Bellamy To Reject City Move For Spurs?

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West Ham United striker Craig Bellamy is understood to prefer a move to Tottenham Hotspur over Manchester City, with the Welsh International unsure a bout a reunion with City manager Mark Hughes at the Eastlands Stadium, according to The Guardian.

29-year-old Bellamy has been heavily linked with both Spurs and City, with the striker tipped to join Hughes at the Premier League side, having worked under Hughes at Blackburn Rovers. However, Bellamy feels that his chances of first team football at the Eastlands could be limited due to the influx of players expected to arrive in the Blue half of Manchester.

Tottenham have already had an offer for Bellamy turned down by their Premiership rivals, but reports earlier in the week suggested that Spurs manager Harry Redknapp was considering an improved offer for the Hammers forward. Despite securing the return of Jermain Defoe to White Hart Lane from Portsmouth, Bellamy still remains on the Redknapp radar.

Redknapp will be encouraged by the news that Bellamy is favouring Tottenham over the Blues and could make an improved offer in the region of £9million in order to prise the former Liverpool player away from Upton Park.

Bellamy has been at West Ham since making the switch from the Reds in 2007 for £7.5million and has scored 9 goals in 31 appearances for the Hammers in what has been an injury-disrupted spell in East London.

West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola has always insisted publicly that none of the Hammers top players will be leaving Upton Park in January, but with the club in financial difficulty is privately resigned to losing some key players including Bellamy.

Arsenal To Offer Bendtner In Part Exchange For Villa & Spurs Target?

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger could be forced into offering striker Nicklas Bendtner (below) to West Ham United in part exchange for defender Matthew Upson if the Frenchman wants to bring the former Gunner back to the North London club, with Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa also reportedly interested in the England International.

29-year-old Upson has been widely tipped to leave Upton Park this month along with Welsh International Craig Bellamy, who is a target for Spurs and Manchester City. Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola is understood to have identified Bendtner as a possible replacement for Bellamy, with a player plus cash deal being mooted.

Bendtner aged 20, has also been linked with a move to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in the transfer window, with it remaining to be seen if the Danish International is prepared to move to East London in order to allow Upson to return to the club he left for Birmingham City in 2003.

Despite reports that West Ham have to sell in the transfer window, Zola is determined not to let any of his key players leave the Premiership club on the cheap, with the Irons valuing Upson in the region of £15million. This would mean Wenger, having to find somewhere in the region of £9million to make the deal go through, with Arsenal valuing Bendtner at around £6million.

However, with Spurs and Villa still interested in Upson it remains to be seen if the England defender wishes to go back to the club, where he made only 35 appearances in six-years at his first spell at the Gunners, with Wenger in charge.

Spurs Agree Defoe Fee? - Improved £9million Offer For Hammers Striker?

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Tottenham Hotspur are close to completing the signing of England International Jermain Defoe, with Spurs understood to have agreed a fee in the region of £15million for the striker Tottenham sold to Portsmouth less than a year ago. Spurs are also reportedly ready to make an improved bid for Craig Bellamy (below) at West Ham United.

Spurs manager Harry Redknapp signed Defoe for Pompey last year in a £9million deal to bring the player he first worked with at West Ham United to Fratton Park. 26-year-old Defoe revealed on Sunday that Redknapp was the main reason he left White Hart Lane in the first place, with the forward now looking destined to be reunited with Redknapp at the North London club.

Although Tottenham’s offer for Defoe is a little short of the South Coast clubs valuation of the England player. It is understood that there are add-ons included in the deal should Spurs qualify for Europe, according to The Mail.

Defoe has made 31 Premiership appearances for Pompey, scoring 15 goals and had forced himself back into the England squad under Fabio Capello.

Now Redknapp looks set to turn his attention again to West Ham forward Bellamy, with an improved bid of around £9million being mooted for the 29-year-old Welsh International. The Hammers have already turned down one offer from their Premier League rivals, but may not be able to resist an improved offer in light of financial problems at Upton Park.

Bellamy joined West Ham in 2007 for £7.5million from Liverpool and has scored 9 times in 31 Premier League appearances during his time in East London. The Welshman’s first season with the Hammers was blighted by injury, with Bellamy only making 9 appearances, but his performances this season have put the striker firmly on the Redknapp radar.

City On Brink Of £32million Deal For Premiership Trio

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Manchester City are reportedly on the verge of luring Blackburn Rovers striker Roque Santa Cruz along with West Ham United pair Craig Bellamy and Scott Parker to the Eastlands Stadium for a combined fee of £32million, according to The Sun.

City have been heavily linked with all three players in recent weeks, with manager Mark Hughes keen to bolster the squad at City after an indifferent start to the Premier League season, which has seen the Citizens falter in the last couple of months after a bright start to the Premiership campaign.

27-year-old Santa Cruz is understood to be on the brink of a move away from Rovers to City, with the Paraguayan International keen on a reunion with Hughes, who brought him to the Premier League last season from Bayern Munich, while in charge at Ewood Park. A fee in the region of £15million is being mooted for the striker that cost Blackburn just £3.5million in 2007.

Hammers pair Bellamy and Parker are also said to be open to a move away from Upton Park to Man City, with it believed that the pair will move North for a combined fee of £17million. With West Ham already conceding that they are ready to listen to offers for any of their players at the East London club.

The Sun claims that the trio will all complete moves to City by the end of next week as Hughes looks to add quality to the squad at the Eastlands, having already agreed a fee of £12million for left-back Wayne Bridge from Chelsea.

However, City are not likely to finish their spending in January should the three join the North West club, with Arsenal defender Kolo Toure at Arsenal also reportedly a target for Hughes along with another West Ham Player, England International Matthew Upson and Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given at Newcastle United.