Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing an AS Monaco and France international star, sources have told TEAMtalk, as Savinho looks set to sign a new contract with Manchester City and put an end to Spurs manager Thomas Frank’s desire to sign him.
Spurs wanted to sign Savinho from Premier League rivals Manchester City in the summer transfer window. Sources told TEAMtalk that the Brazil international winger himself was willing to make the move to last season’s Europa League winners, but Man City manager Pep Guardiola did not want to lose the 21-year-old.
Our transfer insider, Dean Jones, reported on September 22 that Tottenham ‘are still keeping an eye on Savinho, knowing that he wanted the move in the summer’.
Spurs’ hopes of signing the winger have now disappeared, though, as, according to ESPN and trusted journalist Fabrizio Romano, Savinho is now set to sign a new contract with Man City, with talks over fresh terms in ‘final stages’ amid the winger’s desire to stay at the Etihad Stadium for the ‘long term’.
Tottenham, though, are not putting their eggs in one basket, with Jones telling TEAMtalk that the north London outfit have already been looking at AS Monaco star Maghnes Akliouche.
Akliouche is a versatile France international, who can play as an attacking midfielder or as a winger.
The 23-year-old has played as a right winger so far this season and has scored two goals and given one assist in six appearances for Monaco.
In the 2024/25 campaign, Akliouche found the back of the net seven times and provided 12 assists in 43 matches in all competitions, with scout Jacek Kulig describing him on X at 9:57pm on May 10, 2025, as “an absolute joy to watch with a left foot made of gold”.
Jones said: “Spurs have always had other players on their radar if they do not manage to sign Savinho, and scouting assignments will continue accordingly.
“One of the players I am told they have had eyes on from an attacking point of view is Maghnes Akliouche, and they will actually be very interested in seeing how he fares in an upcoming Champions League game against Man City.
“He’s played every minute for Monaco so far this season and plays off the right, but there is a belief he can also be versatile, and he has a very high ceiling in the game.
“Monaco rate him highly and would be putting a premium fee on his head if the interest steps up in the new year as they do not want to lose him.”
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GO DEEPER: Who is Maghnes Akliouche?
Predominantly a right winger, Akliouche made his debut for Monaco’s B team in August 2020 at the age of 18.
He went on to earn his first-team debut in October 2021, sent on by Niko Kovac in a Ligue 1 clash with Lyon.
Over the next couple of seasons, he made do with brief appearances in virtually any attacking position. It was last season in which he made a definitive breakthrough.
Now focusing his game more as either a right winger or central attacking midfielder, Akliouche scored his first Ligue 1 goal in September 2023, against Marseille – and scored his second less than an hour later.
That day, he was playing as the sole no.10 in a 3-4-1-2 formation, but this season he has shifted over to a right-wing role in a 4-2-3-1.
As a left-footer, that role allows him to cut inside and create chances with his stronger foot. Among attacking midfielders in Ligue 1 last season, he ranked in the 93rd percentile for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 minutes and the 88th for progressive passes per 90 minutes.
His dribbling ability is something he has been renowned for and his impressive weight of pass allows him to set up chances for his teammates.
He has the potential to be a good finisher too, but perhaps needs to increase his frequency of shots to become an even bigger threat. The ingredients are there, though.
Latest Tottenham news: Brentford raid, Harry Kane warning
While Tottenham are keen on signing a new winger, sources have told TEAMtalk that the north London club want to secure the services of a defender, too.
Our transfer insider, Dean Jones, has named the Brentford star that Tottenham are keeping a close eye on.
Harry Kane is another player that Tottenham want to sign, with the Bayern Munich striker available for a bargain fee next summer.
However, TEAMtalk’s Tottenham Hotspur correspondent, Rob McCarthy, has listed the reasons why Spurs should not re-sign Kane.