Roberto De Zerbi Wants Reinforcements, But Tottenham’s Savinho Pursuit Raises Questions
Tottenham Hotspur boss Roberto De Zerbi wants to bolster his squad this summer following the club’s close call with relegation last season.
Spurs have already brought in Marcos Senesi, Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, and Jan Paul van Hecke, and are now focused on adding to their attacking options. One name on their radar is Manchester City winger Savinho, a player once tracked by former Tottenham manager Thomas Frank.
The North London club are now looking to open talks with their Premier League rivals over a move for the Brazilian, aiming to bolster their wide options.
Why Tottenham Might Want to Reconsider Savinho
Even with their interest in the winger, Tottenham could be making a mistake by pursuing him. The issue is that they already have a player with a very similar skill set — and similar shortcomings — in Mohammed Kudus.
Kudus arrived at Spurs from West Ham for £55 million last year, having managed just five goals in 35 Premier League appearances during the 2024/25 campaign. His output dropped further last season, with only three goals in 26 games for Tottenham.
Savinho shares several traits with Kudus: both are left-footed wide forwards who have found it hard to score consistently. The 22-year-old Brazilian has been productive as a creator, setting up 13 goals over the last two Premier League campaigns, but has scored only seven times in 84 appearances across all competitions.
His finishing struggles are reflected in his numbers — two goals from an expected total of 7.34, along with 12 big chances squandered.
That pattern closely resembles Kudus’s own record of seven goals from 8.83 xG over the same period. Given the overlap in weaknesses, Tottenham may be better served looking at a different kind of winger rather than adding another player with the same issue.
A Stronger Option Elsewhere
Encouragingly, reports suggest Tottenham are also weighing a more effective alternative. Football Insider reports that the club have shown interest in Benfica forward Andreas Schjelderup and have already made contact with the Portuguese side about a possible transfer this summer.
The Norway international, valued at £34 million, looks set to depart Benfica since he isn’t expected to extend his contract — a situation that could lead to a sale during this window.
Schjelderup’s 2025/26 numbers suggest he’d bring more to Tottenham’s attack than Savinho would. In the Portuguese league, he was directly involved in 11 goals — nine more than Savinho produced in the Premier League — while also beating his expected-goals figures.
Overall, across every competition, he contributed ten goals and five assists, which included two Champions League goals in seven outings.
The forward, who is right-footed and can play on either wing, also stood out on the international stage.
During the recent World Cup, Schjelderup scored against England in the quarter-finals and added three assists across six appearances, despite starting just two of those matches. He delivered against strong opposition too, providing an assist against France and two more in a knockout victory over Brazil.
Those displays point to a player ready to adapt to the Premier League. Savinho, on the other hand, didn’t even make Brazil’s World Cup squad and offers less end product, making him the riskier option of the two.
For Tottenham, Schjelderup appears to be the more sensible and productive target.
