Fabrizio Romano recently reported that a certain Manchester City board member is blocking Savinho's departure for fear the 21-year-old will leave the Etihad and develop into a world-class star like Cole Palmer. The likelihood of Spurs signing their preferred left winger is now hanging by a thread, but it isn’t entirely unexpected. The deal always hinged on the Cityzens’ ability to prize Rodrygo away from Real Madrid, and the Brazilian has never expressed his desire to leave the Spanish giants.
If the Savinho deal doesn’t come to fruition, Tottenham will need to quickly pivot toward other left wing targets. They also hope to sign a left-sided center back to provide cover for Micky van de Ven. In order to offset some of the cost of those acquisitions and streamline the squad, Johan Lange and Fabio Paratici will have to find new homes for three Spurs players. Time is running out, and at this stage of the transfer window none of the deals will be easy.
Arrivals
Left Winger
Antoine Semenyo would be the perfect Savinho alternative for Thomas Frank. He can play across the front line, and he would transform Spurs’s attack into one of the most dangerous in the Premier League if he were to line up opposite fellow Ghanaian international Mohammed Kudus. The 25-year-old is in the prime of his career, and he has proven that he can create goals and is willing to track back and contribute defensively. Unfortunately, it looks like Semenyo has decided to stay at Bournemouth after renewing his contract with the Cherries through 2030.
The dream scenario would be for Spurs to target Rafael Leão. But that might be a bridge too far. The Portuguese international loves AC Milan and Massimiliano Allegri has confirmed the winger won’t be leaving San Siro despite interest from some of the world’s biggest clubs. Nevertheless, Spurs can offer Champions League football and should do everything in their power to convince the 25-year-old to come to Hotspur Way.
Maghnes Akliouche is a more plausible target for Spurs. The AS Monaco starlet can play on the wing or as a number ten. Although he is still raw and could potentially force Mohammed Kudus to play on the left, his talent is stratospheric, and the Côte d’Azur giants could be willing to sell him for less than £50 million. Even if Spurs were able to strike a deal, some might question the logic of signing another winger in his early twenties who could impede Mikey Moore’s progress.
Left Center Back
Bayer Leverkusen manager Erik Ten Haag has made it clear he wants to keep the Piero Hincapié at all costs after his squad was ravaged by the departures of Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong to Liverpool, Odilon Kossounou to Atalanta, Grant Xhaka to Sunderland, and Jonathan Tah to Bayern Munich. But if Spurs are serious, Ten Haag may not be able to keep the Ecuadorian international in Rhineland. Daniel Levy could attempt to trigger the left-sided center back’s £52 million release clause and solve one of Spurs’ most glaring weaknesses.
Castello Lukeba would also be a statement signing. The RB Leipzig center back suffered a thigh injury last season, but he has returned to the starting lineup and provided an assist during the DFB-Pokal matchup against SV Sandhausen. The left-footed French international would be an ideal back-up to Micky van de Ven, and Spurs might be able to convince Leipzig to let him go for a bit less than Hincapié. The question is whether he would be willing to accept a reserve role at Tottenham.
Spurs could also make a shocking move for Real Madrid outcast David Alaba. Rumors that the Austrian captain was on his way to Saudi Arabia were summarily shot down by his agent Pini Zahavi, but he may be swayed by a chance to play in the Premier League and team up with fellow Austrian center back Kevin Danso. The biggest stumbling block would presumably be his wage demands, which are currently twice as high as Spurs’ top earner Cristian Romero. If Real were willing to subsidize a portion of Alaba’s salary, he would give Spurs the perfect blend of quality, versatility and Champions League pedigree.
Departures
Manor Solomon
Manor Solomon’s career has been defined by transience since leaving Shakhtar Donetsk for England in 2022. The Israeli international has bounced from Fulham to Tottenham to Leeds, proving himself capable of creating goals at every stop, despite suffering a rash of injuries. There is simply no place for the 24-year-old in Thomas Frank’s squad. A dream move would see him back at Leeds, where he excelled under Daniel Farke last season. But Spurs would almost certainly have to lower their asking price from £20 to £15 to get the deal done.
Bryan Gil
If reports are to believed, Bryan Gil has a few suitors across Europe. The talented Spanish winger has received interest from Celta Vigo and Bologna, but Fenerbahçe may be leading the race. His style of play is better suited to La Liga, Serie A, or the Turkish Süper Lig than the Premier League. So if Spurs were able to sell the 24-year-old for around €15 million, it could be good business for all parties. Unfortunately, Gil’s injury history might dissuade clubs from purchasing the player outright. Another loan could therefore be in the cards, which would decrease his value next summer, seeing as he has only two years left on his contract.
Yves Bissouma
Whatever Thomas Frank says about Bissouma in front of the cameras should be taken with a grain of salt. The Mali international’s career at Tottenham is almost assuredly over. AS Roma and Juventus have reportedly been offered the mercurial defensive midfielder, and reports out of Turkey suggest that Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe have also expressed interest. The soon-to-be 30-year-old has not featured since being left out of the Super Cup squad for disciplinary reasons, and UEFA rules prevent Spurs from registering him for the Champions League. Sacha Tavolieri has reported that the former Brighton man wants to stay in England for another year to become eligible for UK citizenship, so it would not come as a shock if he were to link up with Graham Potter at West Ham.