Ange could boldly ditch Tottenham star with late Spurs move for “insane” £30m talisman

The Brazilian dynamo has been in fine form of late but Tottenham will still push for a new centre-forward.

It seemed impossible. Harry Kane? Playing football for a club not named Tottenham Hotspur? Incomprehensible. The England captain had somehow remained at the club after Manchester City’s £100m approach in the summer of 2021, also avoiding years of incessant interest from Manchester United.

But last season, it all went wrong and Spurs languished to an eighth-placed Premier League finish to bar entry to European competition after the summer, and after trying his hardest with 30 goals from 38 top-flight contests, Kane decided that enough was enough, having never tasted a major honour as a professional.

He really had given the club his all, graduating from the academy and making a name for himself across numerous loan spells before earning opportunities in the first team.

Fast track to the present and Kane has transferred to German Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich after scoring 278 goals and supplying 64 assists across 430 appearances for Tottenham, draping the curtain as the club’s all-time top scorer.

This first-class striker would end Richarlison’s free-scoring success as the focal frontman.

Replacing him this summer seemed an insurmountable task, so Ange Postecoglou… didn’t. Instead, the newly-

This Australian restored the Lilywhites in many areas and brought hope back, as Spurs are currently vying to make it back to the Champions League.

Heung-min Richarlison and Son have taken turns playing attacking midfield. Although Richarlison has been on a roll recently, scoring six goals from six in the Premier League, he is not the long-term answer at center forward and may be replaced.

In light of this, the following players are currently being tipped to become Tottenham’s first-choice forward in 2024, whether that happens this month or in the summer.

1Option 1: Santiago Gimenez

Santiago Gimenez, who is untested in the Premier League but is clearly a factory-built goal scorer, scored 28 goals in all competitions to help Feyenoord win the Dutch Eredivisie.

It has been rumored that the Lilywhites are interested in a deal, and they might just have to pay £30 million to sign him. That is a significant amount, but it is certainly doable.

Gimenez has outperformed himself this season, registering 18 goals and four assists from 19 league games, according to Sofascore.

As such, the 22-year-old has been praised for his “insane” feats in the Netherlands by scout Antonio Mango and seems to boast that indescribable quality – a matter of positioning and spatial awareness, perhaps – that only the top talismanic forces offer.

As per FBref, the Mexican machine ranks among the top 1% of forwards across divisions similar to the Dutch Eredivisie over the past year for goals scored and touches in the attacking box and the top 2% for shots taken per 90.

With brilliant shooting skills and an imposing presence at the spearhead, Gimenez may not quite have Richarlison’s dynamism but he would give Postecoglou that final piece of the puzzle.

To be fair, the likes of Son, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski (and Richarlison, to an extent) provide Postecoglou’s system with creativity, and Gimenez would be a worthy addition at the front of the attack.

2Option 2: Dominic Solanke

Dominic Solanke has been in fantastic form this season and has posted 12 goals and an assist from just 20 games in the Premier League, eclipsing last term’s total of six successful strikes from 33 games.

Solanke is reportedly being watched by Tottenham, however Arsenal and Newcastle United are also interested in signing him. The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell described Solanke as a “top, multi-faceted forward” at this point.

Although he has been playing well since last summer, Bournemouth is expected to want a sum of money around to £50 million for his transfer from the Vitality Stadium. As such, it could be wise to monitor his development in the upcoming months before making a bid in June.

Although Solanke has many English top-flight suitors intrigued by a transfer this year, Postecoglou will feel that the promise of regular minutes at the front of an exciting new project could entice the one-time Liverpool prospect to make the move to London.

And if he does now sustain his newfound cutting edge in the Premier League, he would almost certainly prove an upgrade on Richarlison.

3Option 3: Ivan Toney

Last but not least, Tottenham is reportedly in the running to acquire Brentford striker Ivan Toney, however it is important to note that Chelsea and Arsenal are seen to be the front-runners.

Toney, who the Bees valued at up to £100 million, had an incredible season last year, scoring 20 goals, providing four assists, and generating a staggering 12 great opportunities in 33 Premier League games. However, he was found guilty of breaking FA betting regulations and was suspended for eight months.

Returning to competitive action against Nottingham Forest last Sunday, scoring a delightful free-kick to open the scoring as Thomas Frank’s side secured a vital three points, Toney probably won’t leave his side in January but will look to impress over the coming months and convince a club like Tottenham to make their move.

The £20k-per-week phenomenon’s statistics versus Forest show that he showed no signs of “ring rust,” instead continuing where he left off with a comprehensive attacking showing.

Toney, an accomplished striker who has even been compared to England’s Harry Kane by Declan Rice, is expected to be transferred at some point this year. He showed his abilities to the football community last weekend and would be a huge improvement over Richarlison.