Savinho transfer deadlines arrive for Spurs

Tottenham must navigate two deadlines this week tied to Savinho’s potential move, affecting both the Burnley game and the UEFA Super Cup squad.

The two Savinho transfer deadlines facing Johan Lange and Tottenham this week

Tottenham face two transfer deadlines this week tied to Savinho’s potential move from Manchester City. The first deadline is midday on Friday, the last working day before the Burnley game, when the club must register a new signing to be eligible to play. The second deadline concerns the UEFA Super Cup in Udine, where List A must be submitted by 5 August 2025 24:00 CET and can be amended until 24:00 CET the day before the match, provided the players are eligible at domestic level.

Tottenham have a 22-player squad listed for the midweek match, with 16 of them non-homegrown. That leaves the club short of the required homegrown balance to name a full 25-player squad under UEFA rules. If a deal for Savinho is completed, Spurs would need to reshuffle numbers, potentially removing a non-homegrown player to fit the List A constraints, provided the deal is finalised before the Tuesday 11pm deadline. The bid is reported to be north of £50 million, reflecting Tottenham’s intent to replace Son Heung-min if the right option materialises. Savinho’s versatility could see him on the right or left wing, aligning with Tottenham’s search for a No 10 and additional attacking options as they eye a centre-back too.

The overlapping deadlines expose the fragile balance between on-field ambition and off-field logistics. A successful Savinho move would force a quick recalibration of the squad list and could shape how the team lines up against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday. If the transfer does not go through in time, Tottenham must still prepare for two competition demands with the current group and a potential late adjustment elsewhere on the roster. The situation highlights how regulatory rules, wage considerations, and transfer timing can steer a club’s long-term plan as much as any matchday tactic.

Beyond the immediate deadlines, the episode underscores Tottenham’s broader strategy in this window: add youth and pace while guarding the budget, even as the risk of overextension looms with a reported £50m price tag. The outcome will test the club’s negotiation speed, internal approvals, and willingness to reshuffle the squad at short notice, all under public scrutiny from fans and analysts alike.

Highlights

The next 48 hours will show whether Spurs turn timing into advantage or miss the mark.