Tottenham Hotspur have seemingly taken to life without Harry Kane with ease, but there likely remains one piece of business to be done before the transfer window slams shut…
Who could replace Harry Kane at Tottenham Hotspur?
Richarlison seemingly cannot be trusted as the long-term successor to fulfil that no.9 role, no matter how vocal Ange Postecoglou is in his praise for the Brazilian.
He simply does not offset any of the goals they have lost with the departure of their star striker, with three strikes in 38 appearances since his £60m move, and thus he must look elsewhere.
It may seem an impossible task to replace the England captain given how legendary he remains in north London, but with how free-flowing their start to the Premier League season has been, already it seems like they just need someone with some proficiency to truly thrive.
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Therefore, the claims from Italian outlet Calciomercato should please fans, as it named the Lilywhites as one of many suitors seeking to pry Mehdi Taremi from FC Porto.
They note that a bid could well come soon as they seek to bolster their striking options, with AC Milan having been deterred by the €30m (£26m) price tag that the Portuguese outfit maintains.
How good is Mehdi Taremi?
Despite being 31 years old, and perhaps too old for the all-action revolution Postecoglou is seeking to usher in, his arrival would offer a cut-price option that would certainly offer an instant uplift in goals, whilst fulfilling the role Kane did as a creative forward.
After all, the club's record scorer was the proud winner of both the Golden Boot and the Playmaker award during the 2020/21 season, having been lauded by former teammate Hugo Lloris for his versatility in attack:
"As you can see, he enjoys very much dropping (deep) to get the ball and make assists. We know he can make the difference in any moment. Whether he's close to the goal or not, he can do everything, and it's a big skill. It is a big help for the team when you have a player like him."
Pep Guardiola even boldly claimed:
"Harry Kane remains one of the best strikers I have ever seen in my life."
Funnily enough, this penchant for craving possession was a similar trait that Rio Ferdinand attached to Taremi, as he claimed during the World Cup:
"This guy knows how to score goals. He’s a bit of hybrid between a nine and a ten."
The former notion has been more than emphasised during his many years in Portugal, where the goalscoring machine boasts 80 goals and 49 assists throughout his 150 appearances for the Dragons, having scored 31 across all competitions just last term.
FBref helps to further outline the creative similarities he shares with Kane, as when compared to other strikers playing at a similar level across Europe he ranks in the top 11% for assists per 90, the top 12% for shot-creating actions per 90, and the top 7% for progressive carries and passes per 90.
It is no surprise that he was lauded as an "exceptional player" by journalist Farid Khan, given just how consistently prolific he continues to be at every level.
Whilst an ageing marksman, his signing would take up just a slice of the fee gained from the sale of Kane, and more than make up for his absence during this transitional period of the Postecoglou era.
