Three Harry Kane replacements Tottenham must target to salvage season
Tottenham’s flagging season got a whole lot harder with star striker Harry Kane out until March with a hamstring injury. The star limped off in the 1-0 loss to Southampton as Tottenham fall further behind in the race for fourth.
Kane is set to miss the crucial clashes against Liverpool, Manchester City, and Chelsea not to mention the tie against RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League.
This leaves Tottenham with no specialist senior strikers in the squad. Mourinho will be forced to use the likes of Son Heung-Min and Lucas Moura as makeshift forwards to address the situation. But neither of them are natural goalscorers and moving them upfront will affect Spurs ability to connect the midfield to the attack.
The Tottenham midfield have been far too static this season and with the likes of Christian Eriksen looking likely to leave and Tanguy Ndombele out injured. Giovani Lo Celso hasn’t impressed and Erik Lamela has just returned from an injury. If Son or Lucas are played upfront, a lot will depend on Dele Alli to be the bridge between the attack and the midfield.
As a team, Spurs have for far too long depended on Harry Kane to carry the scoring duty. At times it has bordered on desperation, a telling example being a half-fit Kane rushed into the Champions League final against Liverpool.
Thankfully, with the January transfer window opening, Tottenham have an opportunity to dip into the market to sign a striker.
We take a look at three players Spurs could sign to address the lack of cover for Harry Kane.
The veteran
To say that Danny Ings has resurrected himself at Southampton would be an understatement. The 27-year-old made the step up when he signed for Liverpool in 2015.
In a Daily Express report, former Tottenham striker Darren Bent recently urged the club to sign the Southampton man.
A miserable run of luck with injuries saw the Englishman limited to just 25 appearances in four seasons at Merseyside. With Liverpool’s cult hero Divock Origi displacing Ings in the pecking order, the forward moved to Southampton on loan before making the deal permanent in the summer.
He seems to have rediscovered his scoring touch and has scored 23 goals in 48 games for the Saints. With his injuries seemingly behind him, the player looks likely to fulfil the potential he showed as a youngster.
A veteran in the English game, Ings suits the physical aspect of the league. An intelligent player, he is always on the move and is clinical in the box. He should be able to thrive with the likes of Moura and Son behind him.
He can also play as part of a front two once Harry Kane is back giving Tottenham more options in attack.
As Harry Kane limped off, Spurs need not have looked far for a solution as Ings scored the winner for Southampton with a well-taken finish. If that was his audition, he couldn’t have done much better.
The upcoming talent
Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen has impressed at Lille since his move from Charleroi in the summer.
The 21-year-old brought in as the replacement for Arsenal bound Nicolas Pepe has adapted well to Ligue 1. He has made 25 appearances for Lille and has scored 13 goals and 3 assists. (h/t Whoscored)
His performances have garnered the attention of some of Europe’s biggest teams including Tottenham.
Although Lille are keen to keep the player till the summer, Spurs should steal a march on our opponents and try to secure the youngster in January.
Spurs assistant manager Joao Sacramento has a first-hand idea of Osimhen, having managed him at Lille, before joining Mourinho at Spurs (h/t Sky Sports).
Lille Sporting Director, Luis Campos, is a close friend of Mourinho. This might facilitate an easier mode of communication between the clubs, giving us an advantage over other teams vying for him (h/t Sky Sports).
Just 21, Osimhen has the world at his feet and can become Kane’s successor in time.
The academy star
Tottenham may not have to look far with Kane’s replacement already among their ranks.
17-year-old Troy Parrott is one of Tottenham’s best young players. The youngster impressed in his first start for Spurs in a pre-season friendly against Juventus and also grabbed an assist.
A good sprinter, Parrott also has the knack to pull opposition defenders out of position with his daring runs. This should give gaps for Lucas and Son to exploit.
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Parrott is still a work in progress. He is well worth the risk and could turn out to be the next Spurs striker to make it big. He turns 18 this February and Spurs are very keen for the youngster to commit long term.
The youngster made his senior international debut for the Republic of reland on November 14th against New Zealand. He provided an assist for Ireland’s second as they ran out 2-1 winners.
