Tottenham Hotspur have had a good transfer window so far, but there is still work to be done.
Roberto De Zerbi’s men are trying to move clear of last season’s relegation battle, placing the club back where they’ll feel they belong.
Spurs have mainly looked at improving their midfield so far, signing Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes for £92.5million and £85m, respectivelty. But they have also bolstered the defence with the signings of Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi and Andrew Robertson.
The attack needs some work though, particularly in attack. Tottenham struggled for a striker last season and are yet to really replace half of the goals they lost through Harry Kane’s departure in 2023.
Tottenham are currently being linked with a move for Victor Osimhen, and the Nigerian could be the difference-maker for the north London club.
In this article, we’ll cover
Why Tottenham need a new striker
In the three seasons since Kane left for Bayern Munich, Tottenham have scored 186 goals in the Premier League. It ranks them seventh among the 17 teams to have been ever-present in all three seasons, while boasting an average of 1.63 goals per game. But across Kane’s final three seasons at Tottenham, the club ranked third for goals in the Premier League — behind only Manchester City and Liverpool. Their 207 goals across the three seasons came at an average of 1.82 per match.
Across those past three seasons, Richarlison has been Tottenham’s top goalscorer with 26 goals. The Brazilian has averaged 0.59 goals per 90 minutes, with two 11-goal seasons just four in 2024/25 (albeit in only 500 minutes). But below Richarlison, Tottenham’s next two highest scorers across the past three seasons are Son Heung-min (24) and Brennan Johnson (18). Both players have left Tottenham.
Looking at last season alone, Richarlison was the only player to hit double digits for goals in the Premier League. His 11 was six ahead of his closest teammate, with Joao Palhinha scoring five. Again, he’s no longer at the club.
Richarlison led the club in all the key shooting metrics last season. His 2.81 shots per 90 ranked him 10th in the league among those with at least 1,710 (50%) minutes played. The Brazilian also ranked fifth for 1.2 shots on target per 90, and seventh for 0.51 goals.
However, Richarlison’s own future is currently in doubt, with De Zerbi recently stating the Brazilian constantly changes his desires. And he was only available for 57.22% of Tottenham’s league minutes.
Why Osimhen would do a job for Tottenham
As mentioned, Tottenham are currently being linked with a move for Osimhen. The Nigerian has had previous links to the Premier League, but a move has never materialised. It could now, if Tottenham match Galatasaray’s valuation.
Osimhen struggled with fitness and injuries last season. His best streak of consecutive league appearances stood at six games, coming between September and November. But his goalscoring record when fit played a role in Galatasaray winning the league. He scored 15 goals in 22 games, including two goals in a 4-2 win over Antalyaspor to seal the title. The goals came at an average of 0.79 per 90, and only three players scored more than Osimhen in the Turkish Super Lig as a whole.
Osimhen was also a strong player for Galatasaray in the Champions League. His seven goals in 10 games placed Osimhen in the top 10 of Champions League goalscorers last season, among the likes of those who went deep into the competition. The Nigerian started the group stage well, scoring six goals in his first three games including one against Liverpool and a hat-trick in the 3-0 win over Ajax. Osimhen also scored in the knockout phase play-off second leg against Juventus, helping Galatasaray beat the Bianconeri on aggregate.
Per 90, Osimhen ranked seventh with his 0.75 goals and was second for both shots (4.49) and shots on target (2.68), among players with at least 720 minutes played Only Kylian Mbappe bettered the Nigerian in both metrics. Osimhen was also a potent finisher, with 0.72 Expected Goals per 90 increasing to 1.01 post-shot xG. He was regularly improving his chances of scoring based on his shot placement. The improvement of +0.28 was the fourth-best in the Champions League from the selected range.
What could signing a striker do for Tottenham?
Tottenham go into the 2026/27 season off the back of consecutive 17th-placed finishes. Last season they were at genuine risk of relegation. De Zerbi came in to steady the ship and steer them to safety, and they’re not expected to be in the same situation for a third campain running.
But the question is, where will Tottenham finish? As things stand, Spurs are around 11/10 to secure a top six finish and what is likely a return to European football. But Aston Villa are priced at slightly longer odds, and showing how close the battle is. There is also the uncertainty of Chelsea who, like Tottenham, also have no European football to worry about this season.
Tottenham have already got the better of Chelsea in a pre-season friendly, doing well after going down to 10 men. It showed that both sides do still have work to do — even when you consider they were both still without some big players. Adding a striker to their ranks could see Tottenham close the gap on Chelsea in the odds, and even becoming a dark horse for a Champions League spot.