Tottenham secure double swoop on Manchester City with Savio and Marmoush deals
Tottenham have agreed a loan deal to sign Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush, with an obligation to make the transfer permanent for £60m next summer, according to BBC Sport.
The move comes on the back of Spurs already signing City's Brazilian winger Savio for an initial £75m on Tuesday, taking the combined outlay on the pair to a potential £135m. Throw in the £59m City paid Eintracht Frankfurt for Marmoush in January 2025, and the forward has effectively been rented out and then sold on inside 19 months.
Marmoush, a 27-year-old Egypt international, arrived at the Etihad Stadium 18 months ago with a strong reputation built in the Bundesliga, Germany's top division. But he spent much of his City career playing second fiddle to Erling Haaland — the Norwegian striker who has made a habit of breaking scoring records since joining City in 2022. With Haaland commanding the central striking role, Marmoush found genuine minutes hard to come by.
That is the situation Tottenham are now betting on. A loan with a mandatory permanent clause is a structure that lets Spurs bring Marmoush in immediately, spread the financial commitment, and commit to the £60m purchase only if the deal runs its course. It is essentially a deferred purchase rather than a trial period.
The double deal also sends a clear signal about where Manchester City's squad planning sits. Reports from The Guardian and Sky Sports earlier in the week had trailed the combined £160m figure, reflecting the scale of City's willingness to do business with a Premier League rival. In modern football, that level of intra-league dealing between two top-six clubs is unusual. Both clubs clearly felt the moves suited their respective plans.
For Tottenham, signing two attacking players from the reigning champions in a single window is an aggressive statement of intent. Whether Savio — also known as Savinho — and Marmoush can find the rhythm and regular football they lacked at City will shape how this window is remembered in north London.
For Marmoush, it is a chance to step out of Haaland's considerable shadow. He arrives as the main man, not the understudy. That is the deal Tottenham have just paid handsomely to make happen.
