Defoe To Join Spurs Again In Next 24 Hours?

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England International Jermain Defoe is set for a return to Tottenham Hotspur in the next 24 hours, less than a year after leaving White Hart Lane for Portsmouth, according to The Mirror.

26-year-old Defoe had spent four-years at Spurs before his switch to Fratton Park last January and now looks set to be reunited with Harry Redknapp, who brought the striker to the South Coast club, but then left Pompey to take charge of Tottenham in October following the sacking of Juande Ramos.

The Mirror claims that Spurs are to offer Portsmouth £5million for Defoe and will write off any outstanding payments from the sale of the striker last year as well as anything owed for the summer sale of Younes Kaboul to the Premier League club. This is understood to put the total value of the deal at around £12million.

Manchester City had also been heavily linked with a move for Defoe, but reports on Friday have suggested that City are ready to launch a £50million bid for Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o. Should City move for the Cameroon International then a return to Spurs for Defoe looks even more likely, with Portsmouth chairman Peter Storrie already resigned to losing the former West Ham United player.

However, despite paying £9million for Defoe from Tottenham last year, £12million is still short of Pompey’s valuation of the striker, who reportedly want in excess of £20million for the player that has scored 14 goals in 30 Premiership matches during his time at Portsmouth.

Redknapp: Ramos Outcast Is A Genius

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Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp is set to give midfielder Adel Taarabt his chance to shine in a Spurs shirt, with the former Portsmouth boss claiming that the former Lens player is a “genius”.

19-year-old Taarabt was one of five players along with Hossam Ghaly, Paul Stalteri, Ricardo Rocha and Kevin-Prince Boateng that had been frozen out at White Hart Lane under previous manager Juande Ramos. Ramos even went as far as to not allocate any of the five a squad number at the start of the season and banned the players from using the first-team training facilities.

However, when Redknapp took charge at the Premier League club one of his first actions was to reinstate all five. Now Redknapp has revealed that Taarabt is set to get his chance at the North London club, with Tottenham playing Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup on Friday and then the first leg of their Carling Cup semi-final against Burnley next week. As Redknapp looks to utilise his full squad and rest key players for the more crucial tie with the Clarets, where victory over the two legs would guarantee Spurs UEFA Cup football again next year, should they meet Manchester United in the final at Wembley.

“If we can get him playing he is a genius,” Redknapp said.

“He's an amazing talent, I've not seen too many with that type of skill in my life. It's frightening.

“It's a case of trying to find a position for him and getting him fit enough to play. Getting him to do a bit when he hasn't got the ball - but he's only a kid.

“This is a real talent. A match-winner. So I'm sure we're going to see a bit of him in the next couple of weeks.”

This support from Redknapp will come as a boost to Taarabt, who despite being at Tottenham since 2007 has only featured in 8 Premiership games for Spurs and had been widely expected to be amongst the players leaving White Hart Lane this month.

£15million Alonso To Join The Ramos Real Revolution?

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La Liga Champions Real Madrid have reportedly made a £15million offer for Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso, with former Tottenham Hotspur boss Juande Ramos keen to bolster a depleted midfield at the Bernabeu, according to reports.

Ramos is already reportedly on the verge of signing Portsmouth midfielder Lassana Diarra and now reports in Spain claim that Spanish International Alonso has also been the subject of a bid from Los Merengues. Ramos revealed on Monday that he needed two new players at the Bernabeu in January, with the former Spurs boss identifying the Madrid midfield as an area that needed strengthening.

Ramos told As: “We want a right winger and a midfielder. The club are working on it and I’m hopeful two talented players with a fighting spirit will join us pretty soon.”

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez was eager to offload 27-year-old Alonso in the summer to raise the funds to buy Gareth Barry from Aston Villa. However, Serie A giants Juventus, who were keen on the midfielder baulked at the Merseyside clubs asking price and opted for Christian Poulsen at Sevilla instead.

