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Tottenham have stepped up interest in Lyon forward Bafétimbi Gomis, according to the Telegraph. The report states Andre Villas-Boas is considering the £7m-rated Frenchman as an alternative to Brazil's Leandro Damiao and Spain's Alvaro Negredo. Gomis, 27, has had an excellent career so far at the Stade Gerland, with 46 goals and 13 assists in 130 Ligue 1 appearances since his transfer from St Etienne in 2009.

Bafetimbi Gomis (R)
Reuters

Spurs have been linked to Damiao for quite some time now but an agreement with Brazilian club Internacional, over the £20m forward has been difficult to reach. Damiao's contract expires in 2015.

Meanwhile, AVB has also been linked to Real Madrid youth product Negredo. The 27-year-old was believed to be close to signing a four-and-a-half year deal with Spurs for £70,000 per week but no such deal was announced.

Tottenham are believed to want Damiao as first choice but will settle for Gomis if deals for the Brazilian and Spaniard do not materialise. AVB is aware he needs reinforcements up front; the club, presently, has only England international Jermain Defoe and Togolese forward Emmanuel Adebayor. And of these two, Adebayor is away with his country at the 2013 African Cup of Nations and Defoe has only just recovered from a pelvic injury.

The club's 1-1 draw at Carrow Road, where they needed Welshman Gareth Bale to score in the final ten minutes to rescue a point, further highlights Spurs' need for offensive cover. And this issue will certainly become more important as the season winds down and the north London club attempt to protect their fourth place and the promise of Champions League football.

Spurs will have to fight for Gomis though. Lyon are presently joint-leaders of the French league, with Paris St Germain (PSG) and will be loathe to lose one of their most consistent strikers.

Interestingly, Spurs have been drawn to play Lyon in the first knock-out round of the 2013 UEFA Europa League. The first leg is to be played on 14 February, at White Hart Lane, and the return is scheduled for the following week.

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