Tottenham Pursue Omar Marmoush as City Talks Progressing

Tottenham’s midfield rebuild is already expensive. Now Roberto de Zerbi is pushing hard for the firepower to match it.

After committing a combined £185m on Mateus Fernandes from West Ham and Sandro Tonali from Newcastle, Spurs have shifted their attention up the pitch – and eyes are now firmly on Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush.

Club sources indicate discussions over Marmoush are “progressing positively”, with Tottenham exploring a deal for the Egypt international as they look to reshape their attack before the new Premier League season kicks off.

Marmoush, a £59m signing from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2025, slipped down the pecking order at City last season and struggled for regular minutes under Pep Guardiola. That lack of game time has left City open to talks, and Spurs sense an opportunity to prise him away from Etihad Stadium.

The north London club are already closing in on one major attacking addition from City. Spurs have agreed a £75m fee, plus £10m in potential add-ons, for Brazil winger Savinho. The 22-year-old is due to undergo a medical before signing a long-term contract, finally sealing a move that Tottenham tried – and failed – to pull off last summer.

Savinho chose to stay at City a year ago, but the decision did not bring the breakthrough he wanted. He made only seven Premier League starts last term, and with competition fierce in Guardiola’s front line, the Brazilian has now opted for a fresh start in north London.

De Zerbi, though, wants more than one new face in attack.

Spurs retain a strong interest in Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo, who remains on their list as another potential option in the final third. The problem is the maths. With Savinho already agreed and Marmoush talks advancing, there are real doubts over whether Tottenham can realistically finance a move for the Netherlands international on top of those deals.

Gakpo’s situation will depend heavily on outgoings and how far Spurs are prepared to stretch in one window. For now, Savinho is almost in the door and Marmoush is the live pursuit. Gakpo sits in the “if everything falls perfectly” category.

While Tottenham dominate the headlines with their spending, the rest of the Premier League is hardly standing still.

Aston Villa have already moved towards reshaping their defence, with Ezri Konsa undergoing a medical at Arsenal ahead of a proposed move worth more than £50m. Villa, anticipating his departure, have tested Southampton’s resolve for Taylor Harwood-Bellis with an offer of around £18m plus add-ons. The bid has been rejected, with Southampton valuing the England defender at closer to £25m.

Harwood-Bellis, who initially joined Saints on loan in 2023 before making the move permanent, has one England cap – earned in a 2024 Nations League match against the Republic of Ireland – and was a key figure as Southampton finished fourth in the Championship last season before the Spygate scandal wrecked their play-off campaign.

On Merseyside, Liverpool’s own search for wide players has hit an early snag. A £50m bid for Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh has been turned down, with the Seagulls holding firm over the 22-year-old Gambia international.

Minteh, signed from Newcastle for £30m in 2024, has produced 10 goals and nine assists in 73 appearances for Brighton, primarily operating off the right flank. He is currently recovering from a leg injury picked up in a friendly against Roma earlier this month, but that has not cooled Liverpool’s interest as they look to replace the departed Mohamed Salah.

Andoni Iraola has made strengthening his wide options the priority for the remainder of the window, and Liverpool are expected to keep testing the market with alternative targets if Brighton refuse to budge on Minteh.

Across Europe, the money keeps moving. Inter Milan have agreed a £30m deal to sign Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones, while Tijjani Reijnders has completed a £52m switch from Manchester City to Saudi Arabian side Al-Qadsiah, underlining the scale of turnover at the Etihad.

All of this plays out against the backdrop of a new Premier League season that is now right on the doorstep. Arsenal, the defending champions, open at home to newly promoted Coventry tonight, setting the tone for a campaign that already feels shaped by aggressive, high-stakes recruitment.

For Tottenham, the question is simple and ruthless: having spent big in midfield and lined up Savinho, can they land Marmoush – and maybe even Gakpo – without losing their grip on the financial tightrope?