Why Tottenham should push hard for Andrea Belotti to improve their attack
According to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio (h/t Football London), Tottenham Hotspur have had an offer turned down by Torino for star centre-forward Andrea Belotti.
As per the report, the Noth Londoners submitted a loan bid for the Italy international with an option to buy him for a fee of £46.3million at the end of the spell.
However, it is understood that Torino aren’t willing to do business along those lines. Tottenham would apparently have to go back with an improved offer if they are to get their hands on the 26-year-old Serie A star.
Profile
Andrea Belotti started his career with AlbinoLeffe in the Italian third-tier and shot to prominence while guiding Palermo to a promotion-winning campaign in the Serie B during the 2013-14 season.
Belotti bagged 6 goals in his maiden Serie A season for Palermo and that was enough to earn him a move to Torino in the summer of 2015. The 26-year-old hasn’t looked back since, establishing himself as one of the most lethal centre-forwards in his homeland.
The Bergamo-born hitman has hit double digits on the goals column in each of his last five seasons at Torino in the Italian top-flight. Belotti managed a career-best tally of 28 goals in 38 games across all competitions during the 2016-17 campaign and came close to replicating those numbers last term with a 22-goal haul.
A full international for Italy since 2016, Belotti boasts an equally impressive track record on the international front, having scored 9 times in 28 appearances for his nation.
Belotti would make Tottenham a formidable force in the attack
Tottenham made an underwhelming start to the 2020-21 PL campaign with a 1-0 defeat against Everton at home. The opening day debacle against the Toffees was yet another timely reminder of a nagging issue – lack of a reliable understudy to Harry Kane.
Kane looked slightly off-colour on Sunday and struggled to capitalise on the limited chances in front of goal. Heung-min Son, Lucas Moura, and Dele Alli all had a decent game but the lack of an effective Plan-B up top was quite frustrating.
Suffice to say, Tottenham need another reliable central striker to take the pressure off Kane. Andrea Belotti ticks all the boxes to come through the door as a blockbuster addition to the club’s forward line.
The Italy international fits the bill as a striker with proven pedigree in a top European league, as evident from his overall career tally of 92 goals in 192 appearances for Torino.
Besides his prolific track record in Italy, the fact that the 26-year-old still has his best years ahead of him means he is certainly worth a significant outlay.
Verdict
Having adequate depth in the squad is indispensable for a club that is expected to challenge a top-four finish and Jose Mourinho should know it better than anyone else.
Kane has been clearly been overburdened with a lot of goalscoring workload over the past few years. Hence, it’s high time for Tottenham to take the pressure off the Englishman by bringing in a quality back-up striker.
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It’s a real shame that Andrea Belotti, being one of the best strikers in Italy, is yet to play at a big club and a move to Tottenham would offer him a chance to prove his worth in tougher conditions.
All in all, this looks like a move that would suit both the club and the player, and Tottenham returning with an improved offer for the 26-year-old before the summer deadline is an absolute no-brainer.
