£60m star agrees personal terms to join Spurs

There’s an excitement building again at Tottenham Hotspur, the woes of last season swiftly put to one side amid a standout summer of business under the ENIC regime so far.

The recent relegation scare can be quickly put to bed if Roberto De Zerbi leads the Lilywhites back toward the top end of the table, with there a sense that anything could happen after such dramatic spending and without the ‘distraction’ of European football.

Look to Leicester City a decade ago, the Foxes pulling off the great escape in 2014/15, before romping to the Premier League title the following season.

The King Power side were blessed with the likes of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez then, but who can truly spark Spurs into life next term? Might it take a signing like Eli Junior Kroupi to do just that?

What Spurs could expect from Junior Kroupi

The belief is that after just one season at Bournemouth, Kroupi is keen to join Spurs this summer, fresh from a record-breaking campaign on the south coast.

Whether ENIC fork out to meet the 20-year-old’s reported £90m asking price remains to be seen, however, with that no doubt a steep figure for a player still in the infancy of his senior career.

The young Frenchman has at least shown plenty to be heartened by, scoring 36 goals across all competitions since the start of 2024/25, albeit while having operated in France’s second tier before joining the Cherries.

His 13 Premier League goals in 2025/26 came after missing just three ‘big chances’, while he also ranked third in the division in terms of goals per 90 (0.70).

In terms of the profile of striker that Kroupi is, the most notable comparison might well be Jermain Defoe, with the youngster another slight, nimble forward who just has that real natural, clinical streak in front of goal.

That is a view shared by the great Thierry Henry, the ex-Arsenal man hailing his young compatriot as “very Jermain Defoe-like when he’s in the box”.

Such comparisons bode well for the impact he could make at N17, although he isn’t the only attacking signing on the agenda.

Spurs closing in on seventh summer signing in £60m deal

It’s been all about the defence and midfield so far for Spurs, but attention is being shifted toward the forward line, with doubts emerging regarding the future of Richarlison, and with Randal Kolo Muani heading back to Paris Saint-Germain.

With both Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert still sidelined, while Mohammed Kudus hasn’t featured since January, the need for depth and quality on the flanks is perhaps even more pressing than signing another striker.

Well, by all accounts, a new winger looks almost certain to be on his way, with TEAMtalk reporting that the north Londoners are closing in on a £60m deal for Manchester City’s Savinho.

Spurs are progressing talks with the Etihad side in order to reach a club-to-club agreement, although personal terms are ‘already in place’, with De Zerbi said to be leading the charge for the 22-year-old.

The belief is that a move for AC Milan’s Rafael Leao has been shunned in order to laser in on the Brazilian instead, with Savinho having long been a target for those at N17.

Now, he might not have enjoyed the most fruitful 2025/26 campaign, scoring and assisting only two league goals, yet there is a real talent there just waiting to explode in the right environment.

Savinho did notably register eight assists in his debut top-flight campaign, while he previously starred for Girona in 2023/24, leading the way in LaLiga in terms of total successful dribbles completed.

He scored and assisted 19 league goals that year, while creating 14 ‘big chances’ and averaging 1.5 key passes per game, proving such a devastating threat on either flank.

Indeed, the big benefit of bringing Savinho into the fold is that he can play on either flank, so lethal when in one-versus-one situations, as seen in his average of 2.8 successful dribbles per game in that 2023/24 season.

Kroupi, at 20, is a supreme goalscorer, but Savinho is a true game-changer, someone who can win a game on his own with his blend of speed, trickery and directness.

Considering what it would cost to sign Kroupi too, after just one full season in one of Europe’s top five leagues, a £60m move for Savinho does appear the better bet, particularly if he can recapture what he showed at Girona.

Spurs do at least already have Dominic Solanke to lead the line through the middle, yet reliable, injury-free options on the flanks are scarce right now, hence why Savinho should be the priority.

The thought of the South American lining up under De Zerbi’s watch truly is a mouthwatering one.