TTLB OPINION: Why Dusan Vlahovic to Tottenham Hotspur actually makes sense

Signing Dusan Vlahovic could be a gamechanger for Tottenham Hotspur

Daniel Levy has been looking to compound on his striking options in another transfer window and this time around the North Londoners have been linked with a move for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic and this one is an interesting prospect given how on the first glance the Serbian doesn’t really feel like a a “Tottenham” signing in the first look given how he is not a chaotic press merchant and neither someone who thrives in constant motion like Postecoglou’s fluid front line but then as I start to take away the top layer and start scratching my notepad on what the current Lilywhites roster is truly missing upfront suddenly moving for the 25-year-old starts to make a lot of tactical and strategic sense to me.

The thing is that the North Londoners are not only trying to build a squad, but at this point all the shuffling striking targets are about trying to have that dominant central reference point in the final third (that the club has boasted about for years with Harry Kane up top). Levy needs a forward who can lead a title-challenging system and not just float between phases, and Solanke, while promising, has not shown the same vertical threat or presence since his move to North London, and that is where Vlahovic becomes more than a name; the Serbian suddenly looks like more of a structural solution.

Let’s start putting together the basis in place of what Tottenham lack upfront via what brings…

In all of my articles I have established how Ange Postecoglou operates in a 2-3-5 offensive setup, and with this comes a need for a central striker that has a few key attributes: he is a physical presence to pin centre-backs, has the capacity to link play under pressure when pressed by two pivots and, most of all, possesses the ability to make central movements to finish attacks.

And Vlahovic, standing at 6’3”, has that elite acceleration in short bursts which ticks all the above three conditions on a consistent basis. Andy, while he has been featuring in more of a reactive system at Juventus, still went on to boast:

9 goals in Serie A this season

0.46 npxG per 90 this season (and 0.62xG)

6.17 touches in attacking penalty area

Now let’s think about what if we put that output in a team like Tottenham, under a manager that loves to drive the possession into that final third more than anyone, a team that likes to overload with their #8s and a team that knows how to deliver from the half spaces and cutbacks. Suddenly, Vlahovic isn’t just relevant; he’s dangerous.

How can the Serbian tactically fit in Postecoglou’s system?

Before I get into this, let me get one understanding straight – Vlahovic is not Harry Kane (but he does solve some of the same problems Kane used to address). When in build-up phases, he can drop to link with Maddison or Kulusevski in zone 14, which also pulls centre-backs deep, opening inside channels for Son or Tel. When on the receiving end of crosses or rebounds, the Serbian remains central, always available for second actions.

What the Australian head coach gets with Vlahovic is a centre forward who gives shape to the chaos, given how he likes to stay between the posts, make those near-post runs, and then course, how he doesn’t drift out of the game mentally when out of possession (like many number nines do).

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Author Opinion

If Tottenham are looking to win without sacrificing their current tactical setup under Ange, Dusan Vlahovic certainly adds a strong presence to a forward line that at times struggles with clarity and provides the consistency the Lilywhites need to establish themselves upfront, and he does have the drive and potential to evolve into a 25-goal scorer in the Premier League.