It has been a refreshing change for Tottenham Hotspur this summer time. Free from the vice-like grip of Daniel Levy, the Lilywhites are starting to seem like main gamers within the switch market.
The north London facet notably fended off rival curiosity from Manchester Metropolis to safe the signing of Sandro Tonali, earlier than blowing Manchester United out of the water within the race for Mateus Fernandes.
Over £200m has already been spent, with six new signings already within the constructing, but that may simply be the beginning for Roberto De Zerbi‘s facet.
The switch warfare chest hasn’t but been depleted, with the following marquee transfer probably set to be that of Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi.
How Kroupi compares to Dominic Solanke at Bournemouth
Amid ideas that Spurs might launch a £90m transfer for Kroupi this summer time, with the Frenchman exhibiting a eager want to make the swap, there may be some concern that this may occasionally show to be Dominic Solanke mark two.
It was solely two years in the past that Levy and co forked out a then club-record £65m charge to prise the Englishman from the Cherries, with Solanke recent from having scored 19 Premier League targets in his closing season on the Vitality Stadium.
That 2023/24 marketing campaign noticed the previous Chelsea and Liverpool man rating as soon as each 175 minutes, whereas recording a 17% aim conversion charge as he missed 14 ‘massive probabilities’.
He hadn’t ever scored greater than six targets in a top-flight season earlier than that, whereas Solanke has gone on to wrestle at N17, netting simply 12 league targets in two injury-hit years on the membership.
In Kroupi’s case, in the meantime, the 20-year-old may not have reached Solanke’s tally of 19 final season, however he was so remarkably scientific in what was his first style of life within the Premier League.
Signed from Lorient in 2025, Kroupi broke the document for probably the most targets scored by a youngster of their debut Premier League marketing campaign, his 13 targets coming from solely 21 begins.
Certainly, he scored at a charge of 1 aim each 130 minutes, nicely forward of Solanke’s 2023/24 common, whereas he additionally boasted a 25% aim conversion after lacking solely three ‘massive probabilities’.
Throw in the truth that the teen may also function off the left or in a central function, and this does not really feel like a Solanke repeat, even when it would take a reasonably penny to prise him from the south coast facet.
A extra thrilling seize than Solanke he would possibly nicely be, though Kroupi is not the one Premier League possibility on the desk.
Why £60m Spurs goal could possibly be a category above Kroupi
The record of attacking targets seems to be rising for ENIC, with each Marcus Rashford and Rafael Leao closely linked with a transfer, the pair, like Kroupi, in a position to function each off the left and in a central function if wanted.
And but, on this ongoing bid to exchange Harry Kane, Spurs may additionally look to a extra orthodox, old school quantity 9 as an alternative, somebody who can change Solanke as the brand new bodily focus in assault.
By all accounts, that participant may be Brentford’s Igor Thiago, with journalist Ben Jacobs – talking on the Final Phrase on Spurs podcast – revealing that the Brazilian is on De Zerbi’s record of summer time targets.
“However that is the purpose with the quantity 9, that my feeling anyway is that if Spurs are going to do one thing there, they’re searching for what they understand to be an actual principal man, an actual beginning transplant into your XI that may go on the market and get you 15 or 20 targets.
“And that is why they like Igor Thiago, however there is not any suggestion {that a} switch goes to be attainable this summer time.”
When it comes to an asking value, it has been advised {that a} charge of round £90m could possibly be what is required to prise the South American from the Gtech, with rivals Chelsea additionally sniffing round.
That price ticket would possibly seem steep, though Thiago does seem like the ‘confirmed’ possibility that Spurs are in want, having loved such a standout 2025/26 marketing campaign.
Sure, the World Cup did not go to plan, with the shock call-up failing his massive audition within the group stage opener in opposition to Morocco, but the Bees star had deserved his place in Carlo Ancelotti’s squad after ending second within the Premier League scoring charts.
|
PL Prime Scorers – 25/26 |
|
|---|---|
|
Participant |
Targets (Penalties) |
|
Haaland |
27 (3) |
|
Thiago |
22 (8) |
|
Semenyo |
17 (1) |
|
Watkins |
16 (0) |
|
J Pedro |
15 (0) |
|
Gibbs-White |
15 (1) |
|
Gyokeres |
14 (3) |
|
Calvert-Lewin |
14 (4) |
|
Welbeck |
13 (1) |
|
Kroupi |
13 (2) |
His tally of twenty-two league targets got here following an injury-hit first season in England, with the previous Membership Brugge striker making up for misplaced time after which some beneath Keith Andrews’ watch.
He comfortably bettered Kroupi’s scoring return, whereas truly eclipsing the teen by way of aim conversion (26%), even whereas lacking 20 ‘massive probabilities’.
A towering, powerhouse of a striker, Thiago leads the road so successfully, making an actual nuisance of himself whereas additionally serving to to hyperlink play, having created six ‘massive probabilities’ final time period, forward of Kroupi’s tally of three.
Nonetheless solely 25 himself, the Brazilian has been fairly prolific wherever he is been, scoring 29 in 55 for Brugge, alongside 21 in 55 for Ludogorets and 25 in his first 48 in England.
In Kroupi’s case, the teen scored 28 in 64 for Lorient, whereas he has 13 in his first 35 video games at Bournemouth, maybe not but boasting the confirmed pedigree of his Premier League counterpart.
Thiago, contemplating his World Cup woes, may not be the glamour title Spurs supporters are craving, but as author Zach Lowy rightly said, he’s now undoubtedly “probably the greatest strikers in England“.
As Lowy famous, it has been a speedy rise in such a brief area of time for the £90m man, having been plying his commerce for Ludogorets’ B group simply over 4 years in the past.
Hopefully, the journey can now proceed at N17.
