Tottenham Hotspur could once again look to sign a new striker at the turn of the year, according to emerging reports...

What's the word?

Spanish outlet Fichajes claim Spurs' attentions are likely to turn to Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins as he perfectly fits sporting director Fabio Paratici's long-term plans.

It's thought that his ability to create space and be a battering ram up top makes him a great fit alongside Heung-min Son and Harry Kane.

However, it will take a substantial offer to even tempt the Midlands outfit into a sale, with CIES Football Observatory currently valuing him at around €40m (£34m).

Get it done

Prior to his move to Villa Park, the 25-year-old frontman was linked with a switch to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium under Jose Mourinho, via The Sun's Alan Nixon.

He would go on to sign from Brentford in a club-record £28m deal. During his maiden campaign in the big time, Watkins bagged a stunning hat-trick against then defending champions Liverpool and he scored a total of 16 goals in 40 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

One of those strikes actually came against Spurs in north London as he made chairman Daniel Levy and co see exactly what they were missing.

The three-time England international put in a masterclass performance as Villa came out on top in a 2-1 victory - via SofaScore, he not only scored but also fired off a whopping six shots, made 100% of his two dribbles and provided one key pass, handing both Eric Dier and Toby Alderweireld an absolute nightmare on the day.

It's no wonder he has been described as "lethal" by former West Ham talisman Trevor Sinclair, with his old Exeter City boss Paul Tisdale claiming that the 5 foot 11 dynamo has "got everything."

But perhaps the greatest endorsement on Watkins has come from The Athletic's Villa correspondent Gregg Evans, who told the '1874' podcast:

"I really think he’s making a big difference actually, to Villa, I think that he’s given them a new dimension and his hold up play is great, he creates space for others and that’s helping the midfielders flourish."

This further highlights his fit for Spurs as Kane is often a player that drops deep to allow his deadly partner Son to cut inside and create havoc.

On the above evidence, Watkins is exactly the same, so it could be a seamless transition that helps the South Korean and perhaps even the struggling Englishman improve in front of goal this term.

The Villa talisman is averaging 2.5 shots and 1.8 dribbles per game in the Premier League this campaign, which are only bettered by Son (3 shots), Lucas Moura (2.6 dribbles) and Tanguy Ndombele (2.5 dribbles).

Paratici and Levy must look to secure a move for Watkins in 2022.

AND in other news, Nuno could finally axe Dele Alli if Spurs secure "explosive" £36m-rated "young Salah"...