Tottenham linked to another striker, not for first time, as deadline nears

It should come as no surprise to see Tottenham linked to yet another striker as the deadline approaches, the source of this rumour coming from freelance journalist Pete O’Rourke.

Drumroll please…. No need, as this rumour probably won’t progress to the dreaded “advanced stage” of negotiations phase.

O’Rourke believes Torino striker Andrea Belotti is a target of Antonio Conte‘s, although obviously not a highly coveted one.

It is now all-but confirmed that Luis Diaz will never wear a Spurs shirt. And that is bitterly disappointing. Expected, but disappointing nonetheless.

Why Belotti to Spurs doesn’t add up

Which leads us to the latest tenuous link. The distinct possibility of Tottenham not landing Diaz is, almost in obligatory fashion, coupled with yet another transfer link.

Cue the Belotti rumours.

It’s Conte’s job to hand-pick an extensive list of options for Fabio Paratici to pursue, so Belotti could very well be on that rolled up scroll, albeit way down the pecking order.

In the the name of thoroughness, though, it’s important to explore all possible options, which includes the 28-year-old Italian. Valued at about £24 million by Transfermarkt, Belotti has scored 107 goals in 238 appearances with Torino. Belotti has been linked to Spurs before, both recently and way back in 2016.

With his contract set to expire in June, Torino has every intention of preventing their first-choice frontman from leaving on a free transfer in the summer. Which means selling him in the next four days. That will be no easy feat, though.

Belotti hasn’t played since suffering a bicep femoris muscle injury in late November. He has thus far missed almost two months of action since suffering the ailment.

That’s not the full extent of his injury woes, either. The Italian missed an additional five matches (42 days) earlier in the season with a tendon injury, presumingly tendonitis. He’s missed 115 days of action (17 Serie A matches) and counting so far this campaign.

Tottenham last signed an injured player in the midst of a long-term recovery in 2019, when they purchased Ryan Sessegnon, who seriously injured his hamstring prior to his arrival on Hotspur Way. While the jury is still out on Sessegnon, signing an injury prone player who is yet to fully recover from his current ailment is a recipe for certain letdown.

And Spurs supporters can’t take anymore of those.

Please Tottenham, don’t venture down that ominous, dark and terrifying alley again.