Tottenham Target Benfica Striker as Damiao States Champions League Ambitions – Report

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Benfica striker Rodrigo after comments from long-term target Leandro Damiao stating that he would prefer a move to a team playing in the Champions League.

This may well have forced manager Andre Villas-Boas to turn his attention elsewhere and it seems as though topping the list is Spanish forward Rodrigo. The Benfica youngster has impressed in Portugal this season where he scored 13 goals in all competitions as the club were pipped to the league title by rivals Porto.

The Daily Mirror reports that Tottenham have sent scouts to watch the 22 year old in action on a number of occasions this season and are now ready to make an offer during the summer.

Rodrigo began his senior club career at Real Madrid but was deemed surplus to requirements and after a loan spell at Bolton was eventually sold to Benfica in the summer of 2010 for around €6m.

The move to Portugal did not hamper his national team ambitions and he has been earmarked as one of the players to watch at the Under-21 European Championships this summer after scoring 11 goal in the qualifying campaign.

Tottenham are believed to be interested in signing two strikers this summer as Villas-Boas looks to get over the disappointment of failing to achieve a top four finish.

However, it looks as though they will struggle to land Internacional striker Damiao who has intimated that he would prefer to join a European team playing in the Champions League next season.

"I know of Tottenham's interest in me but I am happy to wait until the president of my club lets me know something official," said Damiao, as quoted in the Mirror.

"I would prefer to play in a team that is in the Champions League, but the most important thing is that they share the same ambition that I have."

The 23 year old, who came on in the 2-2 with England on Sunday evening, clearly has ambitions to play at the highest level and Tottenham may find there is competition from plenty of clubs in the Champions League.