Tottenham are in surprise talks with Real Sociedad over the striker Willian José, with José Mourinho desperate for a recognised striker to replace the injured Harry Kane. Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura have been used at centre-forward but Willian José’s role as a target man is seen as vital for Mourinho’s tactics. Real Sociedad played Espanyol in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday, with the club announcing shortly before the cup tie that Willian José had withdrawn from the squad and that “the forward has asked to stay out until his situation is clarified”. Before Tottenham’s 2-1 win over Norwich, Spurs had not scored a Premier League goal in open play since Boxing Day, amounting to six hours and 18 minutes of football. Willian José has scored eight league goals in 20 appearances this season, having also played in La Liga with Zaragoza and Las Palmas.

Source: The Guardian January 22, 2020 21:45 UTC