How Spurs can repeat Tonali masterclass late in the window

For Tottenham Hotspur supporters, there was so much hope, so much optimism, so much excitement going into the 2026/27 season.

Roberto De Zerbi’s side were ready to mount a serious challenge for a top four spot and they may still do exactly that. However, all of that pre-season hope was evaporated in the blink of an eye on Saturday.

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Together with Manchester United, Spurs are the early season laughing stock, losing 3-0 on the road to Brentford. This wasn’t in the script, was it?

£100m may have been spent on Sandro Tonali but it mattered not yesterday. A shellshocked Spurs already need to make huge improvements.

How Sandro Tonali performed on his Spurs debut

When Tonali signed for Spurs last month for a club-record fee, he was expecting big things from the Lilywhites under De Zerbi.

Another relegation-threatened campaign was not on the menu but play like this regularly, and it may be again.

The positive for Spurs is that it can only get better, not just from a team point of view but for the Italian midfielder as well, who after joining for such a big fee, did not set the world alight on his Premier League debut for Tottenham.

Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs

On the opposite side was Brentford’s record man, Mamadou Sangare. Signed to the tune of £39m, he already looks like a bargain. The summer arrival totally dominated not just Tonali, but Spurs as a whole, registering an assist and winning a large percentage of his duels.

In truth, it was Sangare who looked like the £100m man. Tonali, by way of comparison, was all at sea.

He was not the main problem for De Zerbi on Saturday but his performance for a player who cost so much was worrying. His day, and indeed Tottenham’s, was summed up just before the break when he nearly volleyed a shot out of the ground.

Things did get better in the second half when he was partnered with fellow summer signing Mateus Fernandes, but to say this was a disastrous first taste of domestic action in a Spurs shirt would be an understatement.

Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs

He did complete 89% of his passes but none of them were key passes. He also won just 50% of his duels and alarmingly, lost possession of the ball on ten occasions. For someone who was meant to be bringing the control to the middle of the park, he did nothing of the sort.

The former Newcastle man will no doubt have better performances for Spurs. After all, this is a Premier League-proven asset, a player who has been one of the best midfielders in the division for years now.

How Spurs can repeat their Tonali masterclass

Tonali’s Spurs career may have started in the worst possible way but we have seen glimpses of his elite talent throughout pre-season, notably scoring against Chelsea.

The Italian will have better days at Tottenham but he cannot do it all on his own. Get Fernandes alongside him instead of Lucas Bergvall and James Maddison ahead of Conor Gallagher and the balance will immediately look better.

Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs

What would also help are some new forwards for him to pass through the lines to. The Lilywhites are working hard on that with a deal for Savinho already agreed and on the verge of being announced.

It follows a trend of purchasing ready-made Premier League talent and that looks set to continue with the impending arrival of another Manchester City player, Omar Marmoush.

The latest on their pursuit of the Egyptian comes from Fabrizio Romano who took to social media on Sunday afternoon to reveal that Spurs have reached a verbal agreement with Manchester City to sign the player.

However, in a twist to the tale, the move will initially see Marmoush head to north London on loan, with a mandatory £50m buy clause inserted into the agreement. Marmoush will now travel to the capital on Monday to undergo a medical and formalise his switch.

So, now that is sorted, what would make him such an impressive capture?

Well, like Tonali, he’s Premier League-proven and he has the ability to be a transformative addition, albeit not in midfield but at the top end of the pitch.

Sure, Savinho may well cost Spurs around £85m but it is Marmoush who, in a similar manner to Tonali further back, would be the marquee addition up top.

The Man City attacker has struggled over the last year for game time. He played just 36 matches and 1,393 minutes in all competitions throughout 2025/26 but still found the net on 11 occasions, once every 126 minutes.

Has the Egypt international been a good signing? It’s a tricky question to answer. If you’re judging him by the 2024/25 season then it’s impossible to say he hasn’t been.

As City were chasing down another league crown, Marmoush helped them across the line by scoring seven goals and registering two assists in 16 Premier League outings. He was the Antoine Semenyo-like addition of the 2025 winter window, only that time it ended in glory for Pep Guardiola and Co.

So, like Tonali, Marmoush has proven he can do it in the Premier League. He’s proven he can adapt to the rigours of English football and he’s proven he’s an elite player as well.

While his numbers have fallen somewhat of late, that 2024/25 campaign will always live long in the memory. Before making the move to the Etihad, the 27-year-old had bagged 15 times in 17 Bundesliga matches for Eintracht Frankfurt. All told that term he scored 28 times in 51 appearances and also supplied 17 assists.

It was a remarkable season and only goes to show just how much of a game-changer he could be for Tottenham this season once the deal goes through. Between him and Tonali, they will have improved two key positions significantly.