Spurs to boost firepower with long-awaited move for Brazilian star

Tottenham’s striker-crisis has prompted the north Londoners to move for Brazilian international Leandro Damiao.

Jermain Defoe’s requires surgery on a pelvic injury, while Emmanuel Adebayor could be in for another week in South Africa as Togo look well-placed to qualify for the quarter-final stage of the African Cup of Nations.

With no other natural striking option, Andre Villas-Boas was forced to field Clint Dempsey as the lone frontman for his side’s FA Cup defeat at Leeds and will probably have to do the same for their Premier League clash at Norwich.

Spurs have courted Damiao for a long time and the desperate situation that having only two forwards in your entire squad will inevitably bring about has finally convinced them to stump up the funds Internacional are demanding for his services.

It is reported to be a fee of £15m and the fact that the Brazilian club have already moved for a Palmeiras hitman in what’s thought to be a like-for-like replacement has only added fuel to the fire.

Damiao has an exceptional goalscoring record in his homeland; bagging 74 goals in just 129 club games. This extremely impressive return suggests that Internacional could maybe demand a bit more money in order to sanction his sale and some late bartering on the Brazilian club’s behalf could be a potential snag that could hinder the transfer at such a late stage in the window.

He is a more complete player than both of Spurs’ current striking options. He possesses the physicality of Adebayor, as well as the finishing instincts of Defoe yet, in addition to these attributes, he has the ability to use both feet and the technical prowess that both lack.

Any eight-figure bid would represent a gamble given that Damiao hasn’t played club football outside of Brazil in his career thus far but, coupling his domestic exploits with his performances at the Olympics (where he spear-headed his country’s attack ahead of Hulk and Neymar) he looks as though he could prove a bargain even with an extra £10m lumped on top of the current offer.

At 11/10, Spurs are favourites to land the final top-four berth and securing Damiao’s signature will only improve their chances of achieving the feat.

All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date