Tottenham's New Star Duo Applauded, De Zerbi Hints at Last-Minute Signing Before Transfer Deadline
Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi is delighted that the club have secured the signings of Savio and Omar Marmoush, two 'top' additions, but he also revealed that the Lilywhites could add another new face before the summer transfer window officially closes at 11pm local time on Tuesday.
This week, Tottenham reached a combined agreement with Manchester City: the long-coveted winger Savio completed his move for a fixed total of £85 million (approximately $115 million). Marmoush then arrived in north London on a season-long loan with a mandatory buyout clause. Marmoush's purchase clause could ultimately rise to £60 million, meaning Tottenham's cumulative spending across the summer window will surpass the £350 million mark. Although De Zerbi admitted that the scale of this transfer window had far exceeded his personal expectations, a potential signing is still being worked on before the deadline.
“In my view, Savio and Marmoush are both heavyweight signings. I don't know what term or title to use to define them, but it is undeniable that they are both extremely high-level players,” De Zerbi said at his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday's Premier League home game against Newcastle. “I had not expected to have such a transfer window with such intensive activity. I think we can bring in one more player, and it will be for a specific position. Yesterday, I had dinner with the club owner, Vinay Venkatesham, John Lange and Enrico Venturelli to discuss this exact topic. Everyone is highly aligned, and the communication was very pleasant.”
Tottenham's latest signing Marmoush has become the club's eighth arrival of the summer. With James Maddison not yet fully back up to speed and Mohammed Kudus just recovering from a long Achilles injury, Marmoush's arrival undoubtedly injects much-needed competition into the team's forward and attacking midfield ranks. During his 18 months at Eintracht Frankfurt, Marmoush scored 37 goals, and he added another 16 after moving to Manchester City, though he is likely to start on the bench on Saturday.
De Zerbi added: “This is certainly an outstanding signing. An excellent player, another great player, and everyone appreciates his performances on the pitch. We hope he can fully showcase his talent. I think he can provide more solutions in attack. We need forwards who can both deliver the final blow and hold the ball up well. He has great pace and excellent technical quality, and everyone is excited about that. In my opinion, he is fully capable of playing as a centre-forward. He is different from No.10s like Conor Gallagher or Maddison; he is more of a pure attacker, but he is a very gifted player. Most importantly, we have a talented player.”
Newly appointed Tottenham captain Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro made their first appearances of the season in Wednesday's 5-1 Carabao Cup win over Charlton, and De Zerbi confirmed both are available to start. Savio could also make his first start for Spurs, while Kudus may be included in the matchday squad for the first time since January. Pape Sarr is currently available, but his future remains uncertain.
“Pape? No, he's fine. We have to see what happens with him on the last day of the transfer window,” De Zerbi said. “If you want to leave but no offer has arrived, that is your personal problem, not mine. I will respect you, give you a kiss, give you a hug, but ultimately you must stay calm and continue to remain in the dressing room.”