Tottenham's Bold Rebuild: De Zerbi's Excitement Over New Signings
Roberto De Zerbi did not bother hiding his excitement. Not this week, not after Tottenham delivered what he called the “bomba” signings of Savio and Omar Marmoush and pushed their summer outlay through the £350million barrier.
This is not a quiet evolution in north London. It is an aggressive rebuild.
A double strike from Manchester City
Spurs moved decisively, completing a double deal with Manchester City that has been months in the making. Savio, a long-term target, arrived in an £85m package, with Marmoush joining on an initial season-long loan that carries an obligation to buy.
Should all clauses be met, Marmoush’s fee could climb towards £60m. For a player who only recently exploded at Eintracht Frankfurt and then added a further 16 goals at City, it is a statement of faith as much as a financial gamble.
De Zerbi, speaking before Newcastle’s visit to north London on Saturday, could barely conceal his satisfaction.
“I think Savio and Marmoush are bomba,” he said. “I don’t know what name or how you can call them but players of a high level, for sure.”
He paused, then laid out the scale of what Spurs have done.
“I didn’t expect one transfer market and one window like we have done.”
One more piece?
The spree may not be over. De Zerbi hinted there is still room for a final flourish before Tuesday’s 11pm deadline.
“I think we can do one player more and in one specific position,” he revealed, before lifting the curtain slightly on the club’s internal alignment.
On Thursday night he dined with the ownership and key decision-makers Vinai Venkatesham, Johan Lange and Enrico Venturelli. No drama, no tension, just a manager who feels the club is moving in step with him.
“We spoke about this, but we have all of us on the same page and there is a very good connection.”
That connection has already delivered eight summer signings. Marmoush becomes the latest, and perhaps one of the most intriguing.
Marmoush: goals, pace and a different No10
Tottenham have not brought Marmoush in to make up the numbers. He arrives with a clear brief and a proven record: 37 goals in a blistering 18 months at Eintracht Frankfurt, then 16 more at Manchester City.
He gives De Zerbi something he has craved – another source of goals and a different kind of creative threat between the lines. With James Maddison still short of full sharpness and Mohammed Kudus only just back from a long tendon lay-off, Marmoush offers both cover and competition.
“A great signing for us. A great player, another great player and every one of us loves him as a player,” De Zerbi said. “We hope he can do what he is able. I think he can give more solutions in attack.
“We need players in attack capable to score goals, to play well with the ball also, a very fast player, great qualities and we are all happy.”
The Italian then drilled down into the tactical detail that will interest Spurs supporters most.
“I think he can play as a central striker. He is a different number 10 than (Conor) Gallagher or Maddison, more of an attacker, but he is a player of big qualities. The most important thing is to have players with qualities.”
He may have to wait for his first start. After a 5-1 Carabao Cup win over Charlton on Wednesday, De Zerbi has options and momentum. Marmoush could begin on the bench against Newcastle, but that feels like a temporary formality rather than a reflection of his importance.
Savio, Kudus and a captain leading from the back
If Marmoush is the versatile finisher, Savio is the headline act. The Brazilian is expected to make his full debut against Newcastle, another high-priced piece in a front line that suddenly looks loaded with speed, flair and depth.
Behind them, the new leadership core is already visible. Micky van de Ven, now wearing the captain’s armband, and Pedro Porro both featured in midweek and are in line to start again. Kudus, absent since January, could finally rejoin the matchday squad.
This is what £350m looks like on the pitch: not just big names, but layers of options, different profiles, and a manager who sounds genuinely energised by what he has been given.
Pape Sarr and the hard edge of De Zerbi
Not every situation is as straightforward. Pape Sarr remains available for selection, but his future is still in play as the window ticks down.
“Pape? No, he’s good,” De Zerbi said. “We have to see in the last day of the transfer market what can happen with him.”
Then came the blunt edge that players quickly learn to recognise.
“If you want to leave and you have not found the offer, it’s your problem, not my problem. I give respect, I kiss you, I hug you, but at the end have to stay calm inside the dressing room.”
It was a line delivered with warmth and warning in equal measure. The door is open, but the dressing room will not be allowed to wobble.
Tottenham have spent big, moved fast and armed De Zerbi with the kind of attacking firepower that can change the mood of a season. The money is on the table, the “bomba” signings are through the door.
Now comes the only test that matters: what this rebuilt side looks like when the whistle blows and Newcastle walk into a stadium that suddenly expects something more.
