Still early into the January transfer window, Tottenham Hotspur shocked English football with revelations that they are closing in on a six-month loan deal for RB Leipzig's Timo Werner, who won the Champions League with rivals Chelsea in 2021.
In some ways, it's not surprising; Ange Postecoglou is without his captain and talisman Heung-min Son for a month (possibly a bit longer) due to the Asia Cup, while 20-year-old striker Alejo Veliz injured his knee on New Year's Eve and will be sidelined for a few months.
Harry Kane was sold to Bayern Munich in the summer after Spurs missed out on European football with a lowly eighth-placed finish, and while Postecoglou suffused quality across the squad, a direct replacement was not signed, with Veliz deemed something of a star in the making.
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ByLuke Randall
Bolstering the backline is the winter priority, sure, but there will likely be a lucrative incoming up front at some point in 2024, and Feyenoord phenom Santiago Gimenez could be the man for the job.
Spurs transfer news – Santiago Gimenez
According to CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacobs – speaking on the Last Word on Spurs – Spurs remain interested in Gimenez and appear to have earmarked him as the top target at centre-forward, with the Eredivisie champions demanding £60m for his sale.
He said: "Tottenham are assessing if they can bring in a wide forward or a goalscorer, I think a really concrete target is Santiago Gimenez, but that’s one for the summer, there will be no exit as I’m aware in January, or if there is to be one it would be an incredible amount of money for Feyenoord."
While a winter deal might be off the cards, this is actually beneficial for Spurs in the long run as they look to bolster the backline this month.
Santiago Gimenez's style of play
Spurs' London rivals Arsenal are also thought to be in pursuit of Gimenez and Postecoglou will know to put in the groundwork over the coming months to ensure that the Mexico international chooses to head down the N17, should he come to England.
Hailed for his "sensational" performances by journalist Graeme Bailey, Gimenez is an exceptional finisher and would bring an additional element of raw striking prowess to Spurs' system, having posted 43 goals and eight assists from just 67 appearances for Feyenoord since the start of last season.
The 22-year-old, who signed from Mexican side Cruz Azul in July 2022 after an impressive start to life in his homeland, having since proved his worth as a first-class talisman and attracted the attention of teams such as Arsenal and Tottenham.
As per FBref, he ranks among the top 1% of forwards across divisions similar to the Dutch Eredivisie over the past year for goals scored and touches in the attacking penalty area and the top 2% for shots taken per 90, highlighting his aptitude as a target man.
Last season, with Feyenoord marching toward the league title, the 6 foot talisman scored 28 goals across all competitions, leading talent scout Jacek Kulig to pronounce him the "Mexican machine."
While last year's feats were emphatic, he may well have levelled up since the summer, having now started scoring at a frankly absurd rate.
Santiago Gimenenz's season in numbers
Kulig has remarked that Gimenez has been "on fire" in the Netherlands, and his clinical exploits indeed certify his skill set as incredible enough to succeed in a division such as the Premier League.
As per Sofascore, across 16 displays in the Dutch top-flight this term, Gimenez has plundered 18 goals and four assists, averaging 1.1 key passes each game to show that he is not merely a goalscorer, creative in his craft too.
The 24-cap international would certainly offer a style closest to that of Kane; while Son is a remarkable player he is probably still most effective from the left, despite his prolific success at the tip of the arrowhead this season.
And should Postecoglou forge ahead with a transfer, it might even prove to spell the end of Richarlison's career at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
How Gimenez compares to Richarlison
Richarlison has enjoyed a relieving run of goalscoring form over the past month or so after languishing so far below expectations for so long, signing from Everton in a £60m deal in 2022.
Having been a menace for the Toffees for several years, Richarlison's failure to score more than one Premier League goal throughout the 2022/23 campaign came as a shock to many, with the player subject to ridicule for his lacklustre efforts.
But he was called a "fighter" by former Spurs director Fabio Paratici upon his transfer and he showcased such spirit with a resounding return to form recently, scoring five goals across his past five league appearances.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Defensive contribution
Crossing
Headed attempts
*Sourced via WhoScored
To his credit, the £90k-per-week dynamo does rank among the top 12% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues for assists, the top 8% for touches in the attacking penalty box, the top 7% for tackles and the top 1% for blocks per 90, but he just simply isn't clinical enough to be the long-term solution at centre-forward for Tottenham.
With Son likely to remain the figurative offensive centrepiece over the next few years, it's unlikely that Richarlison would preserve a prominent spot in the team if a star such as Gimenez was signed.
The Feyenoord player – who has been noted for his "insane" quality by journalist Antonio Mango – is the answer, and while Richarlison would still probably have a place in the squad, he would fall from a regular starting role and this would contribute toward his downfall at the club.
Richarlison's return to form over recent weeks has come at the perfect time for Tottenham, who have indeed lost Son's services for the foreseeable, but the fact remains that a striker is needed.
Gimenez would be the perfect, out-and-out force to bring goals with ferocious constancy for Postecoglou's side, which would only improve with his arrival.
