Why Spurs must sign unstoppable £43m winger instead of Savinho

Tottenham Hotspur are racing towards the Premier League season like a prized race horse, galloping over every hurdle and clearing them by a country mile.

What a start to the window for Spurs this has been. In the form of Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke, Roberto De Zerbi has successfully bolstered the defence.

However, in what feels like a total rebuild of the playing squad, he has sealed an £85m move for Mateus Fernandes and is also on the verge a ridiculous club-record £100m swoop for Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali.

Don’t forget the goalkeeper department either. Just before those eye-catching deals were completed in the middle of the park, Martin Dubravka arrived to play second fiddle to Antonin Kinsky.

What’s next in De Zerbi’s rebuild at Tottenham?

The next big priority for Spurs is to sign a batch of new attacking players. The defence was a sizable issue last term, sure, but they have also had problems creating and scoring goals.

As such, they have lined up Manchester City’s Savinho to add further quality on the flanks. A year ago, the Lilywhites tried to sign the Brazilian but were fruitless in their endeavours.

Spurs lodged a few bids with City but they did not let him go. However, a year on and their hopes of signing him look brighter.

That’s because he has barely kicked a ball all season after the arrivals of Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo. Tottenham are now in talks to get that one done in a move that could cost £60m.

Yet, he is not the only winger on the club’s radar. Miguel Delaney of the Independent reports that Rafael Leao has now become an option for the hierarchy at Spurs.

It’s noted that the Londoners have already had informal talks with AC Milan about the idea of signing the Portuguese this summer.

Leao has made it clear that he will be departing the San Siro and as Football FanCast have already discussed this window, he could move on for a cut-price fee of £43m.

How Rafael Leao compares to Savinho

A year ago, signing Savinho made plenty of sense. He had enjoyed a fabulous season with Pep Guardiola, scoring just three goals but providing 13 assists in all competitions.

The Brazilian was one of the most creative wingers in Europe through 2024/25, amassing as many key passes per game (1.6) as Bernardo Silva in the Premier League and only slightly falling behind the great Kevin De Bruyne who managed 2.1 per match.

Yet, over the last season, the winger has not been at his best, subsequently suffering from a lack of minutes, largely due to Cherki and Semenyo but also due to his own form.

During 2025/26, he only managed four goals and three assists in all competitions, while he started just seven matches in the league.

Still only 22, there is plenty of potential to extract from Savinho but the more proven Leao would undoubtedly be a better signing for De Zerbi.

Hailed as “one of the best left wingers in the world” by Como scout Ben Mattinsonthe 27-year-old has proven he is a truly elite winger over the last few years. The fact of the matter is that his end product is a lot more consistent than Savinho’s.

In each of the last five seasons, Leao has hit double figures for goals. In that regard, he’s certainly a more prolific player than Savinho. However, the Portugal star is also a strong creator. In 2025/26, that was the first campaign in five years where the forward had not also registered double figures in the assists department.

One of the biggest plus points the Man City winger has is his ability to dribble and carry the ball. He ranks among the best 1% of wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive actions per 90 minutes, as well as the finest 1% for progressive carries and the top 5% for successful dribbles.

Leao doesn’t quite match him in that regard but he’s still an electric talent capable of leaving defenders in a spin. The Milan superstar ranks among the best 4% for progressive actions and the top 2% for progressive carries.

That’s not to mention that he is now in his prime too. All for £43m, considering the spending Spurs have already completed this summer, this one feels like a no-brainer.