So far this summer, Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has completely addressed his defence with all of Kevin Wimmer, Kieran Trippier and Toby Alderweireld arriving at White Hart Lane.
With Alderweireld’s signature having taken place a few weeks back now, our resident Spurs fans in the Football Transfer Tavern have eagerly been anticipating news of a Tottenham swoop for either another midfielder or more desperately, a new striker to complement Harry Kane.
Tottenham are desperately short up top right now, seemingly pinning all of their goalscoring hopes on Kane’s shoulders with the long-term futures of Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado very much in doubt.
All the better that Spurs are closing in on a deal for West Bromwich Albion’s England Under-21 international striker Saido Berahino according to what you read in the Daily Mail.
According to the publication, the Baggies are holding out for £25 million for their prized asset and with Spurs in desperate need of reinforcements up top, you can imagine Daniel Levy reluctantly parting with that fee for the young striker.
Berahino appears to be on the move this summer when you consider Tony Pulis’ Baggies broke their own transfer record to sign Venezuelan international forward Salomon Rondon from Zenit Saint-Petersburg this week as what looks like a direct replacement for the outgoing Berahino.
With the Baggies striker reportedly closing in on a switch to North London, who else could be joining him this summer? We look at five leading candidates.
[ffc-gallery]
Click on the image below to reveal the 5 Tottenham transfers waiting to happen after Saido Berahino’s arrival.
[/ffc-gallery]
Clinton N’Jie
Despite Spurs closing in on a deal for Saido Berahino, it also looks as if they’re planning for life without both Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado with Mauricio Pochettino also close to concluding a transfer for Lyon’s Clinton N’Jie.
The Cameroon international has broke onto the scene in Ligue 1 for Les Gones in recent times and this transfer to Spurs looks something like a formality right now.
Even Lyon’s chairman Jean-Michel Aulas has confirmed: “We are close to an agreement but there’s no urgency for us.”
According to the same reports, Lyon want to bring in their own reinforcements before letting N’Jie complete his Tottenham switch but that could happen sooner rather than later with the French club having swooped to land another attack-minded player in Mathieu Valbuena recently.
Adding both Berahino and N’Jie together will offer Harry Kane that much needed support in front of goal so he isn’t carrying the scoring burden alone.
Sven Bender
According to yesterday’s edition of the Daily Express, they claimed Tottenham have earmarked the signing of Borussia Dortmund’s Sven Bender as a priority transfer this summer.
The twin brother of Bayer Leverkusen’s Lars Bender, Sven has also been a target of Spurs’ North London rivals Arsenal and how sweet would it be for Lilywhites fans to get their hands on a top class defensive midfielder when the Gunners are so desperately in need of one themselves.
The report claims Spurs are intent on beating Arsene Wenger’s side to Bender’s signature and what’s more, he wasn’t used as much as we’ve come to expect under Jurgen Klopp in his final season at Signal Iduna Park last term.
With the player in search of regular starting chances, he’d surely get those at Spurs with Nabil Bentaleb and Ryan Mason anything but the finished article in defensive midfield, not to mention Eric Dier doing a temporary job in there at the minute.
Alvaro Vadillo
A long-term target of Tottenham and a player likened to Cristiano Ronaldo in his native Spain, Real Betis’ Alvaro Vadillo is a player Spurs are reportedly mulling over an offer for right now.
Boasting a release clause of £17 million at the moment, Tottenham could do with adding a few more flair additions in the wide areas with BT Sport’s Glen Hoddle having alluded to Spurs needing much more creativity going forward, aside Christian Eriksen’s input of course.
When you also consider that both Andros Townsend and Erik Lamela are awfully inconsistent with the former player even potentially being sold this transfer window, you imagine Pochettino would be keen on getting a deal done for Vadillo behind the scenes.
Breel Embolo
He isn’t depicted in the FC Basel team photo above but take it from us, Breel Embolo is currently on the payroll at St Jakob Park.
Like N’Jie, Embolo hails from the Cameroon but this player is just 18-years-old and plays as either a striker or an attack-minded midfielder.
Having performed in Basel’s first team 50 times in the Swiss top flight, Spurs are considered favourites for his signature right now with The Mirror claiming that Mauricio Pochettino sent scouts to watch Embolo last weekend against Luzern – a game in which the Cameroonian registered two goals.
An up-and-coming talent, Pochettino hasn’t been afraid to blood youth such as Dele Alli at the weekend away at Old Trafford so you’d imagine he’d be keen on tying up a deal sooner rather than later.
Javier Hernandez
According to yesterday’s copy of The Independent, the publication claimed Spurs were upping the ante in their pursuit of not only Saido Berahino but this man, Javier Hernandez, too.
The Mexican international is most definitely out of Louis van Gaal’s plans at Old Trafford having been an unused substitute on the Red Devils’ tour of North America, not to mention again gracing the bench against Spurs at the weekend.
Simply in the matchday squad as an alternative striker with just Wayne Rooney and James Wilson the only other recognsied strikers at the club right now, Hernandez is likely to be on the move and today, Torino have been quoted as another interested party.
Potentially, the sub plot with this deal could be the fact Manchester United’s interest in Harry Kane is already in the public domain.
While no Spurs fans would trade Kane for the Mexican, perhaps United and Ed Woodward will have designs on dangling Chicharito as a carrot in order to prise the England international away from White Hart Lane?
