Tottenham explode into race for £42m striker as Paratici pulls strings on stunning January deal | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur are being tipped to switch their focus for signing a new No.9 from Europe to Brazil, as sporting director Fabio Paratici looks to give Thomas Frank more firepower, although TEAMtalk can reveal why the latest links must come with a word of caution.

Adding a new striker in the new year has become one of Spurs’ top priorities due to ongoing injury concerns over Dominic Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani’s struggles since his loan switch from PSG.

As yet, there is now clear news on when either could return to action, leaving Richarlison as the only senior central striker in the squad, although Mathys Tel and Dane Scarlett are other options for Frank in that regard.

Tottenham have been heavily linked wth the likes of Ivan Toney, Dusan Vlahovic and even a shock return for Harry Kane, but latest reports suggest they are now looking at the South American market instead.

Indeed, it’s claimed that Spurs have joined the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea in showing firm interest in Palmeiras frontman Vitor Roque.

Football Insider reports that Vitor Roque is a forward who has been attracting plenty of attention from across the Premier League, with the 20-year-old having scored 20 goals in 52 appearances for Palmeiras.

Indeed, speaking on the Inside Track podcast about Spurs and other Premier League clubs’ interest in Roque, Pete O’Rourke said: “It is an interesting one. Obviously, Roque, when he joined Barcelona from Athletico in Brazil, there was a lot of hype about him, but he really struggled to make an impact for the Catalan giants.

“Then he obviously moved back to Brazil with Palmeiras in February of this year and to be fair to him, the player has rediscovered his best form.

“I think Vitor Roque might be one that might be more in the summer that some clubs might look at. You have also got reported interest from Chelsea and Tottenham in Vitor Roque as well.

“So I think it would be more than just Manchester United who will be interested in him if he does continue his fine form for Palmeiras.”

It has been reported that Palmeiras would only accept a bid of at least £42million (€47m / $55m) for the striker in January, amid interest from the Premier League.

Why Vitor Roque siging could be a huge gamble

While adding another No.9 to Frank’s squad has now become a major priority for Paratici, moving for Vitor Roque must be considered a gamble.

Tottenham already have one Brazilian striker who is incredibly inconsistent in front of goal in Richarlison and Vitor Roque showed in his small sample size in Europe that he was not quite up to the task.

Having officially joined Barcelona in January 2024, the frontman notched just twice in 16 appearances for the club before being loaned out to Real Betis for the 2024/25 campaign.

He managed to notch seven times in 33 outings for Betis before heading back to Brazil in February this year when Palmeiras splashed out an initial fee of €25.5million. At the time, that was a new record as the most expensive signing in South American football history.

Given his struggles to adapt to European football before, Spurs could be taking a massive gamble if they do move for the Brazilian over a more proven goalscorer on this continent.

First up, Tottenham have made a decision on whether or not they will sack Thomas Frank as the manager, as a Sky Sports pundit sends a warning to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium faithful.

Elsewhere, Spurs have decided against pursuing a deal for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic in the January transfer window, TEAMtalk understands, with Thomas Frank steering the club toward a different attacking profile.