Yet another veteran forward linked to Tottenham Hotspur move

The urgency at Tottenham to buy a striker has never felt more pressing, with PSG’s veteran front man Edinson Cavani again being linked to the club. 

It’s the fourth or fifth, or maybe sixth striker that has been linked to the club. I’ve lost count as the rumour mill, like a powerful tornado, keeps dragging more potential forward signings into the eye of the media-driven, hyperbolic storm.

So what about Cavani? How does he differ from Gabriel Barbosa, Moussa Dembele, Krzysztof Piatek?

First and foremost, Cavani is an established commodity, a striker whose name for the last decade is mentioned amongst the world’s most pure, lethal finishers. Nobody can question his natural goal scoring ability. If given an opportunity, the Uruguayan will more often than not finish with assurance and aplomb.

But like most transfer speculation, there are downfalls to this particular rumour. Cavani will turn 33 years old on Valentine’s Day. Saying he’s entering the twilight years of his career would be grossly downplaying his current status. Strikers can perform at the top level past their mid-30’s. But the £30 million evaluation by PSG is just too high an asking price for such an aging commodity.

Barbosa or Dembele are lower risk options. Barbosa would cost about £25 million and is more than 10 years Cavani’s younger. There is no question that Tottenham need to bring in a striker with a proven pedigree, somebody who can immediately influence greatly proceedings.

But while some consider Cavani to be a fine wine, someone who improves with age, I’d venture to say he’s like an aging wine whose bottle has been opened and left on the counter. Which means it’s only a matter of time before the wine spoils, it’s worth devaluating to a negligible state.