Winter is here, and Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank knows he is staring down the barrel of a gun as he looks to find form and consistency after a tough start to his tenure.
That may be an understatement. Spurs have lost three on the trot, and Saturday’s home defeat against Fulham in the Premier League means the 3-0 victory over Burnley in August remains an outlier in regard to three points down N17 this season.
The fans are frustrated, no doubt about that. And they have a right to be. Tottenham have lacked sparkle in their attacking play this season, though Frank will feel that injuries to Dominic Solanke, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski have put him on the back foot.
Much has been made of the Londoners’ creativity (or lack thereof), but it’s also clear that the Lewis Family need to authorise the signing of a centre-forward.
Why Spurs need a striker
Harry Kane and Heung-min Son have both left the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in recent years, and the superstars have not really been replaced with elite options.
Mathys Tel is young and talented, but he is also raw. Solanke is a proven Premier League star, but his entire stint in north London has been blighted by setbacks. Richarlison is in fine form, but probably not the long-term solution at number nine.
What Frank and the fanbase need is an up-and-coming superstar to spearhead this next era at the club.
That’s why Samu Agwehowa has been earmarked. According to TEAMtalk, Tottenham have joined the race for the 21-year-old Porto striker after his convincing performances in Portugal.
The Spanish international has a €100m (about £88m) release clause in his contract, though Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange would be certain to lodge an offer far south of that daunting figure.
What Samu would bring to north London
Richarlison is a curious striker. He is capable of so much, and yet he performs to his full capacity with consistent inconsistency.
|
Richarlison’s Tottenham Career (Prem) |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Apps |
Goals + Assists |
|
25/26 |
13 |
5 + 2 |
|
24/25 |
14 |
4 + 1 |
|
23/24 |
28 |
11 + 4 |
|
22/23 |
27 |
1 + 4 |
|
Stats via Transfermarkt |
||
Injuries have not helped the Brazil international, but it’s clear that he is not Kane. That said, Richarlison has been in moderately good form this season, essential in providing an outlet as Solanke founders in the infirmary.
But in Samu, Frank would land a goalscorer who has the potential to be “one of the best strikers in Europe“, according to journalist Zach Lowy, so powerful and potent in the final third.
Joining Porto from Atletico Madrid in 2024, Samu has chalked up 37 goals and four assists across just 62 appearances, including ten from 17 outings in all competitions this season.
He ranks among the top 8% of forwards in the Primeira Liga for progressive carries and the top 3% for successful take-ons, emphasising not only his pace but his control and force when on the ball and driving forward.
A carry is considered progressive if the ball is moved towards the opponent’s goal at least 10 yards from its starting point or is carried into the penalty area.
His athleticism and natural poaching instinct earn him a certain likeness to Richarlison, but given his age and the consistency of goalscoring, Samu might actually prove an upgrade on the South American.
Take, for example, his Europa League performances this year, winning 57% of his duels and averaging a tackle per game, as per Sofascore.
Combativeness forms a key part of Richarlison’s toolbox, and if Spurs are to upgrade on the 28-year-old, who has actually been linked with a move away from the club of late, they will want to sign someone who can emulate him while building up a skillset that transcends what Spurs have hosted in recent years.
Samu is all that and more, and he would be a fantastic signing for a Tottenham team in need of a new talisman.
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