Tottenham: Roberto De Zerbi intentions surely made clear after Said El Mala reveal
Tottenham Hotspur are interested in FC Köln winger Said El Mala, as Roberto De Zerbi's refresh continues.
The Lilywhites secured their Premier League spot on the final day of the campaign, after they were dragged into a fierce relegation battle.
Burning through two managers in Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor, De Zerbi was handed the role of steering Spurs to safety before being granted the keys to the rebuild.
That is already underway, with the signing of Jan Paul van Hecke to be confirmed, while Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson have already been secured.
In the forward positions, Manchester City winger Savinho has been heavily linked with a move, while the new links with El Mala signal an intention to make further attacking adjustments next term.
Tottenham are aiming to recover from successive 17th-place finishes, and they could well be on track to do that based on their business thus far.
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A native of nearby Krefeld, El Mala has spent his entire short professional career in Cologne, joining German giants FC Köln from Viktoria Köln in 2024.
Upon their return to the top flight in 2025, El Mala would become a talisman in the Bundesliga, scoring 13 times and registering five assists as the Billy Goats secured survival.
Similar to Luka Vuskovic at Hamburg, El Mala was the main man for his respective promoted outfit, attracting interest across the continent as a result.
Bild now report that Spurs will soon make a move for the 19-year-old attacker, with De Zerbi highly impressed by scouting reports.
El Mala recently turned down a move to Brentford, despite the Bees matching the £45million asking price.
However, Tottenham could prove a whole different prospect, with the only way seemingly being up under De Zerbi's guidance.
Roberto De Zerbi to address key Tottenham problem
Throughout last season, the wide areas remained a concern under Frank, Tudor and De Zerbi.
When the latter arrived, he would be left with little to no inspiration, meaning that Randal Kolo Muani and Mathys Tel had to see out the season on the flanks - both struggling in unnatural roles.
With there being no guarantee that Dejan Kulusevski gets back to his best, while the return of Wilson Odobert is a while away, De Zerbi seems hell-bent on improving his wide options alongside Mohammed Kudus.
El Mala has made more of a difference in terms of raw numbers, but him and Savinho signal the intent to add pace and energy - something the pair have in abundance.
De Zerbi is looking to get Tottenham playing faster and more impactful with the ball, and the relative toothlessness out wide must be solved.