Richarlison, Dusan Vlahovic or Kylian Mbappé? How Tottenham can replace Harry Kane's goals

©Imago/Content stadium

Tottenham Hotspur now look set to part ways with their prized striker Harry Kane, following a 19-year spell which has seen the striker go from youth prospect to club legend. With one year left on the player’s contract, the London club seem to be edging towards the prospect of selling the 29-year-old talent this summer rather than allow him to depart for free. 

Market Value

H. Kane Centre-Forward

€110.00m

Despite reported interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United, the England international looks set to depart the Premier League entirely and make the move to Bayern Munich. The Bundesliga giants have been pursuing a deal for Kane for the best part of a year and with the promise of silverware and a shot at the Champions League in particular, the striker seems intent on taking them up on their offer. 

What Kane will offer Bayern is well documented, but what the striker leaves behind is a club that has grown accustomed to his steady flow of goals. With 213 goals and 50 assists in the Premier League to date, Kane has established himself as one of Europe’s top No.9s. So how do Tottenham set about replacing such a remarkable talent? 

How reliant are Tottenham on Harry Kane’s goals? 

Before we get on to the matter of replacing Kane, we first have to acknowledge and quantify what his contributions to Tottenham have been over the last 10 seasons. And while his total goal tally is impressive in isolation, the striker’s vital role at the club becomes even more apparent when we consider just how many of Tottenham’s goals have come from the right boot of the striker. 

As the graphic above shows, Kane scored a remarkable 43% of Tottenham’s goals in the Premier League last season. That, undoubtedly, is a career high for the striker but as we can see over the course of his last 10 seasons at the club, Kane has routinely proven to be Spurs’ main source of goals. And over that period his average goal contribution in the league stands at a remarkable 31%. Which is exactly the kind of monumental figure the club will have to try and replace once he departs for Germany. 

Could Tottenham replace Kane’s goals with the current team? 

Once Spurs cash in on the striker it seems almost certain that they’ll go shopping for a new striker, but it is worth taking a look at Ange Postecoglou’s current roster of forwards to see if there are any immediate replacements to hand. The two most obvious candidates are Heung-Min Son and Richarlison. Although both players struggled for form last season, with just 11 goals and 10 assists between them in the league, Spurs fans would expect them to do much better in the forthcoming campaign. And that would probably be a safe assumption to make.

Player Comparison

Richarlison

Heung-min Son

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur

€40.00m

Market Value

€50.00m

26

Age

31

Centre-Forward

Position

Left Winger

Jun 30, 2027

Contract until

Jun 30, 2025

Full Player Comparison

Although Son has never been considered as a traditional No.9, he has proven to be a fantastic goalscorer in the Premier League and over the course of his career he has bagged 58 goals in 103 games. That works out at 0.48 goals per 90, which is an average any Premier League striker would be proud of. And while it may fall short of Kane’s average (0.71), there’s little doubt that the South Korea international will be vital to any post-Kane rebuild at Tottenham. 

Similarly, Spurs may find another solution to their Kane problems in Richarlison next season. While the Brazilian struggled for minutes and influence last season, his record at Everton points to a striker that averages around 0.34 goals per 90 minutes in the English top-flight. And while that may not seem like much, it’s worth bearing in mind that Richarlison achieved that at a club struggling to even maintain their Premier League status. With plenty of game time at the front of Tottenham’s new-look attack, the Brazilian will surely see those numbers increase dramatically. 

One final solution may come in the form of new signing Alejo Véliz, who joined the club from Rosario Central for €15m in early August. Although Véliz is only 19 and has no experience in a top, European league, the Argentine striker burst on to the scene at his former club with 11 goals in 23 games last season, averaging 0.55 goals per 90. Although no one would expect him to replace Kane, Véliz's goal contributions could prove vital in the coming season. 

Who could Tottenham sign to replace Harry Kane?

Naturally, the imminent departure of Kane has led to Tottenham being linked with a number of new strikers. Some entirely believable, others a little far-fetched. For example, the potential signing of Flamengo forward Pedro or Eintracht Frankfurt star Randal Kolo Muani makes a huge amount of sense. So too does the persistent reports linking Juventus No.9 Dusan Vlahovic with a move to London. However, the recent spate of rumours suggesting the club could enter the race to sign PSG striker Kylian Mbappé seem entirely unrealistic. 

Whoever Tottenham end up signing this summer, it seems almost certain that they won't be able to replace Kane's sheer volume of goals immediatetly. And while the club may end up finding and ideal, long-term solution eventually, a combination of goals from a smart new signing and existing players playing better than they did last season seems like the most logical solution to Tottenham's big problem.