Tottenham Hotspur concluded their pre-season tour in Japan with a 2-1 defeat against Bayern Munich, with 20-year-old midfielder Gabriel Vidovic opening the scoring before Ange Postecoglou's side ran out of steam and succumbed to pressure.
The general theme emanating from the game circles around the lack of a centre-forward, with Postecoglou admitting before the contest that bolstering the striking position will be his outfit's "focus" across the final month of the transfer window.
Having finished fifth in the Premier League last season, suffering a nosedive after an incredible early run of form, issues were presented down at N17, and while there's an underlying sense that things are moving in the right direction, leaving the No. 9 spot short next season might hinder the Australian manager's ambitious vision.
Indeed, having yet to sign a direct replacement for Harry Kane, who joined Bayern one year ago, the Lilywhites are pushing to sign Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth – with a dynamic partner already lined up.
Spurs transfer news
Solanke could be the perfect focal point up front to charge Postecoglou's attack, but perhaps more excitingly, Spurs are looking to add winger Pedro Neto to the ranks.
According to Caught Offside, Postecoglou is eager to sign the Wolverhampton Wanderers winger and has even sent club representatives to discuss a deal with Neto's inner circle.
Neto is valued at about £60m despite his injury troubles, but he's an immense talent and is also attracting interest from Arsenal, so Tottenham must move quickly to prevent their London rivals from scoring a damaging blow before the campaign has even started.
What Pedro Neto would bring to Spurs
Neto would be a significant addition, offering completely the kind of multi-skilled qualities to add a new dimension to the Tottenham attack, not just improving it but opening up new ways to implement Postecoglou's attacking approach.
2023/24
20
18
2
9
2022/23
18
13
0
0
2021/22
13
5
1
1
2020/21
31
30
5
6
2019/20
29
9
3
3
The Portugal international's fitness record does leave plenty to be desired but there's no denying his high-level ability, ranking among the top 1% of attacking midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists and the top 6% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref.
The £50k-per-week ace only completed 1,519 minutes in the English top flight last season but he certainly made good use of his time, scoring two goals and supplying nine assists.
Manchester City's playmaking monster, Kevin De Bruyne, was the only player to record more assists per 90 (0.73) than Neto last term (0.53), pointing toward an impact that could markedly improve the glaring issue in Postecoglou's squad.
His 1.9 key passes and dribbles per game, as per Sofascore, only expand that argument, capable of driving down the wings and supplying the centre-forward with constant support.
That centre-forward may well be Solanke, with the respective styles exactly what Tottenham need.
Perfect for Dominic Solanke
Before his efforts across the 2023/24 campaign, few would have considered Solanke to be anything more than a decent striker situated below the upper echelon of the Premier League.
He'd joined the South Coast club from Liverpool in a £19m deal in January 2019 after failing to make the grade at Anfield, bagging just one goal across 27 outings under Jurgen Klopp, and despite flashes of excellence, never really sustained a degree of prolificness to match those at the forefront of the Premier League striking order.
However, the 6 foot 2 sharpshooter has now grown into his skin and realised his athletic qualities, with The Athletic's Jacob Tanswell praising him as a "top, multi-faceted forward" after sharpening his skills across 2021 to 2023 (in the Championship with The Cherries).
He might have only posted six goals across 33 top-flight matches during the 2022/23 season, principally under Gary O'Neil's management, but his brutish presence and effectiveness in the box saw him succeed, also notching seven assists.
Last year, though, he went from strength to strength under the fluid football of Andoni Iraola, seemingly tailor-made for the style of football that mirrors the attack-focused brand of Postecoglou in a sense, making a telling comment on his chances of success in north London.
1.
Erling Haaland
31
27 (0.95)
2.
Cole Palmer
34
22 (0.75)
3.
Alexander Isak
30
21 (0.83)
4.
Phil Foden
35
19 (0.60)
4.
Ollie Watkins
37
19 (0.53)
4.
Dominic Solanke
38
19 (0.51)
It's exciting to think about the next step in the one-cap England international's development, where he could raise his ceiling considerably with Spurs, bolstered by the likes of Heung-min Son and James Maddison and, perhaps, Neto.
Harking back to that earlier point, Neto was one of the Premier League's most impressive playmakers last season and given that he plied his trade primarily from the right flank, this could be a winning combination to allow the aforementioned Tottenham stalwarts to forge a deadly and rounded attacking line.
Tottenham, at their best last year, were fluent in possession and ferocious out of it, seeking to overpower and outwork opponents and feed the ball toward the final third.
Hailed as a "pace monster" by analyst Ben Mattinson, Neto might just be the final piece of the puzzle in enhancing the flow, but he will of course reach his apex down N17 with a worthy focal frontman to leather the slick moves into the back of the net. Step forward, Solanke – a world of opportunity awaits.
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The talented midfielder would be an interesting addition to Postecoglou’s system.
1 ByJack Salveson Holmes