Alderweireld Challenges Spurs to Secure Osimhen from Arsenal
Toby Alderweireld has thrown down a challenge to his old club. If Tottenham are serious about climbing back to the top, he says, they should go and steal Victor Osimhen from under Arsenal’s nose.
The former Spurs defender believes the Galatasaray striker is exactly what Roberto De Zerbi’s rebuilt 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.
Big spending, big hole up front
Tottenham have already torn up their own transfer records this summer. They smashed it once, then did it again, to land Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali for a combined £185 million, a statement of intent after flirting with disaster in a grim relegation scrap last season.
De Zerbi’s squad has been overhauled across the pitch. Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson and Martin Dubravka have all arrived to stiffen the spine and add experience. The message is clear: last year’s survival fight cannot be repeated.
But for all the investment, one glaring issue remains. A proven No 9.
Tottenham have looked at wide forwards such as Savinho, Cody Gakpo and Pedro Neto. Exciting, versatile, dangerous on the break – but not what Alderweireld believes this team truly needs.
He’s adamant: this isn’t the time for another winger. It’s the time for a finisher.
“You also need a good mix”
Osimhen, 25, is already in the sights of several Premier League heavyweights. Alderweireld knows that. He also knows some of them are hesitating.
“The only concern for clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United is maybe his age,” he 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.”
This is where Alderweireld leans on his own career. He’s seen dressing rooms built the right way – and the wrong way.
“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.
His reference point is telling.
“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 Alderweireld, Osimhen fits that template: a ready-made leader of the line who can carry the load now while the younger talents grow around him.
Arsenal interest and a complicated route
Tottenham’s problem is obvious: they’re not alone. Osimhen has drawn strong interest from Arsenal, who are also hunting for a centre forward capable of turning dominance into goals.
Reports suggest Galatasaray recently opened talks with the Gunners over potential deals involving Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri, with Osimhen floated as part of the conversation. The idea of a swap or package has been mentioned, but at this stage there are no active negotiations in place.
So the door is not closed. But it’s hardly wide open either.
For Spurs to make a move now would mean going head-to-head with a direct rival, and doing it late in the window, when prices rise and nerves fray.
Osimhen keeps his head down
Amid the noise, Osimhen has stayed publicly detached from the speculation. “I’ll focus on my job,” he said last week. “We’ll see and think about what comes next then.”
No promises. No hints. Just a striker keeping his options – and his focus – intact.
Tottenham, though, have a decision to make. They’ve rebuilt the squad, backed their manager and spent heavily. Alderweireld’s message cuts through all of that: without a ruthless centre forward, it might not be enough.
Do Spurs dare to crash Arsenal’s pursuit and finally fill the void up front, or will this be another summer where the one piece they really need is the one that gets away?
