Tottenham are one of seven sides – two of which come from the Premier League – weighing up giving a chance to a free agent striker with 250 goals to his name, according to a report.
Spurs finally secured their first win of the season on Monday night, sinking Coventry City 3-1 on home soil. Dominic Solanke led the line, and much of whether Tottenham can launch themselves up the table will depend on him.
With Richarlison out of the project and Omar Marmoush not an out-and-out striker, there’s significant pressure on Solanke to find the net with regularity.
Of course, the first step for Solanke is staying fit, something he hasn’t done all that often since arriving in north London.
To take the pressure of Solanke, Spurs could move for a back-up No 9 in January, or alternatively, explore the free agent market.
Throughout September, Spurs were linked with a surprise move for Argentine frontman, Mauro Icardi, who has remained without a club since leaving Galatasaray over the summer.
The 33-year-old has 250 club goals at senior level to his name, with the vast bulk of those coming for Inter Milan and Galatasaray.
Obviously, no move materialised, but a fresh update form Argentine outlet, TyC Sports, has raised the subject once again.
Citing information from Turkey, they claimed Tottenham are one of seven clubs interested in bringing Icardi on board via free agency.
The report stated Tottenham, PAOK Thessaloniki, Elche, Everton, Real Betis, Besiktas, and Benfica are in circling.
Everton’s need is arguably greater than Tottenham’s, with David Moyes only able to select Thierno Barry in the striker position at present.
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Tottenham should steer clear of Mauro Icardi
Despite the links, Tottenham, even if they did sign Icardi, would not be able to register him as a player just yet, having already submitted their 25-man playing squad to the Premier League for the first half of the season.
In any case, a Tottenham move would come with significant risks attached, not least because Icardi has now gone 100 days without playing.
There’d be substantial doubts as to whether Icardi can make the type of instant impact in the Premier League that Spurs would seek. At 33, he’s no spring chicken either.
Furthermore, Icardi’s career over the past few years has often been overshadowed by off-field drama involving ex-partners, custody battles and so on and so forth.
Roberto De Zerbi is no stranger to signing and managing players who’ve made headlines for all the wrong reasons. You only have to look at who he coached in Marseille to see that.
But is Icardi at his age worth taking a punt on? Probably not is the answer for Spurs, at least while Solanke is fit and available for selection anyway.