For Tottenham Hotspur, they have ticked off a lot of their transfer business already.
The primary objective was to strengthen one of the worst defensive sides in the Premier League and on paper, they have done that expertly.
Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi have signed on free transfers and will soon be joined by Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke. The Dutch centre-half is set to join Spurs for a mega £52m fee. He knows Roberto De Zerbi well so this should be a match made in heaven.
Now, the challenge is to bolster the attack and they plan to do so with the addition of Savinho from Manchester City. He’s not the only wide player who could join, however.
Spurs now targeting £40m Savinho alternative
Last summer, Tottenham made an attempt to sign Savinho in a big-money deal. The player wanted the move but their efforts were rebuffed. City wanted to keep him at the Etihad.
It’s a different story one year on. They have acquired Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo, events that have led to the Brazilian suffering from a lack of game time. He started just seven times in the league last season.
Consequently, the wide man wants a move and Spurs are willing to offer him a way out. They are reportedly already in club-to-club talks to seal a move.
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Savinho is impressive but perhaps they could make an even better addition out on the flanks. Indeed, according to BILD in Germany, via Sport Witness, the Lilywhites are now interested in signing Said El Mala from Cologne.
The report reveals that Spurs will ‘soon make a move’ for the 19-year-old who has been lighting up the Bundesliga.
El Mala looked set to join Brentford a few weeks ago in a £43m switch but the deal collapsed. That has led Tottenham taking an interest in the player.
De Zerbi is said to have been left ‘very pleased’ with the scouting work that has already been performed on the teenager. There is now a belief he could become a key player.
How El Mala compares to Savinho
The signing of Savinho this summer fits what Spurs are trying to do. There is very clearly a strategy to bring in Premier League proven talent with Robertson, Senesi and Van Hecke all arriving, as well as keen interest in Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali.
In the Brazilian, therefore, they would be getting another player with strong experience of England’s top-flight but is he necessarily the best option Spurs could select to bolster their wide areas?
In 2024/25, he looked exceptional. Savinho was compared to Riyad Mahrez for his ability to dazzle and bamboozle defenders from the right flank and for the way he dances inside onto his left foot.
He scored just three goals but did supply 13 assists across all competitions. Compared to City players in the Premier League that season, only Kevin De Bruyne (2.1) registered more than Savinho’s 1.6 key passes per game.
Yet, in 2025/26, he showed that he is way below the level required to start games on a regular basis for the Citizens. Semenyo came in and instantly became one of the first names on the team sheet.
As such, Savinho had a particularly disappointing year. The 22-year-old bagged just one goal in 24 league outings. He scored four in all competitions, registering a further three assists.
For El Mala, he was simply devastating in Cologne colours, making quite the impact during what was a breakthrough campaign as a 19-year-old.
Compared to Spurs’ Brazilian target, he is already far more accomplished in front of goal. In fact, he’s the opposite to Savinho. He’s not very creative – only one assist came his way last season – but the German did net 13 goals. Thus, if it’s goals De Zerbi needs, which he certainly does, this is the man to pick.
In the words of analyst and reporter Bence Bocsak, El Mala is not only “unstoppable” but also “very explosive”. Those are two traits associated with the City winger too, but his younger counterpart would appear to be more clinical and have greater end product.
To back up Bocsak’s words, he ranked among the finest 6% of wingers in Europe’s top five leagues last term for productive dribbles, completing a whopping 0.92 per 90 minutes. He was also among the best 18% of wingers for progressive carries per 90 with 3.63.
Consider this kid is still just a teenager and it’s frightening to think about how much better he could get. Valued at a lower price tag than Savinho as well, this looks like a better use of funds this summer.
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