Richarlison took his tally for the season to seven goals in all competitions, per Sofascore, as Tottenham Hotspur beat Brentford 2-0 in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Brazil international converted from close range after Xavi Simons, who scored the second goal in the match, put it on a plate for the striker with a ball across the box.
Despite a return of six goals and two assists in nine starts in the Premier League for Richarlison, though, the Lilywhites are reportedly looking to add a new striker to their squad in the January transfer window.
Spurs have been linked with an interest in former Brentford striker Ivan Toney, who worked with Thomas Frank at the Gtech, but he is not the only attacker on their radar.
Spurs have strong interest in Spanish striker
The Europa League champions are also looking at a possible move for a number nine who could arrive in North London as the manager’s next version of Toney.
According to TEAMtalk, Tottenham Hotspur have a strong interest in signing Porto centre-forward Samu Aghehowa to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.
The report claims that the Spain international has a release clause in the region of £70m – a fee that would eclipse Spurs’ club-record fee – and that has attracted interest from Tottenham, Aston Villa, and Newcastle United.
Tottenham are said to have done a lot of background work on the striker, whom they hugely admire, and they would like to snap him up to lead their line.
However, the outlet adds that Porto are set to block a January move for Samu, who is not pushing to leave, which could mean that the Lilywhites have to wait until the summer to do a deal.
Why Spurs should wait to sign Samu Aghehowa
Instead of panicking and signing an alternative centre-forward option in the January transfer window, Spurs should wait until the summer to pursue a deal for the Spanish attacker, because he could be a brilliant addition to the squad as Frank’s new Toney.
The England international, per Transfermarkt, scored 72 goals in 141 matches for Brentford in all competitions for the Danish head coach, whilst acting as the focal point for the team with his physical presence.
Toney won 3.2 or more aerial duels per game, per Sofascore, across all three of his seasons in the Premier League with the Bees, never winning lower than 46% of his aerial contests.
Samu, 6 foot 4, has won 59% of his aerial duels in Liga Portugal and 56% of them in the Europa League this season, after winning 51% in the Portuguese top-flight last term, per Sofascore, which shows that he can offer a similar focal point to Toney in the number nine role.
|
Samu (Liga Portugal) |
24/25 |
25/26 |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
30 |
11 |
|
xG |
14.07 |
5.63 |
|
Goals |
19 |
6 |
|
Minutes per goal |
119 |
117 |
|
Assists |
3 |
1 |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
51% |
59% |
As you can see in the table above, though, the Spanish number nine is a terrific goalscorer to go along with his physical attributes, having scored 25 league goals since the start of last season.
Talent scout Jacek Kulig hailed him as a “clinical” player during the 2024/25 campaign, and that still rings true with his return of six goals from 5.63 xG in the league this term.
Samu, who was described as a “freak of nature” by one analyst on X, has the physical and technical attributes to be Frank’s new Toney, as they are both prolific strikers who can also duel with opposition defenders and provide a focal point for their side.
On top of his similarities to Toney and his impressive record for Porto, the Spain international is also 21 and has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve further, which means that he would be a signing to make an immediate impact, but with scope for it to be a long-term move as well.
Fewer touches than Vicario & 88% duels lost: Spurs flop must now be dropped
One Tottenham Hotspur player may need to be dropped despite yesterday’s win over Brentford.
Therefore, Samu is a player who is worth waiting for. That is why Spurs should stick with Richarlison, who has a decent goal return this season, until next summer before making a move for the Porto marksman, unless a January deal does become viable in the next seven weeks or so.
