Crystal Palace vs Tottenham Hotspur: Alan Pardew dismisses Bafetimbi Gomis rumours amid goal drought

Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew has played down suggestions that the club could use Dwight Gayle to try and seal a January move for Swansea City striker Bafetimbi Gomis. Palace are without a single goal in their last four Premier League games, heightening their need to recruit another striker during the winter window.

Pardew admitted earlier in January that former Tottenham Hotspur striker Emmanuel Adebayor was one of the names being considered, while Nicklas Bendtner is another potential arrival at Selhurst Park, according to the Mirror.

The Eagles found themselves similarly short of a presence up front this time in 2015 and were linked with a £8.25m ($11.8m) move for Gomis in last season's winter window, a bid that at the time would have been a club record.

The Sun claims Palace have revived their interest in the France international, however, claiming Gayle will move in the other direction.

But speaking at his press conference ahead of clash with Tottenham Hotspur on 23 January, Pardew insisted there was no such deal on the table. When quizzed on the reports, he said: "We're after somebody who would fit into our group. It'd be nice to see a big player come in. There's been no contact from either club [over Gomis].

"We can give ourselves a lift so it makes sense for our fans, our players. We can improve from within, but having said that, we are trying to improve the situation. Most of the noises on the market are probably being generated by agents and the media. It's part of the game, I quite enjoy it. We have to be realistic. Some of the figures being banded about for good players, not great players, are massive. We mustn't get out-priced. It's difficult for us."

While Pardew is actively looking to add to his squad, he also confirmed Jonny Williams is to leave the club on loan in the coming days with a move to MK Dons awaiting.

"I need to speak to Jonny but it's a good chance he will end up at Milton Keynes Dons," Pardew said, the Croydon Advertiser report. "I think Jonny, if I'm honest, needs 10 games to kind of get his body working in terms of a football player.

"He's missed so much football, so to have him here and put him in here and there – he might even be an asset to me for 10 or 15 minutes. Our fans might think Jonny coming on in the game might help us, but it isn't helping Jonny. Jonny needs to go and play 10 to 15 games and hopefully get his game back on."