Over the last sixth months, both North London rivals Tottenham and Arsenal have been rumoured to be in the market for a new centre forward, with Fernando Llorente’s name consistently being mentioned as a potential target.

The Spain international has proven himself over the years as a reliable and powerful striker, with the burly forward a star for Athletic Bilbao before switching to Juventus last summer.

Although teething problems limited his playing time in the early days in Turin, Llorente formed a formidable strike partnership with Carlos Tevez in the second part of last season and contributed to the Bianconeri being crowned Italian champions for the third consecutive year.

This season the 30-year-old has been in and out of Max Allegri’s side but has found in recent times that compatriot Alvaro Morata has been getting the nod more often than not, leaving Llorente on the bench.

So with every chance that the Spain international will be available this summer, should Tottenham or Arsenal swoop for him?

Tottenham’s over-reliance on Harry Kane to get goals this season and the low confidence of back-up options Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado mean that it would be a major shock if Mauricio Pochettino did not make a move for a new striker this summer.

[ad_pod id='ffc-video-small' align='left']

There are certainly positives in a prospective move for Llorente.

In the side’s 4-2-3-1 formation the Spaniard would surely thrive as he has the physical attributes to hold the ball up and the predatory nature to capitalise on the creative presence of others around him.

He would provide Spurs with an aerial threat and allow Kane to drop off into the number 10 role.

However, the player’s age may well be an issue given Spurs’ new-found emphasis on youth and the thrifty Daniel Levy could be reluctant to dish out the required transfer fee with the knowledge that the veteran would have no real sell-on worth.

For Arsenal, Llorente could also fit in as the side’s lone frontman and would surely relish linking up with compatriot Santi Cazorla.

Given the superb service of the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil also, Llorente has the potential to be a 20-goal-a-season centre forward for the Gunners if given a chance.

That said, with Llorente’s attributes very similar to those of Olivier Giroud and the Frenchman on form, it would be something of a shock if Arsene Wenger sanctioned a move for the Juventus star.

If Arsenal are to sign a new striker this summer it would surely be a truly world-class forward that would be an upgrade on Giroud – it remains to be seen whether Llorente is that man.

In conclusion, Llorente would be an asset to both Tottenham and Arsenal given his physical and technical attributes, with the Spaniard possessing the calibre to bag a lot of goals in the Premier League.

However, he is not an ideal fit to either side and as such don’t expect to see the experienced striker in North London any time soon.

[ad_pod id='ricco' align='center']