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Tottenham supporters caught a glimpse of the future on Wednesday evening, as Roberto De Zerbi's side sailed into the Carabao Cup third round.

It was some light relief from the weekend's shellacking, when a hungry Brentford put Roberto De Zerbi's side to the sword. The Lilywhites looked beleagured and disjointed from the outset, and the Bees made them pay.

It may take a little while until we see the very best of Spurs in De Zerbi's first full season in charge, given the overhaul in personnel this summer. The boss insisted this group of players isn't yet a "team", but there were signs midweek of potentially prosperous partnerships developing across the pitch.

Here's the Spurs team De Zerbi could pick for Newcastle's visit on Saturday afternoon.

Defense: GK Antonín Kinsky - RB Pedro Porro - CB Jan Paul van Hecke - CB Micky van de Ven - LB Destiny Udogie

Jan Paul van Hecke and Marcos Senesi can break lines at will, but that partnership was seized upon by the Bees and rumbled for the duration. I particularly like Senesi individually, but this defense desperately needs Micky van de Ven's physicality.

He featured midweek, and could be ready for his first start of the season. Van Hecke, despite a nightmare debut, is likely to retain his spot.

De Zerbi will also hope to wheel out World Cup winner Pedro Porro after the Spaniard came off the bench against Charlton. Porro is an incredibly important part of the Italian's framework in possession, and his partnership with one of Spurs' new attacking signings looks set to flourish.

On the opposite side, I'd be picking Destiny Udogie to match up against Anthony Elanga in transition. Andy Robertson was once a superb athlete, but the Scot isn't the force he once was.

Midfield: DM Rodrigo Bentancur - DM Sandro Tonali - AM Mateus Fernandes

De Zerbi highlighted the importance of Rodrigo Bentancur this week, and the Uruguayan has quickly leapfrogged Lucas Bergvall in the depth chart. The experienced head performed well in the cup and will partner former Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali on Saturday.

The Italian was rested for the cup tie, and must be desperate to shine in front of a potentially hostile away end.

Mateus Fernandes can do it all, and we might require him to step up as a playmaker this weekend. We don't need Conor Gallagher for a fixture like this, and while Fernandes has a crucial role to play in ensuring Spurs escape pressure and access their three forwards, the Portuguese also boasts the guile and craft to pick locks in defenses higher up the pitch.

His long-term future resides in a deeper role. We just need him here for a few outings.

Forwards: LW Mathys Tel - ST Dominic Solanke - RW Sávio

Omar Marmoush is our latest recruit, signing for the club on Thursday. He's eligible to make his debut against the Magpies, whom he scored his only Premier League hat-trick against, and supporters will want to see as much of the new addition as possible.

However, Dominic Solanke is primed to lead the line after Richarlison struggled on Matchday 1. Solanke scored against Charlton and will have a big role to play for the Lilywhites if he can stay fit.

I'm expecting him to be flanked by Sávio after his electric debut, and Mathys Tel, who can't be forgotten about just because we've made a few splasges. Tel was one of the very few bright sparks at Brentford last week, and he'll be particularly keen to impress, given that Spurs are expected to add another forward to their ranks before the deadline.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Dominic Solanke took full advantage of Richarlison's literal slips against Brentford on Matchday 1, scoring and turning in a strong all around performance as a key part of Spurs impressive 5-1 victory over Charlton Athletic in the Second Round of the League Cup.

A brief period of great form aside in early 2026, Solanke has been a pretty big disappointment for Tottenham thus far after being a record 65 million pound signing from Bournemouth in the summer 2024 transfer window, failing to come anywhere close to the career high 19 goals he scored for the Cherries in the 2023/24 season.

Solanke has always been a man of "What ifs?" throughout his entire career, including now at Tottenham. He was a great striker prospect for Liverpool and Chelsea as a youngster, supposed to be destined for great things. And then at Bournemouth, many thought he had finally bloomed late to reach his potential as a world class striker in English football, which is why Spurs spent so much to sign him not long after letting club legend Harry Kane spread his wings to German giants Bayern Munich.

