Tottenham striker search: Dream signing, realistic options and perfect Postecoglou projects all assessed [Check comment for full story link]
Tottenham are finally expected to spend a significant amount of money on a marquee striker this summer and TEAMtalk breaks down three different categories of attacker who could make a significant impact on Ange Postecoglou’s side next season.
When Harry Kane swapped north London for Munich last summer it left a massive void at the club and plenty of eyebrows were raised as to why a direct replacement was not signed in the final days of the summer window or in January.
Son Heung-min scoring goals playing more centrally to start the season initially alleviated fears over Kane’s departure, while Richarlison’s upturn in form after a dire first season at the club has certainly been welcomed.
But there remains a strong feeling that the Brazilian, who still misses too many chances to be considered a 20-goal-a-season striker, could be moved on in the summer as Saudi clubs continue to show an interest.
Tottenham are well in the fight to secure a Champions League spot without Kane’s guaranteed goals, but the Australian wants more than just finishing in the top four every season and recognises the need to replace Kane with a lethal marksman going forward.
To that end, TT have listed nine options who have all been linked with moves to north London and organised them into three different categories.
‘Dream Signing’ refers to an addition that Daniel Levy is prepared to make that will blow what could be the majority of Tottenham’s summer transfer budget on, while ‘Realistic Options’ are just that in terms of overall cost and value for money, and ‘Postecoglou Projects’ are younger options who have been linked with the club who could turn into a viable first-team star under the Australian’s guidance.
DREAM SIGNING
Harry Kane
An obvious place to start but an option that cannot be completely ruled out due to the rumours that Tottenham do have a reported £50million buy-back clause on their record goalscorer, although that is not thought to be active until two years into his stay in Bavaria.
That being said, there have been plenty of murmurings that Kane is not altogether happy at Bayern and would welcome the opportunity to return home, although Manchester United are also lurking if that theory plays out.
On a personal level, Kane has had an outstanding first season in Germany, notching a remarkable 36 goals in 34 games in all competitions. However, Bayern are poised to miss out on the Bundesliga title for the first time in more than a decade, as Kane searches for the silverware that has eluded him in north London.
They are, however, in the draw for the Champions League quarter-finals but on form must be considered one of the outsiders to lift the trophy.
And, while bringing Kane back to Spurs this summer might be a bit of a pipe dream, if it continues to be talked about then who knows what could actually occur. As another Tottenham legend once said ‘it’s a funny old game’.
Ivan Toney
The Brentford striker is a known commodity at Premier League level and has the sort of game that would thrive under Postecoglou.
The England forward has the quality to drop deep and link play or use his pace and run in behind, the latter being something Kane no longer really possesses.
Having Toney play through the middle with Son on the left and either the trickery of Dejan Kulusevski or the pace of Brennan Johnson on the right would give Tottenham an attacking threat to arguably match any in the Premier League.
However, the Bees are reportedly demanding between £60m-100m for a player who will be out of contract in the summer of 2025 and is also approaching his 28th birthday.
Arsenal have also been long-time admirers of Toney, while his former club Newcastle and Chelsea are also in the mix for his signature.
Evan Ferguson
The Brighton youngster has been described as the ‘next Harry Kane’ ever since he burst onto the scene down on the south coast.
In-demand Brighton duo Karou Mitoma and Evan Ferguson
Despite only scoring 16 goals in 62 games for the Seagulls, his all-round game and build-up play is very similar to Kane’s and he continues to be linked with a big-money exit to a Premier League rival.
The 19-year-old Republic of Ireland international has been heavily linked with Tottenham, Manchester United and Arsenal in the past but Brighton will not be budged on his asking price, having played hardball on many of their more recent sales.
They value Ferguson at around the £100m mark, a price that is largely based on his potential and it’s hard to imagine Levy forking out that sort of amount for a teenager – no matter his clear quality.
REALISTIC OPTIONS
Jonathan David
The Lille striker continues to be prolific in France and fits the profile of frontman that Postecoglou thrived with when he was winning trophies for fun at Celtic.
At only 5ft 9in he’s not the biggest but is strong and mobile and his movement and finishing ability would cause problems for Premier League defences.
