Journalist Dean Jones has admitted his shock at who Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly targeting to fill their striker void
The Lilywhites recently lost club legend Harry Kane to Bayern Munich.
What is the latest news with Tottenham Hotspur?
The club are looking at attacking reinforcements after the sale of Kane
The England international departed after a long and arduous saga which saw Bayern have three offers rejected for the Premier League star. There were multiple meetings held between the club's executives for weeks as the two sides aimed to reach a compromise, and eventually, a deal was agreed last Thursday, with personal terms agreed later that evening after a delay, where it was reported that the boyhood Tottenham fan was leaning towards staying at the club after all.
Ultimately, the forward finally completed his switch to the current Bundesliga champions in a deal worth a reported £100m, which reportedly could rise by £15-20m depending on add-ons, with the striker taking the iconic number 9 shirt at the Allianz Arena worn by Bayern legends such as Robert Lewandowski and Gerd Muller in the past.
The sale of their club record goalscorer has given Spurs a lot of money to work with as they look to replace the forward, and the club have been linked with a shock move for Arsenal youngster Folarin Balogun. The forward impressed on loan in Ligue 1 last season with Reims and following his return from loan has told the club that he doesn't want another loan spell or to be a backup option should he stay at the Emirates.
A number of Premier League sides, including West Ham United are reportedly fans of the player, whilst French outfit Monaco saw a verbal offer rejected by the Gunners following their pre-season friendly.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Spurs are interested in bringing the player to the club as they look to add to their attacking options following Kane's departure. So far this window, no side has been willing to match the Gunners £50m asking price, however, the Lilywhites now clearly have the funds to do so.
Speaking on The Football Terrace YouTube channel, Jones revealed his shock at the potential transfer, and how Arsenal might need to sell to their rivals in order to fund "something exciting" later in the window:
"For the outgoings, there’s still some work to be done, but it seems like stuff is about to happen, so the next week of outgoings will determine what Arsenal are able to do, but there’s the fullback problem, there’s a defensive midfielder that they still talk about being a problem in terms of depth so let’s see whether they end up doing anything there, and I think a lot will depend on what they end up doing with Balogun.
"I mean they want to get him out the door but we don’t know exactly what the terms will be around that deal at the moment, I mean he’s been talked about as a £50m transfer, even Tottenham were linked the other day, a few other Premier League clubs have been linked too but ultimately they need a big offer to arrive for Balogun to trigger something exciting for Arsenal this window."
Would Balogun be a good signing for Tottenham?
Balogun would be a risky signing with a lot of potential.
After an underwhelming loan spell with Middlesbrough during the second half of the 2021/22 season, the USA international headed to France where he really burst onto the scene. Across 37 appearances in Ligue 1, the striker managed 21 goals and two assists, whilst also averaging one key pass and 1.6 shots on target per game.
Furthermore, the Arsenal loanee ranked in the top 10% in shots on goal and progressive passes received compared to other strikers across the top five European leagues, showcasing that not only is he a strong finisher but a forward who also has the capability to link up with his fellow attackers, something the recently departed Kane was lauded for.
Balogun was the subject of praise from current boss Mikel Arteta, who stated: "He’s a boy that has a really clear idea of what he wants to do with his career. He’s really ambitious, really committed and really brave, When you look at the numbers and what he is doing, it’s just incredible. It’s very rare to see that. But he’s got something special."
Despite the move seeming unlikely due to the rivalry between the club, Balogun has the potential to be a real star should he make the switch to the White side of North London.