Tottenham monitoring developments of Espanyol striker Javi Puado

Tottenham Hotspur were able to add some firepower to their attack over the summer following the acquisition of Dominic Solanke.

The Lilywhites were in desperate need of a new No.9 and managed to land Solanke on a club-record deal. However, things have not been rosy for the striker over the early stages of the new season, with the 27-year-old having already been sidelined through injury.

And back-up striker Richarlison cannot be relied on owing to his persistent injury issues. The Brazilian has only returned from his own hamstring issue which have plagued him since the start of the year. With Spurs experiencing some issues up front, Daniel Levy may look to loosen his purse strings for a new striker when the transfer window reopens in January.

According to a report from Spanish outlet La Razon, Tottenham are keen on Espanyol striker Javi Puado.

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Javi Puado is out of contract (Transfermarkt) at Espanyol at the end of the season, and if he doesn’t renew his contract before the end of the year, he will be eligible to negotiate with foreign clubs from January. Clubs across Europe will look to take advantage of the Spaniard’s current contract situation and sign him on a free transfer in the summer.

Sevilla, Espanyol’s La Liga rivals, are also in the mix for Puado’s services. They are understood to have contacted the striker’s entourage to get an idea of the situation and cost of a potential deal. A product of the Espanyol youth system, Puado helped his club achieve promotion to La Liga with 16 goals and two assists last season. He has started the La Liga campaign well with three goals in eight outings thus far.

The aforementioned report adds Tottenham are secretly monitoring developments surrounding Puado while keeping close tabs on Alejo Veliz, who joined Espanyol on a season-long loan in the summer. The fact that the 26-year-old’s contract expires in 2025, coupled with his recent goalscoring form, has made him an ‘attractive option’ for the Premier League side.

Espanyol are trying their best to tie Puado down to a new contract, but if he doesn’t agree to fresh terms, the La Liga side may look to get some money from his sale in January rather than losing him for absolutely nothing.

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Having loaned out Veliz in August, Spurs will look to benefit from their relationship with Espanyol and thrash out a deal for the Barcelona-born forward if our interest in the player is concrete. There is always work that can be done to make some improvements to the squad and Levy signing Puado in a cut-price deal could turn out to be a smart move.