Injury to Harry Kane – for the second time this season – has forced Spurs to rejig their front line. The inability of Vincent Janssen to find the net has been an issue, but fortunately the quality and versatility of Heung-Min Son has helped Mauricio Pochettino out. Pochettino has been protective of Janssen at times and was clearly pleased with his efforts on Sunday, but in all likelihood, Spurs will be active in the striker market again this summer.
With their eye on a more successful Champions League jaunt and needing to keep pace with the expected waves of investment from their wealthier Premier League rivals, Spurs cannot leave themselves at risk of such reliance on Kane once again. Pochettino will know this as well as anyone, regardless of his positivity about the goal-shy Janssen.
It won’t be Antoine Griezmann, Diego Costa or Romelu Lukaku, but Spurs can still find more than serviceable Kane backups without spending a grotesque amount of money. The options are out there, they just need to avoid another Soldado or Janssen.
Anthony Modeste
FC Cologne are firmly in the race for European qualification in the Bundesliga thanks to the efforts of Anthony Modeste. The dominating centre forward has scored 59% of their league goals this season and is in with a good chance of winning the golden boot. He is just one goal behind Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and one ahead of Robert Lewandowski, some pretty fine company.
Capable of playing as the focal point of direct attacking play or feeding off the slid through balls of Christian Eriksen, Modeste could be the ideal player to cover for Harry Kane next season.
Joshua King
Like Heung-Min Son, Joshua King would give Pochettino great flexibility. Able to play in any role in the attacking third of the pitch, King has pace, power and an eye for goal that has seen him hit a purple patch during the second half of this campaign.
He is no direct replacement for Kane, but King would add natural finishing to the side and could bring width to the team if required. For a club going through a stadium change, King would be the sort of low-fee, high-potential signing that could make a real difference next season.
Valere Germain
In a vastly respected and massively talented Monaco side, Valere Germain is an under-rated, overlooked component. He may not be a potential Ballon D’or winner like some of his team-mates or a superstar like Radamel Falcao, but he is an industrious, effective forward. He would be ideal in Spurs’ press and could slot into a similar role to Dele Alli from deeper if required.
Having scored nine Ligue 1 goals thus far, Germain will be one of the few Monaco players that won’t cost the tens and tens of millions. He could yet be a real bargain this summer.