Why Christian Benteke Would Be a Dream Summer Transfer Target for Tottenham

The looming transfer window stands to be a significant one in the history of Tottenham Hotspur. 

They are not in a make-or-break situation.

The financial stability of the club ensures they will only really ever fall so far.

Instead, they are in something of a sliding-doors situation. 

In 2012, Spurs travelled to Manchester City and were literally inches away from a victory that would have seen them just four points off the top of the league table.

Gareth Bale's pass, with the match level at 2-2, evaded the sliding Jermain Defoe by the smallest of margins before Mario Balotelli's eventual match-winning penalty. 

By the end of the season, City were champions and 20 points clear of Spurs who failed to qualify for the Champions League by virtue of Chelsea's improbable victory in Munich. 

That moment is oft-remembered by Spurs fans asking themselves what might have been. 

The summer of 2015 may be a similar watershed moment for the club. 

If Mauricio Pochettino, head of recruitment Paul Mitchell and chairman Daniel Levy can get Spurs' transfers right, they could finally take the great leap forward. 

The squad is already composed of a world-class goalkeeper, strong options across the back line, young exciting midfielders and an emerging star striker. 

Viewed in those terms, Pochettino's team is not far away. 

The first and biggest victory for Spurs this summer will be the retention of those key players. 

There will be sales, perhaps significant ones, but likely only of players outside the core group. 

If Hugo Lloris, Harry Kane, Nabil Bentaleb and Christian Eriksen are training at Hotspur Way on July 2, the team will be in good shape. 

It is easy to view the Champions League clubs as being untouchable but Spurs finished the season just six points behind Manchester United last season despite some prolonged periods of poor form. 

Consistency and greater strength in depth will allow Spurs to compete with those above them on more or less equal terms. 

Marseille's Giannelli Imbula would be an excellent signing and strengthen Spurs in an area where they are weak. His athleticism and ability to move the ball on quickly have helped him build a reputation in France as "the new Patrick Vieira." Such a player alongside Bentaleb and behind Eriksen would help with Spurs' problems in attack and defence.

If Dele Alli proves himself in pre-season, Imbula may be an unnecessary addition.

Free agent Yevhen Konoplyanka would have provided competition to Nacer Chadli on Spurs' left but the club rejected the chance to sign him in May, according to the Daily Mail.  

With Andros Townsend, Erik Lamela, Chadli, Alex Pritchard and perhaps DeAndre Yedlin available as options out wide, Konoplyanka would be far from guaranteed to play regularly. The club is probably wise to keep their transfer powder dry for now. 

Rui Vieira/Associated Press

What Spurs really need is a player to share the burden of scoring goals.

Harry Kane has just completed the best season in his career and nobody would suggest replacing him. Instead, Spurs need someone of comparable quality, ideally with a different skill set, to play both with and in place of Kane.

Thirty-eight games in the Premier League, group stage and knockout rounds in Europe as well as domestic cup competitions add up to a massive number of games. 

Spurs currently have no options beyond Kane but he cannot possibly play every game. 

Roberto Soldado and Emmanuel Adebayor made essentially no positive contributions last season. Both, for different reasons, have their defenders. Some would suggest that the popular Soldado be given another chance to prove himself. Others might say that Adebayor's well-publicised off-field issues have prevented him from showing his best in recent seasons. 

In truth, neither is up to the required standards and Spurs cannot simply hope that their highly paid misfit strikers suddenly turn their form around.

The dream transfer move for Spurs would be Aston Villa's Belgian striker Christian Benteke. 

Benteke has scored 42 league goals since his arrival from Genk in 2012 despite playing for a series of desperately poor Villa sides. 

He has repeatedly proven against Spurs that he is a top-quality striker.

His dominant header, won against supposed Spurs hard-man Federico Fazio, at White Hart Lane in April was only the latest in a series of similarly powerful performances. 

It has been rumoured that Tottenham have already agreed a deal to sign Monaco star Anthony Martial for in excess of £18 million. 

He is certainly an exciting youngster but he is far from proven and cannot be expected to carry Spurs' hopes if Kane is injured or his form drops from last season's dizzying heights. 

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

Martial, an undoubtedly talented player, has no experience in English football while Benteke has starred in despite his total lack of support at Villa Park. 

The FA Cup Final against Arsenal showed how a player like Benteke can distort a side's approach. Aimless crosses lumped in from every angle made for difficult viewing. 

Pochettino is unlikely to be seduced by Benteke's aerial superiority and alter his tactics. 

Instead, Eriksen's delivery from dead-ball situations combined with Benteke's ability to win headers would only add another weapon to Spurs' arsenal. 

Benteke's aerial prowess is only one area of strength. He is also an excellent finisher, possesses a powerful left-footed shot and wrangles defenders with his impressive upper-body strength. 

He lacks the playmaking skills that make Kane a more rounded player though.

He is strictly a goalscorer and that is why the pair would combine so well. 

The power of Benteke with the intelligence of Kane would give Spurs a striking tandem that they have lacked since the days of Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov.

At times last season, Kane was singled out and nullified by the opposition defence. The League Cup Final against Chelsea was the most high-profile example of this. 

Benteke's presence would reduce the effectiveness of this tactic.

If Spurs did succeed in acquiring Benteke, Pochettino would be faced with selection dilemmas.

Kane would be effective deployed in a deeper role than he usually occupied last season. That would leave Benteke as the tip of the spear and require Eriksen to take a wide role. 

Alternatively, Kane could take up position out wide. This would allow him to baffle defenders in the way Thomas Muller does for Germany and Bayern. He is more than capable of adapting to a new role. 

That may see Kane's overall scoring rate fall but if he is more effective in the biggest games, it is a worthwhile trade-off. 

There would be tactical complexity in incorporating Benteke into Spurs' lineup but it would be devastatingly effective.

Benteke reportedly has a release clause in his Villa contract of £32 million. 

That fee will prove a stumbling block for Spurs. The club have stated publicly that they are uncomfortable with spending so much on a single player but they can negotiate. 

Villa boss Tim Sherwood may be interested in reunion with any number of his former Tottenham charges. His famous relationship with Adebayor could be key to the transfers.

Andros Townsend has also been mentioned by the Mirror as a potential makeweight in a bid for Benteke.

The club is not really in the position where a single star player will make or break their season. They need quality and experience across the pitch but that will come to the current crop in time. 

They can improve the squad in many ways by promoting from within but there is no Benteke-esque youngster in Spurs' academy. 

Spurs won't spend £32 million on a single player this summer or any time soon but Benteke is their best hope to break into the Champions League cabal.