The £77m bold statement signing that could have Tottenham rubbing shoulders with Europe’s elite once again

Postecoglou and post-Kane, this is the new order of things for Tottenham Hotspur. On Sunday afternoon, Spurs took their first trepidatious steps into an unknowable future, and came home with a half-decent point against a very decent Brentford side.

There were, in fairness, positives aplenty to glean from a tentative display; after a summer of affable brainwashing, the free-flowing Ange-ball philosophy appears to be in something close to full swing; Destiny Udogie has ‘astutely-scouted sensation’ written through him like a stick of Brighton rock - or indeed, a typical Brighton signing; and James Maddison shone in a manner that suggests his move to a top six club has arrived approximately three summers too late.

Still, there are some lingering concerns to address, and not least the small matter of adequately replacing England’s greatest-ever goalscorer. In the short term, Postecoglou’s somewhat enforced solution was to entrust the unenviable task to Brazil’s current number nine, Richarlison - and while the avid chicken dancer’s performance wasn’t quite as dry as the taps at the Gtech Community Stadium, it did lack a certain Kane-esque potency that would suggest further attacking reinforcements certainly wouldn’t hurt.

To that end, several names have been mentioned as possible candidates to replace Duolingo’s newest subscriber - some whackier than others - Romelu Lukaku, anybody? But by far the one that intrigues most is Randal Kolo Muani.

Not to get all Troy McClure on you, but you might remember him from such recent moments as ‘being denied by a phenomenal save from Emi Martinez in the dying embers of the World Cup final’ and ‘briefly being linked with Manchester United before they opted to sign Rasmus Hojlund instead’. More obsessive consumers of football will know, however, that the Frenchman has been lighting up mainland Europe for quite some time now.

Last season, for instance, he registered 40 goal contributions - 23 goals and 17 assists - in 46 outings for Eintracht Frankfurt across all competitions. The year before that he struck 13 times in 41 appearances for a fairly average Nantes side. In short, he scores goals, and lots of them.

According to German journalist Christian Falk, Spurs have been monitoring Kolo Muani for a little while now. Writing in a piece last month, the renowned scribbler said: “Kylian Mbappe asked Paris Saint-Germain to go for the striker of his national team and also Tottenham have registered an interest with the representatives of Muani, but the eventual transfer fee could be too high.”

Now, ordinarily, that would spell the end of Spurs’ pursuit right there. PSG, you see, have a lot of money. Not only do Tottenham have less, but they tend to be more frugal with their coffers to boot. After bullying Bayern Munich into giving them £100 million for the recently-departed Kane, however - and with the need for another striker seemingly quite obvious - perhaps this could be the perfect time to shatter certain preconceptions about their spending habits.

Kolo Muani is said to be valued at around £77 million by his current employers. The Kane windfall covers that outlay and then some, and given the broader context of a new managerial tenure and the need to maintain optimism after such a seismic loss to the dressing room, fronting up and meeting Frankfurt’s demands would be a real statement of intent.

At 24, Kolo Muani is only just entering the prime of his career, and whoever signs him is going to be securing a deal that will almost certainly be the envy of the watching continental elite. If Spurs are serious about retaining their footing in such circles, then this is the kind of swoop that they need to be making. Hell, if Daniel Levy needs tempting any further, then somebody should pass him a note outlining just how high Kolo Muani’s resale value could be in the future if he lives up to his considerable potential.

For the first time in a long time, Tottenham do not have the luxury of Harry Kane leading their line. It is a disadvantage that every other club in world football has had to overcome for the entirety of his career. And yet, somehow, they have all managed - and several of them have even enjoyed an awful lot more success than Spurs have in the corresponding period.

What I’m trying to say is that there are ways of managing without Kane, and there can be life after his departure. But for that to be the case, Tottenham need to be savvy with their next centre-forward acquisition. Randal Kolo Muani could be their man.