the top of it right now,” he told Football Insider. “Savinho is their number one target for that wide attacking position, he is the priority and they’re working hard to reach an agreement with Man City over that one.
“Cody Gakpo is high on that list as well, and both of those players are probably ahead of Pedro Neto in the pecking order for Spurs.
“Savinho is the one they’re really pushing to get done, and they’re keen on Gakpo too, so that’s where they stand at the moment.”
So the hierarchy is clear: Savinho first, Gakpo next, Neto as a more distant option.
Chelsea dig in over Neto
Any move for Neto would be complicated and expensive. Chelsea have set an eye-watering price. TEAMtalk understands it will take around £100million to prise the Portuguese winger out of Stamford Bridge.
His camp are not against the idea of a transfer. The player’s representatives are open to exploring a move. Chelsea, though, want to be paid at the very top of the market.
Xabi Alonso is not pushing for a sale either. The Chelsea boss is in no rush to lose Neto and would be perfectly content to keep him in his squad for the coming season.
Inside the club, there is full awareness of the interest building around the 24-year-old. Spurs are watching. Manchester City are monitoring the situation. Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal have already tested the waters.
Al-Hilal came forward with a £60million proposal. It went nowhere. With Chelsea holding firm at around £100million, that opening approach was swiftly rejected.
For Tottenham, the numbers are stark. After committing £85million to Savinho, sanctioning another £100million outlay on a winger who largely occupies the same role on the pitch feels a remote prospect.
Savinho remains the one they are throwing their weight behind. Neto, for now, looks more like a luxury target than a realistic one.
