There’s arguably nothing worse for a football fan than losing out in a derby game, but a player deciding to snub your club in favour of your biggest rival arguably eclipses that. It’s never straightforward getting over a derby defeat but other games arrive quickly on the horizon. However, watching a player that you’ve been dreaming about, pulling on the shirt of your rivals can only hurt.
That’s a feeling that Tottenham fans will soon experience with Eberechi Eze opting for their North London rivals after Arsenal hijacked a deal for the Crystal Palace star. Spurs had agreed a fee with Palace for the England international but Arsenal revived their interest at the last-minute, after an injury to Kai Havertz, and Eze preferred Mikel Arteta’s men. The 27-year-old is expected to finalise his move to Arsenal before the weekend in a deal that could reach €78 million. Meanwhile, Thomas Frank must move onto alternative targets and we’ve analysed six options with market values under €60m on Transfermarkt.
Six alternatives to Tottenham for Eberechi Eze
It’s understood that Savinho is Tottenham’s priority target after missing out on Eze. Spurs made enquiries to Manchester City over the Brazilian’s availability earlier in the window but City intimated that he wasn’t for sale. Pep Guardiola also insisted that he wanted to keep Savinho, stating: “I am only concerned right now that Savinho will be with us for the rest of the season and hopefully many years, because of the potential he has at 21. He has to improve in final positions but he is an extraordinary player.” Ultimately, every player has a price and Man City value Savinho at around €80m and despite their stance, they could be open to selling as they pursue a move for Rodrygo. City will also net a huge profit after signing the 21-year-old for just €25m last summer and he provided 16 goal contributions during his first season in England.
Morgan Rogers could prove even more difficult to extract from Aston Villa than Savinho from Man City. The England international was outstanding last season with 30 goal involvements in 54 games and he was awarded the PFA Young Player of the Year on Tuesday night. Rogers is Villa’s prized asset and Unai Emery will be determined to keep him in the Midlands amid an underwhelming transfer window. Villa’s financial issues have been in the spotlight this summer and there could be a temptation to cash in but it would require a club record fee from Tottenham. Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Spurs are interested and could Daniel Levy make a move to appease disgruntled fans?
Maghnes Akliouche has been on the radar of top European clubs for several years and Tottenham have monitored his development. The Monaco starlet is predominantly a right-winger and therefore represents a different profile to Eze but Mohammed Kudus could comfortably play from the left. It’s understood that Spurs view Akliouche as a potential cheaper option than Savinho but Monaco will want to hold onto the former French U21 international as they prepare for Champions League football. The 23-year-old provided 19 goal involvements last season, including the opening goal in a famous win over Barcelona.
Everton have been pursuing a deal for Tyler Dibling this summer but they’ve been unable to agree a fee with Southampton and Tottenham could provide competition. Unlike Everton, Spurs can offer Champions League football and a more lucrative contract, which could prove appealing for the 19-year-old. Although he only registered three goal involvements in 33 games last season, Dibling showed incredible promise in a woeful Southampton team with his dribbling ability particularly eye-catching.
Chelsea and Tottenham are rivals which could complicate any deal for Christopher Nkunku but a quick glance across North London will show that Enzo Maresca’s men are happy to do business with clubs from the same city. Nkunku arrived amid huge expectation at Chelsea for €60m in 2023 after 126 goal involvements in 172 for RB Leipzig but the Frenchman has struggled to adapt to the demands of the Premier League. Nkunku remains a quality performer, when fit, with RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich keen on returning him to the Bundesliga.