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Tottenham in Pursuit of Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette

By Alexander Balano

TOULOUSE, FRANCE - APRIL 23: Lyon's head coach Bruno Genesio reacts after the goal of Alexandre Lacazette (2-1) during the French Ligue 1 match between Toulouse and Lyon at Stadium Municipal on April 23, 2016 in Toulouse, France. (Photo by Romain Perrocheau/Getty Images)
TOULOUSE, FRANCE - APRIL 23: Lyon's head coach Bruno Genesio reacts after the goal of Alexandre Lacazette (2-1) during the French Ligue 1 match between Toulouse and Lyon at Stadium Municipal on April 23, 2016 in Toulouse, France. (Photo by Romain Perrocheau/Getty Images) /
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Tottenham Hotspur are searching for reinforcements at the striker position and one player they have considered signing is Olympique Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette.

There’s a lot to like and dislike about this transfer rumor which sees Tottenham getting themselves into a bidding war with fellow Premier League side and fierce rival, West Ham United according to the Mirror.

Related Story: Alex Pritchard Set for Possible Tottenham Exit

The good news is that Mauricio Pochettino knows what his squad needs ahead of next season — a striker to work alongside Golden Boot winner Harry Kane who scored 25 league goals this past season. This is just one of a few positions which needs to be bolstered this summer.

The bad news of course is divided up into multiple parts (in no specific order): where does Alexandre Lacazette fit into Pochettino’s system, how much money must be spent/will Spurs reach the actual amount, who gets sold to make room, etc.

As we can see here, Pochettino is willing to go to great lengths in order to achieve the Club’s goal of a Premier League title. One in which they nearly had this past season but sadly missed out on with two months left to be played with inconsistent results.

PARIS, FRANCE – FEBRUARY 10: Alexandre Lacazette of Olympique Lyonnais reacts during the French Cup game between the Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais at Parc des Princes on February 10, 2016 in Paris, France. (Photo by Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE – FEBRUARY 10: Alexandre Lacazette of Olympique Lyonnais reacts during the French Cup game between the Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais at Parc des Princes on February 10, 2016 in Paris, France. (Photo by Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images) /

If Mauricio Pochettino is indeed intent on signing Lacazette then Spurs must first get everything in order to make that happen in the smoothest possible way according to the Mirror.

And by that, it means to move aside as much as £30 million which is what Lyon president, Jean-Michel Aulas, is seeking — even though he rejected West Ham’s offer of £31 million recently.

West Ham’s bid failed because the Hammers aren’t in the Champions League, but are in the qualifying rounds for the Europa League instead.

This is the first part, matching Lyon’s demands of a high transfer fee. Tottenham will have plenty to spend when you factor in how much Daniel Levy has put aside for this summer (£150 million), the new TV deal for next season’s Premier League and finally for qualifying for the Champions League.

However, all of that isn’t enough because Spurs are dead set on paying just £24 million. Which means they’re starting on the wrong foot by default.

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Secondly, Aulas has made it very clear that he wants these transfer deals to happen on his own terms. They must be finalized on a certain date and none after that except for “minor players” which might be youth prospects.

“If on August 28th, we are offered €80 million (£62 million) for Alexandre Lacazette, he will not leave. However, if he comes to me in the days to come, because he has an offer he cannot refuse, it’s possible.”

“Finally, if there must be departures, they will be before June 30. There will be none after, except for minor players.”

One would think that paying £60 million for a striker, even as talented as Lacazette is, is too much. But this is just an example should a team be desperate to sign the 25-year-old by the end of August, despite knowing full well that Jean-Michel Aulas specified when players won’t be sold which is after June 30th.

The third and final aspect that Tottenham must consider is Lacazette’s fit. By himself, he can lead Spurs’ line as the sole striker, but so can Harry Kane. No matter how many times this needs repeating, it will be an issue.

Mauricio Pochettino favors a 4-2-3-1 formation, but has hinted that he could opt for two strikers at the same time if, he finds the right player who fits that bill. Is it Alexandre Lacasette? He did score 23 goals as Lyon finished second in Ligue 1 behind Paris Saint-Germain.

But again, with Lyon content on seeking £30 million as previously mentioned above, this kind of a deal is certainly doable, but it now falls on Tottenham and what they plan on doing.

They can’t sell Son Heung-Min for £22 million which is what they paid Bayer Leverkusen last summer. Plus, he missed at least a month of football because of a foot injury and saw his starting spot taken by Dele Alli who performed better in his place.

Son still needs time to adapt to the style of the Premier League and has shown signs of the player that he was in the Bundesliga which made Spurs sign him in the first place.

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As for Clinton N’Jie, he too won’t be sold for the £12 million they paid to, coincidentally, Lyon a year ago in an attempt to boost their attacking options. With a serious MCL injury wiping out his season, it’s too soon to sell as the Cameroon winger also needs time to settle in.

So, what Mauricio Pochettino could do, since he has final say on all transfer matters, is submit a £24 million bid and see what happens. The likest scenario though is that it’s immediately rejected with Aulas asking for more money.

Unless, of course, Alexandre Lacazette can’t refuse a switch to White Hart Lane who are in the midst of what could be the start of multiple years as a top four team with a chance to contend for some silverware.