Tottenham need to beat Aston Villa in the race to sign veteran target man
Tottenham may not have the funds to buy a permanent solution at striker this month. As such, Islam Slimani could be a great band-aid for Spurs.
Jose Mourinho and his staff at Tottenham continue to scour Europe for a player capable of filling in for Harry Kane. Interestingly enough, the solution for Spurs’ most profound issue at the moment may be achieved by bringing a Premier League outcast back to England.
According to The Telegraph, officials at Tottenham have already made contact with their counterparts in Monaco about the status of 31-year-old hitman Islam Slimani. The Algerian international plied his trade for Leicester City before being exiled to France. He was not an ideal fit for the Foxes’ counterattacking style of football, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be perfectly suited to lead Tottenham’s line under Mourinho.
Sliamani certainly won’t be a long-term fix for Spurs, but he’d be a terrific boost in the short-term. That’s why Tottenham must beat out the likes of Aston Villa for his services.
In terms of his playing style, he works as a classic target man. That’s exactly what Tottenham need at the moment to take pressure off of their attacking midfielders. Frankly, every member of Mourinho’s squad needs an outlet when they’re under pressure at the moment. Slimani has the size and brawn to win balls in the air under pressure.
It’s also worth noting that he’s been fairly prolific for Monaco this season. He’s bagged seven league goals in just 13 appearances for his French club. As a reminder, Tottenham haven’t scored once as a squad in their last three Premier League matches. They don’t need a striker to score beautiful goals. They simply need a player who is proficient at depositing the ball into the back of the net.
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Inevitably, some Spurs supporters will dismiss the idea of signing Slimani because he doesn’t have the upside required to help the club for the next decade. Signing a young player capable of that is the best case outcome for the club, but it’s not the only way Tottenham can make a solid signing this month. Bringing Slimani in to help loosen things up this year would be a clever move by Mourinho and his coaching staff.