Tottenham Hotspur have played with confidence during this summer’s pre-season preparations, having scored comfortable victories over Hearts of Midlothian and Queens Park Rangers in the past fortnight.
Ange Postecoglou was recorded giving a rousing speech to his team at half-time: “We wear the Tottenham shirts, we play the Tottenham way”, receiving cheer from his players as the togetherness and belief simmers.
While there’s a long road ahead for an outfit desperate to end an interminable wait for silverware, return to the Champions League, cement a position as one of Europe’s elite, it’s clear that the Australian manager is placing the framework for such success.
With Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Eric Dier, Ivan Perisic and more shipped on and the summer’s transfer activity seeing Archie Gray, 18 and regarded as an elite talent, brought in from Leeds United for £30m, Postecoglou is fostering a lasting culture, having already fielded a young crop last year.
16.
Sheffield United
35
25.3
17.
Arsenal
25
25.1
18.
Tottenham Hotspur
29
25.0
19.
Burnley
31
24.8
20.
Chelsea
32
23.7
He needs to blend a degree of experience with the youthful influx; however, with Harry Kane still not directly replaced after joining Bayern Munich one year ago, Tottenham might just be circling in on their new focal frontman.
Spurs transfer news
As per Football Insider, Tottenham are closing in on signing Jonathan David, with the Canadian striker expected to leave LOSC Lille this summer.
David is entering the final year of his contract at the Ligue 1 club and has thus been transfer-listed for a cut-price £20m fee, only increasing the appeal to get a deal done swiftly.
The report reveals that Spurs are locked in talks with the Ligue 1 outfit as they look to complete a swoop, and with Chelsea and West Ham United also interested, it would be good to accelerate talks quickly.
Jonathan David's 23/24 season in numbers
David has been a prominent striker in European football over the past several campaigns, prolifically notching 84 goals and 18 assists across 183 appearances for Lille, raising his level over the past few years.
2023/24
47
26
9
0.74
2022/23
40
26
4
0.75
2021/22
48
19
0
0.40
2020/21
48
13
5
0.37
His propensity for goals marks him as a cut above the lion’s share of centre-forwards across the continent, with media personality Tony Marinaro even pronouncing him as “one of the best strikers in the world”, such is his quality.
After all, as per FBref, David ranks among the top 16% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 3% for pass completion and the top 20% for progressive passes per 90. His technique and desire to contribute to the overall flow of his team suggest that he would be well suited to life in Postecoglou’s Lilywhites squad.
Tottenham lack an out-and-out centre-forward. Alejo Veliz was signed from Rosario Central in Argentina for £13m one year ago but the 20-year-old featured just eight times, scoring once, before being loaned out to struggling Sevilla in Spain, enduring a bit-part role.
Heung-min Son performed up front, moonlighting as his side’s central striker with regularity; Richarlison also played up top and enjoyed a brilliant purple patch at one stage.
However, neither are long-term striking solutions, and David must be signed.
Why Spurs must sign Jonathan David
Son, now 32, was excellent as the Spurs skipper last season, taking the armband from Hugo Lloris. Invariably deadly in offence, the South Korean international scored 17 goals and added ten assists across 35 Premier League fixtures.
He bagged 14 of those goals when placed as the striker, featuring 23 times in the position. One of English football’s finest finishers in a long time, Son is a worthy striker, hailed as a “world-class player” by Postecoglou.
The thing is, on top of his first-class shooting skills, the £190k-per-week talent is also one of the most dynamic and creative forwards in the business, ranking among the top 7% of positional peers for assists and shot-creating actions, the top 3% for pass completion and progressive passes and the top 13% for progressive carries per 90.
In the English top flight last season, his 20 big chances created ranked him as fourth in the division for such a metric, with first-placed Liverpool sensation Mohamed Salah taking the prize with 22 big chances created.
This is all a roundabout way of redirecting Son’s narrative toward his natural zone of operation: left wing. He wasn’t always effective up front last season and, especially when the form got somewhat patchy throughout the later months of the campaign, looked a little isolated in his frontal role.
David would surely be the upgrade at centre-forward that Tottenham crave. His deadly striking ability marks him as a special player, though his capable, purposeful passing game would actually see him slot into the Spurs system like a dovetail joint.
Son, high-level technical superstar, could actually forge a sweet connection with the Canada international. Daniel Levy and Co will no doubt weigh up their options and determine the feasibility of the signing, but whichever way the situation is turned, a striker is needed and David would fit the bill.
In 2022, David was asked about his long-term future during an interview, and said: “I don’t know if I can find myself anywhere other than the Premier League”
The time is right; the stars look like they are aligning. Tottenham must move now and sign a striker who could lead the line for years to come.
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