Throughout the years, Tottenham Hotspur supporters have been truly blessed with the chance to watch numerous elite-level attackers feature for the club.
Players such as Heung-min Son, Teddy Sheringham and Harry Kane all managed to make themselves club-legends in North London, with the latter breaking nearly every record in sight.
The 32-year-old currently sits at the top of the Lilywhites’ all-time scoring charts on 280, which saw 208 of his efforts come in the Premier League – with only Alan Shearer scoring more.
However, Spurs’ lack of success on the pitch ultimately led to his departure in 2023, which has left boss Thomas Frank unable to have the chance to work alongside the talisman.
He will no doubt want his own elite-level talent within the final third, potentially landing a player of that calibre during the upcoming January transfer window.
Spurs’ hunt for new attackers in January
Over the last couple of months, Spurs have been just one Premier League side linked with a potential deal for Porto star Sami Aghehowa in the winter window.
The Spaniard has been in tremendous goalscoring form during the early stages of 2025/26, as seen by his remarkable tally of 13 goals in his first 22 appearances across all competitions.
However, the Portuguese outfit don’t want to lose their star man anytime soon, subsequently slapping an €80m (£70m) asking price onto the 21-year-old’s head.
He’s not the only centre-forward in their sights ahead of the upcoming window, with Crystal Palace star Jean-Philippe Mateta another player being considered by Fabio Paratici.
According to one Spanish outlet, the Lilywhites are seriously considering tabling a bid for the Frenchman in January, as his contract talks at Selhurst Park look to have stalled in recent weeks.
It also states that the Eagles may be forced to offload the 28-year-old in the near future to avoid losing him for nothing, with his current deal set to expire in June 2027.
Why Spurs’ latest target would be Frank’s next Mbeumo
During Frank’s time in charge at Brentford before taking the Spurs job, he often had numerous top-level attackers at his disposal, which helped make the Bees an established top-flight club.
The Dane mainly relied on forward Bryan Mbeumo during the latter years of his spell at the GTEC, with the Cameroonian international providing a constant source of goals in the Premier League.
During the 2024/25 season, the 26-year-old netted a career-best 20 league goals, ending the campaign as just one of five players to achieve the feat in the division.
He no doubt thrived under the 52-year-old across the capital, so much so that the manager made a fierce attempt to land his signature after taking the reins in North London.
However, a reunion just wasn’t meant to be, as Mbeumo opted for a move to join Manchester United during the summer, subsequently leading Frank to hunt for a new talisman.
The likes of Mohammed Kudus and Richarlison have often provided the goods in attacking areas for Spurs this campaign, but Frank could get his new star forward with a move for Mateta this winter.
The Palace star has registered 30 goals in the last two full seasons in England’s top-flight, whilst already making huge waves during the first 15 games of the new campaign.
Mateta already has seven goals in 2025/26, but it’s his underlying stats from his outings at Selhurst Park that would make him Frank’s next star attacker in the capital.
The French international, who’s been dubbed “world-class” by one analyst, has registered 1.6 shots on target per 90 this season, which such a tally ranking him in the top 7% of all players in the league.
|
Jean-Philippe Mateta – PL stats in 25/26 |
|
|---|---|
|
Statistics (per 90) |
Tally |
|
Games played |
15 |
|
Goals scored |
7 |
|
Shots on target |
1.6 |
|
Dribbles completed |
53% |
|
Crosses completed |
75% |
|
Aerials won |
2.5 |
|
Touches in opposition box |
4.1 |
|
Recoveries made |
3.5 |
|
Stats via FotMob |
|
Such a figure showcases his relentless nature in front of goal, handing the Spurs side the constant nuisance and goal threat they have lacked since Kane’s departure.
He’s also completed 53% of his attempted dribbles to date, whilst achieving a 75% cross completion rate – highlighting his all-round nature within the final third.
His biggest asset is his hold-up play, which could allow the Lilywhites to have the needed focal point they’ve craved, with the striker winning 2.5 aerials per 90 so far this season.
It could hand Frank the aerial presence needed to dominate in the 18-yard box, but also an option to help link the play and create intricate moves off a direct ball into the striker.
Whilst he operates in a different role to Mbeumo, the pair have both demonstrated their goalscoring prowess in recent times, with clinical goalscorers often hard to come by in the modern game.
Mateta could provide Frank with exactly what he wants in the January window, with such a move handing the Dane the perfect attacking option to kickstart his career in charge of the Lilywhites.
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Tottenham are looking to add fresh quality to their attacking flanks in 2026.
