Tottenham's Transfer Blitz: De Zerbi Targets Gakpo, Savinho, and Balogun
Tottenham Hotspur have drifted through a quiet few weeks, but with the new season only days away, the calm is about to crack. Behind the scenes, the club are lining up a late surge that could completely reshape Roberto De Zerbi’s forward line.
The Italian has zeroed in on two headline names to jolt his attack back to life: Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo and Manchester City’s Savinho. And that’s only part of the story.
De Zerbi’s blueprint for Gakpo and Savinho
Savinho has been circling around a move to N17 for some time. Now, with the window ticking down, the 22-year-old looks particularly keen to join De Zerbi’s project in north London.
He would walk into a winger group that has been stripped back. Randal Kolo Muani has gone after a miserable loan spell, while Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert are still facing extended spells out. Numbers are thin. Quality even thinner.
In the short term, Savinho’s left foot makes him an obvious stand-in for Mohammed Kudus on the right. Kudus has missed pre-season entirely, though his recent return to training offers a hint of optimism. Until he’s ready to start, De Zerbi may lean on the Brazilian to drive infield from that flank and give Spurs some thrust they’ve badly lacked.
Longer term, the City man could easily flip to the opposite side. Analyst and Como scout Ben Mattinson has previously praised Savinho’s work off the left, likening his driven, diagonal finishes to a young Gareth Bale. De Zerbi will have seen the same thing on tape: a winger who can attack full-backs from wide and still arrive with venom inside the box.
That’s where the Gakpo question really starts.
The Dutchman has spent most of his Liverpool career operating from the left, but there’s a growing belief he could be redeployed through the middle at Spurs. He is not the type of winger who burns defenders with raw pace or relentless dribbling. His game lives in the penalty area, in timing and finishing rather than showreel tricks.
The numbers back up the idea of a central role. According to Transfermarkt, Gakpo has scored 18 goals in 66 games when used as a striker or false nine for Liverpool. It’s not explosive, but it’s solid – and it hints at a player who can lead a fluid front line rather than hug the touchline.
Even so, those figures also raise another issue: if Gakpo becomes the false nine, do Spurs still need a true number nine to finish the rebuild?
Richarlison and Solanke futures cloud centre-forward picture
That question only grows louder when you look at the current centre-forward options.
Richarlison’s situation is particularly delicate. The Brazilian has just a year left on his deal, and De Zerbi has already admitted the 29-year-old is weighing up whether to stay or go. Football FanCast reported earlier in the summer that Spurs are preparing to sell him. The clock is ticking on a decision that could define the top of the pitch.
Dominic Solanke’s position is a little more stable, but not entirely secure. Nottingham Forest have shown interest, and while a move is less likely at this stage, his output – 12 league goals across two seasons – has hardly made him undroppable.
According to TEAMtalk, ENIC are prepared to offload one of Richarlison or Solanke before truly stepping on the accelerator in their pursuit of Folarin Balogun. Spurs have emerged as frontrunners for the Monaco striker, with a deal expected to cost around £51m.
The former Arsenal forward is open to a Premier League return and, crucially, is willing to join Spurs. That alone is a storyline in north London.
Talks are still at an early stage and the deal is not advanced, but if Tottenham get it done, Balogun could end up being the most significant signing of their window – perhaps even more so than Gakpo or Savinho.
Why Balogun could be the statement signing
Gakpo has split opinion at Anfield and has yet to crack double figures in a Premier League season since arriving from PSV Eindhoven. Savinho, for all his promise, finished the 2025/26 league campaign with only one goal and one assist, still searching for rhythm at the highest level.
Balogun, by contrast, arrives with numbers that shout.
The United States international hit 13 goals and four assists in Ligue 1 last season. For comparison, Gakpo finished the Premier League campaign with seven goals and five assists. Balogun also carried his form onto the biggest stage, scoring three times in four World Cup outings and causing constant problems at the tip of Mauricio Pochettino’s attack.
His European record only strengthens the case. The Hale End graduate scored five goals in ten Champions League appearances last term, looking every inch the same striker who smashed 21 Ligue 1 goals on loan at Reims in 2022/23.
Injuries have slowed him at times, and the £51m valuation reflects both his talent and the risk. But there is no doubt about the ceiling. If Spurs land him, they not only secure a striker in form, they also create the possibility of a painful what-if across north London.
Arsenal chose to cash in on Balogun. Tottenham now have the chance to turn that decision into a long-term regret, just as they once did when Harry Kane exploded into an elite finisher in Lilywhite.
Gakpo and Savinho would give De Zerbi variety, flexibility and depth. Balogun would give him a focal point and a statement.
If the Monaco forward walks through the doors at Hotspur Way, Richarlison and Solanke won’t just be glancing over their shoulders. They might be looking for the exit.
