Tottenham's Late Transfer Surge: Gakpo, Savinho, and Balogun
Tottenham’s summer has rumbled along in low gear, but with the new season a week away, the club is bracing for a late surge. The calm is about to crack.
Roberto De Zerbi has zeroed in on his attacking rebuild. Two names sit at the top of his list: Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo and Manchester City’s Savinho. They are not scattergun targets. They are hand-picked.
Savinho has been on Tottenham’s radar for some time and is understood to be particularly keen on a move to north London. Gakpo’s situation is more tangled. The potential arrival of Bradley Barcola at Anfield could squeeze the Dutchman’s minutes and open the door for Spurs.
De Zerbi wants both. The question now is how he fits them into a forward line that has flattered to deceive.
Savinho to jolt the flanks
Savinho looks the closest to the door at N17 and, at 22, arrives as a badly needed jolt of energy out wide.
Tottenham’s wing options have thinned. Randal Kolo Muani has gone after a miserable loan spell. Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert are still set for extended spells out, stripping De Zerbi of creativity and pace in the wide areas.
In the short term, Savinho’s left foot makes him an obvious candidate to step into Mohammed Kudus’ role on the right. Kudus has not featured in pre-season, even if his recent return to training is at least a sliver of good news.
Over time, the picture could change. Savinho, on City’s books, has often looked dangerous off the left, driving infield and unleashing those Gareth Bale-style, whipped finishes that Como scout and analyst Ben Mattinson once highlighted. That versatility gives De Zerbi options – and gives defenders headaches.
But it also nudges the spotlight onto Gakpo.
Gakpo’s role: winger or false nine?
Gakpo has mostly operated off the left for Liverpool, cutting in to finish rather than burning full-backs on the outside. He is not a classic touchline winger, not a player who lives on raw pace or relentless dribbling. His game is built around end product.
That profile points to a different role at Spurs: a false nine.
The numbers back up the idea. According to Transfermarkt, Gakpo has scored 18 goals in 66 appearances as a striker or false nine for Liverpool. It is a solid return, if not the sort that blows the league apart, but it suggests he can carry central responsibility.
If Savinho eventually locks down the left, Gakpo through the middle suddenly makes sense. Yet it also underlines another reality: Tottenham might still be one centre-forward short.
The need for a true number nine has not gone away.
Balogun chase ramps up as Richarlison and Solanke face uncertain futures
Attention swings to the current centre-forward pool, and it is clear nothing is nailed down.
Richarlison is into the final year of his contract. De Zerbi has already admitted the 29-year-old is weighing up his future, and Football FanCast reported earlier in the summer that Spurs are prepared to cash in. It feels like a decision edging towards the exit.
Dominic Solanke looks a slightly safer bet to stay, but not a guaranteed one. Nottingham Forest have shown interest, and while Solanke works hard and links play, 12 league goals across two seasons has not exactly set Tottenham alight.
Behind those doubts lies a plan. TEAMtalk report that ENIC would be ready to move one of Richarlison or Solanke on before accelerating a push for Folarin Balogun, with Spurs emerging as frontrunners for the Monaco striker.
Balogun will not come cheap. The fee is expected to land around £51m. Yet the former Arsenal forward is understood to be keen on a Premier League return and, crucially, open to joining Spurs. That alone gives this pursuit a sharp edge.
Talks are still at an early stage rather than advanced, but the shape of the window is clear. Land Balogun and Tottenham’s attacking revamp suddenly looks far more complete – perhaps even more exciting than simply adding Gakpo and Savinho.
Balogun’s momentum eclipses the others
Gakpo arrives with questions. He has divided opinion at Anfield and has never hit double figures for goals in a single Premier League season since his move from PSV Eindhoven.
Savinho, for all his promise, ended the 2025/26 league campaign with just one goal and one assist. The talent is there, but the top-flight output is not yet.
Balogun’s recent record hits differently.
The United States international scored 13 goals and provided four assists in Ligue 1 last season. For comparison, Gakpo finished with seven goals and five assists in the Premier League. Balogun’s numbers are not world-beating, but they are trending in the right direction.
On the biggest stages, he has looked just as sharp. Despite a controversial end to his World Cup, he still scored three times in four matches, leading the line for Mauricio Pochettino’s side and causing constant problems.
He carried that form into Europe as well, hitting five goals in ten Champions League appearances. It was a reminder of the striker who tore through Ligue 1 with Reims in 2022/23, when he hit 21 league goals on loan.
Injuries have interrupted him since, but the talent remains obvious. At £51m, Spurs would be buying a forward on an upward curve, with the added spice of potentially haunting Arsenal for letting him go.
If he flourishes in Lilywhite, the echoes of Harry Kane’s story will be hard to ignore – a former Arsenal youth prospect turning into a symbol of Tottenham’s ambition and bite.
For Gakpo and Savinho, the move would be a chance to reset and relaunch. For Balogun, it could be the stage he has been building towards.
And for Richarlison and Solanke, it might be the clearest warning yet: Tottenham’s attack is about to change, with or without them.
