The Lilywhites could secure an ideal heir to their potentially outgoing star man.
Tottenham Hotspur are rumoured to be interested in signing Feyenoord forward Santiago Jimenez for around £35m as a potential replacement for Harry Kane.
Jimenez has been impressive in the Eredivisie, scoring 15 goals last season and a total of 28 across all competitions.
While Jimenez may not possess the same creativity as Kane, his goal-scoring abilities and athleticism make him an attractive prospect for Tottenham’s new coach, Ange Postecoglou.
Tottenham Hotspur, despite retaining a fierce stance that Harry Kane will not leave this summer, continue to be linked with a host of replacements for their key man.
Who are Tottenham Hotspur signing this summer?
The latest comes from Mexican outlet Jovenes Futbolistas MX, who detail the Lilywhites’ interest in Feyenoord forward Santiago Jimenez.
In what could prove huge news if true, the report states that Ange Postecoglou is planning to offer around €40m (£35m) to tempt the Mexico international to join his revolution.
With James Maddison and Manor Solomon having already signed this summer too, he would provide the key addition to spearhead his new-look attack.
However, a move for the young marksman remains wholly dependent on the outcome of the Kane saga, as Bayern Munich continue to push for his signature.
Despite that, the north London outfit have already met with the players’ representatives.
Who is Santiago Jimenez?
Whilst the 22-year-old in question might be an unknown name to many, he has quietly been tearing up the Eredivisie with his electric play style and lethal finishing.
Just last term saw him score 15 in the Dutch league, and across all competitions including his stint in his homeland, notched an outstanding 28 goals across all competitions.
Whilst quite a volatile league for its exports, players like Luis Suarez, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ruud van Nistelrooy all stand as the potential ceiling for a number nine departing that division.
Given his goalscoring levels at such a young age, Jimenez clearly has all the hallmarks of a player ready to reach those heights, especially after the praise handed to him by former Liverpool winger Dirk Kuyt, who claimed:
“He’s back here in the middle of the defenders and he’s really fast. Watching the keeper before he shoots, the rest. In my opinion, he is currently the best striker in the Eredivisie.”
Such glowing praise, and an endorsement of his athleticism, will likely have Postecoglou reeling at the opportunity of working with such a malleable marksman with the world at his feet.
Whilst not a direct heir to Kane in terms of his creativity, although his 0.6 key passes per game in the Eredivisie denote an admirable level, he would be a natural successor in terms of swapping one lethal number nine for another. The England captain recorded 30 league goals last campaign, whilst averaging 1.5 key passes per game, via Sofascore.
In fact, his signing could even prove to be more beneficial for Spurs’ new Australian coach, who often likes to sacrifice his striker in order to spearhead the press.
During his spell at Celtic, Kyogo Furuhashi often abandoned his goalscoring duties to lead a vicious high press, in which chances would instead be forged for his teammates. When this works to perfection, the forward should still get his opportunities.
The Japan international would manage to score 34 goals last season in all competitions despite putting in such a tireless shift.
With speed in abundance and youthful energy that could be directed into such a pursuit, Jimenez could prove instrumental in underpinning a new philosophy that should get fans back invested in the club.
Given he is already regarded as one of the paramount assets of his division, perhaps it is time for him to make the next natural step up and ply his trade in the physically-demanding Premier League.
Callum is a freelance writer for Football FanCast, having worked in the football industry ever since graduation.
Having left University in 2022, Callum was instantly offered a place within Football FanCast’s academy process, where he was handed a role as part of the freelance opinions team. This has been his role ever since.
Since then, Callum also took on a role cultivating content for the website’s Facebook account too, helping to bolster the reach of Football FanCast.
Callum is a huge Everton fan and has written and featured on numerous fan sites talking about the club.
The PSV Eindhoven ace appears to have caught the attention of a raft of Premier League clubs
It is fair to say that the 2022/23 campaign did not go as planned for Tottenham Hotspur, with the Lilywhites having limply crashed out of all three cup competitions, while also slipping to a disappointing eighth-place finish in the Premier League.
Following the doom and gloom that surrounded the latter stages of Antonio Conte’s time at the helm, Spurs supporters can now look to a brighter future under the management of Ange Postecoglou, with the 57-year-old hoping to replicate the success he enjoyed at former club, Celtic, where won five domestic trophies in just two seasons at Parkhead.
The Greek-Aussie’s revolution has already begun at N17 with the signings of James Maddison, Manor Solomon and Guglielmo Vicario, although that does not look set to be the end of Daniel Levy’s summer spending spree…
What are the latest Tottenham transfer rumours?
As Postecoglou has himself admitted, the north Londoners are notably looking to sign a new centre-back ahead of the start of next term, with the club currently in talks regarding a move for Edmond Tapsoba and Micky van de Ven.
As for other sections of the first-team squad, Spurs could also look to bolster their midfield ranks, having been named by The Athletic as one of the club’s who are ‘admirers’ of PSV Eindhoven’s Ibrahim Sangare, with the Ivory Coast international valued at around £30m by the Eredivisie side.
How good is Ibrahim Sangare?
The 25-year-old – who has been the subject of an offer from Nottingham Forest – has spent the last three seasons in the Netherlands after signing from Toulouse back in 2020, racking up 13 goals and nine assists in 133 games for his current side to date in all competitions.
A defensive midfielder by trade, the towering, 6 foot 3 titan would help to provide a real physical presence in Postecoglou’s ranks, ensuring he could potentially be the man to finally replace the legendary figure of Mousa Dembele at N17.
The latter man – who is also an imposing presence at 6 foot 1 – enjoyed a stunning six-and-a-half-year spell with Spurs after joining from Fulham in 2012, having notably been lauded as a “genius” by former boss Mauricio Pochettino.
The elegant Belgian was undoubtedly a talent who could simply glide his way up the pitch with ease, with former teammate Kieran Trippier having recently spoken of his unique talents: “He’s an absolute magician. Just absolute frightening, with the ball, without the ball.
“He had everything. He had absolutely everything.”
The now-retired powerhouse notably sparkled during the 2016/17 campaign as Pochettino’s men finished second, showcasing his composure on the ball after enjoying an average pass accuracy rate of 92% from his 30 league outings, as per Sofascore, while also averaging 2.9 tackles and interceptions per game as a sign of his defensive dominance.
Sangare – who has been hailed as “extraordinary” by pundit Aad de Mos – does appear to have the tools to be able to emulate Dembele’s influence in the centre of the park, with the PSV colossus having averaged 3.1 tackles and interceptions per game last term from his 29 league outings, while also enjoying an 84% pass accuracy rate.
With Spurs having had their woes in midfield in recent years – with Oliver Skipp and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg having been criticised by talkSPORT’s Perry Grove last season as they seemingly “don’t do anything” – finding a natural successor to Dembele should be a real priority as far as Levy is concerned.
While there is seemingly intense rival interest in Sangare at present, Postecoglou may wish to make his interest in the Koumassi-born gem more concrete.
