De Zerbi's Tottenham striker hunt and Maresca's Neto blueprint

De Zerbi's Striker Problem and the Balogun Pitch

Roberto De Zerbi has said he loves the transfer window, and he hopes that passion can help drag Tottenham back up the Premier League table. His summer at Spurs begins with a gap on the scoresheet. His possession system needs a number nine who finishes chances, joins the build-up, and presses from the front when the ball changes hands. The current roster has no obvious candidate.

Folarin Balogun's representatives have offered the Monaco striker to Spurs. Balogun spent his formative years at Arsenal, which adds friction to any deal. The tactical fit is real: his movement in the channels and willingness to run behind defences match how De Zerbi has used forwards before.

At Brighton, Evan Ferguson and Danny Welbeck served different functions, one as a penalty-box finisher, the other as a dropping, linking presence. Balogun offers a hybrid. He drifts wide to collect the ball, drives at centre-backs, and shoots quickly from tight angles. His Ligue 1 output at Monaco points to a player comfortable as a single pivot rather than a traditional target man.

The alternative target is Nicolas Jackson. The Chelsea forward's physical presence and pressing intensity suit De Zerbi's counter-pressing structure, but the Senegalese international is coming off an inconsistent season at Stamford Bridge. No formal bid has been submitted, which means the priority hierarchy remains unsettled.

Maresca Eyes Neto to Replace Savinho

In Manchester, Enzo Maresca is planning his own wide-player succession. The potential departure of Savinho has triggered interest in bringing Pedro Neto from Chelsea to City. Maresca worked with the Portugal international at Stamford Bridge, giving him direct knowledge of the player's intelligence and adaptability.

Maresca's framework relies on inverted wingers who tuck inside to support the central striker while maintaining width during circulation. Neto's dribbling in confined spaces creates overloads in the half-spaces, and his ability to strike with either foot makes him unpredictable. Pairing him with City's creative midfielders would give Maresca a different variant of wide attacker than Savinho's more direct, touchline-hugging style.

Pressing Triggers and Channel Runs

De Zerbi's pressing structure at Brighton was notable for its man-to-man orientation across the pitch.

The system requires forwards who can initiate pressure and midfielders who follow their markers into deep positions.

A striker's job is to trigger the press, curving his run to cut off passing lanes to one centre-back while positioned to engage the other. Balogun's athletic profile suggests he could execute this. The test is whether he can sustain it across a 38-game Premier League season, a physical demand different from Ligue 1.

Solomon's Exit Talks Complicate Wider Plans

Tottenham's winger situation is also shifting. Manor Solomon had been close to leaving for West Ham, but Hull City have entered the race.

• Solomon's camp had advanced talks with West Ham over a deal.
• Hull have accelerated their transfer activity and are competing for the Israeli international.
• Spurs need to resolve the winger's future before structuring their wide options for pre-season.

Solomon, a left-footer comfortable cutting inside from the right, does not fit De Zerbi's preference for inverted wingers who stay wide and isolate full-backs one-on-one. His departure would free salary space and a squad place for a more natural fit.

Balogun's Arsenal Past and Neto's Savinho Dependency

Spurs' attacking rebuild depends on De Zerbi finding a striker who can finish and press. The Balogun link is agent-driven, but the tactical logic holds. Maresca's interest in Neto reflects a working relationship and a specific set of technical attributes. Neither deal is close.

Tottenham face the added complication of negotiating for an Arsenal boyhood product, which raises political as well as tactical questions. For City, securing Neto depends first on finalising Savinho's exit, a deal discussed for some time without conclusion.

De Zerbi's first competitive fixtures will show whether the current squad has enough goals without a new arrival. Maresca's early Premier League matches will reveal whether his existing wingers can replicate the role he has in mind for Neto. Both managers are working from tactical blueprints the transfer market has yet to fill.

Updated: August 5, 2026 - Added De Zerbi's own comments about loving the transfer window and his ambition to lift Tottenham back up the Premier League table.