5 potential replacements for Harry Kane at Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur have been a club in turmoil on and off the pitch for the last two years after parting ways with manager Mauricio Pochettino. Before his departure, Spurs finished in the Champions League places for four consecutive seasons.
The Argentine tactician had built a young, talented squad that consistently managed to mount a challenge for the Premier League title. They also reached the final of the Champions League during the 2018-19 season.
However, Tottenham parted ways with Pochettino midway through the 2019-20 campaign after a run of poor results. The club were languishing in fourteenth place in the Premier League table when the Argentine was sacked. The north London club immediately hired former Manchester United and Tottenham coach Jose Mourinho as the club's new manager.
After an uninspiring start to life at Tottenham, the Portuguese manager seemed to find his stride during the early stages of the 2020-21 campaign. Tottenham quickly became one of the favorites to win the Premier League title early last season.
However, a lack of consistency and belief in Jose Mourinho's tactics saw the club go through a wretched run of form. This eventually led to the Portuguese tactician's departure in April.
Star striker Harry Kane ended the season with 23 goals and 14 assists in the Premier League. Thanks to his stellar numbers, he became only the third player to have won both the Golden Boot and Playmaker awards in the same season. Tottenham managed to end the season in seventh place and qualify for the UEFA Conference League.
Kane has often been linked with a move away from Tottenham in recent years due to the club's inability to challenge for trophies. The England captain publicly stated his desire to leave the club at the end of last season, which has led to him being linked with a move to Manchester United and Manchester City.
The 27-year-old has scored 221 goals in just 326 appearances for his boyhood club in all competitions. He will leave a massive hole in the Tottenham squad if he secures a move away from the club this summer. Tottenham will therefore have to replace Harry Kane with a top-quality striker who will guarantee them at least 20 goals a season if Kane leaves the club.
On that note, let's take a look at five potential replacements for Harry Kane at Tottenham.
#5 Tammy Abraham | Chelsea
Tammy Abraham was one of the standout performers in the Premier League during the 2019-20 season. He ended the season as Chelsea's top goalscorer in the Premier League with 15 goals in 34 appearances.
The striker's performances for Chelsea led many to believe that he would eventually become the main man at Stamford Bridge. The club, however, signed Timo Werner and Kai Havertz last summer, which immediately pushed Abraham down the pecking order.
Abraham started the 2020-21 campaign impressively, with Werner and Havertz struggling to come to grips on new shores. However, the Englishman made just 22 league appearances last season and scored six goals.
The young forward is reportedly desperate to leave the Blues this summer. He has been linked with a move to Crystal Palace, West Ham and Tottenham.
Chelsea have been linked with a move for Romelu Lukaku and Erling Haaland this summer. Both strikers are likely to cost in excess of £100 million. Chelsea could therefore be willing to sell Abraham this summer to balance their books. They are likely to demand a fee in the region of £40 million for the youngster.
#4 Danny Ings, Southampton
Since leaving Liverpool to join Southampton in 2018, Danny Ings has rejuvenated his career. The English striker was one of the biggest prospects in English football prior to the long-term injury he suffered whilst with the Reds.
The Southampton striker has once again become one of the hottest properties in the Premier League. Ings has scored 34 goals in 67 Premier League games over the last two seasons for Southampton.
Ings reportedly rejected the opportunity to sign a contract extension with Southampton at the end of last season. He is said to be seeking a move to one of the Premier League's top clubs this summer.
The 28-year-old is at the peak of his powers and is a proven goal-scorer at Premier League level. Tottenham could strike a bargain deal for the Southampton star if he hands in a transfer request this summer.