The print edition of Record (08/08/23 – as relayed by Sport Witness) has revealed that Porto are calm about Tottenham’s interest in Mehdi Taremi as the striker has not pushed to join the North London club as of yet.
We were handed official confirmation this morning that Harry Kane had completed his permanent move to Bayern Munich after almost two decades with Tottenham. It has emerged over recent weeks that Taremi is one of the players that Spurs have identified as a replacement for the England captain (Sacha Tavolieri).
Porto not concerned about Taremi to Spurs rumours
Record have now reported that as things stand, Taremi is ‘available to stay’ as the centre-forward does not have an agreement with Tottenham or any other club. The outlet states that Porto value the experienced striker at €30m (£25.8m) but the club have not received any formal offers for the player so far.
In addition, it is alleged that the Iranian international has not shown any inclination to leave the Portuguese club and remains fully committed to the cause. I would be extremely surprised if Spurs pursue Taremi as Harry Kane’s replacement over younger options such as Gift Orban and Elye Wahi.
READ ALSO: Tottenham in talks to sign Gift Orban
Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly already opened talks for Gent’s highly-coveted striker Gift Orban, and are expected to submit a written offer next week as they begin life without Harry Kane.
With Harry Kane off to Bayern Munich, Tottenham may yet delve back into the market to ease the striker’s departure. And according to Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri, Spurs have already opened negotiations for Gift Orban as a potential Kane replacement, and have made a verbal offer of around €27 million.
Gent demand at least €30 million plus add-ons for their prized striker. The Lilywhites are expected to make a written offer for Orban next week as they look to reach an agreement.
It has been a busy summer at Spurs, with Ange Postecoglou in the hot seat after a long-running manager search. The Australian has already set about stamping his authority on a squad that finished a lowly eighth last time out, having already seen a raft of new signings arrive through the door.
However, the former Celtic boss has been dealt a tough blow after losing club captain Kane in recent days following a long-drawn transfer that ultimately ended with Spurs accepting a bid worth €100 million plus add-ons from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich for their all-time leading goal scorer.
Spurs are expected to bring in several attacking players now as they bid to add more firepower to their attack. However, The Athletic are reporting that Spurs might opt against signing a big-name striker during the current transfer window as they want to keep open the option of making a move for a like-for-like Kane replacement for currently banned Ivan Toney in the winter transfer window.
Instead, they are looking to sign a young, up-and-coming striker this summer, and it seems as though Gent hitman Orban is the prodigy in question, with reports suggesting that Spurs have been holding talks with the Belgian side over a potential deal for the wonderkid.
The Nigerian star has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the professional game, as just a few years ago he was turning out on the sandy pitches in Togo. He was subsequently snapped up by Norwegian side Staebek in 2021, and he notched 16 goals in just 22 games in the second tier of Norway.
That was enough to impress Belgian side Gent, who signed him in January 2023. In the second half of the 2022–23 season, Orban became one of the most in-form strikers in Europe as he netted a remarkable 20 goals across 22 matches in all competitions for Gent to end the season.
He made headlines by scoring a hat-trick in three minutes and 25 seconds, the fastest ever recorded in the history of a UEFA club competition. He is off to another fast start this season, scoring in his first Belgian league match and netting a hat-trick against Pogon Szczecin in UECL qualifications.
With a prolific eye for goals and bags of pace, he would be a great player for the present and the future at Spurs. That said, it remains to be seen whether Spurs are ready to hit the €30 million mark with their written proposal, with Gent determined to get their valuation.
