Tottenham can’t afford to finish the January transfer window without a striker

Stefan Bienkowski

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 2 min read

Tottenham Hotspur look set to finish the January transfer window without signing a new striker and that could prove to be a mistake for the Premier League side. 

In recent weeks the London club have been linked with a move for Wolfsburg striker Wout Weghorst.

Spurs were reportedly put off Wolfsburg’s price tag when they tried to sign the towering Dutch striker in the summer, and instead opted for a loan deal for Benfica striker Carlos Vinicius instead. 

However, the Brazilian forward has offered very little outside of a few Europa League games and as the January window nears completion, it seems as though Jose Mourinho’s side still lack any genuine depth up front. 

An over reliance on Harry Kane 

The main issue with Mourinho’s Tottenham side is also the source of the team’s most impressive weapon in attack: Harry Kane. 

The England striker has so far enjoyed a tremendous campaign, with no less than 19 goals and a remarkable 14 assists in just 29 games this season. However, that remarkable form has turned into an over reliance on Kane’s abilities. 

Indeed, when the England striker isn’t scoring or creating goals, Tottenham undoubtedly suffer as a consequence. In the seven Premier League games Kane has failed to score or create an assist in this season, Tottenham have lost five, drawn two and failed to win every single one. 

While it may be unfair to call Tottenham a “one-man team”, there is certainly a correlation between the club’s ability to drop points and Kane’s dips in form. And that’s down to a lack of genuine options in attack. 

No back-up striker at Tottenham

It may seem odd to suggest Tottenham don’t have a back-up goalscorer in their squad, when Heung-min Son is currently sitting on 16 goals and 10 assists in 30 games this season, but the South Korean forward is undoubtedly more of a link-up player rather than a potential replacement for Kane when the England international is injured or out of form. 

As previously mentioned, Vinicius was brought in at the start of the season to step in if or when Kane was out of the side, but so far the 25-year-old forward has struggled to adapt to the expectations of the club, with just six goals in 15 appearances. 

So far all of the Brazilian forward’s goals have come against lesser opponents in the Europa League or FA Cup, with Mourinho offering the striker just 68 minutes of Premier League football to date. He’s certainly no go-to alternative to Kane when Tottenham really need to shake things up. 

As such, with Tottenham’s form wavering and their placing in the Premier League table taking a tumble, it seems bizarre that the club still haven’t prioritised another striker to ease the load on Kane’s shoulders. If the England striker were to pick up a serious injury or a long-term dip in form then it could scupper Spurs’ entire season.