Now with defensive-midfielder Mahamadou Diarra out through long-term injury, Ramos has found himself short in the centre of midfield and is believed to have made a firm offer for Alonso, who has been at Anfield since 2004 and has made 183 appearances for the Premier League club.

Villa Boss Warns Real Madrid Off Young

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Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill has moved quickly to warn La Liga Champions Real Madrid off winger Ashley Young, with the former Celtic boss insisting that Young “is certainly not for sale”.

23-year-old Young had become the latest Premier League player wanted by former Tottenham Hotspur manager Juande Ramos, who is now in charge of Los Merengues, with a £25million swoop for the former Watford player in January being mooted by the new Bernabeu boss.

Ramos is keen to add some fresh faces to his injury deleted squad at Real, with his former charges at Spurs, Roman Pavlyuchenko, Didier Zokora, David Bentley and Aaron Lennon also reportedly on the Ramos radar.

Young however, will not be leaving the Villans, according to O’Neill, who managed to keep hold of Liverpool target Gareth Barry in the summer, with the Irishman also revealing that he didn’t “know anything about” the interest from the Spanish side.

Talking to the official club site O’Neill said “I don't know anything about it but he's certainly not for sale.”

England International Young joined Villa from Watford in 2007 for £9.75million, with the winger scoring 16 goals in 75 appearances while at Villa Park and also chipping in with 28 assists. Young along with Villa captain Martin Laursen, Barry, James Milner and striker Gabriel Agbonlahor are all due to be left in England for the Midlands club crunch UEFA Cup tie in Hamburg on Wednesday.

Would Spurs Really Miss The 'Argos Beckham'?

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The New Voice Of Football column at FootballFancast.com

Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Juande Ramos has not even been in the hotseat at Real Madrid for a week and already the media have linked the Spaniard with January moves for his former charges Didier Zokora, Aaron Lennon and the ‘Argos Beckham’ David Bentley along with Roman Pavlyuchenko.

Now while Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has reportedly said that only Lennon will be allowed to leave White Hart Lane for the Bernabeu at top-dollar of course at £20million. Would it not make more sense to offload Bentley to the La Liga Champions?

You see I feel that under Harry Redknapp, Lennon has started to show the sort of form that propelled him into the England squad a couple of years ago, while ‘Argos Beckham’ might have scored a wonder-goal against bitter rivals Arsenal at the Emirates, but apart from that isolated incident has really flattered to deceive in the White shirt of Tottenham since his big-money move from Blackburn Rovers in the summer.

No doubt that ‘Argos’ is a good player with excellent technique, but does he do enough for the full 90 minutes game in game out? The answer is no, Bentley is quick to drift out of games when the going gets tough. Lennon on the other hand although tackling is definitely not his forte is willing to track back and do his bit for the good of the team, while Bentley seems to have somewhat of an allergy to his own penalty area at times and can often be seen jogging behind an opponent, who is busting his gut to get forward to score against Tottenham.

The other thing that Lennon possesses that ‘Argos’ does not have is blistering pace. Pace can unsettle any defender, just ask Manchester United starlet Rafael, who Lennon gave a torrid time to in the clash against the European Champions on Saturday.

So if Ramos truly does want to bring the ‘Argos Beckham’ to Los Merengues to follow in the footsteps of the ‘Real McCoy’? Should Spurs not bite their hand off stick Lennon back on the right and then use the bundle of cash they receive from Real to get a naturally left-sided player in at White Hart Lane, which would give Spurs better balance.

Even though selling Lennon would represent a massive profit on the measly £1million they paid Leeds United for the speedster in 2005. I feel that it is Bentley, who is the expendable one and not Lennon, should Ramos be able to prise any cash out of Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon next month.

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.

Tottenham Misfit Ready To Quit White Hart Lane

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Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng has claimed that he is ready to quit the Premier League club in January and return to the German Bundesliga after having limited opportunities at the North London club.

