Tottenham are seriously contemplating the possibility of making a move for Bournemouth striker Joshua King, who was one of the top centre-forwards in the Premier League last season. He managed to come up with returns of 16 league goals, and it is not surprising that manager Mauricio Pochettino has identified him as a potential replacement for Vincent Janssen, according to reports on the Mirror.
It is no secret that Spurs boss Pochettino wants to find a top backup option for Harry Kane, who is regarded as one of the best strikers in the world. Yet, Spurs will be fighting in four different competitions next season and Kane will not be able to lead the line in all games.
Vincent Janssen was signed as the backup for Kane last summer, but he struggled for form and became a disappointment in Spurs’ transfer outlay in the last couple of years. After managing to score only a couple of goals from open play, it is clear that the Dutchman has failed to settle in the Premier League and the experiment may not carry on for a long. Instead of focusing on a non-English league player who may need time to settle in the Premier League, Spurs seem to have switched their attention towards King.
The prospect of playing for one of the top teams in England, who will also be involved in the Champions League next season are positive factors. However, Spurs are not alone in the race for the forward, as Everton are also heavily interested in the striker. Since the Merseyside club may lose Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea (Don Balon), the club are keen on strengthening the forward positions. Even though they recently brought in Sandro Ramirez from Malaga for £5.2million (The Guardian), it is thought that manager Ronald Koeman remains keen on King.
Even though Everton do not have Champions League football next season, the Merseyside outfit have a major advantage of offering King the prospect of playing regular football. This is something that the player cannot expect at Tottenham, as he is largely expected to be on the bench as an understudy to Harry Kane. After having been a regular player at Bournemouth, it remains to be seen if the 25-year-old will accept a role as a bit part player. Bournemouth are likely to demand around £30million for King (The Telegraph).
