The ideal £100m Harry Kane replacement is staring Spurs in the face as Real Madrid chase England skipper

I did not care for The Many Saints of Newark. It felt unnecessary and egregiously clunky in a way that its source material, The Sopranos, never did. One thing I did quite like about this vainglorious cash grab, however, was Michael Gandolfini.

When the prequel was announced, the most pressing question to emerge from the collective psyche was how one even begins to think about recasting a role as toweringly iconic as Tony Soprano. The prospect of anybody other than James Gandolfini donning the mob boss’ button down Hawaiian shirts or embodying his crooked smirk felt almost sacrilegious, even in a decidedly more youthful incarnation. The solution, as it transpired, was to put their trust in his son.

Tottenham Hotspur could be on the cusp of a similarly taxing dilemma this summer. How, if at all, can you hope to replace a presence as seminal as Harry Kane’s?

Rarely does a transfer window go by without some kind of speculation surrounding the striker. With every barren campaign at Spurs, the outside clamour for him to leave and pursue silverware elsewhere grows ever louder. Up until now, it has always felt a touch idle, but recent developments might just be enough to have those associated with the club nervously glancing over their proverbial shoulders.

You see, Karim Benzema has left Real Madrid for more arid climes. In response, Carlo Ancelotti has raised his magnificent eyebrow a notch or two higher, and has cast his affectionate gaze in the direction of north London. With talk of a substantial bid inbound, and with Kane’s contract set to expire next June and no concrete indication that an extension is forthcoming, Spurs now face an age old conundrum mulled over by countless generations of desperate gamblers before them; raise or fold?

The pros of Kane leaving are few, the cons are many. On the one hand, a departure would bring with it vast, vast slag heaps of money, and - to quote the immortal wisdom of Home Simpson’s inner monologue - money can be exchanged for goods and services. On the other, Spurs would be losing not just their best player, but also their all-time record goalscorer, their talismanic leader, and in many cases of late, their only reason for getting out of bed in the morning. Decisions, decisions.

Except, of course, it is a decision that might not be theirs to make. If the financial incentives become to great, or if Kane himself intimates a desire to leave, hands could be forced and black holes could be torn open - and then we’re back to the ol’ Gandolfini quandary; who is worthy of succeeding him?

Well, dear reader, I have a suggestion, but I don’t know if you’ll like it. Just promise you’ll hear me out. And preferably not laugh. I think that in the event of Harry Kane leaving Tottenham, they should sign Evan Ferguson from Brighton.

First, let us address the reasons as to why this is a ridiculous notion - because, yeah, I am aware it sort of is. For one thing, Ferguson is a child. Not literally, of course, but he is only 18 years of age, and in footballing terms that makes him practically foetal. To contextualise, he was born three days after Lionel Messi made his league debut for Barcelona. And just over a fortnight after Desperate Housewives premiered on ABC.

Naturally, that in turn means that he is relatively unproven. At the time of writing, he has made just 29 senior appearances for Brighton, and this season he only started 10 times in the Premier League. Again, foetal.

And yet, there is something special in there. Across those 29 outings, he has scored 10 goals and assisted four more. That’s just shy of a goal contribution every other game, and to reiterate, we’re talking about a player who has only legally been allowed to drink since October.

But the numbers only tell half the story. Whisper it, but there is something rather Kane-ian about Ferguson; the way that he floats around like a quietly scheming apparition, seeking neglected spaces to occupy and manipulate, the manner in which he can strike from anywhere - long ranged or close quartered - with so little warning and so little backswing on his effortless efforts. There are reasons why he is being talked about as a potential £100 million player in the future, and why the question of his international allegiance is routinely dredged up after just three senior caps for the Republic of Ireland. Tottenham should make their move before somebody else does.

Is it absurd to expect a teenager to come in and instantly replace one of the greatest strikers in world football? Yes. But is it also absurd to believe that one day in the not-too-distant future Ferguson himself could be one of the best around in his position? I don’t think so.

Of course, Spurs will argue that they need results immediately, not at some hitherto unspecified point in the future. That’s fair enough, but they do have other options readily available to them to help ease in any incoming acquisition. He may have been as lethal as a Nerf gun firing squad this season, but Richarlison was deemed worthy of a £60 million transfer fee just last summer, and players of that ilk don’t become genuine basket cases at the drop of a hat. It’s a novel idea, but perhaps if new manager Ange Postecoglou actually played him in his best position - that is, through the middle - then the Brazilian might start to show signs of improvement.

In 2022/23, Kane scored 32 goals in all competitions for Tottenham. With the proper tactical deployment and general management, there’s no reason why Ferguson and Richarlison between them couldn’t get at least somewhere near that tally. Is it the same as having the England striker leading the line? No, but it wouldn’t be the worst alternative.

Make no mistake, the Brighton striker would represent a gamble - but he could prove himself to be a short term risk with a major, major long term reward.