21-year-old Boateng joined Spurs from Hertha Berlin in 2007 for £5.5million, but failed to establish himself at White Hart Lane under previous managers Martin Jol and Juande Ramos. With the German Under-21 International revealing that Jol did not even want to sign him and that it was former Tottenham sporting director Damien Comoli, who pushed the deal through to bring the player to the Premiership.

Boateng, found he was not wanted by Ramos either, who refused to give the German a squad number at the start of this season along with Paul Stalteri, Hossam Ghaly, Ricardo Rocha and Adel Taarabt. Ramos even went as far as to ban the five players from using the first team training facilities.

Now that Harry Redknapp is in charge of Tottenham, Boateng continues to be frustrated at White Hart Lane, with the midfielder only making two substitute appearances for Spurs since Redknapp’s arrival from Portsmouth and now feels that is time to seek a new challenge away from Tottenham.

“I have the quality but I certainly don't have a future in London,” he told the People.

“Tottenham signed Modric, Bentley and Pavlyuchenko and there is no place for me.

“Apparently I did not convince Juande Ramos, even though he was not fully fair to me.

“And as for Martin Jol, he never wanted me - he told me himself. Damien Comolli wanted me and pushed my transfer through.”

Spurs Tell Real Madrid Lennon Will Cost £20million

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Tottenham Hotspur have told La Liga Champions Real Madrid that they will have to pay £20million for winger Aaron Lennon, but have also insisted that Lennon is the only player that will be allowed to leave White Hart Lane for the Bernabeu in January, according to the Daily Mirror.

Since former Spurs manager Juande Ramos took over at Los Merengues earlier in the week the former Sevilla coach has been linked with a number of his former charges at Tottenham. Lennon along with David Bentley and Ivory Coast International Didier Zokora are all reportedly on the radar of the Spaniard.

However, according to the Daily Mirror, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has told the Spanish side that only Lennon will be allowed to leave the Premier League club. With Spurs determined to get top-dollar for the former Leeds United player in a similar stance that saw strikers Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov leave for Liverpool and Manchester United respectively in the summer.

Should the North London club manage to get the full £20million asking price for Lennon off Real Madrid? Then it would represent a massive profit on the winger, who cost Tottenham just £1million in 2005, when he arrived from Elland Road.

21-year-old Lennon has scored 11 goals in 137 appearances in all competitions during his time at White Hart Lane and his performances for Spurs propelled him into the senior England set-up in 2006, with the winger being capped 9 times by his country. Lennon was also the youngest player to play in the Premiership, while at Leeds, when he made his senior debut for the Whites against Tottenham aged 16-years and 129 days in 2003.

Zokora Joins Spurs Players Bentley & Lennon On Ramos Wish List?

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Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Juande Ramos, who replaced the sacked Bernd Schuster at La Liga Champions Real Madrid on Tuesday, has revealed that Ivory Coast International Didier Zokora was the player that “impressed” the Spaniard most during his time in charge at the Premier League club.

Since taking up the post Ramos (left) has already been linked with January bids for Spurs wingers Aaron Lennon and David Bentley in the Spanish media. With the new coach at the Bernabeu needing to strengthen the right hand side of Los Merengues midfield.

Now Ramos has declared that 27-year-old Zokora was his most trusted player during his tenure at White Hart Lane, with the former St Etienne midfielder able to play in a number of positions for the former Sevilla coach at Spurs.

When asked, who his favourite player at the Premiership club was by Marca, Ramos replied: “The player that impressed me most was Zokora.”

An offer from Real could be forthcoming in January for Zokora due to an injury to Mali International Mahamadou Diarra being ruled out for the rest of the La Liga season, which has left the new Bernabeu boss short of numbers in the centre of the La Liga sides midfield.

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp will be reluctant to let Zokora leave Spurs, despite the former Portsmouth boss preferring England Under-21 International Tom Huddlestone to Zokora since his arrival from Pompey, when fit.

