Tottenham Hotspur’s summer transfer business has once again been called into question by those in the media.

The club spent millions in the transfer market to revamp their squad, bringing in 10 players to N17. However, the new signings haven’t had the desired effect on the pitch. A winless run of six Premier League games came to an end on Monday when Roberto De Zerbi’s side beat Coventry City 3-1 at home, with James Maddison, Omar Marmoush and Ben Davies scoring.

They may have hit a turning point in their season with that result, but that cannot mask the existing problems in De Zerbi’s squad. Chief among those is the lack of cutting edge in the attack. Marmoush did open his account for Spurs, but before his goal against Coventry, he was anonymous in the game, while Savio has been ruled out for a few weeks with a muscle problem.

Amid the club’s struggles going forward, a player from a rival Premier League club has been backed to play for the Lilywhites.

Aston Villa’s rising star backed to play for Tottenham

Johan Manzambi has quickly become one of the most exciting young talents in the Premier League. The versatile midfielder’s early performances at Aston Villa has caught the attention of Europe’s elite clubs.

The Switzerland international, after a strong World Cup campaign, joined Aston Villa from Freiburg in the summer transfer window for a fee close to £60 million and has made an immediate impact under Unai Emery. Johan Manzambi has scored three goals and provided two assists in his first six appearances for Aston Villa across all competitions.

Now, former Freiburg youth academy coach Federico Valente has praised Manzambi for his meteoric rise at Aston Villa. The Swiss-Italian tactician believes the youngster’s elite mentality could eventually earn him a future move to top Premier League clubs like Tottenham, Chelsea or Man City.

“A €60 million price tag in the Premier League isn’t unreasonable for a 21-year-old with these kinds of technical and physical attributes,” Federico Valente told La Casa.

“Under Unai Emery, Aston Villa plays an attacking, proactive style of football—it’s the perfect stepping stone.

“But if he can maintain this level of consistency, I could easily see him playing for a ‘top four’ side like Manchester City, Chelsea, or Tottenham. Could he become a world-class player? I truly believe so; he has exactly the right mentality.”

Manzambi showcasing his talent in the Premier League

Having only signed for Aston Villa in the summer, Manzambi has made a huge impression in the Premier League already. The Swiss attacker was a real handful when Villa beat Spurs 3-2 in north London last month, with the youngster scoring the opener. With his explosive pace, direct approach and elusive movement, he created plenty of problems for Tottenham’s defence.

Certainly, Spurs need more goal threat after the start to the season they have endured. Tottenham have struggled to turn possession into goals, and a pacey and unpredictable attacker would give them another option to unlock compact defences. Manzambi, in that regard, has the attributes to thrive under De Zerbi, but it is very unlikely Villa will let him go next year.