According to recent rumours, Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Udinese striker Beto this summer to relieve star talisman Harry Kane’s burden.
According to one Spanish newspaper, Spurs, along with Bayern Munich, Napoli, and Real Madrid, may be able to sign the powerful attacker.
Beto is valued at €30 million (£26 million) by his Serie A club – the amount is a clause in his contract – and with I Bianconeri unwilling to conduct business for a lower fee, interested parties have yet to begin negotiations.
With recent rumours that Bayern Munich is pushing for Kane’s departure, nearing an agreement in principle despite a stumbli
ng block in Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, the need to recruit a new first-rate forward has only heightened.
While the emphasis at Tottenham this summer will be on improving the backline and restoring balance to the squad by addressing the seasonal issue of a leaky defense, a centre-forward is not a bad bet.
Ange Postecoglou will have his work cut out for him in rebuilding Spurs after an eighth-place result meant that European football will be out of reach for the club next year, and Beto would add a fresh dimension to the mix.
Standing at 6 feet 4, the £3k-per-week striker has maintained a consistent rate of scoring in Italy, collecting 10 goals in Serie A last season before netting 11 this season.
The Brazilian threat would also add a fresh dimension to the mix, providing more physicality than Kane and possibly using his intimidating stature as a conduit and focal point from which the likes of Heung-min Son and Dejan Kulusevski might wreak havoc with well-timed inversions.
This is demonstrated by FBref, who ranks among the top 18% of forwards in Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons, the top 11% for clearances, the top 26% for interceptions, and the top 25% for aerials won per 90 over the past year.
The ability to consistently rank in the top quarter of positional peers across the aforementioned criteria demonstrates a talent for physicality all over the field.
And, despite Kane’s brilliance (he has 30 goals in 38 league appearances this season), he is in the worst 50% of every defensive measure FBref has to give.
“The way Beto spooks defenders is amazing,” remarked reporter Sam Tighe. Throw a ball into the channel for him to chase, and even if he doesn’t catch on to it, defenders will panic under his pressure and make the most irrational decisions or hurried clearances.”
With statistical similarities to Alexander Mitrovic and Ollie Watkins, the Fulham striker has been termed a “monster” by Andy Naylor, while Aston Villa’s goal-happy striker has been dubbed “lethal” by pundit Trevor Sinclair, the Lilywhites would secure a Premier League jewel.
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