Despite their precarious Premier League position, the mood around Spurs has been more positive since the international break. A much-improved performance against Manchester United, coupled with spells of dominance in the games before it, means there is a genuine feeling that it’s only a matter of time before things click for the North Londoners.
The issue, though, has plainly been a lack of goals — Spurs have just three of them in six Premier League games to date. And despite his equaliser at Old Trafford, the focus has understandably turned to Dominic Solanke’s lack of productivity in front of goal. He arrived from Bournemouth in 2024 as a club-record signing, and a return of 22 goals in 65 appearances across all competitions is simply not good enough for a club with Spurs’ level of ambition.
Solanke’s time has been punctuated by injuries, and he is clearly far from full fitness even now, but that shouldn’t stop Spurs from pursuing credible alternatives as early as the January window. The club need to retain physical presence, pressing and a willingness to run in behind, while combining that with a genuinely prolific goalscoring threat. Spurs had that for years with Harry Kane, and the challenge now is to find someone who can come close to filling that void. It is becoming increasingly clear that Solanke just isn’t that player.
Enter Samu Aghehowa. Fresh from impressing for Porto in the Champions League this week, even in a 3-2 defeat, the 22-year-old Spaniard fits the profile of player Spurs need to target.
Samuel Aghehowa after scoring a first-half goal during the FIFA Club World Cup (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)
Who is Samu Aghehowa?
Born to Nigerian parents in Melilla, Spain’s North African enclave, Aghehowa came through at Granada before joining Atlético Madrid in 2023. He was loaned straight to Alavés, where a breakout La Liga season made him one of Spain’s most talked-about young forwards. The summer of 2024 was a whirlwind: a move to Chelsea fell through, he won Olympic gold with Spain in Paris, and Porto paid €15m to bring him to Portugal. He made his senior Spain debut later that year, and his first season at the Dragão brought 25 goals. He had 20 more before a torn ACL against Sporting last February ended his season, cost him a place at the World Cup, and meant he watched from the sidelines as Porto won the title. He returned against Benfica in September after 223 days out.
Firstly, his scoring record deserves serious attention, and goals are ultimately the commodity a striker is judged by. He has sustained his output across two seasons at Porto, despite injury, scoring 46 goals in just 76 appearances across all competitions. At 6ft 4in he has the requisite physical presence, along with running power beyond Solanke’s. At 22, he still falls into the category of high potential with plenty to prove, but he clearly has the attributes to develop into a complete forward for a top European club. It’s also worth noting that Porto are an established Champions League side, so his performances have come at the very top of European club football as well as in a strong domestic league famed for developing young talent.
Solanke offers more than finishing: he presses, competes physically and helps connect the attack. Aghehowa could preserve many of those functions without Tottenham having to redesign their entire forward line. But they aren’t identical players, and Aghehowa still needs to show the same willingness to contribute outside the box, not just at the end of moves.
There is also a legitimate concern about Aghehowa’s injury history. A serious knee injury like an ACL tear still creates uncertainty around his explosiveness, his availability and his long-term development. The Spurs of old would have seen this as an opportunity to negotiate a much-reduced fee, and Spurs should indeed be willing to pay less given the risk involved.
Aghehowa doesn’t have to replace Solanke straight away. He could slot in alongside him in the squad, especially as he is still at the start of his career. But his combination of physical presence, movement and proven goalscoring is something Spurs shouldn’t ignore.
Samu Aghehowa could give Tottenham the kind of centre-forward they need. The challenge is making sure they pay for the player he is now, rather than the player they hope he will become.
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