Alderweireld Challenges Spurs to Pursue Osimhen Amid Arsenal Interest
Toby Alderweireld has thrown down a challenge to his former club: if Tottenham are serious about stepping back into the elite, they should move now and hijack Arsenal’s pursuit of Victor Osimhen.
The ex-Spurs defender believes the Galatasaray striker is exactly the kind of ruthless finisher Roberto De Zerbi’s revamped side still lack, even after a summer of heavy spending.
Tottenham only just escaped a disastrous relegation fight last season. They responded by tearing up the script and pouring money into the squad. The north London club smashed their transfer record twice in one window, landing Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali for a combined £185 million.
They have already added Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson and Martin Dubravka. The spine looks stronger. The squad looks deeper. But one problem remains.
There is still no proven, top-level centre forward.
“Spurs could use a striker like Victor Osimhen”
For Alderweireld, the solution is obvious.
“Spurs could use a striker like Victor Osimhen, they need his goals because it’s what they lacked last season as well,” he told Hajper, making it clear that wide forwards and makeshift options will not cut it.
Tottenham have been linked with wide players such as Savinho, Cody Gakpo and Pedro Neto. Exciting, yes. But not what Alderweireld thinks this squad truly needs.
He insists the club must stop flirting with wide attackers and commit to signing a genuine No 9. In his eyes, that profile is Osimhen.
There is, he accepts, one hesitation among the Premier League’s biggest spenders.
“The only concern for clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United is maybe his age. He’s not the youngest player anymore and it seems like everyone wants to find a 23-year-old superstar who can bang in goals for the next seven or eight years, and I understand that, but you also need a good mix.”
Why experience still matters
Alderweireld leans on his own career to make the point. He has seen first-hand how a dressing room changes when proven winners walk through the door and set standards.
“That’s why it can be important to sign proven players who know how things go so they can bring on the younger, potential superstars alongside them, because they can set the best example,” he explained.
His reference point is his time at Ajax, a club famous for youth but powered by balance.
“I think about my time at Ajax. The mix was on another level. We had Dusan Tadic and Daley Blind and Frenkie De Jong and Matthijs de Ligt coming through. That’s what you need.”
It is that blend he believes Tottenham must recreate if they are to move from survival mode to serious contenders again: big-money prospects like Fernandes, established quality like Tonali, and a battle-tested striker who guarantees goals.
Arsenal interest and a complicated path
Signing Osimhen, though, is anything but straightforward.
The Nigeria international has drawn strong interest from Arsenal, who have been circling as they search for their own long-term answer up front. Galatasaray, sensing an opportunity, recently approached the Gunners to discuss possible deals involving Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri, with a potential move for Osimhen floated in return.
At this stage, there are no active negotiations. The situation is fluid, the lines of communication open but quiet. That is exactly the sort of gap a decisive club can exploit.
Tottenham, if they choose, could be that club.
Osimhen stays focused amid noise
For now, Osimhen is keeping his distance from the swirl of speculation around him.
“I’ll focus on my job,” he said last week when asked about the rumours. “We’ll see and think about what comes next then.”
While he concentrates on his current team, the question hangs over north London: after record spending and a narrow escape from the drop, will Tottenham take the final, expensive step and fight Arsenal for the striker who could redefine their season?
