North London Rivals Battle for Sevilla Star - Report

Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo has emerged a target for Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, as the north London rivals fight each other for a top four spot in the Premier League.

The 27 year old, who was part of Spain's Euro 2012 winning squad, has scored eight goals from 15 La Liga appearances this season. The Andalusian outfit have desperately needed his goals, sitting as they are... just four points above the drop zone. And, according to TalkSport, financial problems could force Sevilla to sell the former Real Madrid man.

Negredo is a proven goal scorer, both on the ground and in the air, and is known for smart link-up play and an excellent work rate, all qualities both Arsene Wenger and Andre Villas-Boas rate highly. The report also claims Sevilla will hold out for a figure around £17m if they are to let the striker leave.

The player is understood to be open to a move to a bigger club, as he looks to keep his place in the Spanish national team, ahead of the qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the tournament itself, to be held in Brazil.

Sevilla chairman Jose Maria del Nido earlier claimed the club rejected a £16m offer for Negredo on deadline day in the summer transfer, from an unidentified Premier League side. Later reports claimed the club in question was, in fact, Tottenham.

"On the last day [of the transfer window], an English club offered Sevilla 20 millions [euros] for the striker. First, we did not think of selling him in the market, but the player also said he wanted to stay at Sevilla. And it was not the day to make sales," del Nido explained at the time.

AVB Confident of Top Four Finish

Meanwhile, Spurs manager Villas-Boas insists the club can still qualify for the Champions League, despite last week's goalless draw against Stoke City at White Hart Lane. The result saw the north London side slip down to sixth in the league table.

Arsenal, Everton, Spurs and West Bromwich Albion are all tied on 30 points but the Portuguese tactician feels his squad is strong enough to win the race for the Champions League berth.

"I think we have enough to finish top four. It doesn't shift because of one result. There are a lot of teams with 30 points so, even if the teams get a couple of points, the difference is minimal. The Premier League is exactly like that," the ex-Chelsea manager told ESPN.

Tottenham travel to Birmingham on Boxing Day, to face Aston Villa.