Alderweireld Challenges Spurs to Sign Osimhen from Arsenal

Toby Alderweireld has thrown down a challenge to his former club: if Tottenham are serious about climbing back to the top, they should go and steal Victor Osimhen from under Arsenal’s nose.

The ex-Spurs defender believes the Galatasaray striker is exactly what Roberto De Zerbi’s new-look side is missing.

"Spurs could use a striker like Victor Osimhen, they need his goals because it’s what they lacked last season as well," Alderweireld told Hajper, cutting straight to the point.

Tottenham only just survived a disastrous relegation scrap last season. They’ve reacted by tearing up the script and spending big. Very big.

The north London club have already smashed their transfer record twice in one summer, landing Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali for a combined £185 million. Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson and Martin Dubravka have also walked through the door as part of a sweeping rebuild.

Yet for all that outlay, the message from Alderweireld is blunt: without a top-class No 9, the job is not done.

“Forget the wingers – get a real No 9”

Tottenham have explored wide options. Names like Savinho, Cody Gakpo and Pedro Neto have all been linked as part of plans to sharpen the attack.

Alderweireld isn’t convinced that’s where the real upgrade lies.

He insists Spurs must go after a true centre forward, and in his eyes Osimhen is the profile they cannot ignore – even if Europe’s heavyweights are circling.

"The only concern for clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United is maybe his age," Alderweireld said. "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."

That “mix” is a theme he returns to again and again.

Ajax lessons: why experience still matters

Alderweireld leans on his own career to make the case. He knows what a balanced squad looks like, and he saw it at its best in Amsterdam.

"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.

"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."

For him, Osimhen sits firmly in that “proven” bracket – a striker who has already shown he can carry an attack, and one who could, in theory, guide Spurs’ younger talents while delivering the goals they so badly lacked.

Arsenal interest complicates Spurs’ dream

The problem for Tottenham is obvious. They are not alone.

The Nigeria international has drawn serious interest from Arsenal, who have been weighing up their own options at centre forward. Recent reports suggest Galatasaray approached the Gunners to explore possible deals involving Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri, with a potential Osimhen move floated in those conversations.

At this stage, though, there are no active negotiations. The situation remains open, the door slightly ajar for any club brave enough – or rich enough – to walk through it.

Osimhen, for his part, is keeping his head down.

"I’ll focus on my job," he said last week when asked about the constant swirl of rumours. "We’ll see and think about what comes next then."

So the race is there to be won. Arsenal have the interest. Spurs have the need. Alderweireld has made his plea.

Now the question is whether Tottenham’s new era under De Zerbi will be built around a marquee No 9, or whether they risk heading into another season without the one thing their former defender insists they cannot do without: a striker who lives for goals.