Tottenham Hotspur are already plotting to add more firepower to their forward line in January.
Over the last couple of weeks, it has emerged that Spurs are on the hunt for a No.9 to replace Richarlison. The Brazilian international has been frozen out of the Premier League squad by Roberto De Zerbi after failing to secure a move away from N17 in the summer. It looks like the centre-forward has already played his final game for the club, with the Lilywhites reportedly keen to move him on during the winter transfer window.
A striker appears to be the need of the hour as goals have been extremely difficult to come by for Roberto De Zerbi’s side. They have scored just twice in their five Premier League games this season. Dominic Solanke still appears short of full fitness, having failed to make any sort of impact across five games, while summer signing Omar Marmoush is still waiting to break his duck.
Tottenham, Barcelona eye move for Benfica marksman
According to an exclusive from CaughtOffside’s The Daily Briefing, Tottenham and Barcelona are competing to sign Benfica striker Vangelis Pavlidis ahead of the January transfer window.
Spurs have repeatedly watched the Benfica star and are considering whether to make a formal approach. The 27-year-old’s contract at Benfica contains an €100 million release clause.
Vangelis Pavlidis has enjoyed an explosive start to the 2026/27 season, netting 14 times in his first 13 appearances for Benfica in all competitions. Unsurprisingly, this has caught the attention of several top clubs across Europe, with Barcelona understood to be vying for his signature. The Catalan giants are still searching for an ideal replacement for Robert Lewandowski, who left the club at the end of last season.
Spurs not in a position to trigger Pavlidis’ hefty release clause
Tottenham splashed close to £400m during the summer transfer window to rebuild their squad. The new faces have not had the desired effect on the pitch, resulting in Spurs’ dismal start to the campaign.
Recent reports claim that the Lilywhites remain keen on adding to their forward line in the mid-season trading period but are not prepared to commit a similar amount of money to what they did in the summer. This stance is totally understandable as our club have the responsibility to balance the books after such a massive summer outlay.
This means Tottenham would be in no position to trigger Pavlidis’ €100 million release clause in the winter window. Also, Benfica would not want to lose their star striker midway through the campaign as they compete on all fronts.