Tottenham Hotspur invested significant money in their squad over the course of the summer transfer window to deliver a squad capable of pushing for European football under Roberto De Zerbi.
The moves to sign Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United for £100m and Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United for £85m have ensured that the manager has more quality and depth in the middle of the park.
De Zerbi also wanted to strengthen his attack during the window, though, and swooped to sign Mykhailo Mudryk on loan from Chelsea, Omar Marmoush on loan from Manchester City, and Savio permanently from City.
Mudryk has already been ruled out for several weeks through injury, unfortunately, but the other two could make an impact in the coming matches.
Where Savio and Marmoush fit in at Spurs
Mathys Tel is yet to produce a goal or an assist for the team on the left flank this season, raising concerns over his place in the side, but De Zerbi believes that Savio is at his best on the right.
The Italian boss says that he wants the Brazil international to be able to drift inside onto his favoured left-footed, rather than being limited to going on the outside as a left winger, which is why he will predominantly play on the right.
Savio has already shown glimpses of the quality that he can offer in that position, having provided a goal and an assist in the 5-1 win over Charlton Athletic in the League Cup.
Marmoush, meanwhile, is an interesting one because he is capable of playing in a multitude of roles, but has played as a striker in his first two appearances for the club.
Omar Marmoush’s positional versatility | |
|---|---|
Position | Career appearances |
CF | 180 |
LW | 36 |
SS | 19 |
RW | 15 |
AM | 4 |
The Egypt international is not a traditional number nine, as he lacks the physicality to duel with and occupy defenders, but he can be incredibly effective if given the service he needs to show off his finishing ability.
In the 2024/25 campaign, for example, the striker scored a mouth-watering 28 goals from 19.07 xG for Eintracht Frankfurt and Manchester City combined in all competitions.
Great news for Savio & Marmoush: Spurs given huge injury boost
Both Marmoush and Savio need help from their teammates to get them into positions in the final third to be effective in matches, which is why the latest injury news coming out of the club is great news for them.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference before the clash with Everton on Saturday, De Zerbi confirmed that James Maddison is available to play.
The England international had been out with a shoulder injury since the 3-0 defeat to Brentford last month, but he is set to return to the matchday squad against the Toffees.
It is even a possibility that the former Leicester and Norwich midfielder starts for Spurs, as De Zerbi revealed that the star is fit enough to play from the start.
Savio and Marmoush should be delighted by this huge injury boost for the Lilywhites because Maddison is the kind of creative midfielder who could connect the dots and give the two attackers the platform they need to shine.
The 29-year-old has had a torrid time with injuries, of course, missing much of last season with an ACL injury, but his form before his injury was magnificent.
24/25 Premier League | James Maddison |
|---|---|
Appearances | 31 |
xG | 5.83 |
Goals | 9 |
Big chances created | 6 |
xA | 5.91 |
Assists | 7 |
Maddison racked up 16 goal contributions in the Premier League and 22 goal contributions in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign, providing quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals from an attacking midfield role.
The English star could provide Marmoush and Savio with the service that they need if he can get back to anywhere near those kind of levels again after returning from injury.
In fact, only nine players have registered more assists in the Premier League than Maddison (48) since the start of the 2018/19 campaign, including the likes of Mo Salah, Kevin de Bruyne, and Bruno Fernandes.
He has been one of the most creative players in the division for the best part of a decade, which is why it is such a big boost for Tottenham to have him back, and his teammates could benefit from his return.
There is no guarantee that Maddison will be at the very best of his game against Everton, should he start, but he is still an intelligent passer who can put Savio and Marmoush into dangerous positions in and around the box.
Therefore, starting the experienced midfielder against Everton could help the new signings to make their mark in the Premier League for the first time.
