Tottenham Make Moves to Sign Wantaway Nice Striker Alassane Plea as Harry Kane Backup
Tottenham have identified Nice striker Alassane Plea as the ideal backup to Harry Kane and have taken the first steps towards signing the £23m-rated Frenchman.
The 25-year-old has just enjoyed the most prolific season of his career, scoring 21 goals in all competitions as Nice finished 8th in Ligue 1.
With no European football to look forward to next season, Plea may seek a move away from the Allianz Riviera. He expressed his desire to join a bigger club earlier this year.
The Sun reports that Tottenham have moved on to Plea after giving up on Manchester United's Anthony Martial, and they have tabled a tempting opening bid.
Nice president Jean-Pierre Riviere has given Plea the green light to leave but he will not be allowed to do so unless a club meets Nice's valuation.
Plea has never played for the French senior team but was reportedly under consideration for the preliminary World Cup squad, though he was eventually overlooked.
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He made headlines in March for scoring four of Nice's goals in a 5-2 win over Guingamp. The only other player to score four goals in a Ligue 1 match last season was Neymar.
Although Tottenham can rely on the goals of Harry Kane, they have struggled to find an out-and-out striker who can deputise for him. Son Heung-min and Dele Alli can chip in with plenty of goals, but neither is a goal poacher.
Roberto Soldado, Vincent Janssen and Fernando Llorente have all been disappointing as Kane's backup in recent years, so Mauricio Pochettino will hope that his next signing can be more effective. Whether that is Plea remains to be seen.
