Whilst Tottenham failed to entice Brazilian starlet Leandro Damiao to join the Premier League last summer (they are rumoured to have lodged two firm bids that came to nothing) the 22-year-old has never really left the conversation when it comes to new signings.
Yes, Emmanuel Adebayor has been an unprecedented success for Spurs but doubts remain over his future. His loan move will come to an end this summer and whilst he’s had his wages heavily subsidised by his parent club Manchester City, Tottenham would have to pick up the slack if they were to engineer a permanent deal.
With Adebayor rumoured to be picking up £170k a week in wages, there’s just no way that Harry Redknapp et al can afford to finance his stay in North London. It makes perfect sense, therefore that the club are looking at other options and lining up a few potential replacements.
Which brings me back to the name that has appeared in regular conjunction with Tottenham: Leandro Damiao. The Brazilian striker has claimed that he wasn’t ready to leave his home country when Tottenham came knocking last summer. Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, Damiao was keen to attest that he may well be ready to move on:
‘The only offer came from Tottenham, but it wasn’t the right time to go.
There will come a day when I will play in Europe. It will be very important for me to learn and improve. ‘For my style and strength, I think I could adapt to any major league in Europe. But it seems to me that strikers are most appreciated in Italy and England.”
The Daily Mail claims that Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Inter Milan are interested, but it’s Spurs who have shown enough faith in the youngster to make a concrete bid for him in the past. With his willingness to prove himself in England he may well assent to a move should Tottenham reignite their interest this summer.
If Tottenham do manage to sign him I can’t help but feel that they’ll have pulled off a major coup. He’s still got plenty of developing to do and yet he’s managed to score 65 goals in 104 matches for Internacional and has made the step up to the Brazilian national team.
This summer may well be the perfect time to strike. Whilst he’s highly thought of, he’s not exactly a household name (certainly not in the same way that fellow Brazilian Neymar is) and would be available relatively cheap. If Tottenham opt to wait they may find more teams picking up on his talent and derailing any potential move in the future.
What’s your take? Is the time right to strike for Damiao?
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Adebayor has been an unprecedented success? He scored twice in the last match but did you see the previous five matches? He looked like he had his boots on back to front
typical news websites, only look at stats and not the fact that adebayor is increasingly frustrating recently and his first touch is SHOCKING, he is not a success, he needs to be let go for damiao. stop copying everyone else and get a truthful opinion
I don;t know why Levy keeps pissing about over Dalmiao. He looks a real top striker and we should have just gone and got him two seasons ago. We probably could have got him for 15 to 18 million but now he will cost about 25 million at least. Adebayor is good but not in this guys class and would be cheaper
Sod ade to greedy ! We should have bought papa cisse but for me damiao is a must ecspecially with our partnership! A current brazilian international in any position cannot be sniffed at ecspecislly a young striker with bags of talent and potential ! Then get doumbia from Cska Moscow he seriously for me has the best strike rate and most devastating highlight reel on you tube! He is a must!! But we have to pay a decent wage!
Damiao adebeyour doumbia as strikers, get 12m for Defoe , buy doumbia and damaio for 35m hazard and Marin for 35m recall caulker as cb – that’s it! Done!
That’s 70m outlay – 12m Defoe / pienaar 6m / kranjcar 6m/ dos santos 7m/ Corluka 6m/ Jenas 5m/ Bentley 2m/ Gomes 2m/ khumalo 2m – the money from crouch / Keane and Ohara that wasn’t spent everything is pretty balanced – would also love berb the shuv for a cheeky 5m – what do ya reckon? X
Nah, Huntelaar – all ready to go, speaks english, used to the european game. Totally lethal poacher. Why gamble on a kid who might be a flop. too many youtube pundits these days.