Roberto De Zerbi saved Tottenham from Premier League relegation last season, and following positive results in the later stages of the campaign, the club backed him in the summer transfer window.
During the summer transfer window, Spurs signed Savio, Omar Marmoush, and Mykhaylo Mudryk to add more depth to their attack.
However, Tottenham have started the season in disastrous fashion, as they are yet to register their first win in the Premier League and are stuck in the relegation zone.
Savio, Marmoush, Mudryk, along with Dominic Solanke, have failed to make an impact in the final third so far this campaign, which has left De Zerbi scrambling to find new solutions.
Spurs are expected to sign a striker in the winter transfer window, especially with the current forward line unable to find the back of the net consistently.
In the summer, the Lilywhites were looking at several players, and they were also exploring the idea of signing free agent Mauro Icardi, but a move never materialised.
Now, Tottenham are planning to make a move for Vangelis Pavlidis, as the striker’s goal-scoring record at Benfica has deeply impressed the North London club but could face several difficulties in signing him, according to TeamTalk.
It has been suggested that Spurs are scouting Pavlidis extensively, and he has become a top priority for the winter transfer window.
But Spurs are not the only club interested in Pavlidis, as Aston Villa, Fulham, Barcelona, Juventus, and AC Milan are all interested in signing him to bolster their attack.
Pavlidis had a breakthrough at Dutch outfit AZ Alkmaar, and following brilliant performances, he was snapped up by Portuguese side Benfica.
Benfica paid approximately £15M to sign Pavlidis, who put pen to paper on a six-year deal with the club.
The 27-year-old hitman will not come cheap, as Benfica have set his release clause at around £85m, and it could go higher in the event interested clubs want to sign him mid-season.
Besides that, AZ Alkmaar also managed to include a 20 per cent sell-on clause in the deal with Benfica, which means the Portuguese club could charge a premium to cover that amount as well.
This term, Pavlidis has made 14 appearances, and he has scored 14 goals, and has provided 4 assists in the process.
At the moment, Tottenham Hotspur desperately need a striker who can find the back of the net consistently, kick-start their season, and get them back to winning ways.
Tottenham do have a forward with Premier League scoring experience in Richarlison, but he is currently playing with the Under-21 team, as De Zerbi has excluded him from the first team.
It was believed that Richarlison would leave this summer, as he was not included in De Zerbi’s plans, but a move never materialised during the last transfer window.
Since then, Richarlison has been playing with the Under-21 side, and recently scored in the EFL Cup against Cheltenham Town.
Pavlidis is a clinical finisher, good with both feet, willing to drop deep into the midfield to build attacks, strong in the air, and also good in defending from the front.
Currently, Dominic Solanke and Omar Marmoush are deployed as the number 9 in attack, but both of them have failed to score consistently so far this campaign.
De Zerbi generally plays a 4-2-3-1 formation, but during matches he sometimes changes the shape of the team into 3-1-5-1 to make multiple passing lanes and attacking options.
The Italian manager prefers to play a press-baiting style of football to deliver quick counterattacks, but sometimes he also tends to structure his team to build from the back through short passes.
Pavlidis could become a key member in De Zerbi’s attack, as the Greek international is experienced in playing as a lone striker; he is quick, he is also clinical, and he can also create chances for his teammates.
It remains to be seen whether Tottenham are able to sign Pavlidis in the winter transfer window, or the 27-year-old frontman stays put at Benfica.
