Tottenham should divert Berahino funds to purchase this Spanish striker

Tottenham should do whatever is necessary to sign Newcastle’s Ayoze Perez

It takes a special player to thrive at Tottenham under manager Mauricio Pochettino. That’s why it is imperative for Spurs not to just purchase a talented enough striker in January, but the right sort of talented striker. The more I watch Newcastle forward Ayoze Perez play the more convinced I become that he is the perfect fit for the North London club.

I promise this isn’t an overreaction to Perez’s recent goal against the lily whites. This is a feeling that has been building as I’ve watched Newcastle for some time and Perez’s performance against Arsenal today pushed me over the edge. He is the perfect January purchase for Tottenham.

Spurs absolutely must purchase some cover for Harry Kane in the upcoming window. The trick is to find a forward who can be relatively content coming off the bench in a relief role with an occasional start mixed in. This prevents Tottenham from purchasing established veterans such as Jackson Martinez, because whomever they acquire has to know they won’t be the first choice striker.

This means Tottenham will be forced to purchase either a youthful striker whose career is still developing, or an established veteran that’s in the twilight of their playing days. I think it’s pretty obvious given Pochettino’s moves which one he’ll prefer. He will almost certainly purchase a young attacking player that he can mold into his ideal player.

At just 22 years of age, Perez fits that mold perfectly. He won’t be in a rush to become the first option and he won’t be preoccupied with solidifying a place in Euro 2016. He would solely be focused on helping the club and getting better. That’s perfect for Pochettino and his club.

Now that we’ve established that he’s the perfect player off the pitch to join in January, let’s move on to his on-field attributes. His speed and willingness to pitch in and press opposing defenders are ideal for Pochettino’s style of play. He’s also a very adept dribbler and finish when deployed as a central striker. If Pochettino could dream up his ideal centre forward chances are he’d look a lot like Ayoze Perez.

At first glance, his Whoscored.com player rating of 6.87 seems too low to really impact a Tottenham side competing for a Premier League title. Upon closer examination though, the Spanish striker has been brilliant when he’s deployed in his preferred role as a centre forward.

In his six starts at that position he has three goals and two assists. His player rating also jumps to an outstanding 7.65. It really boggles the mind as to why Newcastle doesn’t always employ him as an out-and-out striker.

Newcastle is locked in a relegation battle so convincing the club to part with their best attacker won’t be easy. That’s why Tottenham should take every penny they had previously set aside for buying Saido Berahino and offer it up for Ayoze Perez. He could be the difference between a nice season and one that ends with Spurs silverware.