However, should Real make a substantial offer for Zokora, who cost Tottenham £8.5million from Les Verts in 2006. Then a switch to La Liga could materialise, with Redknapp needing to raise transfer funds to land targets of his own in January as he looks to stamp his own mark on the squad at White Hart Lane.

United Boss Ferguson Reveals Option To Recall Campbell From Spurs

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Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that he could recall England Under-21 International Fraizer Campbell from his season-long loan at Tottenham Hotspur after the striker’s fine form in recent games for the North London club.

21-year-old Campbell joined Spurs on loan as part of the £30.75 deal that took Bulgarian Dimitar Berbatov from White Hart Lane to Old Trafford on transfer deadline day, which was the deciding factor in letting Berbatov leave for the Premier League Champions.

Despite not being used by former manager Juande Ramos, Campbell has shone under new boss Harry Redknapp. The young forward has scored four goals in his last three games, twice against Liverpool in the Carling Cup, once against Man City in the Premiership and his first goal for the England Under-21 side in his man-of-the-match performance against the Czech Republic on Tuesday.

This form has made Ferguson sit up and take note of Campbell and despite having Berbatov along with Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney at his disposal the United boss has said that recalling the youngster in the New Year is an option.

“We could pull him back in January,” said Ferguson.

“We have to the option and it is a possibility.

“The boy has been fantastic at Spurs.

However, Ferguson is unlikely to take that option with the riches already at his disposal at the Red Devils and went on to reveal that United need to have Campbell playing first-team football. Something that is more likely at Spurs than at Man United at the moment.

“He is a good player but we needed to get him first-team experience, so we agreed to it so the deal with Berbatov went through,” Ferguson added.

Has He Got To Gomes?

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The Jake Briggs Column at TheProudCockerel.co.uk

A while ago a friend of mine created a loosely scientific theory for the gaffes that England goalkeeper David James was prone to so often in his earlier career. He called it Roli’s Barnet Theory of Culpability, which had a formula M=HF². This equated to H=hair, F=flamboyant and M=(night)mare. So in easy speak every time James did something flamboyant with his hair a mare was not far round the corner M=HF².

Alas I have no such explanation or theory for Senor Gomes, who seems to have been at fault for the vast majority of goals that Spurs have conceded this season. Which has surprised me for of all the signings that Tottenham made this summer, Gomes was one I expected to excel and become a cult hero at White Hart Lane.

You see I can understand mistakes and errors while playing in a team that is making them all over the pitch, as we were under Ramos, but as Tottenham under the guidance of Redknapp have started to flourish and play with confidence Gomes continues to disappoint. I admit the Brazilian has made some outstanding saves since his big-money move from PSV Eindhoven this summer, but his decision making and positional sense on crosses leaves a lot to be desired and is very reminiscent of a younger James. Not to mention his habit of hospitalising his own team-mates.

It seems that Harry is also of the same opinion and has been linked with a number of keepers since his arrival at White Hart Lane, with Spurs linked to England International’s Robert Green and Ben Foster along with Shay Given at Newcastle United, who Redknapp has publicly revealed an interest in and from further ashore Russian International Vyacheslav Malafeev at Zenit St Petersburg.

So if Gomes is to be shown the door at Tottenham in January, who is the most likely to replace the Brazilian between the posts at Spurs, Green, Roberts, Given or Malafeev?

Well if we rule out the Russian keeper then we are left with three who all know what the Premier League is about. Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has started to think in terms of use Foster or lose Foster in light of our interest and is ready to play him and offer a new deal, while the impending fire sale at Upton Park in January could see us land a reportedly unhappy Green from West Ham for a song. With the Hammers Player of the Year last season believed to be unhappy at not being on par financially with other players at West Ham.

