Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the loan arrival of Brazilian striker Carlos Vinicius from Benfica, with the attacker set to provide competition and back-up for main centre forward Harry Kane.
Jose Mourinho has made no secret of his desire for the club to add a new striker to his squad, with Spurs landing the South American to fill the void in the side’s ranks.
While Vinicius arrives at Tottenham with a good reputation, in reality the club wanted to sign someone that would spend most of his time as a back-up, making cameos from the bench when necessary and featuring in cup competitions.
Although the Brazilian forward will have ambitions of a starting role in the Premier League, his first interview since joining Spurs – where he states he is going to be a squad man and team player – fits into the narrative of what the club wanted and needs.
“I think that Spurs only stand to benefit,” Vinicius told the Tottenham official website when quizzed on Kane’s presence at the club.
“It’s a big club with great players, I’m happy to be here and to share a dressing room with them.
“I’m going to keep learning every day. Together we’ll show strength in support of the club and the club’s aims, so that we can bring joy to everyone at Spurs.”
In reality, Vinicius will need time to adapt to the new environment, club, country and league, meaning expectations from Tottenham fans of him hitting the ground running in the Premier League would be unfair.
It is likely that the 25-year-old will get his chance in the Europa League games after the international break – here’s hoping the new Spurs signing can help get the best out of Kane and give the club’s talisman a much-needed rest in the cup competitions.