Tottenham spent more than £300m last summer, yet Roberto De Zerbi’s side still struggles to finish chances in the final third. Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Leeds left them 10th with 12 points from 10 matches, and the attack explains why: 10 league goals, a blank in half their games, and just 0.77 expected goals from seven shots at Elland Road. They have also failed to win any of their last 39 league matches after conceding first, which Opta calls their longest such run.
Midfield offers plenty of bodies but few answers. James Maddison is still working back from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, Conor Gallagher hasn’t settled De Zerbi’s doubts, and Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes while capable of playing a killer defence splitting ball also cover the deeper roles.
Manchester United face a different version of the same problem. Michael Carrick’s side sit 18th with eight points after Sunday’s 4-4 draw with Aston Villa, and they have won 1 league game all season. Bruno Fernandes, last season’s Premier League Player of the Season, scored a penalty in that match and still carries them, but his contract expires in June 2027 with a club option for another year, and no extension has been announced.
It appears both clubs need quality number one mifdielders who orchestrate attacks and makes the team tick. As reported by the Standard, Fernandes is having a troubled season to say the very least and Maddison is having no luck with injury despite while on the pitch looking like the creative, scoring midfielder who sees things few other players do.
Can England midfielder force exit from City Ground in January
Both situations point to Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White. TEAMtalk’s Graeme Bailey reports Spurs never lost interest in the 26-year-old England international, with De Zerbi unconvinced Maddison and Gallagher belong in his long-term plans.
United have made enquiries while preparing for life without Fernandes. Forest are adamant he won’t leave in January, though Spurs came close in 2025 before he signed a deal to 2028. TEAMtalk names no fee, but September reports mentioned £125m, a Spurs record.
Gibbs-White scored 15 league goals last season, a career high. Glasner’s Forest, 16th after beating Manchester City 3-1, lean on him, yet he has one goal and three assists in nine games, and only four assists last season, suggesting he scores more than he creates. This could be out of necessity as he may often have the best conversion rate of the other attackers so why pass. Stats can be used to justify most debates.
What do Spurs need the most?
Spurs number one need is a 20+ Premier League goals a year striker end of story. Since Harry Kane and then Son Heung-min left the club, they have never replaced them and they will never change their fortunes until they do. Richarlison and Solanke plus now Marmoush have been ineffective and Spurs keep buying wide attackers WHY?
Savio has done little, neither have Kudos or Tel and admittedly Xavi Simons and Dejan Kulusevski are returning from injury but look at the number of wide players already they to supplement their engine room of Tonali and Fernandes who looks like he has the ability to deputise for James Maddinson playing further forward if the English talisman is sidelined then with Conor Gallacher, Archie Gray, Rodrigo Bentancur and Lucas Bergeval other options the midfield and attack looks stacked for De Zerbi – EXCEPT for the centre-forward.
Clearly there is no may back for Brazilian striker, Richarlison who is not in any squads training with the U23’s demoted from the 1st team squad entirely. Rumours suggest the Spurs board are prepared to back their manager with a foray into the market to try to secure that elusive 20+ goal a season Spurs so blatantly need.
It makes me laugh when I hear the club needs to sign a target man to hold the ball up or more add more midfield attacking options as our recent feature on Lautaro Peyrera discussed – it’s simple pay the big bucks to get a top hitman. Whether Nicolo Tresoldi is on their radar or if they can compete with the allure of Arsenal and Chelsea will be interesting as De Zerbi could be one player away from something special and he knows it.
Who can try to fill the boots of United legend?
Dictating play and breaking defensive lines with ease! Martin Ødegaard tops the Premier League charts for passes into the final third this season, with Bruno Fernandes and Declan Rice close behind. Pure creativity and vision! 🇳🇴✨ https://t.co/FFzmDucOsn
— Odegaard (@Martin08fanpage)
The United defence conceded four at home, and Fernandes remained their best player but you can see one more year of this stress and turmoil has taken part of his desire away. and who can blame him. He’s not the same player one more is showing as his improved temperament in recent season has regressed.
Fernandes should be remembered as one of the best United captain’s ever as his drove the team forward on so many occasions and scored the key goal or set up the winning goal it became routine especially in the 2nd half of last season. Interesting seeing him only 2nd behind Odegaard above and we think he is having an off season such are his standards.
A successor only makes sense once the Portuguese does leaves, we just hope nothing tarnishes what has ultimately been one of the best careers for a United player since Ryan Giggs finished. It is time to look forward and United famously raided Nottingham Forest back in the day to secure one of their greatest ever signing Roy Keane.
Is history about to repeat itself as we know despite Evangelos Marinakis blocking Gibbs-White previous departure at the eleventh hour he knows every player has his price just look at the Elliot Anderson to Man City deal.
All this to say if United are convinced that this is a player who can lead them through his prime years then they have to look at the deal seriously even if the price is in the £115-120m range. Sometimes you have to go all in and remember Gibbs-White is an allrounder he is everywhere. When he comes off the field he is spent as he never stops. Time will tell but United could do a lot worse.
United’s need to replace Fernandes is non-negotiable as he is living on the credit he has in the bank from carrying United so many times but make no mistake this season is his last at United.
If United can pry Gibbs-White from the City Ground it would seem to he an astute move as the new manager can build his team around a truly dynamic player in his prime, who gives his all for the team and never gives up. Like Declan Rice for Arsenal he is the kind of player United should break the bank for given his undoubted elite attitude, temperament and talent.
What will happen?
We have absolutely ho idea but what we DO know is Spurs have a crystal clear need and it’s not in midfield – it is 100% a consistent 20+ a year goal hitman – Nicola Tresoldi? While United also need a striker given Benjamin Sesko’s injury woes with a move for Palace’s Jean Philippe Mateta a possibility. Like Spurs Nicolo Tresoldi would add goals to United and show a statement of intent backing both the manager no matter who he is next time they play.
We will see what Spurs do but to resign striker like Will Lankshear who they just sold to Boro and is on fire in the Championship can’t seem such a bad idea right now not too mention Troy Parrott who they also gave up on, and the Irishman after a great spell in Holland joined Betis in Spain and his form has him linked with United amongst others.
So Spurs and Man United need to get their next signings right or face seasons of struggle given what history has shown us.