Tottenham Advances in Marmoush Talks as Savinho Deal Closes

Tottenham’s summer rebuild is accelerating – and it is now the attack under the spotlight.

After pouring a combined £185m into their midfield with the arrivals of Mateus Fernandes from West Ham and Sandro Tonali from Newcastle, head coach Roberto de Zerbi has turned his attention to the front line. The first big piece is already close: Spurs have agreed a deal worth £75m, plus £10m in add-ons, with Manchester City for Brazil winger Savinho.

That move has been a year in the making. Tottenham tried to prise the 22-year-old away last summer, only for Savinho to stay and fight for his place at Etihad Stadium. It never quite happened for him under Pep Guardiola. He managed just seven Premier League starts last season and now heads to north London in search of a bigger role and a long-term contract.

Marmoush next on Spurs’ list

The Savinho agreement has not closed the door on further attacking business. Far from it.

Talks for his City team-mate Omar Marmoush are described as “progressing positively”. The Egypt forward, a £59m signing from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2025, slipped down the pecking order at City last season and is open to a move that would revive his minutes and status.

Spurs see Marmoush as another option to sharpen their forward line, but the financial jigsaw is delicate. They also retain interest in Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo, yet there is real uncertainty over whether the club can realistically fund deals for Marmoush, Savinho and the Netherlands international in the same window.

Arsenal close on Konsa as Villa eye Harwood-Bellis

Tottenham are not the only ones reshaping their squad before the new Premier League season kicks off.

Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa underwent a medical at Arsenal on Thursday ahead of a move expected to be worth more than £50m. Villa, preparing for life without the England centre-back, have already tested the market.

Their first attempt to land Southampton’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis has been knocked back. An offer worth around £18m plus add-ons has been rejected, with Southampton valuing the defender at closer to £25m. Harwood-Bellis joined Saints in 2023, initially on loan, and has one England cap from a 2024 Nations League match against the Republic of Ireland. His situation will be one to watch as Villa weigh up whether to return with an improved bid.

Liverpool rebuffed in Minteh chase

At Anfield, the search to replace Mohamed Salah on the flanks has begun in earnest.

Liverpool have seen a £50m bid rejected by Brighton for winger Yankuba Minteh. The 22-year-old Gambia international, who arrived at Brighton from Newcastle for £30m in 2024, has produced 10 goals and nine assists in 73 appearances for the Seagulls and is viewed as a key asset on the south coast.

Minteh, primarily a right winger, is currently sidelined with a leg injury picked up in a friendly against Roma earlier this month. Even so, Brighton are standing firm. For new Reds boss Andoni Iraola, strengthening his wide attacking options remains the priority for the rest of the window, and Liverpool will continue to explore alternatives to test a market that is already running hot.

Premier League curtain rises

All of this plays out against the backdrop of a league about to roar back into life.

Premier League Friday returns with gameweek one, a full day of news conferences and final tweaks before the opening whistle of the new campaign. Defending champions Arsenal begin their title defence tonight, hosting newly promoted Coventry on their return to the top flight.

By then, Savinho could be closing in on his Spurs medical, Marmoush talks may have advanced again, and the next big bid could already be on the table. The window is open, the season is upon us – and the pace of change is only picking up.