White Hart Lane outfit will have to pay straight cash for Belgium international.
Spurs hope to sign Benteke. Depends on fee + other clubs keen. Will develop next week & likely to be straight cash, no player exchange #thfc
— David Ornstein (@bbcsport_david) July 12, 2013
Tottenham are not the only club interested in signing Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke, according to BBC journalist David Ornstein.
Benteke handed in a transfer request at Villa Park earlier this week and the Midlands club have confirmed they will allow the 22-year-old to leave for the right price, provided a bid is made ‘within an appropriate timeframe’.
Spurs, Chelsea and Liverpool have all been linked with the Belgian international but Benteke’s agent Eris Kismet ruled out a move to Stamford Bridge, insisting there was as much chance of the forward joining Chelsea as playing in the Belgian sixth tier next season.
Anfield, meanwhile, seems an unlikely destination for the striker, who wants to play European football ahead of the 2014 World Cup.
However, Ornstein says Spurs are not the only club in the hunt for the former Genk man, who scored 19 goals in his debut season in the Premier League after arriving at Villa Park for £7m last summer.
Spurs and Villa are reportedly some way apart in their valuation of Benteke, with reports suggesting the Villains want £25m for the powerful striker.
The north London outfit’s transfer record stands at £16.5m and Spurs are reportedly keen to use unwanted players – specifically Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Jake Livermore, Scott Parker and Tom Huddlestone – in any deal for Benteke.
But Ornstein says any deal will likely involved straight cash, meaning either Spurs will have to cough-up or Villa will have to significantly lower their asking price.
Tottenham are in need of a striker after disappointing seasons for both Jermain Defoe and Emmanuel Adebayor. Defoe managed just one league goal after Boxing Day, while the Togolese scored just five all season, as Andre Villas-Boas’ side relied heavily on Gareth Bale for firepower.
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