It’s not unfair to say that Tottenham Hotspur’s first-team squad have been cobbled together in recent years.
Thomas Frank does have some top-class talent at his disposal, but after finishing 17th in the Premier League last year under Ange Postecoglou and now languishing in 14th place this season, a frustrating trend needs to be bucked.
ENIC Group are trying to right the wrongs, having sold the ineffective Brennan Johnson at the start of the January transfer window, even after the Welsh winger scored the winner in the Europa League final last season.
But Tottenham have more to refine across the final third, and though creativity has been at the heart of Frank’s problems this season, he is still keen on signing a new centre-forward.
Spurs keen on signing Premier League striker
Between them, Richarlison, Dominic Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani leave much to be desired at number nine for Tottenham.
It’s clear that a new, contrasting profile could go down a treat for the Lilywhites, someone hungry for a shot at the big time and with a skillset well-suited to Frank’s philosophy.
Someone like Ivan Toney, big and physical but sharp and intuitive too. Frank turned him into a diamond from a rough stone, and he could repeat the feat with a struggling Premier League star.
Well, according to TEAMtalk, Spurs are keen on signing such a striker in Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Jorgen Strand Larsen, who has flattered to deceive this season but remains a coveted forward, with Spurs among the clubs to have been offered his services via intermediaries.
Newcastle United, who saw a £50m bid rebuffed last summer, are also keen, but Tottenham may hope that their more pressing need for a number nine could tip the odds in their favour. Since the last window, reports have suggested that his asking price has dropped to around £40m.
This has been a particularly active window for the Lilywhites, completing moves for Conor Gallagher and Brazilian full-back Souza, but Strand Larsen would surely be the most interesting move of all.
Why Strand Larsen could succeed at Spurs
It perhaps stands as a testament to Strand Larsen’s quality and potential that he is a wanted man even in the throes of a miserable season at Molineux.
Sadly, Wolves have fallen by the wayside this season, and their tumble has negated the strengths and gains Strand Larsen showed when he made his mark in the Midlands across the 2024/25 campaign, scoring 14 goals across 35 Premier League fixtures.
But let’s keep our focus on 2024/25. No striker in the English top flight was more precise with their shooting than the Norwegian, and that bodes well for a Spurs side struggling to create. They need an incisive striker.
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His crisp link-up play – creating a comparatively high 0.6 chances per league game last year, as per Sofascore – and “monster” presence in the danger area, as noted by one analyst, show why Spurs are keen, with Frank sure to fancy his chances of shaping Strand Larsen into his new version of Toney.
Ivan Toney: Premier League Career by Season
Season
Club
Apps
Goals
Assists
23/24
Brentford
17
4
2
22/23
Brentford
33
20
4
21/22
Brentford
33
12
5
15/16
Newcastle United
2
0
0
Stats via WhoScored
Toney, who now plies his trade in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Ahli, has been said in the past to have a skillset somewhat “like Harry Kane”, as per Three Lions teammate Declan Rice, adept in creating a fluent attacking system while retaining a deadly ball-striking ability.
If Frank can replicate that through Strand Larsen, Tottenham could find themselves finally going from strength to strength.
There may be hesitations over a striker who has only scored one Premier League goal this season, but Strand Larsen has been unfortunate within a sinking Wolves ship, and given a talismanic role down N17, he could kick on and become a leading man in the division.
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ByAngus Sinclair