Tottenham: West Ham to win race for striker; alternatives for Wijnaldum identified

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Tottenham’s transfer window took a turn for the better this week when they completed the signing of AZ Alkmaar striker Vincent Janssen for a fee of around £17 million. The 22-year-old, who scored 27 goals in the Eredivisie last season, is likely to act as back up to Harry Kane, and the signing has been endorsed by former fan favourite Rafael van der Vaart, who has described the deal as a ‘great signing.’

The capture of Janssen hasn’t stopped Spurs looking at other striking options, though, and one name that has been linked is Argentinian striker Jonathan Calleri, but the 22-year-old has apparently elected to join West Ham United, should he come to England.

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Calleri plays for Deportivo Maldonado in Uruguay, but has spent the last six months on loan at Sao Paulo, where he has attracted a lot of attention with his good form for the Brazilian side in the Copa Libatadores. Calleri has been compared to Alexandre Lacazette, but would naturally cost less than the Frenchman who’s fee has been touted at around £42 million.

Not much is known about Calleri, but as a skillful and pacey forward, he could have been a useful back up for Spurs, who look a bit light up front with just Kane, Janssen and the unproven Clinton N’Jie in the squad. However, signing from South America is always a risk, and Spurs could probably find a more proven alternative should the youngster go to West Ham.

A name which has been much more solidly linked to White Hart Lane is that of Georginio Wijnaldum, but Newcastle United’s £25 million price tag has caused Daniel Levy to hold back and look for alternatives.

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Two names that have been identified by Spurs as alternatives are Yunus Malli from Mainz and Sofiane Boufal from Lille. Malli would be an excellent alternative for Wijnaldum should Newcastle continue to hold out for a high price. The 24-year-old only has seven caps for Turkey, but was an exemplary performer for his club Mainz last season, scoring a mightily impressive 11 goals from attacking midfield in the Bundesliga as his club qualified for the group stage of the Europa League for the first time in their history.

With the Bundesliga less affected by the TV money that has inflated the Premier League market, Malli would not cost as much as Wijnaldum, and there is certainly a case to suggest that he is every bit as good a player. He’d be a riskier signing than the Dutchman, but he is certainly good enough for the Champions League and it could pay off handsomely for Spurs.

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Boufan, from Lille, is younger than Malli at 22, and has scored an impressive 15 goals in his season and a half in Northern France. Starting his career at Angers, the Moroccan international is still a raw talent, but has a very bright future ahead of him and bucket loads of talent. Malli would be the safer alternative to Wijnaldum, but Boufal could well be a wild card signing that adds to Tottenham’s squad for the upcoming Champions League campaign.

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