In what is becoming one of the strangest offseasons in recent history, Tottenham’s search for an attacking midfielder continues, but not due to a lack of trying. Twice, Tottenham have agreed to terms for a midfielder in an effort to bolster Thomas Frank’s squad, only for the deal to collapse at the last moment. With the former Brentford manager taking charge of Spurs during a season that sees them back in Champions League play, the stakes are high, and it’s critical to ensure that he has the squad needed to compete. Facing Manchester City on Saturday, could have been a time for Tottenham to show improvement from the team that finished last season 17th in the league, but instead, the looming circumstances will surround another midfielder not signing for them.
Without James Maddison, more is needed in the attack, and while Pape Sarr was able to play as the most advanced midfielder while facing Burnley and grabbed an assist, doing the same against City is an entirely different proposition than against a newly promoted side. Even if Sarr does shine again, with Spurs juggling four competitions, you can never have too much depth. Frank is also aware of that.
“There is a couple of things. The club is working very hard to see if we can strengthen the squad,” Frank said ahead of facing Manchester City. “We only want to do that with players we think are good enough to help the squad. That is what they are doing from the beginning and will keep doing.”
Breakdowns in moves
Kicking off the summer, Tottenham expected to add Morgan Gibbs-White by triggering his release clause, but then Nottingham Forest threatened legal action for tampering, putting any deal on hold. That would end with Gibbs-White signing a new deal with the tricky trees and Tottenham being left to go back to the drawing board. It was a deal that hurt, but they seemingly had other options, moving their focus to Eberechi Eze of Crystal Palace.
While it dragged on for a while, that deal looked like one that had promise until Kai Havertz got injured and Arsenal swooped in. There are plenty of reasons to want to play for Arsenal over Tottenham at this stage in a player’s career, but with Eze already having an affinity for the Red side of North London, when the Gunners called it led to a swift agreement for Eze being set to join them instead of Tottenham.
There’s still time to get an attacking midfielder in, and Tottenham have been linked to Savinho of Manchester City. While he’s more of a winger than a number 10, Mohamed Kudus can play centrally or further forward, allowing space on the wings. There’s a clear creative profile that technical director Johan Lange and Tottenham are looking for, with someone who can take a team on the dribble, shoot, and has an eye for a pass, which makes sense considering they have to not only replace the production from Maddison but that of Son Heung-Min as well following his departure to join Los Angeles FC ahead of the season.
Savinho could define the transfer window
A player who has been linked to Tottenham and may be allowed to leave City, it would be a difficult transfer to add Savinho to the squad. But, given that they’re back in the Champions League, this is where Tottenham should be shopping. Frank doesn’t need someone who can help be a squad player; he needs a weekly starter, and Savinho can do just that. His inaugural season at City was a down one, and the 21-year-old still registered a goal and eight assists. It’s a drop from nine goals and 10 assists in his season with Girona in LaLiga, and what he can do for Tottenham is likely in between.
Given that the one goal was well below the five expected goals he accrued last year, and those stats were built in only 1770 minutes, there’s a lot to like under the hood statistically. Savinho’s 0.25 xG per 90 minutes and 0.31 expected assists per 90 minutes combine to clear the 0.5 mark that can often be the hallmark of a star in the making. It’s easy to see the appeal.
Able to play on either wing, he’s someone who would need Kudus to move into a central position, but Frank’s systems value flexibility and he can bring that. But, more importantly, he’s somebody who is both ready to contribute capably now and also could develop into a superstar. That combination is worth paying a hefty fee for.
Dwight McNeil is also an alternative
For a little less audacious of a target, Everton’s Dwight McNeil also fits the bill. Bringing a strong defensive work rate and having scored seven goals while assisting 12 more since the beginning of the 2022-23 season, McNeil has been able to do more with less for a while now. Unlike Savinho, it would be quite a step up from Everton for McNeil to be relied on in Champions League play, and he also comes with injury risk after only featuring in 23 games last season, missing significant time with a knee injury. At 25, he’s in the beginning of his prime, so Tottenham should assume he has lots of improvement ahead of him, but McNeil can play on either wing or in the center of the pitch, which could make the attack harder to track, and he should be able to contribute capably for years to come. He wouldn’t be easy to pry from Everton, but it’s a move that could make sense, especially as Everton have added Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to their attacking back already, with a deal for Southampton’s Tyler Dibbling also in the works. It’s the one area of the field Everton might feel they can afford to sell a player for the right price.
Andreas Pereira could offer a stopgap
And, then there’s the in case of emergency option. This isn’t a pretty one, but with the arrival of Emile Smith Rowe and the emergence of Alex Iwobi, Pereira’s creativity has taken more of a back seat under Marco Silva at Fulham. He’s another guy who can do a bit of everything, even lining up in a double pivot if needed, but he doesn’t feel like someone who raises the ceiling of the Tottenham squad from where it is now. But if they get to deadline day needing a body in the attack, there are worse options that could be brought in. This isn’t an option that would save the window, but if any more injuries were to pop up, the Brazilian would provide solid cover.
