Tottenham Targeting the Right Man in West Brom's Saido Berahino

West Brom striker Saido Berahino is reportedly a target of several top Premier League clubs this January. 

Four goals against Gateshead in his most recent appearance seems to have re-energised the headline-makers with Tottenham named among several glamorous suitors. 

The 21-year-old has grown in stature in the last 18 months to become the Baggies' main attacking weapon. 

He burst onto the scene with a hat-trick against Newport in the League Cup in August 2013, but it was goals in consecutive matches against Arsenal and Manchester United, the latter as an injury-enforced substitute, that made people really take notice. 

This season, Berahino has been West Brom's star man with 13 goals in all competitions. He was even named in the England squad in November but failed to make his debut. 

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

New manager Tony Pulis admitted after the 7-0 win over Gateshead that January would be a "big window."

West Brom's squad is short on quality but they have several decent striking options. Players like Georgios Samaras and Victor Anichebe are solid Premier League strikers while, beyond Silvestre Varela, West Brom lack pace and invention out wide.

It makes sense for them to sacrifice Berahino to strengthen their squad overall. 

Berahino contributes little in terms of the build-up but his finishing is top quality. He is particularly adept at drifting away from defenders as the play develops elsewhere. Many of his goals are first touches, simply taking the chances created by others.

That is not a criticism of Berahino and, in fact, is the main reason why he would be an excellent target for Spurs.

Tottenham have, in Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane, two creative forwards. What they need in order to progress is a clinical striker. Roberto Soldado was supposed to be the man to play that role but his failure to rediscover the form he showed in Spain means Spurs must look elsewhere.  

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Berahino's ability to find space on the pitch is invaluable. With the intelligence of Kane and Eriksen, Berahino would be provided with far more chances than he has seen at West Brom. His 13 goals so far this season may be far lower than he is capable of with the right service. 

His pace and powerful shooting mean he is likely to often test the goalkeeper, while his movement makes him an opportunistic finisher. 

He recently went 11 matches without scoring as West Brom won just two matches. That would be less likely to happen at Spurs. 

Kane and Berahino have played together for England's under-21 team to great effect. 

Berahino himself praised Kane after his starring performance against Chelsea last week. The reaction of Spurs fans to his tweet suggest they are keen on him joining the club. 

According to the Mirror, West Brom have offered Berahino to Spurs in exchange for Aaron Lennon and Andros Townsend. While these exchange deals are often speculated upon by newspapers, they virtually never actually take place. However, the interest in Lennon is almost certainly genuine. Pulis praised Lennon during his time at Stoke and tried to take him to Crystal Palace during the summer. 

ESPN are reporting Spurs will not make a move for Berahino in January. It is believable that Mauricio Pochettino would prefer to avoid upsetting the balance of his team, but Berahino's potential impact on the team should outweigh worries about his ability to fit in immediately. 

Concerns about whether Berahino could adapt to Pochettino's complex game plans and demanding fitness sessions are legitimate. Even if he takes time to find his feet in North London, he would surely contribute more than Emmanuel Adebayor. 

Neither Lennon nor Townsend are likely to play a major role in Spurs' league campaign this season and sacrificing them to bring in an explosive striker would be an intelligent move. The fact Berahino is also English should somewhat soothe the disquiet caused by the sale of one or two homegrown players. 

Pulis too, has spoken of his wish to keep Berahino at the club but this is probably simply a negotiating tactic with the Guardian suggesting he is happy to sell his best player. 

Little can be read into Berahino's four-goal haul against Gateshead in the FA Cup, given the nature of the opposition. It was little more than a training match. It's still worth reviewing his performance though. The predatory nature of his display was attention-grabbing, regardless of the standard of the defending.

He is aggressive and a single-minded goalscorer. The West Brom coaching staff are reportedly unimpressed with his attitude but that owes more to the Baggies' situation. A relegation scrap is not the place for a selfish player, but that is just what Spurs need. 

If Spurs can put Berahino in the same lineup as Kane, Eriksen and Erik Lamela while maintaining the balance of the team, they will have an incredibly talented and youthful group. 

Berahino's reported price tag is £20 million. If Spurs can use Lennon or Townsend to halve the fee, it would be an astute move. His potential impact on Spurs' already-burgeoning Premier League campaign would be worth the gamble. 

In the summer the club missed out on two of their top transfer targets in Villarreal defender Mateo Musacchio and Southampton's Morgan Schneiderlin. Instead they signed Sevilla's Federico Fazio and Benjamin Stambouli from Montpellier. 

If Spurs are unwilling to part with so significant a fee for Berahino, Rennes striker Paul-Georges Ntep is looming as the potential alternative.

Ntep has scored fewer goals (six) than Berahino but looks a rough diamond. 

Spurs need another striker, that much is clear. Kane's goals have fueled their charge up the table but he is not naturally so prolific. Adebayor and Soldado, the senior strikers at the club, are both insufficient.

In the past, Spurs have failed in January. If the club can pull off the right move in this transfer window, they could finally secure that elusive Champions League place.