Tottenham Hotspur are now willing to submit a mega bid for a Premier League forward.
That is despite the fact Roberto De Zerbi‘s side have already splashed the cash this summer, after finishing 17th in the Premier League in each of the past two seasons.
Mateus Fernandes was one of the high-profile arrivals, with the Portugal international joining from West Ham United in a £85m deal, and he is set to be joined by former Newcastle United man Sandro Tonali in the middle of the park next season.
Having bolstered their options in midfield, Spurs have now set out to sign a new striker, and they are looking to raid a rival Premier League club.
Tottenham prepared to make massive bid for Premier League star
According to a report from Football Insider, Tottenham are now willing to make a £85m bid for AFC Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi, but even that figure may not be enough to tempt the Cherries into a sale.
The Frenchman is set to cost more than Fernandes, with Bournemouth setting an asking price in excess of £85m.
Transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke added: “A deal is highly unlikely because they want to try and keep hold of their best players under the new manager, Marco Rose. Over the years, they’ve seen their best players prised away, so they don’t want that to happen again with European football to look forward to.”
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Football FanCast’s Verdict |
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Credibility |
Richarlison may need more support in attack next season, considering Joao Palhinha was Spurs’ second-highest scorer in the Premier League last term, despite finding the net on just five occasions. Kroupi has now proven himself in the top flight, which makes him an attractive option. |
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Finances |
An asking price of over £85m may be off-putting though, considering the 20-year-old has only played in the Premier League for one season. That said, Tottenham have already proven they are willing to spend big this summer. |
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Insight |
In his debut Premier League campaign, the youngster scored 13 goals, which is more than any member of the Spurs squad. Back in May, analyst Connor Holden said: “Kroupi’s off ball movement and intelligence is top level.” |
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Impact |
In his last 50 matches, the former Lorient man has featured in attacking midfield on 17 occasions. However, he is most commonly deployed at striker, with his goal tally from last season indicating he could replace Richarlison in the starting XI. |
How Kroupi compares to Richarlison
The young Frenchman was superior to Richarlison on a number of attacking metrics last season. Perhaps most crucially, he averaged 0.70 goals per 90 in the Premier League, compared to 0.51 from the Brazilian.
The Bournemouth star was also able to set up his teammates more often, creating 22 chances, which is slightly higher than Richarlison’s total of 20.
That said, the starlet is under contract with Bournemouth until 2030, which means they are in a position to command a huge fee, and it would be a risk for Spurs to break the bank again, considering he is yet to prove himself in Europe.
It also remains to be seen whether ENIC are willing to sanction another huge transfer, having already signed Fernandes and Tonali in big-money deals.
