Tottenham Hotspur are looking to sign a striker this summer, and the North London club’s key decision-makers have seemingly compiled a four-man shortlist of potential options for this position.

The Lilywhites have thus far focused on rebuilding their defence and midfield in this window. Sandro Tonali arrived from Newcastle for £100million, while Mateus Fernandes joined from West Ham for £85million, giving Roberto De Zerbi an entirely new double pivot in the middle of the park.

Jan Paul van Hecke was acquired from Brighton for £52million, while free agents Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka have also been added to De Zerbi’s squad. Now, the attention turns to bolstering the forward department, with Richarlison potentially on his way out and Dominic Solanke in need of competition.

With that said, here are four targets Spurs have reportedly identified to fill this roll in their squad.

Eli Junior Kroupi

via Reuters

Club: Bournemouth

Age: 20

It’s well documented that Eli Junior Kroupi is Tottenham’s priority target up front. The Bournemouth youngster enjoyed an exceptionally productive debut campaign in the Premier League, netting 13 goals in just 33 appearances.

He’s the hottest young striker on the market, with his ability to get an abundance of high-quality shots at such a young age an extremely positive sign regarding his development. However, this potential is reflected in Bournemouth’s reported price demands.

Reputable journalist Alasdair Gold suggests that the Cherries have placed an £85million price tag on Kroupi, and that any offers that fall short of this valuation will be swiftly dismissed. For the time being, Spurs are seemingly weighing up alternatives, in the hope that Bournemouth budge.

That said, it’s certainly plausible that the south coast club don’t fold, having already lost their manager this summer ahead of their first-ever season in European competition. Spurs may be forced to look at other options on their shortlist.

Omar Marmoush

Club: Manchester City

Age: 27

Rather than going for a young striker who can develop alongside De Zerbi’s evolving project at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Lilywhites could turn to a more ready-made, experienced option who can fire them straight back into Europe at the first attempt.

Caught Offside and other credible sources believe Omar Marmoush is being targeted by Tottenham, and the Egyptian would certainly fit this alternative profile. Things haven’t gone according to plan for Marmoush at Manchester City, with Pep Guardiola struggling to find a way to accommodate him alongside Erling Haaland at the Etihad.

Now, it appears Enzo Maresca may not be fond of the 28-year-old, with the Italian potentially willing to sanction his departure. The former Eintracht Frankfurt man could simply do with an injection of faith from his coach, and De Zerbi can provide this.

While not an out-and-out striker, Marmoush’s versatility would make him a useful squad member at Tottenham, supplying De Zerbi with a multitude of options in terms of his attacking configurations.

Nicolo Tresoldi

Club: Club Brugge

Age: 20

If Spurs do want to stick with a younger age profile but cannot land Kroupi, then they could turn to Nicolo Tresoldi. According to TEAMtalk, Tresoldi is under consideration by the Tottenham recruitment team.

Netting 23 goals and providing seven assists last season for Club Brugge, the German has demonstrated a capacity to deliver output as a lone number nine. While the Premier League would be a major step up for him, his production at the age of just 20 is promising, and he’d be worth a punt should Spurs be able to land him for a reasonable price.

If he’s not good enough for the English top flight, Tottenham can probably move him on in a year or two at a minimal loss, and they still have Solanke to pick up the pieces. If he is, then it could prove to be a very smart investment.

Fisnik Asllani

via Reuters

Club: Hoffenheim

Age: 23

Another name seemingly on Spurs’ shortlist is Hoffenheim’s Fisnik Asllani. The same report from TEAMtalk suggests the Kosovan and Tresoldi are the Lilywhites’ two primary alternatives for Kroupi, if Bournemouth hold firm on their excessive valuation.

Asllani, whilst promising, would represent much more of a gamble than Tresoldi. While his German counterpart has been playing in a much less competitive league, Asllani’s output pales in comparison, and he’s three years younger.

Last term was the 23-year-old’s first full season in a top five league, and he contributed to 19 goals in 35 appearances. While this is a respectable return, it doesn’t scream potential Premier League superstar, whereas that’s certainly still in the range of outcomes for Tresoldi.

West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo is desperate to add some bite into his centre midfield this summer, following last year’s disappointing Premier League season.