Dominic Solanke still has believers

But the "ifs" are truly that tantalizing, and in glimpses, Solanke shows the sort of all around quality at the 9 that could, in theory, make him honestly one of Europe's best if he were to lock in and play at a high level for a full season and not just a few games here and there.

Roberto De Zerbi has made it no secret on multiple occasions that he is a big fan of Solanke's and wants to see the England international unleashed for an extended period. Now that may be tougher to do so as Solanke is not fully reliable with injuries and inconsistent play while minutes will be harder to come by with Omar Marmoush joining the team and Cody Gakpo still on the radar as a potential center forward option.

But again, Dominic Solanke, fulfilling his "ifs" and being all that he can be would actually stand out as good of an option at the striker position as any of those. As Solanke showed against Charlton, he is a player who can bring goals, physicality, chance creation, and a tactical reference point as an anchoring 9. Spurs still believe in Solanke rebounding and checking off the boxes, and maybe his performance against Charlton was a step in the right direction.

Everton are among the clubs interested in a 2026 summer deal for Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Pape Matar Sarr, according to a journalist, who has also reported Nottingham Forest’s desire to sign the Senegal international midfielder.

On August 13, TEAMtalk’s transfer insider, Graeme Bailey, reported that Tottenham could offload Sarr before the summer transfer window closes.

We reported at the time that Aston Villa and Brentford are among the clubs that have shown interest in the 23-year-old Senegal international midfielder.

Sarr has been on the books of Tottenham since 2021 and is under contract at the north London club until the summer of 2030.

The Senegal international midfielder has not been particularly great for Tottenham in recent times.

On August 22, Sky Sport Switzerland journalist Sacha Tavolieri reported that Tottenham have told Sarr that they want to sell him this summer.

Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi reportedly does not have any plans for the 23-year-old.

Tavolieri posted on X: “Tottenham Hotspur have informed Pape Matar Sarr that he is on the transfer market.

“An invitation to leave the club that did not go down well with the Senegalese midfielder, which is why he deleted all his posts related to the club from social media.

“Talks with Galatasaray are continuing. More to follow. #THFC”

Nottingham Forest in talks with Tottenham for Pape Matar Sarr

Tavolieri provided an update on Sarr’s situation on Friday.

The journalist wrote on X at 12:41am on August 28: “Nottingham Forest have made progress in the Pape Matar Sarr deal in recent hours.

“Talks with Tottenham have advanced and could lead to a paid loan with an option to buy.

“NFFC really appreciate the Senegalese midfielder and are trying to convince him of their project.”

Everton target Pape Matar Sarr

It has now emerged that Everton, too, are keen on a deal for Sarr before the summer transfer window closes next week.

The Daily Telegraph’s Football News Correspondent, Matt Law, who has over 682,000 followers on X, has reported that Everton have shown interest in Sarr, along with Forest and Besiktas.

Law posted on X at 3:33pm on August 28: “Nottingham Forest and Besiktas have both shown an interest in signing Pape Matar Sarr from Tottenham.

“Sarr has the green light to leave Spurs.”

Law added at 3:52pm: “Also Everton”

With no European football to contend with, Tottenham Hotspur should be prioritising both domestic cups this season. Every Spurs supporters remembers the jubilant scenes elicited by that night in Bilbao, so they'd all love a bit more of that at Wembley. The Lilywhites are four-times League Cup winners, the most-recent of these coming in 2008, beaten in three finals since then.

Well, Roberto De Zerbi's team commence their Carabao Cup campaign on Wednesday night, welcoming Charlton Athletic to North London. Assuming Spurs progress, here is everything fans need to know about the round three draw.

When is the Carabao Cup third round draw?

The Carabao Cup draw is scheduled to take place at around 10:15pm (BST) on Wednesday 26 August. It will follow Sky Sports' live coverage of the evening's four ties, which includes Spurs' clash with Charlton as well as Everton's visit to Deepdale to face Preston North End.

When do Carabao Cup third round matches take place?

The Carabao Cup third round matches are scheduled for the week commencing 7 and 14 September. Thus, Tottenham's tie will either be in-between Premier League games against Nottingham Forest and Everton or the Toffees and Aston Villa. The identity of their opponents may well determine the date of Spurs' fixture, as we will document below.