However, I believe Given would represent the best option, having been one of the most consistent goalkeepers in the Premiership over the past decade for the Magpies. The chances of luring Given away from St James’ Park are pretty good to, with Newcastle owner Mike Ashley reportedly prepared to sell any asset he can before selling the club and with a source close to the Republic of Ireland International claiming recently that Given is still hungry to win something in his career and is prepared to leave the Toon in order to achieve that.

Spurs Striker Bent Out To Prove Himself Against Germany

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Tottenham Hotspur striker Darren Bent is hoping England manager Fabio Capello will give him a chance to continue his impressive goal-scoring for Spurs in England’s International friendly against Germany on Wednesday.

After a slow start to his career at White Hart Lane, 24-year-old Bent has been in fine form for the North London club this term, with 7 goals in the Premier League and 11 in all competitions so far this season, which has earned the former Charlton Athletic player a recall into the England fold a year after his last call-up.

Now that Bent has forced himself back into the England squad and Capello’s thoughts the striker is determined to take his chance for England against Germany if given the opportunity in what he calls a ‘special’ game.

“England against Germany are always good games to play in so, for me, I feel I have something to prove,” Bent said.

“If I get the chance to prove myself then I'm up for the challenge.

“To be involved in a game like this is special."

Bent also believes that being deployed as a lone-striker for Tottenham by both previous manager Juande Ramos and new boss Harry Redknapp this season has helped him earn his recall to the England squad.

“I'm used to playing up front one my own so that's helped,” he added.

“It's made me a stronger person and I'm definitely a better player than the last time I was in the squad.

“You never take anything for granted, so as long as I can kept on scoring consistently for Tottenham then I hoped Fabio would see it and I would get a recall. Thankfully that's happened.”

Bent's last appearance in an England shirt came under the ill fated reign of previous manager Steve McClaren, with Bent claiming that things are different and more professional under the Capello regime.

“It's different to what it used to be,” Bent continued.

“It's always an honour to be here and play for your country. The training is perhaps more intense and it's a bit more professional, but it's been brilliant since I've been here.”

Comoli: Recent Spurs Results Down To Me Not Redknapp

Former Tottenham Hotspur sporting director Damien Comoli, who was sacked by Spurs along with manager Juande Ramos and coach Gus Poyet last month has insisted that the revival at the North London club under new boss Harry Redknapp is down to the foundations the Frenchman had built at White Hart Lane and not former Portsmouth manager Redknapp.

Comoli was eventually sacked by Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy after a string of blunders in the transfer market since his appointment and has spoken out for the first time since his dismissal at Spurs.

Comoli said: “My time at Tottenham went exceptionally well.

“I had a lot of success. I did a lot of good for the team and left a club in great shape.

“The current results are showing what I did for Tottenham. The team is great and young."

Comoli has also claimed to be in the dark as to why he was shown the exit at Spurs along with Ramos and Poyet.

“I am still asking myself what happened in the end. I don't understand it,” Comoli added.

“I advised the club to take a coach (Ramos) and it went well at first. But when he had problems the club turned on me.

“I am leaving a club with a lot of assets, many, many good players.”

Spurs Coach Ferdinand: "With Harry In Charge This Place Is Going To Be Fun"

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Former England International and Tottenham Hotspur player Les Ferdinand, who has joined Spurs as part of new manager Harry Redknapp’s coaching staff has questioned the management style of previous boss Juande Ramos, with the former striker claiming that the Spaniard’s poor communication skills failed to install confidence in the players at White Hart Lane.

While, Ferdinand has questioned the methods of Ramos he is backing new chief Redknapp make Tottenham ‘entertainers’ again and has revealed how the mood has changed at the North London club since the former Portsmouth manager took over.

Tottenham are unbeaten under Redknapp, winning 5 out of 6 games in all competitions and scoring 18 goals in the process, with Ferdinand attributing this change of fortune for Spurs solely to Redknapp.

“At times, Spurs have been the great entertainers of The Premier League over the last few seasons and, if the last three weeks are any guide, there won’t be many dull moments this year,” he told The Daily Mirror.

