Tottenham officials visit red-hot striker target with 6 goals in 6 games this season

£75m for Savio, £60m for Omar Marmoush, £100m for Sandro Tonali and a total of £312m spent. On paper. Tottenham Hotspur couldn’t have backed Roberto De Zerbi any more if they tried.

So, to say that the Italian has some explaining to do after four games without a win in the Premier League and a grand total of zero goals scored in that time would be some understatement.

REUTERS/Chris Radburn

Whilst he continues to send cryptic messages about Richarlison’s attempted move away from Tottenham, the manager could be better served looking at the underperforming attackers who are actually at his disposal.

There’s still plenty of time for things to improve, but the true reality is that Spurs welcomed Savio – a forward who scored seven goals in 87 appearances for Manchester City – before welcoming Marmoush, who has scored 10 Premier League goals in 40 appearances, and then a returning Mykhailo Mudryk to end their window.

All are promising options on paper, but for almost £100m and months after only avoiding relegation on the final day of last season, Spurs need more than just promising. They need proven; they need consistent. And that’s exactly what could arrive in the January transfer window.

Tottenham tracking in-form Igor Matanovic

REUTERS/Kemal Aslan

According to Fussball News in Germany, Tottenham have sent officials to complete in-person checks on Igor Matanovic. The SC Freiburg forward has hit the ground running this season, scoring six goals in six games in all competitions, and has done so in front of Spurs scouts.

At 23 years old, the Bundesliga star still has plenty of potential to unleash. Whether that is unleashed in the Premier League is currently the big question.

Spurs, alongside Manchester United, were sniffing around in the summer transfer window and have stuck around amid Matanovic’s excellent form.

The numbers show exactly what Matanovic would offer. The Croatian is an all-action striker, who rarely fails to get involved – taking 4.85 shots per 90 at Freiburg this season.

Marmoush, meanwhile, has struggled in that department. Although 0.35 XG very much exposes the lack of service that he’s receiving in north London, 2.15 shots per 90 also suggests that he’s not getting involved in the right areas.

The Egyptian’s greatest strength is running in behind. It’s why he made sense as a De Zerbi target.

The problem is that the Premier League has changed since the Italian last appeared in the dugout at Brighton. Teams no longer press with the same intensity, that trend is beginning to die and adapt into a more pragmatic view. Marmoush, therefore, has seen his biggest strength become null and void.

When January arrives, Spurs must adapt themselves and push towards an out-and-out number nine like Matanovic.