Tottenham face playing the rest of the season – still in the top-four race, still in the Champions League and FA Cup – without a fit senior striker.
How did we let this happen? It is Daniel Levy’s fault, surely?
Well yes, and no.
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Levy and Mauricio Pochettino between them must take responsibilty for the imbalance of the squad and the burden placed on Harry Kane over the last half-decade – a burden that has taken its toll on his body and our results.
Over a period of 10 transfer windows now, dating back to the summer of 2015, we have failed to identify the right forward to play back up to Kane, or refused to pay up for any front-man who may have been suitable.
Clinton N’Jie and Vincent Janssen were both major flops. Fernando Llorente was not much better aside from a couple of Champions League cameos.
But for this January alone, Levy is blameless for not bringing in a striker. Some fans will accuse the chairman of stinginess, again. But look at the market. Chelsea and Manchester United, two of the most shameless overspenders in world football, both wanted a No.9 and drew blanks until the latter made a desperate move for Odion Ighalo on deadline day.
Levy would have been equally criticised for a lack of ambition had he signed Ighalo, as he has for not signing anyone. But that was who was available. Him and Willian Jose, and Krzysztof Piątek – a thoroughly uninspiring list of names destined to follow the likes of Janssen and N’jie.
The players just weren’t there, although that does not excuse the failings of previous windows. We’ve searched five years for a decent deputy for Kane and come up short, and maybe that is where we have been going wrong.
Perhaps we should be looking for a top-quality forward who could play in the same team as Kane as well as instead of him. Now there’s a thought.
And it can’t take us 10 transfer windows to get it right this time…