Tottenham target Barcelona star David Villa and Porto striker Jackson Martinez as Andre Villas-Boas looks to splash out £45m
Andre Villas-Boas wants to bring in two strikers over the summer
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Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas plans to sign two strikers this summer in an attempt to turn the club into title challengers.
Villas-Boas wants to launch an ambitious attempt to sign Porto's 26-year-old Colombian striker Jackson Martinez as well as Barcelona’s David Villa. Spurs spent the majority of last season with Jermain Defoe and Emmanuel Adebayor as their only senior strikers.
Talks with Barcelona over a £12million deal for Villa are believed to be at an advanced stage, according to the London Evening Standard, but it is Villas-Boas’s interest in Martinez which should excite Spurs fans.
With the club wary of another frustrating transfer window pursuing long-term target Brazil striker Leandro Damiao at Internacional, the Tottenham coach has put forward Martinez’s name as an alternative.
The Colombian finished the season as the Portuguese League’s top scorer with 26 goals and was key behind Villas-Boas’s old club beating Benfica to the title.
Porto signed him from Mexican side Jaguares de Chiapas for just over £7m last summer and he is already a target for a number of Europe’s top clubs.
Villas-Boas is continuing to push for big names to help turn the club into not only top four contenders but also title challengers.
He has already suggested Zenit St Petersburg star Hulk, the player he worked with for one productive year during his time as Porto coach, and has now optimistically mentioned Martinez’s name, too.
The transfer will certainly be difficult for Tottenham, who were frustrated in negotiations with Porto last season over Joao Moutinho.
James Rodriguez and Moutinho have just been sold to Monaco for £60m and Porto will not want to lose any more prize assets.
They value Martinez at an eye-watering £33.4m but that hasn’t put Villas-Boas off from putting his name on his wish-list.
Spurs are keen to strengthen the frontline and want to make room by potentially selling both Emmanuel Adebayor and Jermain Defoe. Hopes of luring Christian Benteke appear to have faded, however.
Aston Villa are keen to get him to sign a new contract but Arsenal and Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund are ahead of them in the pecking order should he leave Villa Park after just one season in the Premier League.
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