De Zerbi driving Tottenham pursuit of ‘coveted’ striker with Spurs officials sent to club
Tottenham spent more than £300 million this summer, but Roberto De Zerbi still appears to want another answer at centre forward.
Spurs made major changes across the squad and added plenty of attacking talent, with Savio arriving from Man City for £85 million, while Omar Marmoush followed on loan with a £60 million obligation to buy.
Mykhailo Mudryk, who has now unfortunately been ruled out for weeks through injury, was also brought in from Chelsea on deadline day.
That gives De Zerbi speed and variety around the box, but it doesn’t necessarily provide the specialist striker who can carry the goalscoring burden every week.
Dominic Solanke remains the clearest natural number nine in Tottenham’s Premier League squad, even if Marmoush can play through the middle and Mathys Tel provides another option, but both are arguably more comfortable moving into wider areas.
Their striker uncertainty has already become a concern.
Spurs failed to score in their opening three league games and did not manage a single shot on target in the goalless draw at Nottingham Forest.
|
Stats |
Nottingham Forest |
Tottenham |
|---|---|---|
|
Possession |
41% |
59% |
|
Total shots |
12 |
12 |
|
Shots on target |
2 |
0 |
|
Expected goals |
1.40 |
1.59 |
|
Big chances created |
1 |
2 |
|
Big chances missed |
1 |
2 |
|
Corners |
2 |
10 |
|
Touches in opposition box |
11 |
30 |
|
Passes completed |
243 |
379 |
|
Pass accuracy |
77% |
84% |
|
Fouls committed |
21 |
12 |
|
Yellow cards |
2 |
2 |
|
Red cards |
0 |
0 |
|
Offsides |
2 |
1 |
Their failed pursuit of Cody Gakpo also showed that De Zerbi wanted another forward even after such a costly window.
Tottenham worked on a move for the Liverpool attacker and were reported to have received encouragement from the player. Liverpool never opened the door far enough for a deal, however, and Gakpo remained at Anfield when the English window closed.
Gakpo would have offered De Zerbi somebody capable of leading the line or attacking from the left.
Spurs eventually added Mudryk, but that didn’t fully answer the question through the middle.
A new report now suggests De Zerbi has turned his attention towards ‘one of Europe’s most coveted young forwards’.
De Zerbi driving Tottenham interest in Nicolo Tresoldi as scouts dispatched
According to TEAMtalk, Tottenham had representatives watching Club Brugge forward Nicolo Tresoldi against Aston Villa in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
The scouting trip wasn’t wasted either.
Brugge lost 3-2 after falling two goals behind before the break, but Tresoldi pulled one back from the penalty spot during a much stronger second half from the hosts.
The 22-year-old kept his composure to beat Zion Suzuki and ensured the visiting scouts saw him make an impact on a major European night.
This was apparently the latest stage of Tottenham’s assessment rather than an initial look, and De Zerbi is understood to be the leading voice behind this interest as he searches for stronger competition in attack.
Tottenham’s chances of signing Nicolo Tresoldi rated
Tresoldi joined Brugge from Hannover 96 in the summer of 2025 and quickly made Belgium take notice, with the striker bagging 23 goals last season — an impressive return from his first year in the country.
He is also a Germany Under 21 international and has a contract with Brugge until 2029, so the Belgian champions have no reason to accept a low offer.
There would be serious competition, too.
Barcelona allegedly held talks over Tresoldi during the summer, while Man United’s own presence on Tuesday confirms that Spurs are not alone in studying him.
Tthe scouting mission is early preparation for January or next summer.
Still, sending representatives to watch Tresoldi so soon after failing to land Gakpo is significant. De Zerbi was heavily involved in Tottenham’s summer recruitment and appears determined to keep reshaping the attack.
Spurs have spent heavily on proven Premier League names, and Tresoldi would be a different type of move, but his age, goals and room to improve make him an easy player to understand as their next possible striker project.
