Tottenham Hotspur are in a pretty good position heading into the January transfer window, with Ange Postecoglou's squad fighting for top four despite damaging injuries to key players across the past few months.
Fourth in the Premier League after 18 matches – and only four points behind table-topping neighbours Arsenal – Spurs have wiped away the stains of the 2022/23 season, which saw Antonio Conte's dismissal precede a dismal end to the year that resulted in an eighth-placed finish.
With European football out of reach, Harry Kane decided to draw the curtain on his career-long journey with the north London club, signing for Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in a move totalling £100m.
Spurs monitoring "predatory" £50m Arsenal target who could hinder Richarlison
Ange Postecoglou might just have identified the talisman to succeed Harry Kane.
ByAngus Sinclair Dec 26, 2023
Interestingly, Postecoglou opted not to directly replace the man who had scored 278 goals from 430 appearances, instead spreading the transfer activity across the pitch.
But now, despite Heung-min Son's triumph in moving to centre-forward, Spurs will be considering the options available to make a swoop in 2024, with Feyenoord's Santiago Gimenez among the contenders.
Spurs transfer targets – Santiago Gimenez
On Christmas Eve, the Guardian's Ed Aarons compiled a list of transfer targets for Premier League teams ahead of the winter window, with Gimenez noted as a target for multiple clubs.
Indeed, the Mexico international has been listed as an option for Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea and Fulham after proving himself as one of Europe's most prolific marksmen in the Netherlands, though the Eredivisie champions are expected to demand £60m for his signature.
Several La Liga clubs are also interested, and while it would not be the easiest deal to pull off, Gimenez would offer a natural presence as a dominant striker, something that Spurs have not quite wielded this term.
Santiago Gimenez's style of play
While Tottenham will prioritise the signing of a new central defender in January, this does not mean that Postecoglou's efforts will be exclusive to the backline, rather, a concerted approach to strengthen across various departments would be the best way to continue the push for Champions League football.
And while Gimenez would be an expensive player to add to the ranks, he is undoubtedly one of the most exciting centre-forwards on the scene right now, having been remarked to be "on fire" by talent scout Jacek Kulig for his free-scoring feats last season.
Indeed, Gimenez plundered 28 goals across all competitions during the 2022/23 campaign as Feyenoord marched toward the league title, leading journalist Antonio Mango to herald his "insane" escapades.
If De club aan de Maas were pleased with their forward's efforts last year, he has eclipsed expectations with his ridiculous rate of scoring this season, posting 20 goals and four assists from just 22 matches across all competitions, with Kulig effusively declaring him the "Mexican machine".
In the league, second-placed Feyenoord might be ten points behind PSV Eindhoven, who are in ridiculous form and have won all 16 matches thus far, but Gimenez has certainly offered all within his power.
As per Sofascore, the 24-cap international has scored 18 times from just 16 outings in the Dutch top-flight, taking 3.9 shots and creating 1.1 key passes per game, also supplying four assists to confirm his status as an elite centre-forward.
In fact, as per FBref, the 22-year-old ranks among the top 1% of forwards across divisions similar to the Dutch Eredivisie over the past year for goals scored, the top 2% for shots taken and the top 1% for touches in the attacking box per 90.
This stunning rate of success would be a frightening addition to the Tottenham squad, who could offer supreme support from the likes of Son, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, with the latter perhaps benefitting immensely from Gimenez's prospective signing.
Imagine Santiago Gimenez & Dejan Kulusevski
Tottenham signed Maddison from Leicester City for £40m in the summer, with Postecoglou adding one of the Premier League's exceptional playmakers as he crafted his side and system.
The England international has been sidelined since early November following an ankle injury sustained against Chelsea, and in his absence, Kulusevski appears to have stepped up as the creative star in the side.
And what an impact the 23-year-old has made over recent fixtures, posting two goals and two assists apiece from a central role in the attacking midfield across recent weeks, having typically been used out on the right wing.
Having scored five goals and supplied two assists across 18 total appearances in the Premier League this season, Kulusevski has completed 84% of his passes and averaged 2.3 key passes and 4.4 ball recoveries per game, highlighting his inventive style and relentlessness in his craft.
Sky Sports' Jamie Weir is among those to have been wowed by his feats of late, saying: "Dejan Kulusevski really is a special special player. Works so hard, covers every blade of grass. Hell of an engine on him, and just so much heart."
#
Player
Club
1
Bukayo Saka
Arsenal
2
Ousmane Dembele
Paris Saint-Germain
3
Hirving Lozano
PSV Eindhoven
*Sourced via Football Transfers
Kulusevski has been brilliant and is probably one of the most underrated players in the division, but he has only supplied two assists despite his excellent key pass creation, and with a striker such as Gimenez ahead of him, he could rise to new heights.
Of Spurs players who have averaged more than three 90s this season, only Maddison (8.16) has averaged more shot-creating actions per 90 than Kulusevski (4.51), and that's with the dynamo offering more of a goalscoring threat.
Quite simply, he is indispensable and still has so much growth ahead of him; with Gimenez counterbalancing the more fluid striking threat of Son, who has shifted back to his natural left wing role to accommodate Richarlison across recent games, a dream partnership could be born in the future.
Postecoglou has to throw the kitchen sink at this deal, especially with vested attention from rival outfits across the Premier League.