Tottenham Hotspur have received a measure of encouragement in their long-running pursuit of Brazil striker Leandro Damiao. The 23-year-old Internacional forward's agent, Vinicius Prates, has revealed his client could leave the Brazilian outfit in the summer.

Leandro Damiao
Reuters

Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas is believed to be a keen admirer of Damiao's talents and has been quoted as confirming an interest in the striker.

The north London club already have England international Jermain Defoe and Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor on their books but the latter has failed to impress so far this season, leading to speculation he may be moved on in favour of the Brazilian.

And Prates' comments, in conjunction with those made by Internacional director of football Luis Cesar Souto de Moura, suggest the time may have come for Damiao to move to Europe.

"He's happy at Internacional. He's been one of the best Brazilian goalscorers for several years now. If an interesting proposal should arrive for us and Internacional, there would be a good chance that Leandro leaves," Goal.com quoted Prates as saying.

The north London club will have to fight for Damiao though, with Italians Napoli and Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund also believed to be interested. There has been no formal approach from either side and Spurs' long-standing interest should give AVB an edge but, as Prates stressed, no club had been ruled out as a possible destination.

"I cannot comment on something that is not there, seeing has I have received nothing in writing, or even an offer from Napoli. It's a big club [Dortmund] that I like a lot. I repeat: if a big club like Borussia or the other great European sides should formalise a proposal for us and for Internacional, we would evaluate it carefully," the agent explained.

Should Spurs fail to sign the Brazilian in the summer, AVB could set his eyes on bringing SC Braga striker Eder to White Hart Lane.

Meanwhile, in the Premier League, Tottenham continue their hunt for Champions League football next season, which could prove crucial in luring top-class players and retaining the services of Welsh international Gareth Bale. AVB's team is fourth in the table, a point behind Chelsea and four ahead of Arsenal, before the weekend's games kick-off. Tottenham face Swansea City, at the Liberty Stadium, on Saturday evening. Read the IBTimes UK match preview.

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