Since Harry Redknapp took over as Tottenham manager he has compiled a squad that has strength and depth at every position. However, as most Spurs fans are able to identify there is a key weakness in the squad which needs to be resolved – Tottenham need a new striker. Quite how immediately this issue needs resolving is dependent on how quickly Jermain Defoe recovers from his injury and how well he is able to link up with Rafael Van der Vaart. The January transfer window isn’t a great time to sign a star-striker, teams are reluctant to sell in mid-way through a season and you are presented with the problem of star players being cup-tied, but if Harry is looking to splash the cash, who should he go for?
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1. Diego Forlan
Age: 31
Clubs: Independiente, Manchester United, Villarreal, Athletico Madrid
Pros: Despite being remembered in England for his disastrous spell at Old Trafford, Diego Forlan is undoubtedly one of the best strikers in the world. He has a strike rate of better than one goal in two games for both Villarreal and Athletico Madrid and also weighs in with his fair share of assists. We saw at the World Cup that he is a striker in every sense of the word, scoring a variety of goals from a variety of distances.
Cons: At 31 years old, Forlan is no spring chicken. He arguably has two or three top quality years left in him and would demand a large wage and transfer fee. It has also been seen that his style of play isn’t best suited to the English game, so despite his caliber his signature would still prove to be a gamble.
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2. Luis Suarez
Age: 23
Clubs: Nacional, Groningen, Ajax
Pros: For a player of 23 years of age, Luis Suarez already has over 100 career goals to his name. Ajax’s mounting debts meant that they were prepared to listen to offers for Suarez over the summer, and this means good news for any potential suitors weighing up a bid for the Uruguayan frontman in January. Up to last season he had scored 81 goals in 106 games for Ajax, and has followed that up with a further seven goals in ten games this season. As a further plus, Suarez could always fill-in in goal should Gomes spend any more time on the sidleines!
Cons: Ajax are his current employers and they are also currently competing in the Champions League, so if Spurs make the next round he would be ineligible.
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3. Edin Dzeko
Age: 24
Clubs: Zeljeznicar, Teplice, VfL Wolfsburg
Pros: Edin Dzeko is built like a classic centre forward: big, strong and 6 ft 3in tall. His stature means that he is threat from all over the field and is very good in the air. He can fill a number of roles, from link-up play to being the lone target man. Unlike all of the other players on the list, Dzeko isn’t playing in a European competition with Wolfsburg this season so Champions League football could prove to be tempting for the Serbian front-man.
Cons: Since his breakthrough with Wolfsburg in 2007 just about every major team in Europe has been linked his signature, so if Spurs are to sign him they will have to beat a whole host of competition.
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4. Luis Fabiano
Age: 29
Clubs: Ponte Preta, Rennes, Sao Paulo, Porto, Sevilla
Pros: Luis Fabiano has scored a lot of goals both at club and international level. He starred for Brazil during the World Cup and his international strike rate reads 28 goals in 43 games. But perhaps the most attractive aspect about a move for Fabiano is that, despite signing a new contract over the summer, he is growing restless at Sevilla. Since the start of the season Fabiano has only made four appearances and said about his current situation: “If my life continues like this until January, I will need to find a solution”
Cons: Over the summer Harry Redknapp expressed his liking of Fabiano, but refused to meet Sevilla’s high asking price, and this price is unlikely to have dropped over the space of a few months.
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Who would you like to see Harry Redknapp bring in during the January window?
