Tottenham Hotspur continue to be linked with a January move for Real Sociedad striker Willian Jose.

On the chalkboard

Sky Sports News have reported that Spurs have held talks with the Spanish club over the possible acquisition of the forward this month.

Of course, Jose Mourinho’s squad is thin on firepower following the hamstring injury sustained by Harry Kane; teenager Troy Parrott is the only other out-and-out option in the position.

A move for Jose, then, could solve something of a headache for the Portuguese but how good is he, exactly?

Per WhoScored, he has made 20 appearances in La Liga this season, scoring eight goals.

While he is yet to provide an assist, he averages 1.9 shots per game, 0.4 key passes, 0.2 dribbles, along with 0.2 tackles and 0.8 fouls.

These are not promising numbers.

The big fat Tottenham quiz of 2019 - how much do you remember about the last year at Spurs?

A lump

While Jose has an eye for goal, his statistics point towards a lumbering centre-forward with nothing else to his game.

Physicality is all well and good if it is emphasised but, even so, this is not a striker who can bring others into play and provide assists as well as goals.

Marketing him as a target man is all well and good – he is 6 foot 2 – but one needs to have the ability to get the ball on the floor as well, particularly at Spurs.

Judging by the stats, Jose cannot do that.

Of course, were he coming in to be a plan B and an alternative to Kane, it might well work, but he isn’t; Mourinho will need to get him in the team and have him firing from day one.

The numbers do not point to him being able to do that.

Meanwhile, Daniel Levy has to dip into the transfer market after one major picture!