Tottenham Pursues Free-Agent Icardi Amid Scoring Crisis

Tottenham’s start under Roberto De Zerbi has stalled in the one area that matters most. They simply cannot score. Four Premier League games, zero goals, and a side that was supposed to be re-energised now looks blunt and anxious in the final third.

That drought has pushed Spurs towards a name few expected to see back on the Premier League radar: Mauro Icardi.

Spurs weigh short-term fix

According to Cronache di Spogliatoio, the 33-year-old Argentine has emerged as a genuine short‑term option as Tottenham scramble for a reliable finisher. Icardi is a free agent after ending a four-year stint at Galatasaray, where he rebuilt his reputation with a prolific run in the Super Lig.

For a club that has already thrown huge money at its attack, turning to a veteran poacher on a free tells its own story. Spurs have invested heavily, yet still look toothless.

Big spending, little return

The summer outlay at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was enormous. Sandro Tonali arrived for £100 million, Mateus Fernandes for £85 million, and winger Savio for another £85 million. On top of that, Omar Marmoush joined on loan from Manchester City in a deal that carries a £60 million obligation to buy.

The return so far? Almost nothing in front of goal.

Marmoush has started against Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and in the 3-1 defeat to Liverpool. There were flashes – sharp movement here, a clever touch there – but still no goal to his name.

Dominic Solanke has fared no better. Trusted to lead the line, he has gone five games without scoring, a run that has only sharpened the focus on Spurs’ lack of a ruthless edge.

The Richarlison saga has made a bad situation worse. Once expected to be a central figure, the Brazilian has been frozen out after a major fallout with the club. He has not played since the 3-0 opening-day defeat to Brentford, leaving De Zerbi with fewer options and even fewer answers.

Little wonder, then, that a proven penalty-box striker like Icardi has come into the frame.

Competition and the wage question

Tottenham are not alone in circling. Journalist Nahuel Ferreira reports that Olympiacos have already made “formal contacts” over a deal for the former Argentina international, attempting to steal a march last week.

Talks have yet to produce an agreement, and the main obstacle is clear: money. Icardi’s wage demands are steep, with reports suggesting he earns around £8.6 million per year. Any club stepping in now must decide whether a short-term fix justifies that level of commitment.

His track record offers a compelling argument. Across his career, Icardi has collected trophies and goals in equal measure: two Ligue 1 titles with Paris Saint-Germain and four Super Lig crowns with Galatasaray underline his knack for delivering in winning teams. He is not a project player. He is a plug‑and‑play finisher.

De Zerbi under pressure to find answers

The pressure on De Zerbi is already building. Spurs sit 17th in the Premier League, with just two points from two draws and two defeats, eight goals conceded and none scored. The football has looked fragmented, the confidence in the final third almost non-existent.

A 5-1 win over Charlton Athletic in the Carabao Cup briefly hinted at a release of tension, a night where chances finally turned into goals. But the midweek exit to Liverpool brought a harsh reminder of the gulf between Spurs and the division’s genuine contenders.

That gap will not close without goals. De Zerbi needs a focal point, a striker who turns half-chances into points. Tottenham’s recruitment team must now decide whether that man is a 33-year-old free agent with a proven scoring instinct and a hefty wage packet – or whether the answer lies somewhere else, and fast.