Tottenham Hotspur are struggling to sign a truly great attacking player this summer transfer window. They have zeroed in on Cody Gakpo and Savinho from Liverpool and Manchester City, respectively, targeting quality players at Big Six clubs who can be even better with more responsibility and a more fitting role under Roberto De Zerbi. But despite months of negotiations, Spurs continue to strike out empty on their preferred targets.
Meanwhile, Tottenham were able to successfully bring in three blockbuster Premier League players in other positions. Jan Paul van Hecke joined at center back for over 50 million pounds, while defensive midfield stars Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes will be the new franchise pieces of the foundation of the team for a combined 185 million pounds.
Spurs and De Zerbi were able to put their money where their mouth is and bag their top targets in the middle of the park, but when it comes to chasing the upper crust of forwards already playing at elite clubs, Spurs are finding it difficult to make some noise. And Gakpo and Savinho still are not world class players.
Tottenham need to win first
What Tottenham Hotspur are realizing is that top forwards are a different breed. The ones at elite clubs are hard to sign since elite clubs tend to not to want to sell top young forwards to other big clubs, especially if they, like Manchester City and Liverpool, happen to play in the same league.
Meanwhile, the ones coming up from clubs that are not elite are also difficult for Tottenham to sign, because they are being courted by elite clubs, like Eli Junior Kroupi and Yan Diomande, and likely prefer winning Champions Leagues with PSG and Real Madrid to not even being in the competition right now - let alone coming close to winning one.
What Tottenham are realizing is that signing the best and most coveted players in the game who can score goals and change games on their own in the attack is about more than having the desire to sign the player or having the money. The most important thing to these players - and, really, to anyone in sport - is winning, and Tottenham have yet to prove that they can win major trophies.
Sure, the Europa League is nice and important in its own right, but the best players in the world don't even want to compete in the Europa League at all. They want to win the Premier League and the Champions League, and it will come close to winning one of those in order for Spurs to sign the Vinicius Juniors, Eli Junior Kroupis, and Ferran Torreses of the world.
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