Is Bournemouth’s Joshua King good enough for Tottenham?
By Gary Pearson
Joshua King has been tenuously linked to Spurs since the second half of the 2016-17 season but is the Norwegian frontman good enough to provide cover for Harry Kane?
King played with the confidence and eminence his surname suggests in the latter stages of the 2016-17 season. King, after talisman Callum Wilson suffered a season-ending cruciate ligament injury, was propelled into the spotlight, forced to provide the bulk of Bournemouth’s offence.
He thrived under the increased pressure and enjoyed a breakout season in the top flight, scoring 16 league goals including 14 in his last 19 matches. King is cutthroat in front of goal and exudes an acute confidence while dribbling at pace. He is physically strong and has pace to burn.
However his CV, other than a 2016-17 showcase season, doesn’t bellow offensive prodigiousness. He managed only six goals in 31 appearances during the 2015-16 campaign, his first in the Premier League. Prior to his tenure with Bournemouth, King scored a mere three goals in 25 Championship appearances with Blackburn.
He’s not known for being able to hold the ball up particularly well and isn’t an élite passer, either.
King, who was on Manchester United’s books from 2009-2013, didn’t get a sniff with the Red Devils, never making a first-team appearance.
The 25-year-old, after a run of disheartening campaigns, deserves a figurative pat on the back for stepping up for Bournemouth last season. But has he done enough for Mauricio Pochettino and company to go out on a limb for him?
Harry Kane is undeniably the king of Spurs attack but would the Bournemouth man be able to confidently and proficiently take on the roll of King’s Hand?
A single standout season is too small a sample size to make steadfast conclusions, nor does it give Spurs enough reason to constitute a smart, sound investment.
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The potential move feels a bit like last season’s Vincent Janssen transfer. Even after a difficult first year with Spurs, few doubt Janssen’s potential. But having a supporting striker with bundles of potential and lack of goal production doesn’t help Spurs win Premier League titles in the immediacy.
And while King ended last season in regent form, it’s time Tottenham resist the urge to gamble on potential in the transfer market, instead bringing aboard a world-class striker whose price tag comes with a guarantee of consistent goals.