How Man City flops Savio and Marmoush can transform Spurs’ attack

A proposed combined outlay of as much as £160 million naturally invites one fairly obvious question: are Spurs purchasing elite forwards or merely funding City’s next elite forwards?

Neither player comes with a compelling recent body of work. Savio managed only two goals and nine assists across 53 Premier League appearances for City, while Marmoush has produced ten goals and three assists in 37.

Those are not catastrophic numbers, but nor do they scream £160 million double act. City signed the pair for about £90 million combined and could bank a handsome profit despite neither becoming a regular starter.

Roberto De Zerbi is not buying their City records, though. He is betting that the players who flourished before moving to the Etihad can be recovered in north London.

Savinho was magnificent for Girona in 2023-24, recording 11 goals and ten assists in 41 matches as the Catalan club finished third in La Liga.

He carried the ball at defenders, changed direction without warning and created chances from both wings. His game was instinctive and occasionally chaotic, which perhaps explains why it became less convincing within City’s more precisely ordered attack.

That looseness could be an asset for Tottenham. De Zerbi likes his wide players stationed high and broad during build-up, before attacking the space created when opponents are drawn towards the ball. Savio can hold the width on the right, beat his full-back and deliver with his stronger left foot, or switch sides and drive towards goal.

Getty Images

Spurs have lacked that creative disruption since Dejan Kulusevski’s knee problems began. The Swede missed the entirety of last season and remains on the long road back. Savio is not the same kind of playmaker – Kulusevski prefers to slow down and pick locks, while the Brazilian wants to kick the door in – but he can return invention and unpredictability to a painfully blunt attack.

Marmoush, meanwhile, offers the movement De Zerbi has struggled to coax from Dominic Solanke.

The Egyptian was devastating at Eintracht Frankfurt, scoring 27 goals and providing 15 assists across 46 Bundesliga appearances. He could drop towards the ball, accelerate beyond defenders or drift into the channels, making him far more than a penalty-box striker.

Solanke was supposed to become that mobile reference point when Spurs paid up to £65 million for him. Instead, injuries and Tottenham’s wider dysfunction have restricted him to 12 Premier League goals in 43 appearances.

Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images

He played only 22 minutes of Saturday’s grim 3-0 defeat at Brentford, a result that ensured the excitement surrounding De Zerbi’s rebuild lasted approximately one afternoon.

Calling Savinho and Marmoush City flops is reasonable enough. Deciding that they are therefore poor players would be less sensible. Both were squeezed by competition, positional demands and Erling Haaland’s immovable presence.

At their best, Savio stretches the pitch while Marmoush stretches the defensive line. That combination could transform Spurs from ponderous to genuinely threatening.

The prices remain ridiculous, obviously. But ridiculous fees can still purchase the right footballers.

How to watch the Premier League in Canada

Soccer fans in Canada can watch every Premier League match during the 2026-27 season on DAZN.

With Fubo Sports on DAZN, Canadians can catch Premier League action as well as Serie A. Additionally, DAZN is the home of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Bundesliga and more.

For pricing information and to sign up to watch, click here.