Jose Mourinho Sends Warning to Transfer Targets Afraid of Competing with Harry Kane
By Ali Rampling
Tottenham head coach Jose Mourinho is adamant that he does not want a striker who is not prepared to compete with Harry Kane and Son Heung-min for a starting berth.
Spurs have already brought in midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, right-back Matt Doherty and goalkeeper Joe Hart ahead of Mourinho's first full season in charge, but a new forward remains on their wish list.
However, recruiting a striker has proved difficult thus far, with a potential lack of game time a concern for prospective strikers due to the status Kane holds at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Red Bull Salzburg's Patson Daka was one of a handful of players on Spurs' list of potential targets, but his agent has informed the club that he is not interested in moving to north London to simply be understudy to Kane.
In typical bullish Mourinho style, the Spurs boss insisted that the right striker will thrive off the challenge of competing with his main men, and if he cannot find someone with such an attitude then he will just do without.
"The point is not me convincing the striker is the striker convincing me," Mourinho said [via the Mirror]. "And if the striker is afraid to come to Tottenham, and the striker is afraid of competition then I don't want a striker.
"If he says I don't want to go because I don't want to be in a squad where we have Harry Kane, Son, Lamela, Lucas Moura then, goodbye.
"Yes, I want, I need a striker. The club know that I want a striker and they want a striker. Are we going to get one? I believe so. For the balance of the squad, we need it."
Spurs opted not to bid for Callum Wilson or Ollie Watkins due to their rocketing price tags, but Metz forward Habib Diallo and Napoli's Arkadiusz Milik remain on their radar.
A source has also told 90min that they are interested in bringing in Braga striker Paulinho (no, not that one).