Why Spurs could spend £90m to sign “the next Mbappe”

Tottenham Hotspur‘s signing of Sandro Tonali is a remarkable one.

Spurs finished 17th last season, let us remind you of that fact. However, as they have proven in the early exchanges of the summer transfer window, the Lilywhites are no ordinary relegation-threatened team.

While they have not always been regular trophy winners, the north Londoners are a far better team than their league position has portrayed. They have more money than a battle at the bottom of the table suggests.

Their new stadium is pumping huge sums of extra revenue into the club and with Roberto De Zerbi now at the helm, they have a manager capable of attracting elite talent to Tottenham.

It’s resulted in not just Tonali signing but also Mateus Fernandes. They cost an accumulative £185m but even more could now be spent.

What’s next for Spurs after signing Tonali

With £100m being shelled out to bring the Italian from Newcastle to Tottenham, you would be forgiven for thinking that there isn’t much money left in the coffers.

Think again. Spurs are on the march and they are ready to spend big on the forward line now. Plenty of options are being lined and they all look pretty exciting.

Rafael Leao appears to be the primary option at the moment. Talks have been opened with the player’s camp regarding his future at AC Milan and he would appear to be receptive to moving to the Premier League.

Manchester City winger Savinho is also at the centre of discussions while RB Leipzig’s young superstar, Antonio Nusa is on their radar.

None, however, would be quite as exciting as a certain Eli Junior Kroupi of Bournemouth. It has been revealed in recent days that De Zerbi’s side are weighing up a massive £85m offer to temp the Cherries to sell the Frenchman.

That said, as TEAMtalk note this week, the Cherries are insisting that their young striker is not for sale this summer.

Despite that, Tottenham believe that Kroupi is open to the move and is keen to at least open discussions about a possible switch in the forthcoming months.

Spurs think they can get a deal done at £75m but previous reports have suggested it could take as much as £90m.

Why Kroupi would be Spurs’ best signing of the summer

The signings of Tonali and Fernandes were jaw-dropping, let’s be honest.

The simple fact is that Spurs haven’t been able to compete for these signings in recent years. They haven’t even been at the negotiating table to do so.

However, the Lewis family’s cash injection has clearly worked wonders, as has the revenue from the new stadium. Tottenham look like a big team all of a sudden and their early business proves exactly that.

In Tonali, they are signing “one of the best midfielders in Europe” as Johan Lange put it upon the Italian’s arrival.

Even if a betting ban threatened to derail his career in English football, he has certainly been one of the finest technicians in the Premier League in recent years. He will add so much to this Spurs midfield from experience, leadership and passing to tackling and ball carrying.

Yet, he is not Kroupi, he’s not a player with genuine superstar potential. The potential to become the best player in the world. That feels hyperbolic but the 19-year-old is that good. Do not be surprised that if in a few years, he is the best striker on the planet.

Why? Well, no teenager has ever scored more than him (13) during their debut Premier League season. After signing from Lorient in Ligue 2 a year ago, Kroupi has taken to life at Bournemouth like a duck to water.

Hailed as “one of the best finishers in the Premier League” by Daniel Sturridge and as “the next Mbappe” by GOAL, this is a player who already has an almighty reputation.

He’s quick, his movement is first-class, he’s prolific in front of goal and he’s versatile. This is a young kid who not just plays as a striker, but he can also play as more of a 10 or on either flank. During his final season in France, the youngster scored seven goals in six games as a left winger.

What Spurs have missed since Harry Kane left is not just a ruthless and reliable centre-forward but a genuine superstar. It would be a tad extreme to suggest Kroupi could get close to England’s legendary forward anytime soon but he has enormous potential and could be the centre forward they have been crying out for since his departure in 2024.

Tonali is a certain level raiser in the middle of the park but Kroupi is the player who could really help Spurs rise up the table courtesy of his goalscoring ability.