Cavenaghi In? Pavlyuchenko Out? As Redknapp Rings The Changes At Spurs

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Tottenham Hotspur are ready to offer Ligue 1 side Bordeaux £8million for Argentine International Fernando Cavenaghi in the January transfer window, with manager Harry Redknapp seeing the striker as a replacement for summer signing Roman Pavlyuchenko, who is reportedly a target for former Tottenham boss Juande Ramos now in charge of La Liga Champions Real Madrid.

25-year-old Cavenaghi has been heavily linked with a move to White Hart Lane in January and has revealed recently that he would be open to a move to the North London club, should Redknapp make an offer for the forward next month.



Redknapp sees the Argentine as an ideal replacement for Pavlyuchenko, who Redknapp is understood to want to offload next month, with the striker struggling to make an impression in the Premier League since his £14million switch from Spartak Moscow in August.

Former Manchester United player Laurent Blanc, who is the coach at Bordeaux revealed last week that while he would like to keep hold of Cavenaghi at the French club, but conceded that as coach these matters are out of his hands, with the Frenchman seeming resigned to losing Cavenaghi to the Premiership club next month.

“I want to keep my best players. I'd rather keep a player who scores goals than let him go,” Blanc told France Football last Friday.

“But then there's the reality that the coach does not control everything, whether he's at Bordeaux or elsewhere.”

Ironically, should Cavenaghi arrive at Tottenham to replace Russian International Pavlyuchenko. He would be replacing a player that he partnered upfront at Spartak Moscow between 2004-2006.

Blanc Resigned To Losing Bordeaux Striker To Spurs?

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Former Manchester United player Laurent Blanc, who is now coach at Ligue 1 side Bordeaux, has vowed to fight any move by Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur for Argentine International striker Fernando Cavenaghi.

25-year-old Cavenaghi has been heavily linked with a move to White Hart Lane in January and has revealed recently that he would be open to a move to the North London club, should Spurs manager Harry Redknapp make an offer for the forward next month.



Tottenham are considering an offer in the region of £14million for Cavenaghi in January, according to reports in France. Despite, Redknapp revealing earlier this week that there will not be any major signings for the Premiership club, when the transfer window reopens in January.

However, Blanc has declared that he wants to keep the Argentine, but has conceded that the matter could be out of his hands if Tottenham make a big-money move for Cavenaghi next month.

“I want to keep my best players. I'd rather keep a player who scores goals than let him go,” Blanc told France Football.

“But then there's the reality that the coach does not control everything, whether he's at Bordeaux or elsewhere.”

Should Cavenaghi leave Bordeaux in January for Spurs then he would be reunited with Roman Pavlyuchenko, who he played with upfront at Spartak Moscow for two years between 2004-2006.

Argentine International Open To Spurs Move

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Argentine International striker Fernando Cavenaghi has revealed that he would be open to a move to Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur from Ligue 1 side Bordeaux.

Recent reports have suggested that new Spurs manager Harry Redknapp is keen to add 25-year-old Cavenaghi to his squad at White Hart Lane in January. With Redknapp only having three recognised strikers in Roman Pavlyuchenko, Darren Bent and loan signing from Manchester United Fraizer Campbell at the North London club.

Cavenaghi has now claimed that if Tottenham are indeed interested in signing him then it is an offer the former River Plate forward would have to give serious consideration to.

Cavenaghi told Setanta: “I do not know if Tottenham are really interested in signing me. If it's right, though, I will study this offer because they are a top English team.

“I must say I like the English league, I like it a lot.

“I know many Premier League players, even if there are not many Argentinians up there. Carlos Tevez, Javier Mascherano - I know them well. Why shouldn't I follow in their footsteps?”

Despite being left on the bench for Bordeaux’s Champions League clash with Chelsea on Wednesday, Cavenaghi has insisted that he is not frustrated at the French side.

“I would not say I am frustrated. I play every single league game, so it's only in the Champions League that I come on as a substitute,” he added.

Should Cavenaghi leave Bordeaux in January for Spurs then he would be reunited with Pavlyuchenko, who he played with upfront at Spartak Moscow for two years between 2004-2006.

Spurs Still Tracking Argentine International

Tottenham Hotspur are still tracking Bordeaux striker Fernando Cavenaghi, who has also been linked with Premier League rivals Liverpool, with it understood that the Argentine International is unhappy at the Ligue 1 side, according to reports.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is only to aware of the shortage of strikers at White Hart Lane, with new signing Roman Pavlyuchenko, Darren Bent and on loan Fraizer Campbell the only recognised forward’s at the North London club, following the departure of Dimitar Berbatov to Manchester United and Robbie Keane to Liverpool in the summer.

Despite the recent form of all three frontmen at Spurs, Redknapp is still believed to be keen to add Cavenaghi to the personnel at the North London club after recommendation by Tottenham’s French scouts and would have to pay in the region of £12million for the Argentine.

25-year-old Cavenaghi joined Bordeaux from Russian side Spartak Moscow in January 2007 for £6.5million and scored 22 goals in 35 appearances for Bordeaux last season, with sources close to the French club suggesting recently that a move to a top European side in January is likely.

Tottenham Plan £25million Ligue 1 Double Swoop?

New Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has already been linked with a string of strikers in the January transfer window since taken over from Juande Ramos at White Hart Lane last Sunday, with Spurs now being linked with Ligue 1 pair, Fernando Cavenaghi at Bordeaux and Jimmy Briand, who plays for Rennes, according to Mercato 365.

Redknapp is almost certain to add more firepower to the Tottenham front line in January, with summer signing Roman Pavlyuchenko and England International Darren Bent the only two experienced forwards at the North London club.

Although Spurs have been linked with Everton’s Yakubu and Wigan Athletic’s Egyptian sensation Amr Zaki along with his Latics strike-partner Emile Heskey at home in the Premier League, Tottenham are now believed to be tracking Cavenaghi and Briand in the French top-flight.

Cavenaghi is a former team-mate of Pavlyuchenko, having played with the Russian International at Spartak Moscow and is valued by the French side at around £15million, with the 25-year-old Argentine International scoring 23 goals in 44 league matches for Bordeaux and is exactly the type of out-and-out goal-scorer that Redknapp is looking for at White Hart Lane.

Meanwhile, 23-year-old Briand has drawn comparisons in his style of play to former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry, with the Frenchman reportedly a target for Redknapp when he was in charge of Portsmouth. The Gunners were also said to be interested in Briand after his breakthrough season for Rennes in 2006-2007. However, despite the comparisons with Barcelona’s Henry, Briand is less prolific and plays as a second striker, where he can create for others as well as score.

Briand would cost Tottenham in the region of £10million, with the striker unsettled at the Route de Lorient after a summer tug-of-war with Ligue 1 rivals Paris St Germain, which resulted in Briand staying with Rennes, despite wanting to leave.