The transfer window is finally closed and what a summer it was for Tottenham Hotspur.
On the field of play, nothing much has changed with two defeats from two to start the season. However, off the pitch, the days of Daniel Levy’s penny pinching are long gone.
Levy is no longer in charge and you could tell this summer. Led by Roberto De Zerbi, Spurs’ recruitment was eye-catching and it was ruthless. This was a team in no mood to find themselves in another relegation battle.
The headline makers were Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes who moved to north London for a combined £185m. But, they also made a splash in the final third. Savio joined for £85m and was followed through the door by Omar Marmoush and Mykhailo Mudryk.
What Savio and Mudryk will bring to Tottenham
If you told Spurs supporters at the start of the window that they would end up signing Savio and Mudryk from Manchester City and Chelsea, they’d have likely turned their noses up at the prospect.
However, combine them with the other acquisitions of the summer and it all comes together impressively.
In Savinho’s case, there is a genuine belief at Spurs that they have signed an elite winger in the making. Just 22 years of age, the Brazilian endured a topsy-turvy time of it at the Etihad but has already hit the ground running in London, scoring on his debut.
Last term he barely kicked a ball, playing just 821 minutes of Premier League football. In that time, he netted only once and assisted two goals. In all competitions, the former City man scored four times and assisted three. It really wasn’t a very productive campaign.
However, his first year in Manchester was captivating, assisting 13 goals. In the Premier League, only Kevin De Bruyne at City provided more key passes per game than Savio’s haul of 1.6.
|
Big chances created at Man City: 2024/25 PL |
|
|---|---|
|
Player |
Big chances created |
|
1) Kevin De Bruyne |
15 |
|
2) Savio |
11 |
|
3) Bernardo Silva |
9 |
|
4) Omar Marmoush |
8 |
|
5) Jeremy Doku |
8 |
|
6) Phil Foden |
7 |
So, he’ll bring creativity but he’ll also bring elite ball carrying. During his final season at the Etihad, he ranked among the finest 9% of wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for successful dribbles per 90 minutes and among the best 2% of wide players for progressive carries per 90.
A carry is considered progressive if the ball is moved towards the opponent’s goal at least 10 yards from its starting point or is carried into the penalty area.
In that regard, Mudryk is cut from a similar cloth. Like Savio, his overall output is not great, scoring just ten goals for Chelsea. Yet, before his ban, he was also among the best dribblers in European football. In 2023/24, the Ukrainian ranked among the top 10% of wingers in Europe for progressive carries.
Between them, Tottenham’s two new wingers will be daring and dangerous. Theyll bring pace and the ability to run at defenders.
Their arrivals, however, is not good news for a few members of the Spurs squad.
Tottenham’s new Eriksen could be finished after Savio and Mudryk arrivals
While De Zerbi’s side have not exactly started the new season with flying colours, it surely will not be long before the Lilywhites make big improvement. The Italian is too good a coach for things not to improve.
A number of the Tottenham squad have already been impacted by the big spending of this summer and for supporters, that should be seen as a good thing.
Three of the more notable deals saw Pape Matar Sarr head to Juventus after the arrivals of Fernandes and Tonali, while Cristian Romero signed for Atletico Madrid and Djed Spence moved to Inter following the recruitment in defence.
Up top, there were not too many casualties, although there should have been. Everton were in with a shot of signing Richarlison but that move didn’t happen.
With Marmoush arriving, the Brazilian will find himself lucky if he plays too much football over the forthcoming weeks and months. The same can now be said for players like Mohammed Kudus, James Maddison and a certain Dejan Kulusevski. Remember him?
Kudus returned to the bench last weekend but will immediately be forced to compete with Savio for a place. Marmoush could also play in that role. He will, of course, also be competing with Mudryk on the left flank.
All of that does not bode well for the injury-stricken Kulusevski. The Swede’s time at Spurs is all unravelling in the worst way possible.
It was not along ago back in 2024/25, that he was earning comparisons to the iconic Christian Eriksen. Deki was becoming a chance creation machine.
He provided as many as nine chances for his teammates in their win over Manchester United at Old Trafford that season, which was level with Eriksen as the most created for Tottenham in a Premier League match since records began in 2002/03. Not bad, eh? All told that term, the 26-year-old scored ten goals and supplied his teammates with 11 assists.
He was becoming their most important player until a severe knee injury ruled him out for the next 15 months. He was not seen once in 2025/26 and while there will be a hope that there is still a player in there, it feels unlikely that Kulusevski will ever get back to his best. Judging by the signings in the last year, his time as a Spurs player could already be all but over.
It’s not just Savio and Mudryk who will hurt his chances of securing game time, but Kudus, Maddison and Xavi Simons will also have a say in that as the campaign plays out. Don’t forget young Luca Williams-Barnett is in the picture too.
