Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is making a stunning £20 million move for Blackburn Rovers striker Roque Santa Cruz as he takes on Manchester City for his signature.
Redknapp has been given backing to make a massive bid for the Paraguayan as his ideal partner for Jermain Defoe and an offer will be tabled immediately.
The Spurs chief has cash to spend - and also players to sell to carry on his own signing blitz - plus a determination to see off City in the hunt as the window's two big spenders go head-to-head.
Rovers are prepared to sell Santa Cruz if they can find a replacement, with boss Sam Allardyce chasing a striker to fill his boots as time runs out to do the business.
However Tottenham are hoping that their offer will see off City - with Mark Hughes increasing his offers steadily but his money men reluctant to go all of the way to £20 million.
Santa Cruz has admitted he wants to go and would love to team up with Hughes again, but he would not turn down Spurs who have come in at a very late stage but full of cash and commitment.
Redknapp plans to shift Darren Bent, Jermaine Jenas, Tom Huddlestone and possibly Rovers old boy David Bentley before the window shuts to swell his coffers. Some of them would be available in swaps for Santa Cruz, but Spurs know it will take cash.
Santa Cruz is the kind of striker Redknapp wants, with height and an ability to hold the ball. He was prolific last season but has struggled for fitness and form in this campaign - however class is permanent.
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This could turn into the biggest fight of the window and may be fought out all the way until the last minute. City have been waiting on a reply from Rovers for over a week as Allardyce looks for a suitable replacement.
Allardyce is switching his striker search to Bosnian goal machine Edin Dzeko. He had the powerful forward watched playing for Wolfsburg last night for the second time in a few days and could make a personal check at the weekend.
Dzeko, 22, has been a regular scorer in the Bundesliga and at a towering 6ft4in he fits Allardyce's mould for a potential Santa Cruz replacement.
Rovers have pushed Dzeko to the top of their wish list after disappointing reports - and high valuations - on other targets Nikola Zigic and Milan Jovanovic.
Dzeko cost Wolfsburg £3 million when he joined 18 months ago and would probably cost twice as much now - but that is within the Rovers budget.
However neither Allardyce nor the board are comfortable with selling Santa Cruz until they find another top-class striker and Dzeko, capped 13 times by Bosnia and still young, could be the late answer.
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