Which teams will be kept apart in the Carabao Cup third round draw?

The EFL Cup third round has to take place across two different midweeks due to the expanded UEFA competitions. The first of those weeks is an exclusive week for the Champions League, with the latter the same for the Europa League.

As a result, England's eight representatives in those two competitions will be kept apart from one-another to avoid scheduling conflicts. These teams are Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Sunderland and Crystal Palace.

From a Tottenham point of view, this greatly increases their chances of facing one of those eight clubs, with a potential North London derby the possible fixture that leaps off the page.

Who can Tottenham face in the Carabao Cup third round?

In short, Tottenham can face any of the other 31 clubs or pairings in the draw. If they avoid the eight European representatives, not including Conference League side Brighton, during the first section of the draw, Spurs will meet another side victorious in a round two tie this week.

Tottenham's possible EFL Cup round 3 opponents:

European representatives: Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Sunderland & Crystal Palace.

Premier League: Brighton & Hove Albion, Hull City, Leeds United, Ipswich Town, Coventry City & Brentford.

EFL Championship: Middlesbrough, Sheffield United, Lincoln City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Norwich City, Millwall & West Ham United.

EFL League One: Barnsley, Reading, Leyton Orient & Peterborough United.

EFL League Two: Fleetwood Town.

Ties still to be played

Wednesday: Bradford City vs Burnley, Newcastle United vs West Bromwich Albion, Preston North End vs Everton and Tottenham Hotspur vs Charlton Athletic.

Thursday: Chelsea vs Luton Town and Fulham vs AFC Wimbledon.

How can I watch Tottenham in the Carabao Cup?

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, all 92 Carabao Cup matches are broadcast by Sky Sports. A minimum of one tie per round is also live on free-to-air channel ITV; depending on who Spurs face, there is a decent change their match will be on the terrestrial channel.

In the United States, CBS Sports Golazo and Paramount+ has the exclusive rights to the Carabao Cup games. Other broadcasters around the world include DAZN in Canada, beIN SPORTS in Australia, France, New Zealand and most Arab speaking countries, as well as Disney+ in South America and Startimes World in Africa.

Tottenham Hotspur have agreed to sign Savinho from Manchester City after more than a year of interest, and, likewise, his teammate Omar Marmoush is set to be confirmed in a package deal very soon after Spurs also watched him this past winter transfer window.

Roberto De Zerbi badly wanted both players to upgrade a Tottenham attack that has been anemic for quite some time and did not even attempt to replace another departed legend, Son Heung-min, last summer transfer window.

But as Savinho and Marmoush enter the fray to start on the left wing and at striker, respectively, with Liverpool star Cody Gakpo still in the works despite long odds, Tottenham can't forget to throw some bones in the direction of Mathys Tel.

Mathys Tel is still going to be important to Tottenham

The Frenchman honestly has as much upside as any of them, and it cannot be forgotten that Bayern Munich and their old sporting director Brazzo had him pinpointed as the next big thing in European football. They may have given up on him early, in part because they signed the legendary Harry Kane from Tottenham Hotspur and thus had no real space for him, but Rennes, Bayern, and other clubs knew that Tel could be special.

So far, all Tel has done is impress. He was good last season and the best forward on a terrible Tottenham team in the second half of the season, he was even better in the preseason as literally the team's best overall player throughout the friendly fixtures, and he even played pretty well against Brentford despite everyone else in the starting midfield and attack putting on absolute disaster classes of the worst possible order.

Mathys Tel is not on the same level as Omar Marmoush and Savinho right now, as the two were literally the best players in their roles in the Bundesliga and La Liga at one point before making their big money moves to the Premier League champions Manchester City.

But Tel is someone who is fully COYS, has been a positive for the club, and has a ton of potential. He was one of the very few players to try things and be effective against Brentford, and while not everything came off, we already saw in the preseason against Hoffenheim that he is actively working and improving on his weaknesses with two great assists for Mikey Moore (and he could have had more). So don't forget about Tel amidst all the hype for the new, bigger names coming to N17.

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the permanent capture of Sávio, the winger formerly known as Savinho, in an eye-watering deal worth a total of $116 million (£85 million at the time of agreement).

