Spurs plan to hijack another Man Utd transfer

It's hard not to be impressed by the pace and ferocity of Tottenham Hotspur's summer business so far, a far cry from what has been the norm in north London in recent times.

Under Roberto De Zerbi's watch, the Lilywhites have brought in an almost entirely new backline, while also expanding the midfield unit between the signings of Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali.

The north Londoners are working their way through the pitch, it seems that the next step will be to deal with the attacking issues, as it has been revealed that the forward midfield is missing in 2025/26.

Too many injuries, not enough consistency, almost every attacking player gone bad in the post-Harry Kane and Heung-min Son era.

Could that be about to change?

Spurs are planning a £50m Man Utd signing this summer

Spending is likely to start at N17, with the club believed to be eyeing a string of top-class strikers, as De Zerbi plans to oversee the overhaul of the senior squad.

There have been suggestions that Spurs have been offered the chance to sign Rafael Leao from AC Milan, with the Portugal star set to be dumped by new coach Ruben Amorim.

ENIC are said to be keen to prize Bournemouth's Eli Junior Kroupi, a 20-year-old who is enjoying an impressive first season in the Premier League.

The Frenchman is not the only top-flight target on the agenda, however, with Sky Sports reporting that Tottenham are close to signing Fernandes' former team-mate at West Ham United, Crysencio Summerville.

The belief is that the 24-year-old is a top priority for Manchester United, although there is a feeling that the Red Devils may need to move quickly, or risk being beaten again, as happened with Fernandes.

United are believed to have already been quoted around £50m for the Dutchman this summer, ensuring this is not a deal that would break the bank for either club.

Why Summerville would be the perfect Kroupi alternative

It is perhaps no surprise that Spurs want Kroupi, the Cherries' star performer in 2025/26, who scored 13 goals following his arrival from Ligue 2 side Lorient.

That was the best comeback for a youngster in Premier League history, with the south coast side seemingly still playing catch-up for a potential star of the future.

The issue is that, despite moving to England for just £12m last year, Kroupi will now cost more than £90m, if not a huge sum for a player who has enjoyed just one season of Premier League football.

If Spurs are looking for a more cost-effective alternative, then Summerville could be the man, with the ex-Leeds United fast-track another game-changing talent potentially bursting into the N17.

Although Kroupi is a striker by trade, he was often seen out wide on the left under Andoni Iraola last season, seemingly boasting of switching to appear in the forward line.

Summerville, another young, diminutive talent, may not have been used often in the middle, but he can also follow or the sides, always from the right for the Netherlands in the World Cup this summer.

At 24, he is not a rising star like Kroupi, yet it is hard not to be impressed by his good form of late, hitting the Hammers five times in 2026.

He is a real box of tricks, someone who can create something out of nothing, as he recently showed his country after scoring two goals and registering two assists in his four World Cup appearances.

The first of those came against Japan in the group's opening game, when Summerville curled over from the spot on his left foot which was said to be weak in the far corner.

Kroupi has a similar flair for the dramatic, with two of his 13 goals last season coming from outside the box, and two from his weaker left side.

Neither Summerville nor Kroupi are particularly gifted – having collected just four and three 'big chances' in 2025/26, respectively – but they do offer explosive pace and game-winning quality, something this Spurs team is currently crying out for.

Both players are also boosted following an impressive calendar year, and both have shown they can make an impact at Premier League level.

Indeed, getting to this point has been difficult for both, with Kroupi emerging in France's second division in 2024/25 after scoring 22 goals for Lorient, while Summerville shone for Leeds last year, scoring 19 times in the Championship.

Now, a move to one of the Premier League's top players looks like the logical next step, with the Lilywhites likely to be delighted with either of the two they end up with.