“With Harry in charge, this place is going to be fun.

“I walked into the training ground today and the mood was so upbeat. Everyone had a spring in their step.

“Less than a month ago, there was doom and gloom around the place. I saw David Bentley filling in at right back and Luka Modric stuck out on the left side of midfield.

“I won’t make any disparaging remarks about the previous manager and Juande Ramos is no mug if he can win the UEFA Cup.

“But if you can’t communicate with your players and you are struggling to get your message across, that is going to transmit itself to the pitch.

“And if you are playing for a manager who chops and changes every week, looking like a coach who is trying to find his best formation and his best team, you’re going to start doubting him.

“It has taken only one man to give the whole club a lift and, all of a sudden, there’s a feel-good vibe that only winning brings to a club.”

41-year-old Ferdinand played for Spurs between 1997-2003 and scored 33 league goals in 188 league matches for Tottenham during his six-years at White Hart Lane.

Spurs Starlet Bostock: I Think Harry Likes Me

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Tottenham Hotspur’s teenage starlet John Bostock feels that with new manager Harry Redknapp in charge at White Hart Lane he has a real chance of fighting for a first-team place at the North London club.

16-year-old Bostock arrived at Tottenham in the summer from Championship side Crystal Palace for an initial £700,000 fee set by a tribunal, but did not feature for Spurs at all under previous boss Juande Ramos.

However, Redknapp surprised Bostock by bringing the England Under-17 International into the fold of the senior squad on Monday and then by giving the youngster a place on the bench against Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Cup on Thursday.

Bostock then capped off a whirlwind week by becoming the youngest ever player to play a competitive match for Spurs when Redknapp brought Bostock on as a late substitute in the 4-0 rout of Zagreb. Bostock now intends to continue working hard to stay in and around the first-team squad at White Hart Lane, but did reveal that he thought Redknapp liked him.

“I was only introduced to Harry on Monday but it seems like he has taken a liking to me. I am really looking forward to playing under him,” Bostock told setantasports.com.

“I am really hopeful for the future now. I have just got to keep working and keep training hard and hopefully I can stay in and around the squad.

“I only started training with the first team on Monday,” he added. “So it was an absolutely amazing feeling to get on the pitch and play for a humongous club like Tottenham Hotspur.

“The fans were amazing when I came on, and that really lifts your confidence as a player - to have them on your side really helps a lot.”

The young starlet also revealed that it was not a surprise to him that Ramos was shown the door at Tottenham, with Bostock taking the philosophical approach that in football things are always changing.

“Football is always changing and you have to adapt to what happens,” he added.

Redknapp On £4million Bonus To Keep Spurs In The Premier League

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New Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp is set to collect a cool £4million bonus if he can keep Spurs in the Premier League, according to The Mirror.

Redknapp took the helm at the North London club last Sunday in a shock move, with the 61-year-old leaving Portsmouth to replace Juande Ramos at White Hart Lane, who eventually paid the price for overseeing the worst start to a season in Tottenham’s history after nearly a year in charge of Spurs.

Tottenham were rooted to the bottom of the Premiership when Redknapp arrived, without a win and with only two points from eight games played. However, just the presence of Redknapp in the dugout for the Premier League clash against Bolton Wanderers seemed to inspire to Spurs to their first win of the season.

This was followed by the 4-4 North London derby thriller against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium last Wednesday, where Tottenham came from two goals behind in the dying minutes and a last gasp injury time winner against early Premiership pacesetters Liverpool at White Hart Lane on Saturday.

The seven points from the three games that Spurs have collected since Redknapp has been in charge at Tottenham have seen the North London club climb off the bottom of the Premier League. With Redknapp a certainty to collect his bonus from Spurs chairman Daniel Levy if his new charges continue to pick up results after the turnaround of the last week, which has lifted the mood at Tottenham.

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.