Former Tottenham striker Darren Bent has called for the club to “break the bank” in signing an immediate replacement for the injured Harry Kane – and sees PSG star Edinson Cavani as the ideal fit.
Spurs will be without Kane until April, with the forward needing surgery after tearing a tendon in his left hamstring during the New Year’s Day defeat to Southampton.
Jose Mourinho does not have another out-and-out centre-forward in his squad, with Heung-Hin Son and Lucas Moura appearing to be his options for filling the position.
However, Bent insists his old side must move to replace Kane in this month’s transfer window and believes Cavani, who has slipped down the pecking order at PSG since Mauro Icardi’s summer arrival from Inter Milan, would be perfect.
"Spurs now, in this window, need to go and sign a centre-forward, and not just one that can play backup to Harry Kane when he gets back,” Bent said on TalkSport.
"They need one to come in now, that’s ready to go. We spoke earlier about Cavani – there’s your guy, go and get him. He’s getting on in age but he can still do a job."
The arrival of a striker with the profile of Cavani could create a tricky situation when Kane regains fitness.
But with Kane set to miss key games in the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup, Bent says Mourinho and chairman Daniel Levy must put any reservations aside and act.
“They need to worry about the here and now and sign someone who can score goals right now,” he added. "You cannot worry about, ‘Okay, we can’t really upset the boat with Harry Kane when he comes back’. You’ve got no time to think about that.
"Harry Kane, once he gets fit, I’m sure he’ll get back into the side, but he might have to be patient. Right now they need to go and break the bank and bring somebody in. They might have to spend upwards of £60million because these guys don’t grow on trees, you have to spend the money."