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Six strikers who could replace Harry Kane at Tottenham

The future of Harry Kane has dominated the transfer headlines so far this summer, with the England captain linked with an exit from Tottenham.

Kane has just a year to run on his current contract in north London and has been subject of an approach from Bayern Munich, with the German champions keen to provide the 29-year-old with a chance to win elusive silverware.

Kane is Spurs’ all-time record goalscorer with 280 goals in all competitions and scored 30 times in the Premier League during an impressive individual campaign last term.

Replacing the forward will be an almost impossible task, but we’ve looked at six forwards likely to come into the thinking of Ange Postecoglou, should Tottenham’s talisman depart in search of a new challenge.

Six strikers who could replace Harry Kane at Tottenham.

Randal Kolo Muani

Randal Kolo Muani is on the radar of Europe’s top clubs after a fantastic first season at Eintracht Frankfurt.

Signed on a free transfer from Nantes last summer, the forward was the Bundesliga’s breakthrough star in 2022/23. Kolo Muani led the league for goal involvements after scoring 15 goals and providing 11 assists, form which earned the Frenchman a place in the Bundesliga Team of the Season and the division’s Newcomer of the Season award.

The 24-year-old ended the season with 23 goals in all competitions and top-scored as Frankfurt reached the DFB-Pokal final, with his performances having earned the forward a role in the France side under Didier Deschamps.

Kolo Muani thrives with space to run into and has been one of Europe’s most creative forwards in addition to his goal return. He ranked in the 97th percentile in Europe’s top leagues for assists last season and among the elite for progressive carries (93rd percentile) and successful take-ons (95th percentile).

His ability to roam wide could work as part of a flexible forward line featuring Son Heung-min, Richarlison and new arrival James Maddison, though Frankfurt will demand a huge fee for their leading scorer.

Evan Ferguson

Evan Ferguson’s emergence has caught the eye of the Premier League’s top teams, following a fine first season as a regular at Brighton.

The 18-year-old scored 10 goals in all competitions to announce his arrival as one of the division’s most exciting talents, a return which has seen Manchester United, Spurs, Liverpool and Newcastle linked.

Ferguson is robust, clinical and improving with each performance, an all-round centre-forward whose game has already earned comparisons to the likes of Alan Shearer and Kane. Brighton will be reluctant to lose the Irishman – who has scored twice in six appearances for the national team – but a big bid could prove persuasive for a team who have shown a willingness to sell stars when suitable offers arrive.

Ferguson signed a new long-term contract with the Seagulls in April and is understood to be happy at the Amex Stadium, having turned down approaches from leading clubs in favour of a clear path to first-team football at Brighton when leaving Bohemians.

Spurs would need to pay a sizeable fee to sign Ferguson this summer and his arrival, despite the rich promise, would be deemed a gamble given his inexperience at the top level. Roberto De Zerbi’s fascinating football and a first European campaign for Brighton this season also make remaining put appeal as the forward continues his development.

Goncalo Ramos

Goncalo Ramos has been linked with a host of Premier League clubs after a brilliant season at Benfica, with the forward having stepped into the Darwin Nunez-shaped void at the Portuguese side to fire the club to title success.

Ramos scored 27 goals and provided 12 assists in 47 appearances across all competitions, as Benfica secured a first Primeira Liga title since 2018/19 and reached the Champions League quarter-finals.

The 22-year-old also made an impression on the world stage with a hat-trick for Portugal at the World Cup in Qatar, becoming the first player in 32 years to score a knockout stage treble after firing three goals in the nation’s 6-1 win over Switzerland in the last 16.

Benfica are understood to have turned down an approach from an unnamed club for Ramos worth €60m (£51m) this summer, with the forward’s release clause reported to be in the region of £90m. That figure could prove out of reach for Spurs given multiple areas of the squad need strengthening this summer, even given a potential big fee received for Kane.

Ivan Toney

Could Spurs benefit from a patient approach?

Ivan Toney was expected to feature on the striker shortlists of several top clubs this summer after an outstanding season at Brentford that saw the 27-year-old score 20 league goals and earn England recognition.

The Bees striker has since been banned for eight months after admitting to 232 breaches of FA betting rules and will be ineligible to feature in the Premier League until January 16. Spurs could test Brentford’s resolve to hold onto Toney – who is free to return to training in September – and introduce the forward into the squad in the new year.

Toney would represent an attractive Kane replacement to Ange Postecoglou stylistically, with the forward having impressed when linking the play in a deeper role and able to occupy centre-backs alone as the lead of the line.

No forward in the Premier League won more aerial duels (109) than Toney last season, while his work-rate from the front is evidenced in the statistics with Toney ranked in the 91st percentile of forwards in Europe’s top leagues for interceptions in 2022/23.

Kyogo Furuhashi

Kyogo Furuhashi has been linked with following his former manager from Celtic to the Premier League, having been a revelation since signing for the Scottish champions from Japan’s Vissel Kobe.

The 28-year-old has scored 54 goals across the last two seasons for Celtic and was named as the
PFA Scotland Players’ Player of the Year and SFWA Footballer of the Year last season after scoring 34 times in the club’s domestic treble-winning season.

Reservations are understandable given the step-up in class from Scottish football to England, but Furuhashi is well-versed in Postecoglou’s methods. Mark Viduka, Victor Wanyama and Virgil van Dijk are among the notable names to have impressed in the Premier League after leaving Celtic, but former Bhoys manager Neil Lennon has expressed his doubts that the Japan international could succeed at the ‘top end’ of English football.

“I have my doubts, yes. I don’t think for one minute that he could replace Harry Kane, for example, if that was to be the case,” Lennon told the Daily Mail.

“He’s a good player. I like his style. I’m just not sure he could play consistently at the highest level in the Premier League on a week-to-week basis.

“The other thing is that you’ve got Kane there at the minute, you’ve got Son, Kulusevski [and] Richarlison. These are world-class players that he’d need to break into if he goes to Spurs. I think he could play in the Premier League but maybe just not at the top end at the minute.”

Jonathan David

Jonathan David has been linked with a move to north London and appears ready to take the next step in his career after a prolific period at Lille.

The 23-year-old has scored 52 goals in 112 league appearances for the French side, including a return of 24 Ligue 1 goals in 2022/23. The Canadian has performed in various roles since arriving at Lille from Belgium’s Gent, operating in a wide position, as a second striker and as a recognised number nine where he has settled this season.

David has demonstrated an encouraging willingness to drop deep and receive possession, freeing space for inverted wide-men to race into, and is the right profile in terms of age, talent and potential to be a shrewd signing for Spurs.

He has 25 goals in 42 appearances for Canada at international level, just three short of Cyle Larin’s national record.

“I don’t know if I can find myself anywhere other than the Premier League.” David told La Voic du Nord last December when discussing his future. If Spurs are willing to meet a reported asking price of €65m (£56m), he could end up in England this summer.

Read – 10 Premier League records Harry Kane already holds

Read Also – Seven interesting transfer deals you might have missed around Europe’s major leagues

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