Tottenham's Decision on Victor Osimhen as De Zerbi Seeks No.9
Tottenham have been offered Victor Osimhen this summer – and with it, a decision that could define Roberto De Zerbi’s early reign in north London.
The Nigerian striker, long linked with a move to England, has been put to several Premier League clubs. Spurs are among those sounded out by his camp as Osimhen looks to finally test himself in the Premier League.
Interest is not the issue. De Zerbi wants a ruthless centre-forward to spearhead his project. A true No.9, aggressive, relentless, capable of turning good football into hard numbers on the scoreboard. Osimhen fits that profile as neatly as anyone on the market: powerful, explosive, a proven finisher at the highest level.
The problem lies elsewhere.
A marquee signing with a price
Any serious move for Osimhen would force Tottenham into a painful choice. To make room in both the squad and the wage bill, one of Dominic Solanke or Richarlison would have to go.
Solanke arrived with promise and has shown flashes of why Spurs moved for him, but injuries have disrupted his rhythm and his ability to lock down the role as first-choice striker. Richarlison, by contrast, offers versatility across the front line and a wealth of Premier League experience, even if his output has not always matched his work-rate.
Moving either on is not a simple football decision. It cuts into the balance of the dressing room, the tactical flexibility De Zerbi currently has, and the financial picture the club must respect under modern regulations. Spurs cannot simply stack another huge contract on top of their existing structure without consequences.
And Osimhen would not just be another big earner. He would shatter their wage hierarchy.
The wage mountain
Right now, Osimhen’s gross salary sits at €360,000 (£309,000) per week. After tax at 20 per cent for professional footballers in Turkey, that drops to around €288,000 (£247,000) net.
Even at those current numbers, he would walk into Hotspur Way as the club’s highest-paid player by some distance.
England changes the equation again. With a tax rate of 45 per cent on his wages, Tottenham would need to offer a significantly higher gross salary just to match what he takes home now. To tempt him, they may have to go beyond that, ripping up their internal pay scale in the process.
For a club that has tried to maintain a relatively disciplined structure, that is not a detail. It is the crux of the entire operation.
Statement or risk?
From a footballing standpoint, the attraction is obvious. De Zerbi’s front-foot, high-tempo style almost begs for a striker of Osimhen’s calibre. With a focal point who thrives on quick service, aggressive pressing and penalty-box chaos, Tottenham’s attacking numbers could spike, and with them, their chances of pushing higher up the Premier League table.
But to get there, they must first decide who pays the price. Do they cash in on Solanke, betting that his injury record and adaptation curve make him the more expendable option? Or do they sacrifice Richarlison’s versatility and experience for a more specialist, potentially transformational No.9?
The transfer window clock is ticking. Osimhen’s camp has made him available. Spurs’ hierarchy now have to decide whether this is the moment to break their wage ceiling, reshuffle their forward line and make the kind of statement that announces De Zerbi’s Tottenham as serious contenders – or whether the cost of that ambition is simply too high.