The Brazilian forward showed flashes of his potential at Manchester City without ever quite catching light. Across 53 Premier League appearances, Sávio was able to muster just two goals.

However, at 22, there is hope that the Brazil international can blossom in a Spurs frontline which is primed for an injection of inspiration. “Sávio is a player who brings energy, imagination and quality in wide positions,” Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi gushed at the player’s unveiling on Tuesday. “He has the courage to attack defenders and the ability to change a game with his creativity.

“We’re very pleased to have him with us, and I’m looking forward to working with him, helping him continue to grow and seeing him bring his personality to the team.”

Sávio as kind words for De Zerbi as well. “It's a wonderful opportunity at a brilliant club with one of the best managers in the world,” he beamed. “As soon as I spoke to the head coach I knew I had to come. He told me he wants to help me reach the highest level, and I believe we can do that together, as a team.”

That team has been assembled at a staggering expense which, following this latest arrival, now stretches beyond $420 million, making it one of the most extravagant outlays in a single window ever.

Tottenham Transfers Summer 2026

Sandro Tonali (Newcastle): $126 million

Sávio (Man City): $116 million

Mateus Fernandes (West Ham): $116 million

Jan Paul van Hecke (Brighton): $70 million

Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth): Free

Andy Robertson (Liverpool): Free

Martin Dúbravka (Burnley): Free

The Most Expensive Transfer Windows in Soccer History

While Tottenham do hold the distinction of becoming just the fourth club to ever surpass a total spend of $400 million in the same summer, they can’t quite match the outlay of some Premier League rivals—just yet.

Liverpool’s staggering splurge last year stands out on its own in terms of expense and lack of value. One year on, the likes of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz are still yet to settle, while one of the few success stories, Hugo Ekitiké, is sidelines with a serious Achilles injury.

“My fear is this window of 12 months ago could set Liverpool back a year or two, to fix it,” former Reds center back Jamie Carragher recently fretted. “I think we’re going to be looking at that as arguably the worst transfer window we’ve probably seen in Premier League history, when you consider the fees for these players, and what it’s going to do for Liverpool.”

Team (Period)Notable ArrivalsSpendLiverpool (Summer 2025)Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz$566 millionChelsea (Summer 2023)Moisés Caicedo, Christopher Nkunku$533 millionChelsea (Summer 2026)Morgan Rogers, Maxence Lacroix$476 millionTottenham (Summer 2026)Sandro Tonali, Sávio$427 millionAl Hilal (Summer 2023)Neymar, Rúben Neves$407 millionPSG (Summer 2023)Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola$400 millionChelsea (Summer 2025)João Pedro, Jamie Gittens$385 millionReal Madrid (Summer 2019)Eden Hazard, Rodrygo$381 millionChelsea (January 2023)Enzo Fernández$379 millionArsenal (Summer 2025)Viktor Gyökeres, Eberechi Eze$348 million

Figures via Transfermarkt. € converted to $ at prevailing rate. Correct as of Aug. 25, 2026.

Spurs secure big-money transfer

Tottenham have completed the blockbuster signing of Savinho from Premier League rivals City. This massive transfer is reported to reach a figure of up to £85 million ($116 million). Spurs had been aggressively pursuing the talented Brazilian for over a year before finally getting their man. The club first registered their formal interest in the forward last summer, and their quiet persistence behind the scenes has eventually paid off.

Savinho embraces De Zerbi vision

The unique opportunity to work with De Zerbi proved to be a decisive factor in Savinho's decision to make the switch down south. The dynamic winger is clearly eager to further develop his overall game under the highly-regarded coach.

"It's taken a while but I'm very happy to be here," he admitted. "It's a wonderful opportunity at a brilliant club with one of the best managers in the world.

"As soon as I spoke to the Head Coach I knew I had to come. He told me he wants to help me reach the highest level, and I believe we can do that together, as a team."

Excitement builds in north London

Tottenham's sporting director, Johan Lange, expressed his immense satisfaction at finally landing a primary, long-term target. Lange strongly believes the fresh addition will perfectly suit the club's rapidly evolving footballing identity.

