AVB ready to make January move for Man United target Coentrao

After a summer that saw him recruit seven new players at a cost of over £100m, there can’t have been, many managers in Europe who were busier in the transfer market than Spurs boss Andre Villa Boas.

And yet, such is the transfer market savvy of his own boss, chairman Daniel Levy, that Tottenham’s net transfer spend this season still hasn’t reached £5m.

Of course the reason behind this is the mammoth £85m fee received for the sale of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid, in addition to money coming in from the departures of Tom Huddlestone, Scott Parker, Clint Dempsey and Steven Caulker.

But it all means that AVB will still have plenty of money to spend when the window re-opens again in January, and after focusing the majority of the incoming monies so far on replacing the Bale-shaped hole in his squad with numerous attacking signings, Villas Boas is expected to reinforce his backline come the New Year.

Centre back Vlad Chriches was the only defensive signing of the summer, coming in for £8m from Steaua Bucharest, with the other six signings all consisting of midfielders, wingers and the man in attack keeping four-goal Defoe out of the side, Roberto Soldado.

It leaves Spurs looking a little short at full back, particularly should injuries strike in that position, as they indeed did this week.

After a beneficial season on loan at Sunderland last term, where he established himself as a firm fans’ favourite, Danny Rose performed so impressively in pre-season that not only was his manager happy to make him first choice left back, but he also agreed to let his understudy leave on loan, as Benoit Assou Ekotto joined QPR.

But when Rose limped out of their midweek European clash against Tromso, Villas Boas may have been worried that he would soon regret his decision to let Assou Ekotto go.

As it happens, Rose should be fit for this weekend, but the scare has prompted AVB to put a left back at the top of his shopping list come January. After a move to Manchester United collapsed at the eleventh hour on deadline day, Fabio Coentrao remains available and according to reports today Spurs are keeping a close eye on the situation.

United boss Moyes could well return for the Portuguese left back, particularly after admitting recently that his move for Leighton Baines is dead in the water. However, having spent consecutive summers negotiating the sales of his prize assets to the Spanish capital, with Bale following Luka Modric in swapping one white shirt for another, Levy’s close relationship with Real will no doubt prove to be an advantage in any bidding war.