Saido Berahino, Charlie Austin or Javier Hernandez: Which striker should Tottenham sign?

Wanted man: Berahino is one of several strikers to be linked with Spurs
Getty
Sam Long19 August 2015

The transfer window is set to close in less than two weeks' time but Tottenham still need to complete a vital piece of business.

Roberto Soldado has - finally - been shown the door while Emmanuel Adebayor has been told he does not feature in Mauricio Pochettino's plans.

Although the pair's absence is likely to be welcomed by the majority of the White Hart Lane faithful, Spurs have left themselves light up front.

The talent of Harry Kane, the focal point of the north Londoners' attack, is to be supplemented by Clinton Njie, who arrived from Lyon last week, but the club's strikeforce appears to be some way short of the top-four tilt that is expected of it.

It could be argued that retaining the services of both Kane and Hugo Lloris should see Tottenham's summer transfer window regarded a success but another new arrival to bolster the frontline has become a pressing concern and the club's active pursuit of reinforcements suggests that they are not content with the options at Pochettino's disposal.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - AUGUST 08: Mauricio Pochettino Manager of Tottenham Hotspur gestures during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on August 8, 2015 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Tottenham have considered several targets, but which player represents the best value and is most likely to slip seamlessly into life at Spurs?

Daniel Levy's £18m bid for Saido Berahino was rejected by West Brom on Monday after club chairman Jeremy Peace declared that he he has no interest in selling the England Under-21 international.

Standard Sport understands that Tottenham are preparing a second bid of £22m and remain confident that they can convince Albion to part ways with their prize asset before September 1.

Saido Berahino

Age: 22

Premier League appearances: 72

Premier League goals: 19

Berahino is knocking on the door of the England squad and has been included in Roy Hodgson's set up previously, but is yet to make his debut for the senior squad.

Given that he was the third top scorer from these shores in the Premier League last season, his potential is plentiful, as is his sell on value. He is also the only one of our three contenders who has played alongside Kane.

But, having spoken of his desire to "move onto bigger things" in February, Spurs could be regarded as a stepping stone.

Meanwhile, Charlie Austin, began his career in non-league football; a far cry from the thrill that a 36,000 capacity that White Hart Lane could offer him.

David Rogers/Getty Images

The 26-year-old has been strongly tipped to leave Loftus Road throughout the summer as his impressive debut campaign in the top tier could not prevent Chris Ramsey's side from relegation.

Finding the net for a side entrenched in a relegation battle is far from easy and Austin would have the benefit of a superior supply line at Spurs, but questions would still be asked in regards to his ability to make the step up.

Austin, like Berahino, is on the cusp of a Three Lions cap, but could kiss goodbye to international recognition if he spends a year outside of the glare of the Premier League.

Charlie Austin

Age: 26

Premier League appearances: 35

Premier League goals: 18

Rangers boss Chris Ramsey has admitted that he is resigned to losing the striker, but so far the west London have stood firm on their valuation of the striker, whose contract expires next summer.

Given Austin's age he will soon be entering his peak years and would be comfortable if he was asked to play alongside Kane or deployed as a lone striker as part of Pochettino's preferred 4-2-3-1 system.

Manchester United's Javier Hernandez may boast the most experienced of the trio but he would be likely to struggle if he was to be fielded up front on his own, given his lack of aerial presence and small stature.

OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images

The Mexican international has proven pedigree at the top level but has failed to convince two managers in the wake of Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement that he is worthy of regular game time while a loan spell at Real Madrid failed to result in a permanent deal.

Javier Hernandez

Age: 27

Premier League appearances: 102

Premier League goals: 37

Louis van Gaal has suggested the striker will be given opportunities at Old Trafford this season, it is difficult to envisage a scenario where the majority of them wil not arrive from the substitutes bench.

A similar fate could await him at Spurs given that Kane is undisputed first choice and Hernandez might hold reservations about swapping one bench for another.

He may be out of form but Chicharito remains a superb option to call upon in the latter stages of games. His movement in and around the area is capable of posing plenty of Premier League defences problems even if doubts linger in regards to his ability to lead the line.

Which striker do you think Spurs should sign this summer? Have your say in Standard Sport's poll below.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in