Spurs unrelenting in pursuit of tarnished West Brom striker
Published:
The clubs reached a stand-off in the summer, but it seems Tottenham’s desire to take Saido Berahino to White Hart Lane hasn’t been suppressed, with the Londoners reportedly preparing to revive their interest in January.
It was one of the summer’s most speculated over transfer sagas until West Brom’s resolve finally held firm over the price tag.
A series of offers from Spurs peaked at £23m on Deadline Day, but that was still £2m less than the rumoured amount the Baggies wanted for their prize asset.
Berahino incurred the wrath of the Hawthorns faithful by appearing to try and force the move through when submitting a written transfer request, rapidly turning the club’s top scorer of the previous season from hero to hate figure in the west midlands.
Having seen his hopes of a move dashed, Berahino was publically welcomed back into the fold by manager Tony Pulis, though, who said he intended to give the 22-year-old forward a chance to repay the Baggies with game time and ultimately goals.
Pulis originally seemed to deliver on this promise, as the Burundi-born marksman clocked up three Premier League goals in eight starts by the end of October.
However, since then relations between manager and player look to have deteriorated as Berahino has only made three more appearances in the top flight, all as a substitute, fuelling speculation Pulis is prepared to cash in on him during January.
That is a sentiment shared by many reports in the morning gossip columns, with the Telegraph among numerous publications suggesting Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino wants negotiations reopened at the nearest opportunity.
The Argentine boss may have steered his side into the top four by Christmas, but is aware that viable backup for his own star striker Harry Kane is vital if the Lilywhites are to gatecrash the Champions League places come May, a feat rated at 1/1 by Ladbrokes currently.
Given Berahino’s peripheral status in recent months, the prospects of a deal getting thrashed out seem all the more realistic five months on.
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