View: Tottenham target Porto striker Mehdi Taremi who has dominated in Portugal
The question marks surrounding the future of Tottenham striker Harry Kane continue to drag on and overshadow pre-season preparations.
It remains unclear whether Ange Postecoglou will need a new man to lead the line in his first season in charge at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Kane is the club’s talisman and most dangerous player and without him, the Australian will need to rethink his whole approach in terms of how his side sets up during the upcoming campaign.
It will be a strange feeling for Spurs supporters if their beloved number 10 were to depart from North London, whether that be this summer or the next, with him having been such a big part of the club for almost a decade now.
But just like life, football moves on quickly and the club’s faithful will need to warm to a new striker and get behind a man who is not likely to be one of their own, a chant which is so proudly sung every time Kane pulls on the colours of Lilywhite.
It appears one of those new strikers will be Argentinian talent Alejo Veliz, who is set to be unveiled as a new Tottenham player in the coming days, as revealed by himself in quotes reported by Fabrizio Romano (6 August).
And with Veliz confirming that he will become the latest signing at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, it appears Daniel Levy might not be finished in the hunt for striking reinforcements.
According to Sky Sports international reporter Gianluca Di Marzio, who provided an update via Twitter (4 August), Spurs are now targeting Porto striker Mehdi Taremi.
There is still a gap between the two clubs when it comes to the fee, with those at Hotspur Way prepared to offer close to £21million while the Portuguese side are holding out for an amount closer to £26million.
With Richarlison already at the club, a young striker in the form of 19-year-old Veliz on the way and now the reported interest in 31-year-old Taremi, some might wonder whether these are moves designed as a plan to replace Kane.
Veliz could come in and learn from an experienced professional like Taremi, while Richarlison also plays the role of an understudy. If this is the case, and Kane is set to say goodbye, fans can at least rest assured knowing that Veliz and Richarlison would be learning from a senior striker who has been terrific in Portugal, according to the stats.
As per fbref, the Iranian international is an all-round player who demonstrated excellence in the Primeira Liga across a range of areas last season. Firstly, in terms of his goalscoring numbers, he was in the top three per cent of the division’s forwards for the number of goals he scored, finding the back of the net 22 times in 33 appearances (0.76 per 90).
But putting the ball past the goalkeeper was by no means all he offered to a Porto side who finished as runners-up to Benfica last season, with his passing numbers just as sensational. Taremi was in the top seven per cent compared to his positional peers in the league for the number of passes he attempted (28.38 per 90), completed (20.97 per 90) and the progressive distance these passes covered (67.00 yards per 90).
His passes were also extremely impactful as well. The 31-year-old was once again in the top seven per cent compared to other forwards in Portugal for the number of key passes (1.59 per 90), passes into the final third (1.79 per 90), passes into the penalty area (1.10 per 90), and progressives passes (3.00 per 90) that he made.
He would always be a threat in and around the opponent’s box, ranking in the top nine per cent for the number of touches he made in the attacking third (21.90 per 90) and the top three per cent for the number of touches he made in the opposition penalty area (7.28 per 90).
Taremi was always looking to bring the ball forward, ranking in the top 11 per cent for the number of progressive carries (2.21 per 90) and carries into the final third (1.45 per 90) which he made, as well as the top nine per cent for the number of times he would carry the ball into the penalty area (1.00 per 90) as well as his overall progressive carrying distance (64.00 yards per 90).
All of these attributes are ones that Postecoglou requires from his strikers, precise passing as well as always looking to get forward and create dangerous opportunities, and this is the exact reason why Taremi could be the perfect striker to come in and help accelerate Veliz’s development if Kane is to make an emotional exit.
In other Tottenham News, Spurs Scout has had a look at another target who the club has identified.