Roberto De Zerbi wants to sign at least two more players before the end of the transfer window, with attacking reinforcements a priority for the Tottenham manager.
Despite already spending £237million this summer, De Zerbi has said that Spurs have only completed 60 per cent of their transfer business, as the focus turns towards adding depth and quality to their frontline.
Spurs are in the market for a winger, and potentially another striker before the window closes next month.
They have been heavily linked with a move for Manchester City winger Savinho, while they are also interested in Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo.
Standard Sport understands that the Reds do not currently want to sell Gakpo and have yet to enter talks with Spurs over a potential deal.
Gakpo has four years left on his contract, and Liverpool would need to sign a replacement before they even considered negotiating the 27-year-old’s departure.
A deal for Savinho is expected to be more straightforward, with the Brazilian having expressed his desire to leave City in search of more minutes.
That said, the 22-year-old will not come cheap, having also recently signed a long-term contract at City until 2031.
Spurs are ambitious, and would ideally like to sign both Gakpo and Savinho this summer to bolster their forward options.
It remains to be seen, though, whether Spurs can build on their early momentum in the transfer window to overhaul their attack.
Here, Standard Sport looked at three ways Spurs could line up with Savinho and Gakpo in their team…
Gakpo to operate as a No9
Despite Gakpo and Savinho predominantly playing on the left wing, De Zerbi reportedly views Gakpo as a centre-forward and would be prepared to use the Dutchman through the middle.
De Zerbi wants his striker to drop deep and link play, operating at times as a false nine to allow his wingers to race in behind and stretch the opposition defence.
Gakpo’s physicality and close control make him well suited to playing this role within De Zerbi’s system, while he does not possess the raw pace in wide areas that Savinho would provide.
Last season, Gakpo drew the ire of Liverpool supporters due to his predictability off the left flank as he constantly looked to cut inside and find an angle for a shot.
De Zerbi wants his wingers to be more direct and dynamic than that, so moving Gakpo through the middle to allow Savinho to run the opposition full-back into the ground makes a lot of sense for Spurs.
Tottenham predicted XI: Kinsky, Porro, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Udogie, Fernandes, Tonali, Kudus, Maddison, Savinho, Gakpo
Savinho to solve right-wing headache
While his attacking output is at times frustratingly inconsistent, Savinho’s energy and versatility make him a difficult player to pick up, and his movement causes all sorts of issues for opposition defences.
Savinho can play across the frontline, and he could help solve Spurs’ selection issues on the right wing.
It is unclear yet whether Mohammed Kudus will be fit for the start of the season, having been left out of Spurs’ 36-man pre-season tour squad to continue his rehabilitation from a serious quad injury.
Wilson Odobert, meanwhile, is still in the early stages of his recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained last season.
Were Spurs to get a deal over the line for Savinho, he could come in and fill the void left by Kudus and Odobert, allowing the former to get back to full fitness without feeling that he needs to rush to return.
Savinho’s propensity to cut in from the right means De Zerbi would not be able to use his pace in behind as effectively, but paired with Gakpo on the left, they could drift inside, allowing Spurs’ full-backs to operate on the overlap.
Tottenham predicted XI: Kinsky, Porro, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Udogie, Fernandes, Tonali, Savinho, Maddison, Gakpo, Solanke
Gakpo and Savinho to create midfield overload
A big part of Tottenham’s issues last season was their inability to dictate games from midfield.
Tiring out-of-possession performances were often left unrewarded as they struggled to progress the ball through the lines.
There was a distinct disconnect between Spurs’ midfield and their attack, which typically led to attacking moves breaking down and putting them on the back foot.
Midfield reinforcements have been bought, and it is hoped that Sandro Tonali’s ability not only to play through the lines but also to provide third-man runs will complement Mateus Fernandes’ composure.
The success of the Tonali-Fernandes midfield pivot relies, though, on being able to play off an attacking midfielder like James Maddison, who can keep the ball and bring others into play.
Similar to Kudus, it is unclear whether Maddison will be ready for the start of the season, and De Zerbi may have to get creative to ensure Spurs can dominate the ball centrally.
One solution would be to play Savinho as the attacking midfielder, while deploying Gakpo through the middle.
With Gakpo dropping into the midfield, Spurs would be able to create a box midfield to circulate possession before getting the likes of Tonali and Fernandes to spring balls in behind for the wingers.
The success of the box midfield would be predicated on the fluid movement of each player, and there is no doubt it would be an energy-sapping tactic.
With several fitness concerns heading into the start of the season, though, it could be a useful solution to help Spurs control games, particularly away from home.
Tottenham predicted XI: Kinsky, Porro, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Udogie, Fernandes, Tonali, Kudus, Savinho, Tel, Gakpo
