Tottenham Hotspur spent heavily in the summer transfer window as Roberto De Zerbi looked to build a squad capable of competing for European football.
The club signed Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United for £100m and Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United for £85m to bolster their midfield options considerably.
De Zerbi also targeted attacking reinforcements, bringing in Mykhailo Mudryk on loan from Chelsea, Omar Marmoush on loan from Manchester City, and Savio permanently from City.
Mudryk has already been ruled out for several weeks through injury, leaving the burden of attacking output on Marmoush and Savio heading into a crucial stretch of fixtures.
Savio is expected to operate primarily on the right flank, with De Zerbi keen for the Brazil international to drift inside onto his favoured left foot rather than being deployed as an orthodox left winger.
The winger has already offered a glimpse of his quality, contributing a goal and an assist in Spurs’ impressive 5-1 League Cup victory over Charlton Athletic.
Marmoush, a player capable of operating across multiple attacking positions, has been deployed as a striker in his first two appearances for the club, though he is far from a traditional number nine.
The Egypt international scored an outstanding 28 goals from 19.07 xG for Eintracht Frankfurt and Manchester City combined across all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign, demonstrating his clinical edge when given the right service.
Both attackers rely heavily on creative support from teammates to get into dangerous positions, making the latest injury news emerging from the club particularly significant for Spurs fans.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s match against Everton, De Zerbi confirmed that James Maddison is available to return following a shoulder injury sustained in the 3-0 defeat to Brentford last month.
De Zerbi also revealed that Maddison is fit enough to start the match, meaning the midfielder could feature from the first whistle against the Toffees if the manager decides to throw him straight back in.
Maddison racked up 16 goal contributions in the Premier League and 22 goal contributions in all competitions during the 2024/25 campaign, establishing himself as one of Spurs’ most important creative outlets.
Only nine players have registered more Premier League assists than Maddison’s tally of 48 since the start of the 2018/19 season, a list that includes Mo Salah, Kevin de Bruyne, and Bruno Fernandes.
The 29-year-old has endured a torrid run with injuries, missing much of last season with an ACL problem, but his output before those setbacks underlines just how valuable he can be when fit.
In the 2024/25 Premier League season, Maddison recorded 9 goals and 7 assists across 31 appearances, with his 6 big chances created highlighting his consistent ability to unlock defences.
For Marmoush and Savio, having a midfielder of Maddison’s calibre pulling the strings in behind them could be the difference between finding form quickly and continuing to struggle for impact.
Even if he is not at his very best immediately on return, Maddison remains an intelligent and incisive passer capable of threading through balls into dangerous areas around the penalty box.
Starting him against Everton could therefore prove a key decision by De Zerbi, providing Spurs’ new attackers with the platform they need to make their mark in the Premier League.