The Hammers cannot continue to rely upon the legs of 31-year-old Tomas Soucek to do the heavy work, while 20-year-old talent Mohamadou Kanté still needs nurturing and academy graduate Freddie Potts is set for a move to Belgium.

The bright spark last season was former Southampton man Mateus Fernandes, who has now joined Tottenham Hotspur for a lofty £85 million. That money must be reinvested in the midfield and West Ham appear to know their number one target in Celtic star Arne Engels.

Nottingham Forest rival West Ham for midfielder

West Ham are in talks with Celtic over the transfer move. Engels is known to have interest from a number of Premier League sides, with Nottingham Forest having had multiple offers rejected by the Glasgow giants on Deadline Day in February.

Forest are desperately browsing the market for a new midfielder, and could once again return for Engels, but the priority target at the City Ground is currently Tottenham Hotspur man Lucas Bergvall.

At this stage, it is the Hammers who are frontrunners for a deal. Engels has another two years left to run on his Celtic contract but Hoops boss Marin O’Neill confirmed this week that a bid had been submitted for the player. The veteran manager claimed the offer didn’t ‘remotely meet their valuation’.

Celtic set Arne Engels asking price

Having cashed in on Fernandes, as well as earning £68million through the sale of Crysencio Summerville, West Ham are in something of a comfortable position financially.

ExWHUEmployee claims that Celtic will demand £25million to green light an exit for Engels which, despite reported competition from Premier League clubs, feels a realistic fee for the Hammers.

West Ham are yet to cough up a significant transfer fee this summer, with the only outlay being the £1million spent on under-21 star Keiber Lamadrid from Deportivo La Guaira.

Celtic paid £11million to sign Engels from Augsburg in the summer of 2024, in what was a club record transfer fee. The midfielder has gone on to make 98 appearances for the club. He could play for O’Neill in the Scottish Premiership opening fixture on Monday night, when Dundee visit Celtic.

You know what they say: money does, in fact, make the world go around. Not only in day-to-day life, but also in the ever-flourishing world of professional football. The best players on the planet receive eye-watering amounts to represent the biggest clubs around, with figures reaching a ridiculous level.

The emergence of wealthy divisions such as the Saudi Pro League hasn’t just provided generational wealth, but an alternative to the superpower of the Premier League. In years gone by, the English top-flight was the end goal for almost all British footballers, but that isn’t necessarily the case in 2026.

Some of the finest players to come from the United Kingdom have decided to take the leap and move abroad to forge a different career for themselves rather than fighting for a fair crack at the whip in England. So, who are the top earners among those British stars who have taken this step? Find out below.

11

Jobe Bellingham

£77,482-per-week

Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge

Although Jobe Bellingham was keen to forge a career of his own and not follow in the footsteps of his brother, Jude, he chose to join his sibling’s former club, Borussia Dortmund, after a brilliant stint in the Championship with Sunderland. The youngster put pen-to-paper on a five-year deal worth a cool £77,482-per-week.

While it’s fair to say Bellingham isn’t as talented as his brother, at 20 years old, he still has the world at his feet. That said, the midfielder failed to score a single goal for his club in his debut campaign. He’ll be hoping to add more goals to his game in the coming seasons.

10

Ruben Loftus-Cheek

£84,213-per-week

REUTERS/Daniele Mascolo

Chelsea’s youth academy has been renowned for consistently producing gems over the past 20 years. Midfield general Ruben Loftus-Cheek looked to be the next big star to emerge from the west London outfit, breaking into the first-team as a teenager.

However, despite playing a squad player role in a Premier League success, the Englishman decided to move to Italy in search of more game time and responsibility. The 30-year-old is a reliable and versatile player who can play anywhere in the engine room, although the Rossoneri haven’t been at their best since his arrival on his £84,213-per-week salary in 2023.

9

Scott McTominay

£91,271-per-week

REUTERS/Ciro De Luca

Manchester United supporters initially thought it was the right time for Scott McTominay to seal a move away from Old Trafford after failing to cement a place as a regular starter in Erik ten Hag’s side. After coming through the youth ranks at the club, the Scotland international was snapped up by Antonio Conte’s Napoli.

