The 21-year-old is already starring in Portugal and is an Olympic gold medallist
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After a start to the season offered some encouragement, Tottenham Hotspur’s abject performance in the north London derby means Thomas Frank is now coaching for his job in the capital, with sympathy for the Dane in short supply after the way he set his side up to play for a draw from the first minute at the Emirates Stadium.
With that being said, it is getting slightly forgotten just how many of Tottenham’s key players are missing. Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray have both spent time in the treatment room recently while the pre-season losses of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are easy to overlook but are having a massive impact on Frank and his side.
Most damaging of all may be the ankle injury to Dominic Solanke though. Mathys Tel has been alright since his permanent move but wasn’t intended to be the main source of Spurs’ goals this season and while Richarlison boasts a decent rate of return, there’s no certainty he’ll sustain that throughout the season. Now aged 28, the Brazilian is a known commodity at this point.
That leaves 21-year-old Dane Scarlett and Randal Kolo Muani, who’s already looking like one of the most disappointing loan signings in recent Premier League history on a par with Jese, Renato Sanches and Grzegorz Krychowiak after zero goals in nine games. Compared to Chelsea, who have both Liam Delap and Joao Pedro at their disposal, or Liverpool’s lavish striking options (even if Alexander Isak is yet to fire) and Tottenham’s options don’t seem fantastic.
So given this is be Daniel Levy replacement and former Arsenal CEO Vinai Venkatesham’s year in charge, it’s not surprising that a host of strikers are being linked with a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. And though more recognisable names have been rumoured to be Tottenham targets, including Dusan Vlahovic and Ivan Toney, Porto’s Samu Aghehowa may be the best fit.
Tottenham must swing for the fences with striker targets
Turning 26 in January, Vlahovic feels at least two years older than 25 largely by virtue of his breakthrough Serie A season beginning at the tender age of 20. Vlahovic got his big move to Juventus a year later though over four years his junior, Aghehowa has already recorded the same number of 11+ league goal since then.
And therein lies the issue - in his debut season at Porto, Aghehowa has already shown he has the potential to be as strong a poacher as Vlahovic as his baseline. Aghehowa is a menace in the penalty area - his average shot distance is just 13.3 yards and he averaged an expected goal (xG) every other league in 2024/25.
That would put him in the top five of the Premier League, better than Nick Woltemade, Viktor Gyokeres and Danny Welbeck while he boasts a goals minus xG average of 0.19 per game, the same as Erling Haaland. Of course, putting up those numbers in Portugal is no guarantee you can do it in England, but it shows that aged 21, Aghehowa can certainly have a successful career as a classic number nine like Vlahovic.
Unlike the Juventus star though, Aghehowa still has the capacity and time to develop his all-round game. He’s even already started to do it, making more progressive passes and recording more assists in the Primeira Liga this campaign.
Meanwhile Toney will be 30 by the time the season ends despite playing football in a big five league for less time than the Serbian. Toney certainly fits better with Tottenham’s dire need to improve their xG tally, capable of getting involved deeper in the attack as well as finishing them with incredible consistency.
Toney last produced at his best in the Premier League three seasons ago and though he’s willing to take a heft pay cut to reunite with Frank according to TEAMtalk, Al Ahli haven’t put a price tag on Toney and don’t want to sell him, meaning if they do part with the striker it will be for a premium especially given his age.
Aghehowa won’t come cheap
It will take a mammoth effort to bring Aghehowa to London in January, and Tottenham may well need to wait until the summer to step up their pursuit of the Olympic gold medallists. TEAMtalk believe so, in the same article that reports Porto have set Aghehowa’s asking price at a gargantuan €80m (£70.3m), boosted by having the Spaniard contracted until 2029.
That’s a huge amount to spend on someone so inexperienced especially given they made Dominic Solanke their record signing less than 18 months ago, but Aghehowa fits Frank’s dream striker profile perfectly. If the Dane is to succeed at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium he simply must be backed in the transfer market and allowed to build the Spurs side he surely sold the blazers on when he was handed the job in the first place.
And all the signs point to Aghehowa being an integral part of that, whatever the cost.