Who is Tottenham's transfer 'bomba'? Roberto De Zerbi teases new signing shock

Spurs fans desperate to discover identity of mystery target close to joining

Roberto De Zerbi left Tottenham supporters scrambling for answers when he revealed that the club were close to sealing a “bomba” new signing this week.

The mystery player is expected to be one of two to three further arrivals at Spurs, with De Zerbi insisting they had only completed 60 per cent of their transfer business so far.

Despite spending a club-record £237million and securing six incomings already this summer, the Tottenham boss wants to add to his attacking options before the close of the window.

Eli Junior Kroupi’s foot injury, which required surgery and is expected to rule him out for up to four months, has ended Spurs’ pursuit of the 20-year-old Bournemouth striker.

But having missed out on one of their key targets, attention has quickly turned elsewhere, and Standard Sport has identified five players Spurs could turn to in their search for reinforcements up top.

Deniz Undav

Hugely underrated and deceptively effective, Deniz Undav has built a fearsome reputation since leaving Brighton for Stuttgart.

Undav had his moments in a Brighton shirt, namely scoring a deft lob away to Arsenal in 2023, but it was not until he left the Premier League that he began to come into his own.

Back in his home country, Undav has taken the Bundesliga by storm and netted 19 league goals last season at a rate of 0.76 goals per 90.

That ranked him seventh for goals scored and sixth for goals per 90 among strikers in Europe’s top five leagues.

He carried that form into the World Cup, acting as Germany’s super-sub, with three goals and two assists in just 69 group stage minutes.

Technically astute and comfortable dropping deep, Undav will appeal to De Zerbi, who likes his strikers to link play while his wingers race in behind to finish off moves.

At 30 years old, Undav’s age may prove an issue, but De Zerbi has shown a preference towards proven ability over potential.

Brian Brobbey

Another player who enjoyed an excellent World Cup was Sunderland and Netherlands striker Brian Brobbey.

Coming off the back of a superb debut season in the Premier League, Brobbey was the focal point of a Dutch attack that looked destined for more before they crashed out on penalties to Morocco in the last 16.

Brobbey scored three goals as the Netherlands topped their group, combining excellent hold-up play with an ability to follow the ball and attack the box.

Spurs know all too well about the problems Brobbey’s physicality can pose for opposition defences after he netted in a 1-1 draw at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in January.

In De Zerbi’s first game in charge of Spurs, a 1-0 defeat by Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, the Italian saw first-hand how Brobbey can dominate even the most experienced defenders.

The relentlessness Brobbey possesses lends itself well to the aggressive pressing style De Zerbi wants to introduce.

Omar Marmoush

Unlike Undav and Brobbey, Spurs are already understood to hold an interest in Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush.

The Egyptian hit the ground running after arriving in the Premier League from Eintracht Frankfurt in January 2025, but has struggled to replicate his early form.

Marmoush managed just three league goals in his first full season at City last term and is now said to be considered surplus to requirements.

A versatile forward who can drop deep or run in behind, there is plenty for De Zerbi to like about Marmoush if he is prepared to help him rediscover his confidence in front of goal.

Despite a difficult campaign last year, Marmoush has shown he can consistently score goals in the Premier League, and, at 27, he is approaching the peak age De Zerbi wants to deliver instant success after two seasons spent battling relegation.

Double trouble: Could Tottenham sign Manchester City duo Savinho and Omar Marmoush?

Getty

Savinho

A long-standing target for Spurs, Savinho is reportedly the accompaniment rather than the answer to the identity of De Zerbi’s mystery “bomba” signing.

The Brazilian winger possesses the pace and directness that De Zerbi wants from his wide men, and he is said to be keen on a move to north London.

Work would need to be done on improving his attacking output - the 22-year-old scored just one league goal last season - but the raw attributes that define his game make him an ideal fit for De Zerbi’s style.

Savinho gets into all the right positions but currently lacks finesse in the final third. It will be on De Zerbi to develop that side of his game, but it’s a challenge he will surely relish.

Were Spurs to pull off a sensational double swoop for Savinho and Marmoush, there would be no doubt that expectations of a top-six finish would intensify.

Bradley Barcola

De Zerbi sought to clarify his definition of a “bomba” signing in Friday’s pre-Chelsea press conference by stating that it was a player with top-level ability.

Few players in Europe fit that definition more ably than Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola, who wants out of the French capital in search of more minutes.

This would be a remarkable signing, beyond any supporter's wildest dreams, and there is no inclination that Spurs are in a position to pull off such a deal.

But were they to do the unthinkable, then the rest of the Premier League would have to sit up and take notice.

Barcola looks set to be the inevitable collateral of a PSG team stacked full of attacking talent, but that is not to downplay his ability.

A two-time Champions League winner, Barcola - a key transfer target for Liverpool this summer - would be a statement signing like no other for Spurs.