Tottenham Hotspur’s focus should be on their remaining six matches in the Premier League as they fight to qualify for the Champions League next season.
Ange Postecoglou’s side are fifth in the division, as it stands, and six points behind Aston Villa, although they have two games in hand to catch up with Unai Emery’s men.
This means that there is still plenty for the Lilywhites to play for throughout the rest of the season, as they have a big goal to aim towards.
However, Daniel Levy and his team will already have one eye on the upcoming summer transfer window. They will be able to bolster Postecoglou’s squad with more signings ahead of next season, and a number nine appears to be on the agenda for Spurs.
The club are reportedly in the market to add a new striker to the group to compete with Richarlison for a starting spot in the lineup moving forward.
Tottenham’s interest in Eredivisie star
According to Medio Tiempo, via Sport Witness, Spurs are one of a number of clubs showing an interest in impressive Feyenoord centre-forward Santiago Gimenez ahead of next season.
The report claims that the Lilywhites have made an approach to speak with the player’s representatives, who have flown to Europe to speak with clubs, in order to sign the stunning finisher this summer.
However, it does not reveal whether or not the club have spoken with Feyenoord to discuss how much it would cost to snap him up from the Eredivisie outfit, whom he has been a crucial player for this term.
Tottenham are seemingly on the hunt for more firepower to bolster their options in the final third, but they are not the only side looking to the Netherlands to solve their problems.
Premier League rivals Arsenal are also said to be interested in the Mexico international, and could provide fierce competition to land the attacker’s signature.
Spurs are fifth in the Premier League table, with the Gunners sat top of the division, and this means that their neighbours could offer Champions League football to the striker, which could give them the edge in any race.
Juventus, RB Leipzig, and AC Milan are also said to be eyeing up the lethal marksman ahead of the summer transfer window, which means that the two English sides will also face competition from teams in Europe.
Earlier this month, 90Min claimed that it would take a fee of around £87m – an Eredivisie record – to sign the finisher, and it remains to be seen whether or not Spurs are prepared to go that high to land him.
Tottenham could now land a lethal partner for Heung-min Son by securing a deal to sign Gimenez from Feyenoord ahead of their rivals later this year, as the forward could strike up an exciting relationship with the South Korea international.
Heung-min Son’s Premier League season in numbers
The experienced forward has been deployed through the middle as a centre-forward and in his more natural position off the left throughout the season.
He has been in sensational form as both a scorer and a creator of Spurs in the Premier League, with an almost constant stream of goals and assists.
Whilst the bulk of the focus will be on his sublime level of production in the final third, Son’s work in the build-up to make Postecoglou’s system tick should not go unnoticed.
The 31-year-old star currently ranks within the top 3% of forwards in the Premier League for progressive passes (4.21) per 90, the top 15% for progressive carries (3.12) per 90, and the top 6% for pass success rate (81.7%).
This shows that he has been one of the best attackers in the division in build-up, as he has the quality to effectively and efficiently progress play through his forward-thinking passing and ball-carrying, to get himself and his teammates into dangerous positions at the top end of the pitch.
| 23/24 Premier League | Heung-min Son |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 29 |
| Goals | 15 |
| xG | 9.32 |
| Assists | 9 |
| Big chances created | 17 |
| Stats via Sofascore | |
As you can see in the table above, Son has also been effective in the final third with 24 direct goal contributions in 29 appearances for Tottenham.
His return of 15 goals from 9.32 xG also speaks to his exceptional finishing quality, as he has significantly outperformed his expected tally, whilst his teammates have not made the most of the ‘big chances’ that the South Korean dynamo has created for them.
Postecoglou could now bring in a lethal centre-forward to profit from Son’s creativity by winning the race to sign Gimenez from Feyenoord this summer.
Why Spurs should sign Santiago Gimenez
The 23-year-old Spurs target has been in fantastic form in front of goal throughout the 2023/24 campaign and could provide the team with another reliable source of goals.
He has racked up 24 goals and seven assists in all competitions for the Dutch side this term, after a return of 28 goals in 50 matches last season for Feyenoord and Cruz Azul combined.
Gimenez, who was hailed as “unstoppable” by talent scout Jacek Kulig earlier this term, has showcased his goalscoring quality on a regular basis in the Eredivisie, as you can see in the table below.
| 23/24 Eredivisie | Santiago Gimenez |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 29 |
| Goals | 21 |
| Sofascore rating | 7.26 |
| Assists | 5 |
| Big chances created | 7 |
| Stats via Sofascore | |
His return of 21 league goals for Feyenoord means that he has plundered at least six more goals than any Tottenham player has managed in the Premier League, as Son is the team’s top scorer with 15.
The left-footed star, who scored two goals in four Champions League games earlier this season, is more than just a goalscorer for the Eredivisie side.
He currently ranks within the top 33% of forwards in the division for Expected Assisted Goals (0.15) per 90, the top 34% for assists (0.19), and the top 30% for progressive carries (1.73) per 90.
