Tottenham could do far worse than Chicharito

Today’s Tottenham transfer buzz returns to the reliably titillating conversation that centers around just who wants to understudy Harry Kane.

Seeing as how the England international just won his second consecutive Golden Boot award, it’s hardly a surprise that Tottenham are not linked with every other available striker on the market. Benchwarming might pay the bills, but it won’t amount to much glory.

Vincent Janssen found that out the hard way this past season after a move from AZ Alkmaar. The Dutch international was afforded sparingly little chances, even during Kane’s two spells off the pitch due to injury.

Now, with Janssen not shying away from rumors linking him to other clubs, Spurs once again need to spend time and money to find a suitable backup for their star man.

This is a delicate calculus. Spurs need to find a striker within a reasonable price range, ideally one who won’t expect an exorbitantly high weekly wage. He should also be young and open to adapting his game to Mauricio Pochettino’s methods.

Most importantly, Spurs need a player who is content with sustained bouts on the sidelines. Kane is too good a player to subject to proper rotation, so whomever comes in will need to internalize that fact early on.

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For many talented players, that last bit is a dealbreaker. Someone like, say, Sandro Ramirez at Malaga will expect to start, especially after the season he’s had. There’s little use for Spurs to even try to recruit him.

Which brings us, counter-intuitively, to Javier Hernandez, affectionately known as Chicharito. Bild reports that Tottenham could be among those in contention for the former Manchester United man’s signature in the coming months.

The Mexican international checks off a few of those conditions from above.

Only one year is left on his current contract with Bayer Leverkusen, and with the Bundesliga side suffering through a humiliating season that resulted in no European qualification, there’s little to no chance they convince him to re-sign. Which means that Spurs can get him much cheaper than they could when they were previously linked with him.

Though he wasn’t exactly raised in a system like Pochettino’s while at Manchester United, Chicharito proved remarkably adept when he moved to a high-pressing Leverkusen side two seasons ago.

Age, of course, is a factor here, but one that might actually work in Spurs’ favor. Chicharito just turned 29 on June 1st, which puts him past his prime. Beyond reducing his asking price even further, it might also mean that he would be content with Tottenham’s bench if it meant occasional Premier League and Champions League appearances.

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What’s more, Chicharito represents much more of a sure thing than Janssen or another young player from outside England. He’s thrived in the Premier League, Bundesliga and in La Liga on a loan stint to Real Madrid. There’s little chance that he will be overwhelmed by the environs should he make a move back to England next season.

Chicharito would represent a steal for anything less than £20 million, and Spurs could do far worse by testing the waters with a younger player once again.