David is currently valued at around €50m range (£43m), which is much more in the ballpark for Tottenham and would also likely leave funds available to bring in another midfielder as well.
The 24-year-old Canada international has notched 116 times in 254 club career games to date, and although making the step from Ligue 1 to the Premier League is a fairly big one, David appears to have the quality to make it.
Santiago Gimenez
The Feyenoord frontman has a reputation as one of the most lethal strikers in European football, having scored 47 goals in 79 games for the Dutch outfit over the last two seasons.
Admittedly, that is all relative as there have been plenty of forward players who have thrived in Holland but then struggled when moving to leagues considered much more challenging.
Indeed, Tottenham have suffered in that regard before after signing Vincent Janssen off the back of a 31-goal season at AZ back in 2016. He went on to score six goals in 42 games in north London and is now regularly banging them in again at Royal Antwerp in Belgium.
However, Gimenez is only 22 and is still developing his game. And with Postecoglou’s innate ability to improve players, he could find a way of bucking that trend for a player who could cost in the region of £40m.
Joshua Zirkee
The 22-year-old Dutchman came through the Bayern Munich academy but has spent the last two years playing for Bologna in Serie A.
He’s currently enjoying a solid goalscoring season with 11 goals in 30 games in all competitions, while also recording six assists.
Zirkzee is a creative force who excels in setting up his teammates but also has an eye for goal.
The fact that is also playing regularly in one of Europe’s elite leagues also makes him an attractive proposition for Tottenham, while Man Utd and Arsenal have also been credited with interest.
Zirkzee is another affordable option for Levy at around £43m but is probably not the out-and-out No.9 that David and Gimenez are.
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PERFECT POSTECOGLOU PROJECTS
Mohamed Amoura
A proper signing based on potential here, with the Royale Union Saint-Gilloise frontman having scored 21 goals and provided five assists across 35 games for the Belgian outfit this season.
Fennec Football recently reported Tottenham’s interest in the 23-year-old attacker, with a club scout in attendance for the Europa Conference League clash with Fenerbahce last week.
Amoura would only cost in the region of €10m too, which means he could be brought in alongside one of the players described in the ‘Realistic Options’ section too and provide much greater squad depth for Postecoglou going forward.
The Algeria international is renowned for pace and ability to get in behind defences who play high lines and is technically excellent. However, he is only 5ft 6in and would operate better as a second striker or starting out wide, which is more than capable of doing.
Francesco Camarda
It was revealed recently that AC Milan could be susceptible to one of Tottenham Arsenal or Manchester City stealing record-breaker Francesco Camarda, after contract talks were reportedly ‘postponed’.
Camarda took the footballing world by storm when he became the youngest player ever to feature in a Serie A match. The feat came in a 1-0 Milan win over Fiorentina in November, when he was just 15.
He’s now turned 16 but has bagged more than 400 goals in youth football and is regarded as one of the rising stars of Italian football.
This season, Camarda has scored 12 goals in various youth and academy competitions, with three assists alongside them.
Milan talks over a three-year contract for the starlet are reported to have been postponed, which has led to scouts from England monitoring te prolific young forward’s progress.
However, if he did move to the Premier League, Camarda would not be eligible to play until he’s 18 years old due to post-Brexit FIFA regulations.
Will Lankshear
A lot closer to home for the last of the prospects and a player who is currently making waves in north London.
Will Lankshear has been likened to Tottenham great Harry Kane
Lankshear was actually at the Arsenal academy before moving to Sheffield United in 2021, where he scored 38 goals in 48 appearances for various age groups at Bramall Lane.
That prompted interest from Tottenham, who agreed to pay the Blades £2m for his services in August 2022 – with £1m of that fee guaranteed.
The 18-year-old, who grew up a Tottenham fan, has scored 12 goals in 13 Premier League 2 games this season and already has the sort of build and all-round game to be a success in the English top flight.
He is regarded as a lethal finisher and the comparisons with Kane are clear and obvious when watching him in action.
Lankshear is sure to get the chance to impress with Postecoglou’s first-team squad in pre-season and may even force his way into the Aussie’s plans if he carries on at his current rate of development.
