Tottenham Transfer News: Damiao, Moutinho, Negredo And Gomis Involved In Deadline Day Speculation

Tottenham have been linked to Internacional striker Leandro Damiao for more than 18 months and there has again been speculation that he is on their agenda as the close of the transfer window approaches.

According to the Independent, Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas’s only request to chairman Daniel Levy this month was to bring in the Brazil international. With Tottenham having tried without success to sign Damiao for so long, there remain huge doubts that they can get a deal done before the deadline.

The transfer is significantly complicated by third parties involved in the 23-year-old’s economic rights. Any deal would likely be in excess of £15 million.

With Emmanuel Adebayor at the African Cup of Nations and Jermain Defoe just returning from injury, Tottenham’s lack of striking options have been brought into sharp focus.

A move for a striker seems logical and it appears that Tottenham have alternatives in mind should a move for Damiao prove too problematic.

The Daily Telegraph reports that Tottenham have made an inquiry for Lyon front man Bafetimbi Gomis. The 27-year-old France international has scored 12 goals in Ligue 1 already this season and Lyon revealed earlier this month that Chelsea had been in-touch about a potential move.

At that time, Lyon chairman Jean-Michel Aulas suggested that Gomis could be available in January. But, with Lyon currently level on points with Paris Saint-Germain at the top of Ligue 1, Gomis has claimed that he wants to remain with the club until the end of the season.

Also in Tottenham’s sights is thought to be Sevilla’s Alvaro Negredo. The La Liga side are believed to be looking to sell to ease their debts and it had been claimed earlier in the month that Sevilla representatives were in England to field interest for the 27-year-old.

Everton have been strongly linked to Negredo in recent days, although it appears unlikely that they will match Sevilla’s asking price. Spanish journalist for AS and The Times Guillem Balague believes that the Spain international is likely to stay put until the summer with Sevilla asking for a fee of €20 million (£17m).

There has also been talk that Tottenham could look to resurrect a deal that collapsed in the final embers of last summer’s transfer window. Joao Moutinho looked set to sign for Spurs back in August before the transfer fell through, although Villas-Boas is thought to maintain an interest in the player that he managed with such success at Porto.

The deal back then was thought to have become complicated by third-parties involved in Moutinho’s ownership, but intriguingly Porto bought out the rest of the 26-year-old’s economic rights on Wednesday.

The Daily Mail claims, however, that Moutinho will be staying where he is for the time being. The fact that Tottenham negotiated so determinedly to bring forward the transfer of fellow-midfielder Lewis Holtby would suggest that they do not think a deal for Moutinho can be struck.