De Zerbi Celebrates Bomba Double Deal for Tottenham
Roberto De Zerbi called them “bomba” – and you understood exactly what he meant.
Tottenham have landed Savio and Omar Marmoush in a statement double deal from Manchester City, with the head coach openly thrilled and still eyeing one last piece of business before the transfer window slams shut on Tuesday night.
De Zerbi revels in ‘bomba’ double deal
Savio, a long-term Spurs target, has arrived in an £85million package, with Marmoush joining on a season-long loan that includes an obligation to buy. That clause could push Marmoush’s fee up towards £60m, taking Tottenham’s summer outlay beyond £350m.
De Zerbi didn’t bother hiding his excitement.
“I think Savio and Marmoush are bomba,” he said ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash with Newcastle. “I don’t know what name or how you can call them but players of a high level, for sure.
“I didn’t expect one transfer market and one window like we have done.”
The Italian, though, is not quite finished.
“I think we can do one player more and in one specific position,” he added, revealing he had dinner on Thursday with the club’s hierarchy – the owners, Vinai Venkatesham, Johan Lange and Enrico Venturelli – to align on the final days of the window. The message from that meeting: everyone is pulling in the same direction.
Marmoush to boost attack as options return
Marmoush becomes Tottenham’s eighth signing of the summer and arrives to give De Zerbi badly needed flexibility in the final third. He can play as a central striker or as an alternative number 10 at a time when James Maddison is short of full fitness and Mohammed Kudus is only just back from a long tendon lay-off.
The numbers are there. Marmoush hit 37 goals in a prolific 18-month spell at Eintracht Frankfurt and added 16 more at Manchester City. Even so, he may have to settle for a place on the bench against Newcastle.
“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.
“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.”
Savio, meanwhile, is being lined up for his full debut after completing his move, and Kudus is in contention for his first squad appearance since January. Suddenly, the attacking cupboard that looked bare last season is starting to overflow.
Selection calls and a blunt message on Sarr
New captain Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro both came through Wednesday’s 5-1 Carabao Cup win over Charlton and are pushing to start again. De Zerbi has the kind of selection dilemmas managers welcome.
One situation is less straightforward: Pape Sarr’s future. The midfielder remains available for selection, but the club are open to late movement.
“Pape? No, he’s good. We have to see in the last day of the transfer market what can happen with him,” De Zerbi said, before offering a typically forthright view on unsettled players.
“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.”
Tottenham have spent big, loaded their attack and handed their manager the tools he demanded. The window closes at 11pm on Tuesday. One more signing, one more “bomba”? The final act of this summer rebuild is still being written.
