Spurs chase striker injured after 20 minutes

Spurs chase striker injured after 20 minutes

Spurs chase striker injured after 20 minutes

Reports emerge of yet another striker we are interested in, how many is that? Just like all clubs we have a list of potential targets in each position and we monitor them so we are able to make a decision at any point we need to.

We increased our scouting presence in France when we signed the Southampton scout who worked under Pochettino and we have also appointed scouts to work in Spain and Portugal. It is across to Spain we head this time with news that we are watching Borja Baston, not a name on many people's lips.

The report comes from AS a sporting daily in Spain and suggests Everton are also watching the 23-year-old (24 in August) who is under contract until 2017. Players entering the last year of their contract see their price drop. The striker has had offers from Germany, from both Everton and ourselves and also from Valencia.

he is owned by Atletico Madrid who may face a transfer embargo in which case he would be unlikely to leave, they also want a first refusal option to buy him back. That is something we would only accept if there was no guaranteed buy back element, a first refusal option would be more likely. Under a first refusal a club can match any offer only if the owning club decide to sell, under a buy-back clause don't have an option, they have to sell the player if the club he signed from match an agreed price written into his contract. We don't get involved in those type of deals.

Transfermakt have Botja priced at just £3-million and Valencia are particularly interested. They have a very good relationship with Atletico and are therefore in the driving seat to sign the striker who is on loan at Eibar this season and has netted 17 goals. Reports from Spain suggest he has bags of potential which would seem to be the case given he scored 23 goals in 39 games for Real Zaragoza last season in the Second  Division in Spain.

He has been at Atletico since he was 4-years-old and the Madrid club know how to develop strikers, both Raul and Fernando Torres came through their ranks. He fought back from a serious injury suffered when making his debut as a 17-year-old after only 20 minutes. That must have been a huge disappointment so he has overcome adversity, suggesting he may have the mentality we are looking for. After that injury he has been on 5 successive loan spells, mainly in the second tier before making his mark in the top flight and scoring against Barcelona this season.

We have been watching him for some time now, there were reports in January, but where he fits on our list of preferences is anyone' guess. He is not blessed with pace or trickery on the ball but has been prolific at Spanish youth level. He has a finishers instinct and like Harry Kane knows where the back of the net is. He is neat and tidy on the ball and carries an aerial threat being 1.91m (6ft 3in).

he is at the other end of the cost scale than some of our targets it seems, could he turn out to be a better option?