"Savio is someone who has been on our radar for a while and I'm delighted that he is now a Tottenham Hotspur player," Lange said. "He has already shown his quality at the highest level, and we believe his ability, style and mentality will be a great fit for the squad we are building here."

De Zerbi was equally enthusiastic about adding the tricky, direct winger to his attacking ranks. The head coach noted: "Savio is a player who brings energy, imagination and quality in wide positions. He has the courage to attack defenders and the ability to change a game with his creativity."

Winger takes the number 17

With his transfer now official, Savinho is fully ready to begin training with his new team-mates. Tottenham have confirmed that the Brazilian will wear the number 17 shirt for this season.

Last summer transfer window, then Tottenham Hotspur CEO Daniel Levy quietly found out about a Morgan Gibbs-White release clause and had the attacking midfielder signed from Nottingham Forest dead to rights until Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis threw a tantrum that the Premier League and media somehow obliged, leading MGW to extend with Forest on a new contract.

After scoring an incredible 15 goals to help Forest stay well clear of the relegation battle and even finish significantly ahead of Spurs, Gibbs-White remains a dream target for many Tottenham fans. And while his price tag is likely to be exorbitant and approaching the well above 100 million pounds that another long time Spurs dream target, Morgan Rogers, went for from Aston Villa to Chelsea, his name is being mentioned frequently in fan forums again as the summer transfer window winds to a close in its final week.

Spurs fans expected Conor Gallagher to be a flop, as he was poor pretty much the entire 2025/26 season since joining in the winter. So his struggles against Brentford last weekend last weekend as the No. 10 were not a surprise.

The Morgan Gibbs-White dream is not totally dead for Tottenham

But Tottenham Hotspur supporters could not have predicted just how terrible Lucas Bergvall would be in the midfield next to hyped new 100 milion pound signing Sandro Tonali. Bergvall was beyond shocking, as he helped Brentford tear Spurs apart by giving the ball up near his own goal, failing to progress the ball, and genuinely looking apathetic in defense - or alternating between running around like a headless chicken, giving up cavernous spaces.

The funniest part of it all is that Bergvall had actually requested a transfer away from Tottenham during the World Cup when he realized Spurs would be burying him further on the depth chart by signing Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, and all the Swedish international did against Brentford is prove Spurs right for wanting to keep him deep on the bench.

Nottingham Forest were highly interested in signing Bergvall for around 50 million pounds, but Roberto De Zerbi was able to convince him to stay. Now, after seeing just how terrible Bergvall was against Brentford, there are many Spurs fans willing to make that sale.

Morgan Gibbs-White in a swap with Nottingham Forest has been a dream ploy for Spurs fans when the Lucas Bergvall transfer rumors first popped up, and James Maddison is starting to look expendable. He still has not made a start in 18 months since tearing his ACL, and there are more news items about his injuries than there are about his play on the pitch. Gibbs-White could offer more goals, availability, and all around play than Maddison at this stage, and, suddenly, MGW is starting to look like a possible option for Spurs to gamble for, especially if Cody Gakpo does not move from Liverpool.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly ready to submit a new and improved offer to sign Liverpool winger Cody Gakpo with just over a week of the summer transfer window remaining, although talk of a Plan B alternative has been ruled out by TEAMtalk sources.

As Spurs prepare to announce the imminent signings of Manchester City pair Omar Marmoush and Savinho, rumours remain rife that will not be the end of the club’s already historic summer spending spree.

After watching his side look completely blunt in attack and make mistakes at the back during the 3-0 loss at Brentford on the opening weekend of the new Premier League season, Roberto De Zerbi is still pushing ahead with the complete overhaul of his first-team squad.

Marmoush and Savinho should provide a much-needed spark in the frontline, which could look completely different by the time Saturday’s home clash with Newcastle comes around.

Indeed, that frontline may even have Gakpo in it, if Tottenham are able to convince Liverpool into selling, which, as our sources have revealed, will only happen if the Reds sign at least one new winger.

A reported bid of around £60million is already said to have been rebuffed by the Anfield outfit for the Netherlands international, who started and scored in Liverpool’s 2-2 draw at Newcastle on Sunday.

