Tottenham are prepared to go big for a new striker in January, David Ornstein has indicated.

Tottenham’s need for a new striker has become increasingly urgent, with only two of their 10 Premier League goals this season coming from genuine strikers Dominic Solanke and Omar Marmoush. Centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke is the club’s top scorer with two goals.

David Ornstein indicated that the north London club are aiming high, though he did not mention specific targets. “I think the best case scenario would be to sign a new striker who can be their line leader for the next 10 years,” Ornstein said. “What we’ve seen of their ownership in recent times and their hierarchy is that they’re prepared to go big in the market and invest heavily and back Roberto De Zerbi.”

However, Ornstein warned that securing a top-level forward in January will be extremely difficult, pointing to the struggles of Arsenal and Barcelona in the summer window.

Among the names linked with a move to Spurs are Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi, Monza’s Gustavo Varela and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Younes Ebnoutalib. Trying to get Kroupi out of Bournemouth in the new year will be particularly tough, especially given how reluctant the Cherries were to do business over the summer, before the young forward suffered a broken foot.