Sport
5 possible replacements for Harry Kane
This week’s sporting news has centred around the rumours that Harry Kane is leaving Tottenham Hotspur, with much speculation on his likely destination as well as possible replacements.
He has been Tottenham’s best player for several seasons and, without his cutting edge in front of goal, who knows where they would be now. Although there is no definite fee associated with Kane, the Englishman will probably draw in a figure of over £150million.
The 27-year-old, who has been his club’s top scorer ever season since 2014/15, is prolific, a creator and a leader in the dressing room, and the idea that he wants out will perk the interest of any big-budget club. But with Kane gone, where does that leave Spurs?
A lack of depth in the striker position has been an issue at the North London club for a while, with their only available replacements next season being Lucas Moura, Gareth Bale and Heung-Min Son, who are all wingers. So Daniel Levy and the Spurs manager, whoever that may be, will certainly be looking to use some of the newfound funds on a replacement for Harry Kane, but who?
5 possible replacements for Harry Kane
Erling Braut Haaland (Borussia Dortmund)
Let’s start with the most obvious replacement, albeit the most unrealistic. The Norwegian striker has been superb since arriving at Dortmund and has showcased the potential to be one of the best in the world as he develops.
Haaland is strong, lethal in front of goal and very direct. For a tall striker, the 20-year-old is quick too and, if given the time to stride into top gear, his power and pace makes him nearly impossible to stop. The former Salzburg man has scored 25 goals in 27 appearances in the Bundesliga this season, registering six assists too.
The way he can hold up the ball to bring wide players into the game as well as run in-behind makes him a fairly close like-for-life replacement for Kane, and alongside Bale and Son, he would certainly flourish.
However, his age, potential and ability means that Dortmund would certainly demand close to £200million, meaning Levy would probably have to dig into his pocket and add to the Harry Kane funds if he was to be one of the possible replacements, which is unlikely. Signing Haaland would be an incredible signing for Spurs and a real sign of intent but he will likely be out of their reach – especially without Champions League football next season.
Andre Silva (AC Milan)
Another Bundesliga forward who has been in flying form this season is Andre Silva, playing for Eintracht Frankfurt. The Portuguese striker, who is on loan from AC Milan, has scored 27 goals in 31 appearances this campaign, as well as setting up another five goals.
Milan have plenty of attacking talent on their books, with the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ante Rebic consistently getting on the scoresheet, which has helped them to third in the Serie A (at the time of writing). Therefore, adding another striker into that mix may be one too many, especially with 21-year-old Rafael Leao getting minutes too.
Silva is enjoying his best-ever goalscoring season, and also holds the record for most goals scored in a top-flight season by a Frankfurt player. The former FC Porto man is great with both feet and also an aerial threat, scoring eight headers this season. The 25-year-old could also step up as the penalty taker too if required, with six of his goals coming from the spot.
Although not as influential in build-up play as Kane, Silva is certainly the ‘fox in the box’ that Spurs will need. Only Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski have scored more goals in European leagues this season, which really does showcase how brilliant he has been. For around £40million, Silva may be a ready-made replacement for Harry Kane if he can cut it in the Premier League and, for a reasonable price, he may be worth the risk.
Odsonne Edouard (Celtic)
French forward Odsonne Edouard has been on many clubs radars for a few seasons now and there seems a no better time to be interested in him. The striker reportedly refused a contract extension with Celtic in February and is set to leave in May 2022. Therefore, The Hoops would be daft not to try and get a fee for the 23-year-old this summer, rather than zilch next year.
The PSG academy product is a skilful, attacking-minded player who enjoys having the ball at his feet. Edouard has a deceptiveness and skill set that makes him a joy to watch, think Allan Saint-Maximin as a striker. With 85 goals in 169 appearances for Celtic, the striker has certainly left his mark at Celtic Park and a move to a bigger, more free-flowing team could see him flourish further.
A price in the region of £10-15million would be a fair bid for the striker given his intent on leaving, but Spurs will need to act fast if they are interested in Edouard as Leicester City are tipped to be keen on securing his signature. At such a cheap price, and with the potential there for all to see, Levy and co need to act fast and see if they can bring the forward to London.
Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan)
The only way that Tottenham fans won’t feel the consequences of losing a world-class player is by replacing him with another one. The clinical, boisterous and incredibly talented Romelu Lukaku could be exactly that but is another ambitious name on our list of possible Harry Kane replacements.
Despite his long list of previous clubs and proven ability in several leagues making him seem older than he is, Lukaku is just a year older than Kane. The Belgian striker has flourished since moving to Inter, scoring 23 goals both last season and this season (so far), and has also proven he is one of the best target men around with good form in the Champions League and internationally too.
Lukaku is great at using his strength to hold up the ball and bring wide men into play, which would really suit Spurs given that, if Kane leaves, their best players are all wingers. He is also good in the air and works hard defensively too, which is similar to Kane in the sense that he is happy to come deeper to get involved.
At around £90million, or more, this signing would use up most of the cash. However, the loss of Kane wouldn’t feel too large. There are certainly pros and cons to the transfer.
Alexander Isak (Real Sociedad)
If Tottenham are willing to invest in a forward that has the potential to improve then they will certainly be eying up Alexander Isak. The striker, who is the youngest ever goalscorer for the Swedish national team, is just 21-years-old and already has experience in the Bundesliga, Eredivisie and La Liga – so is the next logical step the Premier League?
For a tall striker, Isak is surprisingly gifted with the ball at his feet and also pacey, meaning he is capable of running into the channels. He has scored 16 goals in 33 appearances this campaign, and that is made all the more impressive given the variety of his goals – five with his left foot, eight with his right and three headers.
Although he has just two assists this season, Isak has been influential in the build-up of several goals. Dropping deep into midfield to spray passes forward and also drifting out wide to link up with wingers Adnan Januzaj and Mikel Oyarzabal, opening up space for his strike partner or onrushing midfielders.
Real Sociedad aren’t gifted with depth in the forward positions and could demand a fee of around £35million for their main man. Relying on Isak to solve all of Spurs’ inevitable goalscoring issues would be brave, but if purchased alongside a proven forward could see him develop into a brilliant striker at North London. An interesting option to round off our Harry Kane replacements.
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