However, reporter Nicolò Schira wrote on X: “Excl – Tottenham are set to submit a new official bid to Liverpool to try to close Cody Gakpo’s signing.

“Agreement in principle between the Dutch winger and THFC for a contract until 2031. Spurs’ Plan B is Mykhaylo Mudryk (Chelsea). ”

DON’T MISS: Every completed Tottenham transfer in summer 2026: Signings, sales, loans

Gakpo to Tottenham still a possibility, but Mudryk…

Our sources have indicated that Tottenham remain hopeful they can land Gakpo before the window shuts, assuming the Reds are able to bring in at least one of their top attacking targets in Bradley Barcola or Yankuba Minteh.

Indeed, Fabrizio Romano also recently doubled down on Spurs maintaining their hope of signing the Dutch forward, telling his YouTube channel on Aug 22: “Don’t forget Cody Gakpo, because Savinho is going to Tottenham today in London for medical tests and contract signing.

“Omar Marmoush is expected to go to Tottenham as a centre striker, and he’s a target that is going to probably happen in the next few days, as I told you.

“But I told you always, right winger, left winger, centre striker. This was what I told you about Tottenham.

“And for the left winger, the name remains Cody Gakpo.

“Tottenham are working on it. Tottenham are working on the player side. Player terms are not an issue.

“And then Tottenham remain absolutely on it, on the club side with Liverpool.

“So Gakpo, Liverpool could be over in the next few days if the total fee can be agreed. Watch out for that one until the end.”

As for Schira’s claims that Chelsea star Mudryk is a target for Tottenham if they fail to sign Gakpo, we’ve been told that the north London club have not been mentioned when it comes to the winger’s next move.

Leeds United’s chances of signing Mudryk have been talked up by Romano, who is looking to get his career back on track after becoming a forgotten figure at Stamford Bridge, having been handed a four-year ban running to 2028 for breaching the Premier League’s anti-doping rules.

However, a move to Spurs is not currently in the thinking of sporting director Johan Lange.

Meanwhile, we can reveal that Tottenham have been offered the chance to bolster their frontline further by landing a wantaway Premier League No.9.

Tottenham Hotspur star right winger Mohammed Kudus was the team's best overall player in the 2025/26 Premier League season after joining from rivals West Ham United, immediately causing defenses problems with his dribbling quality and chance creation. Without him on the right hand side after an injury at the beginning of 2026, Spurs literally continued a winless streak, and aside from a few big performances from Mathys Tel, they had nothing going for them in terms of a player who could create problems on the ball.

Kudus's return under Roberto De Zerbi this season could not be more welcome, as Tottenham were able to survive the Premier League drop after the Italian manager's arrival, even without Kudus available due to a prolonged recovery course from a tricky quadriceps injury that was only supposed to keep him out until late March.

Tottenham have since landed Savinho to play on the other side as another tricky Premier League winger with world class potential, and as Spurs fans wait for the two to play together, they have already come to a realization that Mohammed Kudus will not be ready for Matchday 1 against rivals Brentford to kick off the 2026/27 Premier League season.

Mohammed Kudus is not far off

But in an important injury news update on Kudus prior to the Brentford match, Roberto De Zerbi told reporters at the Tottenham Hotspur press conference that Kudus is "almost ready" to make his return to the lineup, via Alasdair Gold of Football.London.

That is great news for Tottenham, and while it means Kudus is indeed not fully ready to play this weekend on Matchday 1 against Brentford, he should almost certainly be available to get minutes, hopefully significant ones, against Charlton Athletic on Wednesday in the League Cup or, better yet, in the next Premier League game next weekend against Newcastle United in the massive Sandro Tonali derby vs. a potential top five rival for Champions League places.

Tottenham could potentially use Charlton as the tune up game before having him available for a start against a tougher Newcastle side. Either way, Spurs could really use Kudus out there, and once he and Savinho are in the lineup, they could be cooking, especially if De Zerbi and Co. are able to close the deals for the goal scoring options they are looking for in Liverpool star Cody Gakpo and Savinho's (now former) Manchester City teammate Omar Marmoush. Things will look up for Spurs soon.