5 Mar 2011 08:29:00
Jermain Defoe, Tottenham (Getty Images)
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EXCLUSIVE
By Greg Stobart
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp wants to put all of the club’s strikers up for sale in the summer as he plans a £70 million overhaul of his frontline.
The Spurs boss is fed up with below-par performances from Jermain Defoe, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Peter Crouch and is ready to listen to offers for all three players.
Tottenham’s strikers have scored just eight Premier League goals between them this season and Redknapp believes that a significant upgrade will enable the Londoners to mount a genuine title challenge next season.
There is already a £30m budget at White Hart Lane to bring in a big-name forward and the club could expect a further £40m by dismantling their current strikeforce.
The summer sale of Robbie Keane to West Ham – where he is currently on loan – has already been agreed for £6m should the east London club avoid relegation.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy values Tottenham’s remaining strikers at more than £10m each and expects interest from foreign and domestic clubs, with the likes of Sunderland, Newcastle and Aston Villa all in the market for new forwards.
Flop-Spurs | Pavlyuchenko and Defoe will be made available in the summer
The likes of Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente, Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema and Giuseppe Rossi of Villarreal will be summer targets as Spurs look to add quality to their strikeforce.
“Harry has had enough of his strikers and as far as he’s concerned they can all leave in the summer,” a Spurs insider told Goal.com UK. “The lack of goals has been a big disappointment this season – it’s clearly been the obvious weakness in the squad and he wants an upgrade.”
Tottenham have netted just 38 goals in 27 Premier League matches this season, 17 of which have been scored by midfielders Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart as Spurs challenge Chelsea and Manchester City for a top-four place.
Redknapp was in disbelief after Spurs lost 3-1 at Blackpool in their last outing as his misfiring strikers once again missed a number of opportunities.
| HARRY’S SUMMER SALES |
 Name: Jermain DefoeAge: 28 Total goals this season: 5 Contract expires: 2014 Estimated price: £14m |
Name: Peter Crouch
Name: Roman Pavlyuchenko
Name: Robbie KeaneDefoe, whom Spurs re-signed from Portsmouth for £15m in January 2009, is yet to score in the league this season and has gone a year since his last league goal from open play.
Redknapp considers the England international his best striker but is ready to cash in as the 28-year-old’s form is too unreliable and he offers little to the team when he is not scoring.
Crouch offers height and an effective ‘plan B’ option but he has netted just two league goals in 26 appearances this season, with both strikes coming against Blackburn Rovers.
There is a fear that English defences have worked out how to handle Crouch’s height, but he remains a dangerous player in Europe and has scored seven times in the Champions League so far this season.
It makes the 30-year-old the most likely of the strikers to stay at the club beyond this season, particularly as Andy Carroll – who was considered a natural upgrade – joined Liverpool from Newcastle for £35m on the last day of the January transfer window.
Pavlyuchenko has netted six Premier League goals this season but Redknapp has never been convinced by the Russian and is ready to cash in.
Meanwhile, Spurs are increasingly hopeful that Bale will feature in the Champions League last 16 second leg clash against AC Milan on Wednesday night.
The club had been extremely pessimistic about the Welsh flyer’s chances of returning from a back problem in time but he stepped up his training schedule on Friday and is due to train with the first-team for the first time on Saturday.
Bale, 21, has been keen not to rush his return since he hobbled off after just 10 minutes in the 1-1 draw at Newcastle on January 22.
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Tottenham prepared to sell all of their strikers as Harry Redknapp plans £70m summer overhaul