Potential Harry Kane replacement not having the most prolific season

Tottenham are scrambling to find cover for Harry Kane, whose recent hamstring injury will keep him out of the lineup until March, but they must be careful not to impulsively rush into the wrong deal. 

Polish striker Krzysztof Piatek is the most recent player to be mentioned as potential cover for Kane. He plies his trade at AC Milan and has scored four league goals in 13 appearances this season. Last season he scored 22 goals in 37 Serie A matches for Genoa and Milan.

Italian publication CalcioMercato broke the story yesterday morning. The publication is seen by Italians as a reliable source for news, so there is some merit to the rumours. Not enough, though, to believe it will come to fruition.

The 24-year-old is scoring goals at a consistent rate and has a killer instinct in front of goal, but cannot be considered as a replacement for Kane. Nobody can. He would, however, offer competent cover for the injured talisman.

But the Polish international’s temperamental, often unreliable passing game lets him down.

Again, Spurs are enmeshed in a Catch-22 dilemma. They cannot, as Kane will eventually return to the lineup and take back his rightful place as the club’s starting striker, buy an A-list striker who will score at a comparative rate to Kane. No top striker will play second fiddle to Kane, and no elite forward wants to be seen as temporary cover.

So buying a player of Piatek’s skill set is probably Spurs’ best alternative. By no means an A-list striker, Piatek’s ability sees him nestled in the bracket just below the world’s best, precisely the type of forwards Spurs are in the market for.

Transfermarkt has the 24-year-old pegged at between £25 and £30 million on the open market. Piatek is keen on fighting for a first-team place with Milan, but is also interested in joining a Mourinho-led side.