Spurs hold talks to sign elite striker on a free

Tottenham Hotspur well and truly have lift off in the transfer window. It has only been open for a day but they are starting to make their presence felt.

While Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi have both arrived on free transfers, Spurs are now setting about spending a shedload on assuring they never fall as low as a 17th in the Premier League table again.

Moves for Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke and Manchester City’s Savinho are in the pipeline but that isn’t even the start of it. Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali could be on his way to north London but not to Arsenal as had been widely reported in the build-up to the summer window.

Instead, Spurs look to be leading the charge now. They have become a shock contender to sign the Italian. It’s alleged that he and Roberto De Zerbi are close, both hailing from the same region of Italy. This one would be a little bit special.

That said, he’s not the only player with connections to Italy who could be on their way to Tottenham.

Elite striker could join Tonali at Spurs

It wasn’t long ago that Ange Postecoglou slammed the hierarchy at Spurs for their lack of ambition and lack of funding. Speaking on the Overlap, the Aussie remarked that he was “looking at Pedro Neto, [Bryan] Mbeumo and [Antoine] Semenyo”, only to end up with Dominic Solanke and three teenagers.

Those three youngsters were Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Wilson Odobert.

Well, how times change. Now, it looks as though they have heard Ange’s message. Premier League-proven players are on their way to Spurs and they are not just proven, they are genuine stars. Van Hecke has been one of the best defenders in the division over recent years, as has Senesi.

Tonali, however, would be the icing on the top of the cake. This is a player Manchester City have looked at as an alternative to Elliot Anderson. It would be a seismic coup if they got a deal over the line.

The same could be said for if they signed Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic. The Serbian is set to leave Turin on a free transfer this summer after failing to agree terms on a new contract.

That has opened the door for some of the elite clubs in Europe to swoop in and according to TEAMtalk, Spurs are at the table for this one.

They report that Tottenham, Chelsea and Newcastle have all discussed a potential move with the player’s camp. While a deal could be completed without a transfer fee, it is understood that Vlahovic’s wage demands are rather hefty.

Indeed, he is seeking around £8m-per-year to join which equates to £150k-per-week.

How Vlahovic compares to Dominic Solanke

Pretty much every area of the pitch was a concern for Spurs last season but it’s abundantly clear they need to sign an upgrade in their central striker berth.

Harry Kane departed in the summer of 2023 and since then, it’s been an agonising tale of woe for the Lilywhites. While Kane has become the best striker in world football, winning two Bundesliga trophies with Bayern Munich, Tottenham have nearly suffered relegation in back to back seasons.

Spurs tried to replace Kane with Solanke and while no striker was ever going to be able to replicate the England skipper, the former Bournemouth man has really struggled after his £65m move.

The fact they paid that price is looking worse and worse as the months go by. The centre forward did score 16 goals during his debut campaign in north London but only nine of those goals came in league action.

2025/26 was a particularly sorry state of affairs for Solanke who only played 15 league games, 11 of which were starts. In the process, the 28-year-old only scored three league goals.

While there is much to admire about the Chelsea youth graduate, particularly with how he gets involved in the build-up, the fact of the matter is that for the outlay, he has not been good enough.

As a result, while Vlahovic has endured his own struggles in Italy, he would be a big upgrade. This is a player who only a few years ago was described as a “more complete striker than Erling Haaland” by Serbian FA president Nenad Bjekovic, and as “one of the best strikers in the world” by Italian legend Luca Toni.

That final statement regaring his credentials as one of the best still very much rings true. Like Solanke, the Serb endured an injury hit campaign where he only started 11 times in the Italian top-flight. Yet, the 26-year-old still found form, scoring seven in 19 league matches and ten in 23 overall.

The fact is that Vlahovic has always been ruthless in front of goal. The stats support that. He’s more proven than Solanke, has been doing it at a higher level for a longer period of time with the Spurs striker’s best tally above actually coming in the Championship.

Vlahovic’s set of attributes would really suit the Premier League too. He’s quick and powerful which can frighten any defence in the world. He’s more of a presence than Solanke and crucially, he’s a better goalscorer.