Dusan Vlahovic scored 21 goals in Serie A for Fiorentina last season. (imago Images)
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Alasdair Gold of Football.london (h/t The Express) stated that Tottenham Hotspur are planning to sign Dusan Vlahovic from Fiorentina. The striker, who is believed to cost somewhere between £40million to £50million, would be brought in to partner Harry Kane in attack, rather than as the Englishman’s replacement.
The report mentions that Liverpool are also circling around the young Serbian hitman. Vlahovic started out his career at Partizan Belgrade before La Viola came calling in 2018. He did not have an outstanding start to life in Italian football, but was in the headlines last season with his 21 Serie A goals. But is he a striker that Nuno Espirito Santo needs at Spurs?
Even if Spurs want to keep him, there exists a possibility that Kane can join Manchester City this summer. Speaking on ‘The Football Terrace podcast’, Eurosport’s Dean Jones (h/t The Express) has gone as far as mentioning that Kane has already said goodbyes to his Spurs’ teammate and coaching staff at the end of last season.
The 28-year-old Englishman also failed to report for training at Hotspur Way after his summer holidays ended. If their star striker does depart the club, Spurs don’t have a lot of players to replace him. And if Kane stays at the club, the Lilywhites cannot boast of a bench that can provide adequate backup to Kane throughout the season.
The club, under Jose Mourinho, probably realized this last summer when they signed Carlos Vinicius for the 2020/21 season. But the Brazilian striker was a loan signing and is back at SL Benfica now. However, the way Vinicius was treated as a backup gives us an insight into Tottenham’s need for a backup at No.9.
There is no doubt that Kane is the main man at the club and would be the first name on the team sheet on almost all occasions. But despite the Englishman’s status, Carlos Vinicius still managed to play 22 games in all competitions for the club. Why is that? The reason is simple. Teams must protect their players from burnout and exhaustion, and not to mention, shield them from injury issues.
That is why Kane, despite not having any major injury problems, saw himself get benched a handful of times in cup competitions. Spurs had the 26-year-old Vinicius for that last season, and Fernando Llorente and Vincent Janssen before that. But they lack a similar figure right now.
In the 2019/20 season, the club found itself in a similar position. With no one as a backup for Kane, the club had to resort to playing wingers like Steven Bergwijn and Lucas Moura as centre-forwards when Kane was injured. Nuno Espirito Santo would want to avoid that and hence, Vlahovic can play such a role at Spurs.
The 21-year-old striker can be a strike partner to Kane, as Alasdair Gold (h/t The Express) claims he could be. If the club sign him and continue with Kane as their sole No.9, then Vlahovic can be a viable backup as well as a future replacement for the Englishman.
Or, if they do lose out the 28-year-old to City, then Vlahovic could be the man to lead Spurs’ line. So, in any case, signing the Serbian, for whatever the fee may be, can benefit Spurs regardless of where Harry Kane ends up next season.
