Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly plotting their summer move for Burnley striker Andre Gray.
Burnley’s Andre Gray
According to The Mirror, Tottenham Hotspur are prepared to sell striker Vincent Janssen this summer in order to fund a move for Burnley hitman Andre Gray.
Spurs will be in the market for new signings this summer, given the limited impact from last summer’s signings such as Georges-Kevin Nkoudou, Moussa Sissoko and Janssen himself.
The Dutch striker may have smashed 31 goals in 49 games for AZ Alkmaar last season, but he has has endured a frustrating season with Spurs, scoring just five goals in all competitions, with only one from open play and one in the Premier League.
With Harry Kane enduring two major injury lay-offs this season, Spurs need strong depth behind the England international – and it’s believed that Mauricio Pochettino will mount a move for Burnley’s Andre Gray this summer.
Gray, 25, has risen from non-league football with Hinckley United and Luton Town to become a star with Burnley, first hitting 23 goals in their promotion-winning campaign last season, before notching eight goals in 26 appearances this term.
The striker has just over a year left on his contract at Turf Moor, and Burnley may be forced to cash in on the pacey attacker this summer – but The Mirror’s suggestions that Spurs need to sell Janssen to fund the deal raise questions.
Daniel Levy is certainly a frugal chairman, and Spurs do have a new stadium on the way, but with Champions League money again set to come into the club, landing a striker winding down his contract shouldn’t break the bank for Tottenham this summer.
Janssen has shown flashes of his quality; his link-up play against Burnley was promising, whilst he also held the ball up well against Swansea in midweek before setting up Son Heung-min for the second goal in a 3-1 win.
Tottenham’s Vincent Janssen looks dejected after missing a chance to score
Saturday was difficult for the Dutch international again, missing the target from a couple of yards out, but it’s sometimes easy to forget that, not only is Janssen still only 22, but he’s been on a stunning rise from the second division of Dutch football to the Premier League in less than three years.
Janssen deserves time to settle, and if Spurs want to become a challenger on a yearly basis, then more than two centre forwards may be needed anyway – and Gray certainly fits the bill as something different for Spurs, offering speed in behind compared to Janssen’s back-to-goal style.
Adding Gray to Janssen and Kane could be a smart move for Spurs if they can pull it off, and Janssen should only be sold if he really wants to leave White Hart Lane, and if Pochettino feels he simply won’t cut it in the Premier League; a possible reason why Gray is being targeted, given his proven record in English football.
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