Former West Ham man, Frank McAvennie has warned Spurs that Harry Kane will hinder them from signing a top striker.
The Lilywhites are in the race for Dusan Vlahovic and they are not alone.
The Serbian striker is hot property and he has thrived at Fiorentina because he is the key man for the Florence club.
If he moves to Tottenham, he would be behind Kane, who remains one of the best strikers in the world.
McAvennie is convinced Spurs’ striker targets would know they will unlikely be the first choice at the club as long as Kane remains there and it would hinder the club from getting a top forward.
“Any striker who comes in knows they won’t be number one,” McAvennie told Football Insider.
“That’s a problem, for me. It doesn’t matter who you are, you will be behind Kane in the pecking order.
“That’s why I think they will struggle to sign a top, top striker. By all accounts, Vlahovic is a top striker.
“Tottenham must know they can’t sell Kane. I don’t think anyone will go near him after what happened in the summer, he’s toxic.
“That means he will be here when this new striker comes in. So are Spurs going to spend £50million on a player who is only going to sit on the bench?
“I don’t see it. I don’t think Levy will sign off on that to be honest.
“That’s a big problem for me.
“I don’t think they are ready to phase Kane out and replace him.”
The Boy Hotspur Says
Spurs have struggled to get the best from Kane this season, but his class will eventually shine through.
Does Spurs need another top-class striker who is as good as Kane if the Englishman remains at the club?
As long as he doesn’t move to Manchester City, an above-average backup who knows where the goal is can support him off the bench.
But if Antonio Conte wants to set his team up with two strikers, then the Italian would probably need another quality striker like Vlahovic.