Tottenham Hotspur have recently been linked with a move for striker Romelu Lukaku – which could have some big consequences for the club.
Indeed, as reported by Tuttosport (via HITC), Antonio Conte potentially sees the Chelsea player, currently on loan at Inter, as a potential replacement for Harry Kane.
With that in mind, TIF has decided to take a look at what it could all mean for Kane and for the club’s other forwards…
The Kane situation…
For some time now, there has been talk that Kane could be leaving Spurs. Of course, the summer before last, he seemed very close to joining Manchester City, and while that move never came to pass, he hasn’t signed a new contract and will be able to leave for free in 2024 as it stands.
And so, Tottenham should be planning for a future without him in case he opts to leave. On top of that, reporter Christian Falk has claimed that Bayern Munich have an interest in the Englishman.
As a result, these links to Lukaku could well be Spurs and Conte preparing for the worst, signalling an intent to let Kane leave for the right price while he is still under contract.
What about Son?
Of course, Spurs’ attack isn’t only about Kane. Indeed, alongside him, Son Heung-min has been a key man, having now nearly scored 100 Premier League goals in a Tottenham shirt.
However, Son has struggled for form this season and has not scored a single goal in any of his seven starts so far. With that in mind, these links to Lukaku could suggest Conte is ready to phase out Son, now 30 years old, if he can’t rediscover his best form.
Indeed, in the past, Son’s fine goalscoring record would have seen him viewed as the main man to step up should Kane leave. Now though, with Brazilian forward Richarlison joining for £60m in the summer and impressing with two goals on his Champions League debut, the struggling Son may be viewed as less important.
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TIF Thoughts on what it could mean at Spurs…
If Kane is to depart any time soon, that will leave a rather big hole to fill in north London. After all, the striker has 253 goals for the club.
Having scored 24 of his own last term, Son may well be viewed as a good enough player to help fill any potential void left by the Englishman.
However, due to his poor form and age, Conte may have some small doubts. Meanwhile, Richarlison has been promising, and although he is still only in the early days of his Spurs career, his arrival suggests the Italian manager is hoping to ease the pressure on Kane and Son.
And so, if these links to Lukaku are true, it could be a sign that Conte is ready to trust his new men such as Richarlison – and potentially the Belgian – over the players like Son and Kane, who have been around for some time.