Why Spurs must sign £100m winger instead of Savinho

The transfer window started at breakneck speed for Tottenham Hotspur but with two weeks left before the deadline, Spurs need to get a move on again.

So far, Roberto De Zerbi has covered nearly every base but they still need a few additions in attack. Sure, both Mathys Tel and Mikey Moore dazzled against Hoffenheim on Saturday afternoon, but the general feeling is that the Italian needs some more proven options.

Tel assisted both of Moore’s goals but the latter is due to head out on loan and the former has been nothing but inconsistent since moving to north London.

The pair of them may go on to have a happy future under De Zerbi but for now, he likes the look of Cody Gakpo and Savinho instead.

Is that the best port of call? Perhaps not.

Analysing Spurs’ transfer targets: Why they should move on from Savinho

Savinho is a mercurial winger, he’s flashy, he’s dangerous, he’s tricky to deal with. On paper, he is one of the most creative wide players around.

In 2024/25, the Brazilian assisted 13 goals in all competitions. In the Premier League, he created 1.6 key pass per game. For context, only the legendary Kevin De Bruyne managed more for City that term.

Not just creative, Savinho is incredibly progressive. He ranked among the finest 1% of wingers in Europe’s top five leagues last season for progressive carries per 90.

However, there are rightfully some doubts and some concerns surrounding the City outcast.

He has only scored seven goals in 84 matches for the Citizens. The 22-year-old netted on just four occasions in 2025/26. So, if Spurs are to improve in the final third, there is a sense they need someone who’s more of a dual threat.

Couple that with the fact that reports last week suggested he may move for £85m and it just feels like a ludicrous amount of money to pay for someone with his lack of end product.

At around £70m, Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo would appear to be a wiser addition. He once scored 18 goals in a single season for the Reds. In fact, in four of the last five seasons, the Dutchman has netted more than 16 goals across the whole year. He’s not the only wide player either who would be a better investment.

Spurs have a perfect Savinho alternative lined up

One of De Zerbi’s primary objectives before the window slams shut is to add more goals to his frontline. They have reportedly looked at the likes of Folarin Balogun and Nicolas Jackson and boy are they needed.

Until Saturday’s 3-0 win, Spurs had yet to score more than twice in any of their pre-season matches over the summer.

It’s not just a goalscoring problem, however, it’s also a creative one. Was it really a surprise to see the Lilywhites struggle under Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor without the likes of James Maddison, Dejan Kulusveski and Mohammed Kudus for such large parts of the campaign?

Well, perhaps the answer doesn’t lie in Savinho, it lies in Pedro Neto. Speaking on his YouTube channel over the weekend, Fabrizio Romano confirmed that the Chelsea star is an option for Spurs.

“A possibility for Tottenham is Pedro Neto. I keep telling you Savinho and Gakpo plus a central striker. This is the idea for Tottenham. Neto is there in case something happens with Savinho and Gakpo. He is not the top priority.”

Neto may not be the top target in the remaining weeks of the summer but he should. Why? Well, he’s more proven than Savinho and he’ll give you more consistent output.

Now aged 26, the Portuguese forward has been performing highly at the top level for a while now, dating back to before he even signed for Chelsea.

Throughout the first two months of the 2023/24 season when he was at Wolves, Neto had created more chances than three of the division’s elite players; Bukayo Saka, Mohamed Salah and Phil Foden. Only Bruno Fernandes, Kieran Trippier and Maddison had actually managed more.

While he may not be kept in the same company anymore, Jose Mourinho did hail him as “one of the best wingers in the world” last season and you can see why.

Unlike Savinho, this is a player who will find the net more regularly. He bagged nine times in 50 games throughout 2024/25 and added another ten to his tally for the Blues last season. He combined that with creativity too. Neto laid on ten assists in 2025/26.

He is not as efficient with his carrying (see the table above) but he is actually a better dribbler and despite his diminutive stature, Neto is strong defensively, he’s a hard worker. It speaks volumes that Xabi Alonso has played Neto as a right wing-back in pre-season; it demonstrates that he’s trusted to make an impact inside his own half.

Signed in a £54m deal, they now value him at an almighty £100m. That’s steep but he is a more complete package than Savinho.