How Spurs can sign “one of the best players in the world”

It’s what happens on the pitch that counts this season, but there’s a different feel to Tottenham Hotspur, a sense that they could be a force to be reckoned with under Roberto De Zerbi.

The £185m spent on Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes suggests Spurs aren’t standing still this summer, following a string of setbacks last year.

Indeed, in 2025, for example, the Morgan Gibbs-White deal went up in smoke, and the north Londoners were again beaten by Manchester United and Arsenal in the race for Bryan Mbeumo and Eberechi Eze, respectively.

There were also rumors that the Lilywhites were planning a deal with Morgan Rogers at the time, although the Englishman could prove another case that got away.

The situation surrounding Spurs’ interest in Rogers last summer

As the strikers are yet to reach N17 this summer, there have been reports that Spurs are willing to compete with Arsenal to sign Rogers, with moves to be confirmed after the end of the World Cup.

The north London pair have since been courted by rivals Chelsea, however, with the Blues splashing out an eye-watering £117m to prize the 23-year-old from Villa Park.

The surprise switch comes a year after Tottenham were rumored to have made the Middlesbrough man their ‘dream target’, and there are speculations that a deal could be reached before deadline day.

That was the view shared by insider Fabrizio Romano, the Italian who explained that Rogers was on the agenda last year, although Villa did not look like serious sellers.

Instead, Unai Emery convinced the star player to stay for one year, a decision that proved to bear fruit as Rogers gave the Midlands side Europa League honors and a top-five finish, ensuring he would leave Champions League football behind as a team that won’t compete in Europe at all next season.

Whether such a move pays off for both the player and Chelsea remains to be seen, although either way, that marquee deal has probably reduced Spurs’ short list of attacking targets.

Thankfully, there is one man on the list who can also prove an improvement on the £117m-rated Rogers.

How the Spurs can sign an upgrade on Morgan Rogers

Roger’s move to Stamford Bridge, along with Elliot Anderson’s £116m switch to Manchester City, speaks volumes for what this summer is like in terms of transfer fees, and it’s hard to get a price on the market.

Indeed, reports have suggested that it would take north of £90m for Spurs to sign Bournemouth sensation Eli Junior Kroupi, despite the Frenchman enjoying a solitary season in the Premier League.

ENIC could be better spent focusing attention elsewhere, with the paper explaining that Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford has been a long-term target.

The suggestion is that Spurs were willing and ready to make a £40m move for the 28-year-old, before the expiry of this release clause, with both Arsenal and Chelsea also looking into his situation.

The belief at the beginning of this summer was that the Lilywhites would make a big move for the Englishman, while they were said to be willing to pay the money, rather than trying to bring Rashford on loan.

A potential bid for the United return man could see ENIC secure a genuine coup, with Rashford still doubtful to be brought back into the fold under Michael Carrick, after an 18-month loan spell.

He has been exiled from Old Trafford, but the striker’s talent is evident, as he shone alongside Rogers and his team-mates at the World Cup, marking the victory against Croatia in the group stage opener.

That early impact came after a good season at Barcelona, ​​where it was surprising that the Catalan giants chose to invest in Anthony Gordon instead, considering Rashford’s performances during 2025/26.

Despite not always being a regular starter under Hansi Flick, the Mancunian finished the campaign with 28 goals and helped his name in all competitions, before Rogers’ return to form with a 26-goal haul at Villa Park.

Rashford is five years older than his compatriot, but his wealth of experience is hard not to impress, boasting 89 goals in 297 Premier League appearances, with Rogers scoring just 21 goals in 85 appearances in the competition.

In Europe too, Rashford has scored and assisted 29 goals in 48 Champions League appearances, and has also bagged 23 goals and assists in 42 Europa League outings alone. For context, Rogers has played just 27 times in two competitions, scoring and assisting 15 goals.

Rogers is on the right track, but it wasn’t until January 2024 that he was still working in the Championship, having been allowed to leave Manchester City for £1m six months earlier.

In Rashford’s case, he was a true youngster after bursting onto the scene in February 2016, a player with ten years of good club and country experience. In the view of Gordon mentioned above, he is undoubtedly “one of the best players in the world”.

He is the man with 19 goals in 78 games for England, and 138 of 426 for Man United. Of course, it hasn’t been a great journey in recent years, but Rashford has proven himself to be a true genius in the past. As for Rogers, on the other hand, his time at the top level is just beginning.