Amid reports linking Tottenham with a move for Gustavo Varela, Spurs Web has taken a closer look at the forward’s numbers this season and across his career to see how he compares with Omar Marmoush and Dominic Solanke.
It is pretty clear that the Tottenham Hotspur squad needs a lethal striker, one capable of putting the ball in the back of the net.
At the moment, the forwards at Spurs have failed to deliver in that regard, with centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke currently Tottenham’s leading goalscorer.
The former Brighton man has notched two goals in the Premier League so far this season, which is far from ideal.
Spurs Web has since shared reports that Tottenham are currently in the market for a striker and, if the right opportunity presents itself in the winter, the Lilywhites are aiming to pounce.
In the weeks heading into January, there have been numerous transfer links to centre-forwards, with as many as 15 different forwards linked with a move to N17.
Among those Tottenham targets is Gustavo Varela of Monza, who has impressed in Serie A this campaign. Although Monza paid just £1.6m for his services in the summer, that price could rise more than 2,500% in 2027 to (£33.4m-£41.7m).
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But how good is the forward, and how does he compare with Tottenham’s strikers? Let’s find out.
How Gustavo Varela compares with Tottenham’s strikers this season
So far this season, Varela has played ten games in Serie A, plus one in the Coppa Italia, and he has impressed for Monza. At the moment, the forward is averaging a goal contribution per game in the league, having scored nine times and provided one assist in ten Serie A games.
That currently beats the numbers of any Tottenham forward, with Solanke and Marmoush managing only one Premier League goal apiece this campaign.
Solanke, though, has two goals in all competitions, having also scored in the Carabao Cup against Charlton Athletic.
Varela’s best season vs Solanke and Marmoush
This is currently the best return of Varela’s senior career, as the forward has already topped last campaign’s tally of seven goals and three assists in 33 appearances in the Portuguese top flight.
That return, though, falls short when compared with those of Tottenham’s forwards, as Solanke and Marmoush have both had much better career-best seasons.
Marmoush’s career-best campaign came in 2024/25, when he managed 45 goal contributions, scoring 28 goals and providing 17 assists in 48 games for Frankfurt and Man City.
As for Solanke, his career-best return came in the Championship with Bournemouth in 2021/22, when he managed 37 goal contributions, scoring 30 and assisting seven. His best top-flight campaign came in 2023/24, when he scored 21 goals and provided four assists, racking up 25 goal contributions.
However, while Varela might be impressing now, his overall record suggests he still needs to prove he can perform consistently at a higher level, having spent most of his career in Benfica’s B team before a season at Gil Vicente and his move to Monza.
Varela’s career path:
Spurs might be better off looking elsewhere, given the 21-year-old forward’s lack of a consistent return in Europe.