While some may have raised an eyebrow at the likes of McTominay and Billy Gilmour moving to the Italian top-flight, the Scottish pair played a big part in the Naples-based outfit’s 2024/25 title charge against Champions League finalists Inter Milan, which they ultimately won in terrific fashion. McTominay, as expected, was critical.

8

Josh Brownhill

£100,464-per-week

Perhaps the most surprising name on this list, Josh Brownhill is among the 10 highest-paid British footballers playing abroad, earning more than the likes of McTominay and Loftus-Cheek. That is despite him never featuring for England at any level.

In the 2024/25 season, the Warrington born midfielder was influential as Burnley secured their place back in the Premier League. Burnley’s captain scored 18 times as the club amassed 100 points. The Clarets were desperate for their talisman to stay, but Brownhill had other plans. He rejected their contract offer and moved to Saudi Arabia, signing a deal worth just over £100,000-per-week with Al Shabab Club.

7

John Stones

£121,641-per-week

REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

John Stones’ highly successful 10-year stint at Manchester City came to an end in the summer of 2026. The Englishman made 295 appearances across his spell, but, after suffering from numerous injuries in recent years, both parties decided that it was best for him to move on and search for pastures new.

Stones showed the world what he could do at the 2026 World Cup as he starred in England’s run to the semi-finals. His performances attracted the attention of Italian giants Inter Milan, and the Barnsley-born defender decided to sign a £121,641-per-week deal with the 21-time Italy champions.

6

Mason Greenwood

£164,157-per-week

REUTERS/Alexandre Dimou

Whatever you think of Mason Greenwood, there is no denying that he is a superb footballer. His exploits at Marseille, where he hit the back of the net 48 times across two seasons, convinced Fenerbahce to splash out €45 million on his services in the summer of 2026. He signed a four-year deal worth just over £160,000-per-week.

Had it not been for his off-the-field issues, he would almost certainly still be playing in the Premier League, and also for England. However, it is highly unlikely that he will ever represent the nation of his birth again, and there has been heavy speculation that he will change his allegiance to Jamaica.

5

Anthony Gordon

£196,989-per-week

REUTERS/Albert Gea

There was somewhat of a mass exodus from Newcastle United in the summer of 2026, and Anthony Gordon’s departure for Barcelona kicked the outgoings off. Despite having the option to sign Marcus Rashford on a permanent deal for just €30m, Barca decided against that and instead signed England star Gordon in a €80m deal.

The English winger, who has pace to burn and energy in abundance while also having an eye for goal, signed a five-year deal worth £196,989-per-week. He’ll be looking to follow in the footsteps of Gary Lineker and become an icon for the club.

4

Trent Alexander-Arnold

£273,650-per-week

Lee Smith via Reuters

Trent Alexander-Arnold – widely regarded as one of the best right-backs in world football – finally swapped England for Spain after long-standing interest from Los Blancos and his first unveiling was mightily impressive as he spoke fluent Spanish.

Although he technically signed on a free transfer, the club paid a fee of €10 million to have him arrive ahead of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, and handed him a huge £273,650-per-week contract. Despite flashes of brilliance, his talent hasn’t quite transcended into Spanish football, and whether he will ever thrive at the Spanish giants remains to be seen.

3

Jude Bellingham

£341,940-per-week

REUTERS/Kacper Pempel

Jude Bellingham could well be the biggest star England boast, with the Real Madrid superstar central to anything his club or country do. Since he arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu from Borussia Dortmund in 2023, the 23-year-old has been nothing short of sensational.

He’s among the top earners in La Liga along with the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior, which is incredible company to be in at such a young age. He hasn’t yet experienced Premier League football, but English fans will hope someone can fork out enough to tempt him away from his near £342,000-per-week wage in Spain eventually.

2

Harry Kane

£410,393-per-week

England’s Harry Kane looks worried via REUTERS/Peter Cziborra

Harry Kane is England’s best striker and the nation’s top goalscorer of all time. Despite this, he isn’t the highest-paid English player in the world right now. Still, bringing home just north of £400,000 every seven days isn’t something to complain about.

The former Tottenham Hotspur hero earns his money by consistently doing the hardest thing in the game, putting the ball in the back of the net. Kane has 146 Bayern Munich goals in only 147 appearances for the Bavarian outfit, as he continues to prove exactly why he’s commonly admired as one of the best strikers on the planet.