Can Piatek answer Tottenham's call in Harry Kane's absence?

Tottenham and AC Milan have held talks about signing Krzysztof Piatek, but can the Polish striker likened to Filippo Inzaghi fill the void in Harry Kane's absence?

Jose Mourinho could be set for his first serious confrontation with Daniel Levy as Spurs contemplate what's next following the hamstring injury to Kane.

Tottenham have been here before. By March 2018, the England captain had sustained three significant injuries to his right ankle in the previous 18 months.

He missed 10 games during the 2016/17 season and last campaign, it was ligament damage to the left foot sustained during a defeat by Manchester United.

Seven games later, Kane was back, but he then aggravated the same injury in April before he was rushed back for the Champions League final.

The 26-year-old hobbled off during the 1-0 defeat to Southampton on New Year's Day clutching the back of his left leg. Now, his powers of recovery will be put to the test once more.

Tottenham have previously coped in the past by calling on their former striker Fernando Llorente as a focal point to their attacks, or through moving Heung-Min Son to a central role.

The signs are that this time, with Mourinho in charge, Spurs will seek to find a ready-made replacement for their absent talisman.

Piatek is also wanted on loan by Newcastle and Aston Villa but Milan are holding out for £30m were a permanent deal to be done.

Tottenham would rather wait until the summer to sign a striker to compete with Kane - but the injury to their vice-captain has changed their approach to the January window.

Spurs are currently sixth in the Premier League, six points off Chelsea in the fourth and final Champions League place, and the club must move now to give themselves the best chance of retaining their place at European football's top table.

Who is Krzysztof Piatek?

Piatek rose to prominence in the summer of 2018 when 21 goals in 36 appearances the previous season in his native Poland with KS Cracovia earned him a Serie A move to Genoa.

The striker scored in each of his first seven Serie A matches (netting nine in total) to beat the long-standing record set by Enzo Pascutti with Bologna in 1962/63.

After scoring 13 times in his opening 19 Serie A matches, and 19 in 21 across all competitions, AC Milan moved swiftly to replace Gonzalo Higuain with the then 23-year-old in January 2019.

Having signed him as a bit of a gamble at around £5m, Genoa made a quick profit as they recouped an estimated £30.9m plus add-ons. Piatek duly signed a contract with the Rossoneri until June 2023 that is said to be worth £2m-a-year.

He has since scored 13 goals in 36 league appearances, but game time has become limited this season under Gennaro Gattuso, and the return of Zlatan Ibrahimovic is likely to decrease this further.

What's his playing style?

The lure of moving to the San Siro and his playing style led to parallels with Milan's all-time top goalscorer in European matches, Filippo Inzaghi.

Piatek has been described as a typical No 9 who will occupy defenders in the penalty box with his positioning and deadly finishing.

At 6ft, he is no slouch when it comes to height, physical strength and tenacity in aerial duels, so in many ways he would be the perfect foil in Kane's absence. Tottenham's star man has evolved from a natural centre forward into a player who can drop deep to allow the likes of Dele Alli, Son and Lucas Moura to make runs in behind defences.

However, playmaking is not a natural strength for the Poland international. He cited Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry as his childhood inspirations, and Piatek's currency is goals.

Can he replace Harry Kane?

Kane is among the top strikers in world football; with two Golden Boots and 136 goals in 198 league games, he is irreplaceable. But this will be the second consecutive season that Kane will play fewer than 30 Premier League games, so it is time they consider an alternative.

Speaking in September 2018 in the middle of that extraordinary purple patch for Genoa, Piatek indeed referenced Kane as a role model.

He said, in quotes held by Italian publication L'Ultimo Uomo: "My two favourite centre forwards are Robert Lewandowski and Harry Kane, perhaps I have characteristics more similar to those of the Englishman, made with the proper proportions".

But Piatek has scored just one goal in open play for Milan this term. Speaking on The Transfer Show, Sky Sports News reporter Kaveh Solhekol said: "Things haven't really worked out for him in Italy.

"Milan have signed Ibrahimovic, so he has been offered to quite a few clubs in England. I think Spurs could possibly do a loan deal for him."

How would Piatek fit in Spurs' system?

Mourinho played Son, Kane, Moura and Alli with a two-man midfield during the 2-0 defeat to Chelsea last month. But after being over-run in midfield by Frank Lampard's side, Spurs could revert to a more pragmatic approach, starting with the visit of Liverpool this weekend.

With Piatek on board in future games against top-six sides, Mourinho could also be tempted to move towards a 4-3-3 formation with wingers - as seen during his first spell at Chelsea - with Piatek through the middle.

During his time in Genoa, Piatek played in a 3-5-2 formation, usually as the left-sided striker, supported by Christian Kouame, a pacey forward. A similar approach at Spurs could see Son used in a front two, but that would create a potential problem for Alli.

In Milan, he became a lone striker in a 4-3-3 system, supported by wingers on each side of the pitch, and it is a system Mourinho has had plenty of success with during his career. The Portuguese will be reluctant to tinker with the position of Alli, but a 4-3-1-2 formation, with the in-form midfielder behind Son and Piatek could be the best route going forward.

Who else could Tottenham look to fill the void?

With Kane out until April, Tottenham have been linked with several strikers in the January transfer window, with rumours set to be rife throughout the month.

Lyon forward Moussa Dembele is one player who could attract heightened interest while Danny Ings' form with Southampton has drawn Spurs' attention.

Ings scored the winner for Saints in their 1-0 victory over Spurs, and he has notched an impressive 13 goals in 21 games - two more than Kane this term.

Olivier Giroud is also available, and despite being the first-choice striker for France ahead of Euro 2020, he has not been featuring for Chelsea.

It would certainly be a sensational move for the former Arsenal striker. Spurs also tried to sign Giroud's team-mate Michy Batshuayi on loan last January - but their offer was rebuffed.

Chelsea's reluctance to do business with Spurs would make any transfer for either Giroud or Batshuayi difficult.

Analysis: 'Spurs can cope without Kane'

Former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is doubtful whether Tottenham are capable of finding a replacement - but believes Spurs can still be a potent force.

Redknapp told Sky Sports: "Who is going to sell a centre forward of real quality at this stage of the season? I don't see anybody - everybody is looking for a centre forward who can score goals.

"Even with Harry Kane it was always going to be a tight call on whether they qualify for the Champions League.

"They've tried in the past by signing the likes of [Roberto] Soldado, [Vincent] Janssen and [Fernando] Llorente - and none of them really established themselves. They found it difficult to play a bit-part.

"I don't know where they're going to find another No 9 who is going to play on a short term for Tottenham, but they've still got a strong team with top quality players. Kane is irreplaceable but they've got other ways of playing."