Tottenham are weighing up a January move for Marseille forward Amine Gouiri, but the reunion Roberto De Zerbi would love depends on a striker leaving N17 first.
According to CaughtOffside, which credits Sport Witness, Spurs are interested in the 26-year-old Algeria international as De Zerbi looks for more attacking options before the winter window opens.
It is not a new name around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Spurs explored a deal in the summer, but it fell through because they could not offload Richarlison or Dominic Solanke, and nothing formal ever went to Marseille.
This time the order of business looks clear. The club are expected to sort out the Richarlison situation first, and only then decide whether to make a formal approach for Gouiri in January.
Why do Tottenham want Amine Gouiri?
The short answer is De Zerbi. He is the man who brought Gouiri to the Velodrome, signing him from Rennes on the final day of the January 2025 window, and the forward hit the ground running with 10 goals in his first 14 Ligue 1 games that spring.
CaughtOffside puts his record under De Zerbi at 17 goals and six assists. Last season was quieter, with eight league goals in 22 appearances, but he has started this one well: five goals and two assists in his first eight Ligue 1 outings.
He is technically sharp and versatile, comfortable through the middle or drifting wide. He is more of a nine and a half than a pure penalty-box striker, the type who drops in to link play and still carries a goal threat, which is exactly the profile De Zerbi likes his forwards to have.
That familiarity matters. A manager who has worked with a player every day on the training ground knows what he is getting, and that takes a lot of the guesswork out of a January deal.
Richarlison holds the key to a Gouiri Tottenham move
Richarlison’s future is the big domino. The Brazilian has been frozen out by De Zerbi, and Spurs are reportedly prepared to let him go in January. If he leaves, there is room in the squad to go back in for Gouiri.
Solanke is a different case. The club are not looking to sell him, as we covered when Tottenham backed their two-goals-in-ten striker earlier this week, so Richarlison is the realistic exit.
There is also a gap in quality to fill. Omar Marmoush has found life up front tougher than many expected, and a striker who protects the ball and links the play would give De Zerbi a genuine alternative alongside Solanke.
Is a Gouiri deal straightforward for Spurs?
Not quite. Marseille rely on him this season, so they will not be in a rush to sell in the middle of the campaign. Atletico Madrid have also been credited with an interest, which could push the price up.
There are question marks on the player too. He has had spells where form and fitness let him down, and the big unknown is whether his game translates to the Premier League, as it is for every forward arriving from France.
Spurs have been here before with the forward line. The club have already kept tabs on the £85m Bournemouth striker who is back in training, so Gouiri is one name on a list rather than a done deal.
Would Amine Gouiri improve Tottenham?
I would take him. He is not the answer to every problem in the final third, but he raises the level of the forward line and gives RDZ a striker who already speaks his football language.
The fee is the catch. If Marseille want silly money in January, Spurs should walk away and wait. If Richarlison goes and a sensible deal is there, bringing in a player De Zerbi trusts is the kind of low-risk move that keeps this new momentum at N17 going.
