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Tottenham Could Sign A World-Class Striker For Cheap

Spurs fans have bemoaned chairman Daniel Levy's inability to sign a quality striker for a while. Other clubs have gotten great players for a bargain. Could Klass-Jan Huntelaar be a bargain for Spurs?

Manuel Queimadelos Alonso

Tottenham Hotspur have two senior strikers currently at the club. For most of the season Jermain Defoe has been the only one of those strikers that is fit. Now, Emmanuel Adebayor has returned to fitness, but has yet to actually start a game for Spurs this season. Without even one capable youth striker in the squad, thanks to Harry Kane being loaned to Norwich City, Tottenham don't have much cover in attack. This situation will be exacerbated when Adebayor leaves in January for the African Cup of Nations.

However, there will be one option available in January that would bring a cheap, world-class striker to White Hart Lane. That striker is Schalke and Holland hitman Klass-Jan Huntelaar. The former AC Milan and Real Madrid forward is out of contract in June and thus would be available on the cheap in January. In fact, any club not in Germany could sign Huntelaar to a pre-contract starting in January and he would join in the summer for free. Thus, Schalke have some incentive to move him for a reduced fee. Some sources are saying that the fee could be as low as £7 million.

The Hunter has scored 254 goals in 389 career appearances. Last season he had an incredible season scoring 48 goals for Schalke in 47 total appearances. This season he has scored 6 goals in 12 appearances in all competitions. He is an excellent number 9 and a capable finisher. The big Dutchman holds up play well and brings his teammates into the game well too. His positioning is also excellent, making him a big threat in the box.

Tottenham have pursued the 29 years-old twice in the past. His age now would make him a bit different than the young players Daniel Levy generally likes to sign, but the opportunity to add another potent striker to the Tottenham attack at such an affordable price could be too much for Levy to resist. Additionally, despite having played for big spenders Real Madrid and AC Milan, Huntelaar is rumored to only be on a wage of about £60,000 per week at Schalke, making signing him a real possibility for Spurs.

The true question here is, would Huntelaar want to come. I can certainly imagine that he would be going in search of Champions League football, something that Spurs at present cannot offer. Chelsea, also in dire need of striker reinforcements, would probably be Spurs' biggest competition for Huntelaar. Liverpool likewise need a striker, but their slow start to the season could put them out of the running for Huntelaar.

What do you think Spurs fans? Is Huntelaar a realistic option? Would you want him?