We have analysed Crysencio Summerville, Rafael Leao and Savinho’s underlying statistics to assess which player would be the better fit for Tottenham Hotspur this summer.
There has clearly been a shift in strategy from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer transfer window in terms of the players being targeted.
Spurs have moved from signing youngsters with enormous potential to bringing experienced heads through the door as they look to halt what has been a fall from grace over the last two seasons, having finished 17th in the Premier League.
That strategy is clear to see with Spurs bringing in the likes of Sandro Tonali (26), Jan Paul van Hecke (26), Marcos Senesi (29), Andy Robertson (32), Martin Dubravka (37) and Mateus Fernandes (21), the youngest signing so far.
However, work in the transfer market is far from done, with Tottenham still on the lookout for forward options, including wide players.
Crysencio Summerville and Savinho have long been linked with Spurs, but recently a new name has emerged, with Rafael Leao now linked with a potential switch to north London.
With these three players on Tottenham’s radar, we have now taken a look at their numbers to see which one would be the best signing to bolster the wide areas.
Tottenham compare Rafael Leao, Crysencio Summerville and Savinho
Based on the players within the Tottenham squad, the area of the pitch that needs bolstering is the left wing.
At the moment, Spurs have just Mathys Tel as the fit option in that position, while Wilson Odobert is out nursing an ACL injury. It is no surprise that Leao, Summerville and Savinho are all capable of filling that area of the pitch.
Leao, however, stands out as the most natural left winger, having played in that position for most of his career, featuring there in a staggering 154 games.
Summerville comes in second for appearances on the left, having played there 94 times, although he has actually featured more often on the right, making 103 appearances in that position.
Savinho comes last for appearances on the left, having played there 79 times, but left wing still remains his preferred position, as it is where he has featured most throughout his career.
Career record by position
| Position | Rafael Leao | Crysencio Summerville | Savinho |
|---|---|---|---|
| Left winger | 154 apps – 46 goals – 42 assists | 94 apps – 28 goals – 16 assists | 79 apps – 13 goals – 15 assists |
| Right winger | 3 apps – 1 goal – 0 assists | 103 apps – 23 goals – 15 assists | 69 apps – 6 goals – 10 assists |
| Centre-forward | 55 apps – 14 goals – 4 assists | 7 apps – 3 goals – 1 assist | 2 apps – 0 goals – 0 assists |
| Attacking midfield | 1 app – 0 goals – 0 assists | 6 apps – 0 goals – 0 assists | 9 apps – 1 goal – 1 assist |
| Second striker | 13 apps – 2 goals – 4 assists | – | – |
| Left midfield | – | 5 apps – 0 goals – 1 assist | 2 apps – 0 goals – 1 assist |
| Right midfield | – | 3 apps – 0 goals – 1 assist | 1 app – 0 goals – 2 assists |
The output from each player while featuring on the left also differs, with Leao leading the way for both goals and assists, having managed 46 goals and 42 assists – 88 goal contributions in 154 appearances from the left.
Summerville comes in second with 44 goal contributions, scoring 28 and assisting 16 in 94 games from the left. Interestingly, he performs much better playing from the left than on the right, despite having made more appearances there throughout his career.
Savinho, while not on the same level in terms of output, has managed 28 goal contributions in his 79 games as a left winger, scoring 13 goals and providing 15 assists.
Based on these stats, if Tottenham were to make a pick solely based on output throughout each player’s career, then Leao stands out as the obvious choice.
Tottenham transfer target comparison on recent form
Of course, Leao coming out on top in those metrics is not entirely surprising given that he is the oldest of the three players.
The Portuguese is 27, while Summerville is 24 and Savinho is 21. As a result, he has played far more games, which naturally boosts his numbers.
To help give us a better insight into where these players are currently, it only makes sense to look at their most recent seasons to see how they have fared.
In the recently concluded seasons for their respective clubs, the numbers make for interesting reading.
Leao still comes out on top, managing nine goals and three assists from 29 Serie A appearances, while Summerville is second with five goals and four assists in 31 Premier League appearances.
Savinho, however, has the weakest numbers of the three, largely because of his lack of game time. The Brazilian played just 821 league minutes after making only seven starts, finishing the campaign with one goal and two assists.
In the 24/25 season, where Savinho made 29 appearances, his goal contribution was much better with 10 assists and one goal.
Recent league comparison
| Stat | Rafael Leao | Crysencio Summerville | Savinho |
|---|---|---|---|
| Competition | Serie A | Premier League | Premier League |
| Appearances | 29 | 31 | 24 |
| Goals | 9 | 5 | 1 |
| Assists | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| Minutes played | 1,861 | 2,484 | 821 |
| Starts | 23 | 29 | 7 |
| Substitute appearances | 6 | 2 | 17 |
That again makes Leao the clear-cut choice in terms of current form. However, analysing the underlying numbers is also very important, and we have now done so, stacking up Savinho’s 2024-25 season with Summerville’s 2025-26 season and Leao’s 2025-26 season.
These are the seasons in which each player has featured in a relatively similar number of matches and are therefore the fairest comparison.
Underlying stats comparison
| Metric | Savinho (2024-25) | Rafael Leao (2025-26) | Crysencio Summerville (2025-26) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Progressive carries percentile | 98.2 | 67.9 | 71.3 |
| Successful dribbles percentile | 95.9 | 64.1 | 77.7 |
| Non-penalty goals percentile | 9.5 | 84.8 | 52.7 |
| npxG + xA percentile | 88.0 | 88.1 | 61.5 |
| Assists percentile | 89.3 | 56.1 | 24.2 |
| Key passes percentile | 82.8 | 54.6 | 19.2 |
| Crosses completed percentile | 87.3 | 36.1 | 31.8 |
| Minutes | 1,912 | 1,995 | 2,707 |
The underlying numbers paint a fascinating picture.
Leao stands out as the best goal-scoring threat of the three, ranking comfortably ahead in non-penalty goals while also matching Savinho for npxG + xA.
If Spurs are looking for the player most capable of making an immediate impact in the final third, the Portuguese forward comes out on top.
Savinho’s strengths lie elsewhere. His elite progressive carrying, dribbling, chance creation and crossing numbers underline just how dangerous he is at progressing the ball and creating openings for teammates.
Although his end product has not matched the other two recently, his underlying creativity is exceptional.
Summerville perhaps sits somewhere in between. His dribbling remains strong and his goalscoring numbers are respectable, but he does not quite reach Leao’s level as a finisher or Savinho’s level as a creator based on these metrics. He does, however, offer the most balanced profile of the three.
The three players are all good in their own way, but the decision is one Spurs must make carefully, especially given their price tags.
At the moment, Savinho is valued at £60 million, while Summerville is priced at £43 million. Leao would also not come cheap, given his £43 million (€50.00m) Transfermarkt valuation.
Tottenham will, of course, have to weigh up immediate impact, long-term value and the overall fit within Roberto De Zerbi‘s system.
In terms of long-term value, Summerville and Savinho stand out, while for immediate impact, Leao is the player who appears to offer the strongest guarantee.