Tottenham Hotspur are expected to prioritise signing a new striker in the January transfer window, with Roberto De Zerbi still looking to strengthen his attacking options.
Spurs spent more than £300m rebuilding their squad over the summer, but were unable to address every area of concern despite an ambitious recruitment drive.
|
Player |
Fee |
Position |
|---|---|---|
|
Sandro Tonali |
£100m |
Midfielder |
|
Mateus Fernandes |
£85m |
Midfielder |
|
Savinho |
£75m |
Winger |
|
Jan Paul van Hecke |
£52m |
Centre-back |
|
Marcos Senesi |
Free |
Centre-back |
|
Andy Robertson |
Free |
Left-back |
|
Martin Dubravka |
Free |
Goalkeeper |
|
Cole Ramsey |
Free |
Midfielder |
|
Omar Marmoush |
Loan |
Winger |
|
Mykhailo Mudryk |
Loan |
Winger |
It was widely reported that De Zerbi wanted two new wingers and an out-and-out striker, with the club eventually bringing in Savio and Mykhailo Mudryk, alongside versatile forward Omar Marmoush.
However, Tottenham failed to secure another recognised centre-forward, and that has been compounded by the situation surrounding Richarlison, who was omitted from their Premier League squad after failing to secure a summer exit.
The Brazilian has since been training away from the first team and was even forced to turn out for the Under-21s, scoring against Cheltenham Town earlier this month.
Meanwhile, De Zerbi has been quick to defend Dominic Solanke, who scored his first Premier League goal of the season in the recent 1-1 draw with Manchester United.
“He is a complete player, he is a good guy, he has personality, he has to feel good in terms of his physical condition, but he is a great player, and I wanted to show what is my confidence, and what is the importance I give him in this team.”
The Italian insisted the England international can make a difference for his side, but Tottenham are expected to explore the market for additional competition in January.
Tottenham insider backs £100m move for Eli Junior Kroupi
Tottenham insider John Wenham believes Spurs will revive their interest in Bournemouth striker Eli Junior Kroupi, having reportedly been prepared to spend as much as £100m on the Frenchman during the summer.
Speaking to Tottenham News, Wenham suggested the club had significant funds set aside on top of their other transfer business.
“The issue that has to be resolved in January is the striker situation. We were heavily linked with Kroupi in the summer, and reports said we were willing to pay £80m-100m on top of the other spending we did.
“I really hope that in the background, we are still progressing that deal, so on the 1st January, we can announce him as a Tottenham player.
“Kroupi would run to play for Tottenham, as he would for Arsenal, Chelsea or whoever else, if we were confident of getting him in the summer, we should be able to do it now.”
The Bournemouth youngster enjoyed an outstanding debut campaign in English football, scoring 13 goals in 33 Premier League appearances last season.
That tally saw Kroupi break the record for the most goals scored by a teenager in their debut Premier League season, surpassing the previous benchmark of 12 held by Robbie Fowler and Robbie Keane.
His performances even earned praise from Bournemouth teammate Marcus Tavernier, who described the now 20 year-old as “world-class” and backed him to secure a big move in the future.
However, Kroupi has yet to feature this season after suffering a fractured metatarsal during pre-season, which required surgery. He has recently returned to training as he works towards his comeback.
A January deal could therefore prove difficult, particularly with Bournemouth reportedly determined to keep the striker for the remainder of the campaign.
Nevertheless, with Tottenham desperately needing more firepower, Kroupi would represent an exciting long-term investment if ENIC are prepared to revisit their reported summer interest.
