Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi is looking to strengthen his midfield before the summer transfer window closes, with West Ham United’s Mateus Fernandes emerging as a primary target following the Hammers’ relegation from the Premier League last season.
The Lilywhites have reportedly reached an agreement on personal terms with the Portuguese youngster, but must now negotiate a transfer fee with the Championship club for the £85-million-rated talent. However, Fernandes isn’t the only midfielder on Spurs’ radar—they are also said to be tracking Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali.
According to Fabrizio Romano, a deal to bring the Italian international to North London is in the works, which would give De Zerbi added depth in midfield for the upcoming campaign.
Tottenham eyeing Premier League forward
While Tonali would bring tenacity and intelligence to the midfield—he won 55% of his duels for Newcastle last season and is a sharp passer—he doesn’t offer much of a goal threat, having failed to score in the league. De Zerbi already has similar midfield profiles in Conor Gallagher, Pape Matar Sarr, and Rodrigo Bentancur, all of whom are combative but contribute little in the final third.
That’s why Spurs’ latest target—an attacker from a Premier League rival—could prove to be an even smarter acquisition than either Fernandes or Tonali. Reports from Italy suggest Tottenham are interested in Manchester City centre-forward Omar Marmoush and are preparing to submit a bid in the coming days.
De Zerbi is said to be a big admirer of the Egyptian international, formerly of Eintracht Frankfurt, and is keen to bring him to North London before the window shuts. City are reportedly asking for up to £56 million for the forward, who is also attracting interest from Barcelona.
What Marmoush would bring to Tottenham
While Fernandes and Tonali would offer upgrades on De Zerbi’s existing midfield options—both are capable of breaking up play and launching attacks—they don’t address Spurs’ lack of consistent attacking output. In the 2025/26 season, Richarlison was the only Tottenham player to reach double figures for combined goals and assists in the Premier League, with 11 goals and 4 assists.
That inconsistency in attack is a worry heading into the new season, which makes Marmoush a particularly appealing target. Last season, the 27-year-old—described by scout Ben Mattinson as a “maverick”—scored 8 goals and provided 3 assists in just 1,438 minutes for City, averaging a goal contribution every 130 minutes.
His most prolific campaign came in 2024/25, while featuring regularly for Frankfurt and City: he notched 28 goals and 14 assists over 3,635 minutes, averaging a contribution every 87 minutes across all competitions. In the Premier League and Bundesliga combined, he registered 22 goals and 9 assists in 33 matches.
By contrast, Tonali and Fernandes combined for just 3 goals and 6 assists in the Premier League last term, and are unlikely to be transformative in the final third for Spurs. Marmoush, however, has proven his quality in both the Bundesliga and the Premier League, though his minutes at City were limited due to competition with Erling Haaland.
Tottenham can now capitalize on his difficult situation at the Etihad to land a genuine game-changer—one capable of winning matches with regular goals and assists. That makes Marmoush a potentially more impactful signing for De Zerbi than either Fernandes or Tonali.
