Tottenham Hotspur are ready to lean more on the talents of young striker Dane Scarlett going forward, despite the fact they are in the market for a new No.9 as they prepare to try and offload Brazilian frontman Richarlison in the January transfer window.
Scarlett has made just 22 senior appearances for Spurs in all competitions, scoring only once in that time after coming through the youth ranks at the north London club.
However, he appears to have caught Thomas Frank’s eye, especially when you consider that Harry Kane heir-apparent Will Lankshear was allowed to leave Tottenham on loan over the summer while Scarlett remained around the first-team squad.
The 21-year-old, who has had loan stints at Portsmouth, Ipswich and Oxford during his young career so far, impressed in his 10-minute cameo off the bench against Copenhagen in the Champions League.
Indeed, Scarlett won a penalty in stoppage-time, only for the man he could ultimately replace in the squad, Richarlison, to fire the spot-kick against the bar.
But with Scatlett very much in Frank’s thoughts, TEAMtalk’s Dean Jones has given some insight on what the future holds for the talented attacker.
Jones said: “Dane Scarlett could get more chances soon – even in the Premier League. It wouldn’t surprise me.
“He’s definitely rated within the set-up and they have been giving him plenty of exposure to life around the first team even when not involved actively. He made an impressive impact against Copenhagen and I think we will be seeing more of him over the next couple of months on the back of that.
“It might not be immediately, given their next games are United, Arsenal and PSG. But after that and leading into the new year, I would expect him to start building more minutes to see if he can make a bit of a mark on the team and boost their options and intensity in the final third.
“He’s a confident and capable player. He probably would have scored the penalty that Richarlison missed. There is also an argument that could be made that Spurs will keep him around beyond January, while they will be open to offers for Richarlison.”
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Tottenham expected to sign a new No.9
Scarlett’s opportunities may well have to come before the January window, given that TEAMtalk sources have informed us that the club are actively looking to strengthen their forward options in the new year.
Signing a new left-winger, as well as another striker, are both priorities for returning sporting director Fabio Paratici heading into the winter window.
Tottenham have been without arguably their top marksman Dominic Solanke since last August, as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury that ultimately ended up needing surgery.
Richarlison has hardly made a case to remain at the club in Solankee’s absence, despite his impressive start to the campaign. Loanee Randal Kolo Muani, however, did actually start to show some signs that he is getting to grips with life in England in the win over Copenhagen.
Offloading Richarlison does remain a serious option for Spurs, if they can find a suitor, with former club Everton known to be keen on a reunion.
If that happens, Tottenham will move to bolster the position and have a plethora of options who are currently on their radar.
At this stage, TEAMtak can confirm that their top two options are former Brentford attacker Ivan Toney and Juventus star Dusan Vlahovic.
Our insider Fraser Fletcher recently confirmed that Frank has been in ‘direct contact’ with his old No.9 about a return to the Premier League, with the 29-year-old currently scoring for fun with Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League.
Vlahovic, meanwhile, is expected to be available for a cut-price €20m (£17.5m, $23m) fee in January, due to the fact that his current Juve contract runs out in the summer of 2026.
The Serbia international has been a long-time target of Tottenham’s and Paratici’s strong Serie A connections give them a strong chance of completing a deal.
However, Tottenham are not the only club in for the 25-year-old, with Manchester United, Chelsea, Everton and West Ham also in the mix.
Either way, Spurs will be a club to keep a close eye on in January and TEAMtalk will be across all their movements.
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