Tottenham ahead of Chelsea in spectacular striker swoop, with high-level talks over January swoop
TEAMtalk have been given an update on Tottenham Hotspur’s battle with London rivals Chelsea to sign a top attacking talent from Portuguese football, as Thomas Frank looks for more goals from his front three.
Starting with Mathys Tel as their No.9 against Aston Villa on Sunday, due to Dominic Solanke still being on the sidelines, Richarlison having been away on international duty with Brazil and Randal Kolo Muani only being fit enough for the bench, saw Spurs’ frontline misfired again as Frank’s men went down to a 2-1 defeat.
It’s got to the stage now where the Tottenham boss is growing concerned with the fitness of the trio of No.9s he has available, with the club being heavily tipped to add another striker to the mix in the January window.
Juventus star Dusan Vlahovic continues to be a concrete target, with reports on Tuesday suggesting they are actually leading the race for the Serbian hotshot.
However, we can provide more information on another impressive target in the form of Porto and Spain frontman Samu Aghehowa.
The 21-year-old striker has scored an impressive eight goals in nine outings so far this season, off the back of a campaign where he notched 27 times for Porto.
In terms of being able to find the back of the net on a regular basis, coupled with actually being consistently available for selection, he’s ticking both boxes – something that cannot be said for Tottenham’s current central striking options.
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Dean Jones gives inside track on Samu Aghehowa latest
And, when we checked in with TEAMtalk transfer insider Dean Jones to find out if Tottenham or Chelsea could move for Aghehowa in January, this was the answer we got…
“It’s too early to know if a battle is going to open up but he’s an interesting name in the market because a few teams will be looking at signing a forward.
“Spurs have had a look at his situation, as I have reported on here last month, but it’s difficult to gauge just how realistic it is that they make an offer.
“Tottenham are currently in the process of sorting out their targets and, up front, they are having to contemplate the fact they don’t have an absolute goalscorer to rely on. Ideally, it would be Solanke but he keeps getting setbacks.
“So it is one that is on the radar but, because I know they are also very much looking at signing another wide forward, I’m waiting to get an update on just how much they could put into a forward like Samu in January.
“Also, I’m not so sure about the Chelsea links. He is not one I have personally heard that is likely.
“If they were to bring in a striker I think it would have to be a very good value deal or maybe someone with a certain level of pedigree and experience that currently isn’t there.
“Chelsea have definitely tracked him over time but with Strasbourg striker Emanuel Emegha also coming on board soon, I’m not sure this would be needed.”
Latest Tottenham news: Mainoo chase update; bid to sign Rangers star
First up, Manchester United’s talented midfielder Kobbie Mainoo is weighing up a loan move in January, with TEAMtalk sources indicating his growing concerns about his England prospects for the 2026 World Cup, and four clubs – including Spurs – are eyeing moves for him this winter.
Elsewhere, Rangers’ stance on selling January transfer window target Nico Raskin to Tottenham or any other club has emerged, although TEAMtalk has a slightly different take on the situation.
And finally, talk that Manchester United, Spursr or West Ham are all exploring a deal to bring Ivan Toney back to the Premier League in January has drawn an emphatic response from two sources, with the £427,000-a-week star having made up his mind for two major reasons.
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