Tottenham Hotspur have moved to bolster their attacking options by completing a deal for Savinho, with a second signing, Omar Marmoush, also in the pipeline, though registering the Egyptian in time for Wednesday's Carabao Cup fixture against Charlton Athletic looks increasingly unlikely.
The north London club find themselves under pressure to freshen up their forward line after a disappointing start to the Premier League campaign, having been thrashed 3-0 by Brentford on the opening weekend. Roberto De Zerbi's side struggled to create meaningful chances in that defeat, exposing a lack of cutting edge in the final third that the club's recruitment team appear determined to address.
Spurs enter the Carabao Cup a round earlier than clubs competing in European competitions this term, and have been given a manageable draw against Nathan Jones' Charlton side. On paper, the tie should present a routine path to the next round for the Premier League outfit, but Charlton have shown they are capable of springing surprises, having recently beaten West Ham 2-1 away at the London Stadium.
De Zerbi is expected to remind his squad not to take the League One side lightly, particularly given his team's desperate need for a confidence-boosting result following the humbling loss to Brentford. A morale-lifting win would go some way to easing the pressure building around the club after such a poor opening statement to the season.
However, the Italian manager may have to wait before unleashing his newest attacking recruit. EFL regulations require any new signing to be registered by 12 noon on the day before the relevant fixture in order to be eligible to play. With the Charlton match scheduled for Wednesday, that means Tottenham would need to have Marmoush's paperwork completed and submitted by midday on Tuesday for him to feature.
The EFL has previously outlined strict guidelines governing player registration deadlines during transfer windows. Rules published ahead of last season's Carabao Cup semi-finals stated that clubs must submit the necessary documents before the noon cut-off on the day prior to a match. According to that guidance: "Documents have to be submitted prior to 12 noon on the day prior to the date of the relevant match. So, for matches to be played on Tuesday, 3 February, forms will have to be received prior to 12 noon on deadline day."
The regulations also make clear that any late submissions will not necessarily be rejected outright, but players involved would not be cleared to feature until the following day. The EFL added: "Any applications received after 12 noon on deadline day (and before the window closes) will still be processed, but players will not be eligible until Wednesday, 4 February."
Given the tight turnaround Tottenham face in finalising the Marmoush transfer, it appears increasingly probable that the forward will have to wait for his competitive debut, missing out on the Charlton tie even if the move is completed swiftly. Savinho, on the other hand, has already been signed and could potentially be available depending on his own registration status, offering De Zerbi at least one fresh attacking option as he searches for a reaction from his players.
Attention will now turn to whether Tottenham can push through the remaining formalities on the Marmoush deal in time for future fixtures, with the club eager to strengthen their options as they attempt to recover from a difficult start to the campaign.
Based on reporting from Standard (Football).