Spurs have been linked with a summer move for an attacking midfielder who’s appeared on the shortlists of several other Premier League sides.
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The Roberto De Zerbi era is officially underway at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, although the controversial Italian won’t take charge of a match until 12 April when Spurs head north to face Sunderland. But while his most urgent priority will be turning on-field performances around, reports suggest that he’s already looking ahead to the summer transfer window.
Given that he’s be handed a five-year contract, that perhaps isn’t surprising. He has a long-term to plan for beyond his current rescue mission. Reports from this week already suggest that he’s identified Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli as a potential target, but the Italy international isn’t the only name alleged to be on his list – with a former Aston Villa and Leeds target also said to be on De Zerbi’s radar…
Gabriel Sara reportedly added to Spurs shortlist for the summer
According to a story from Caught Offside, Spurs are hoping to position themselves to make a move for Galatasaray’s Gabriel Sara, a 26-year-old attacking midfielder who made his debut for Brazil over the course of the recent international break.
The report suggests that Spurs have already made initial contact to sound out Sara ahead of a prospective bid, with the player allegedly keen to move back to England, where he spent two seasons in the Championship with Norwich City before impressing enough to earn a move to Turkey.
Having registered a combined 27 goals and assists for the Canaries in the 2023/24 campaign, Sara has since scored eight goals and provided 13 more across the better part of two years in Turkey, playing in a fluid attacking role which has sees him work to exploit pockets of space around the edge of the penalty area on either side of the field.
Sara acts primarily as a creative force with Galatasaray, and a relatively limited return in terms of assists this season somewhat belies the quantity and quality of chances he creates – although he has only provided two league goals so far over the course of the current campaign, he is credited with 5.52 expected assists.
If Spurs are indeed interested in Sara, it would likely be to provide competition for Xavi Simons and James Maddison in the number 10 role should De Zerbi stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation for which the Spurs squad has been primarily designed – but Sara can also play in a slightly deeper playmaking role, providing an added degree of tactical flexibility.
Will Spurs move to sign Sara in the next transfer window?
In terms of the validity of the report, it’s difficult to work out just how likely any stories about De Zerbi’s desires in the transfer window are to be accurate given how little time has passed since his appointment. The reliability of any inside track sources may claim to have must be viewed as questionable as it stands.
Still, Sara is not necessarily an unrealistic target for Spurs to have. There has been Premier League interest before, with Aston Villa strongly linked in the past (although Caught Offside’s report claims that they have cooled on the Brazilian) while Leeds and Sunderland have also cropped up as a possible destination.
Caught Offside believe that Galatasaray’s asking price would be a relatively meaty €45m (just over £39m), but previous stories have suggested a slightly lower price point, with a figure in the €30m (£26m) touted when links to Sunderland and Leeds emerged shortly after the January transfer window.
Both of those sides were alleged to have made approaches for Sara over the winter only to be rebuffed, with Galatasaray unwilling to part ways with a regular stater mid-season – but the Turkish side are generally prepared to sell, not least as they’re a club who are always looking for ways to fund their next big splash in the market.
Sara will likely be obtainable if Spurs are keen, although without further corroboration it’s hard to assess how genuine their alleged interest may be – but he’s an intriguing player with a genuine creative touch, and if the price isn’t unreasonable and he fits De Zerbi’s intended scheme, it’s certainly a plausible story on paper. Unless, of course, Spurs get relegated. If that happens, they may have to adjust the height at which they aim in the coming transfer window.