Spurs Plot Daring Double Swoop: Gakpo and Savinho on De Zerbi’s Radar
Tottenham aren’t done yet. After a bulging summer outlay north of £235m, Roberto De Zerbi wants the icing and the cherry on his attacking cake — and the names in the frame are anything but modest: Cody Gakpo and Savinho.
Big spend, bigger ambition
Spurs have already addressed the spine with major moves for Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Jan Paul van Hecke, but De Zerbi’s message from the camp in Australia was clear enough: expect another “bomba” or two. The priority? A wide forward who can also operate through the middle — versatility over vanity, substance over flash.
Gakpo leads the line on the wishlist
Well-sourced reporter Paul O’Keefe says Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo has surged to the top of Tottenham’s shortlist, and crucially, it’s not either/or with Savinho — the Dutchman is being pursued in addition to the Brazilian. That’s a heavyweight play, given Savinho is likely to land at more than £60m and Gakpo could be priced similarly, possibly nudging £70m, with a reported wage packet around £250,000 per week.
The money maths: bold, but balanced
Two attackers at those numbers is a £120–130m swing, taking Spurs’ total outlay towards (or beyond) the £350m mark. But there’s cash coming back in. Luka Vuskovic has already banked £46m, while Cristian Romero, Guglielmo Vicario and Lucas Bergvall are all candidates to move on. Between those four, Spurs could generate north of £175m — enough to keep the accountants calm while De Zerbi sharpens the forward line.
Why Gakpo fits like a glove
Gakpo is a manager’s dream for a possession-heavy, aggressive side: strong carrier, tidy touch, intelligent movement, and the bottle to step into big moments. Jürgen Klopp has long admired his mentality — the sort who doesn’t wait for a ride, he pushes the train himself — and former Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman billed him as pivotal for the national side. The output stacks up too: 32 Premier League goals and 18 assists in 127 appearances. Add his ability to work off the left, drift central or lead the press, and you can see why De Zerbi’s tempted.
De Zerbi still wants a nine
Even with Gakpo and Savinho, De Zerbi remains keen on a recognised No 9. The plan looks like a fluid front that can interchange — width from Savinho, multi-lane threat from Gakpo — but with a penalty-box presence still on the shopping list. It’s ambitious, yes, but you don’t hire De Zerbi to think small.
The hurdles
Liverpool won’t be pushovers on price or timing, and matching Gakpo’s wages is no small detail. Competition for Savinho will be fierce as well. Then there’s the dance with PSR/FFP, even if Spurs feel they’ve structured this window smartly with exits to offset the splash. Threading the needle will take shrewd negotiation and a bit of brinkmanship.
Pundit’s verdict
This is Spurs behaving like a club with serious designs on the top end of the table — not just buying names, but pieces that fit the manager’s blueprint. Land Gakpo and Savinho and it’s a statement double that changes the mood music around North London. Miss, and they’ll need a sharp Plan B before the window slams shut.
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What next?
All eyes on the pace of talks. If Spurs can align valuations with Liverpool and close on Savinho, De Zerbi gets his wide threats — then it’s onto that centre-forward. One way or another, Tottenham are not mucking about this summer.
