Two sides that are not exactly on each other’s Xmas card list are battling for the same world-class talent - and it looks certain to end with even more inter-club hatred.

Tottenham and West Ham are chasing Real Madrid striker Roberto Soldado (Marca). The 22-year-old forward has in recent months found himself out of favour under the new Bernd Schuster regime but that has not stopped him from being awarded his first Spanish caps in June.

Roberto is a talented player who has been held in high regard for a few years in La Liga and had a successful loan spell at Osasuna, where he finished as top scorer. But do Spurs really need another striker? They already have a hard-enough time keeping their main four goal-getters happy and another international will surely cause Martin Jol even more of a headache.

'But do Spurs really need another striker? They already have a hard-enough time keeping their main four goal-getters happy'


However, I can see this being a quality purchase for West Ham as they try to bring in top-class up-and-coming talent, so if their bid for Adriano fails, they can always pump the money into this transfer!

Tottenham’s fourth striker Jermain Defoe apparently remains on Sir Alex’s Manchester United wish-list (Daily Mail). Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's sudden retirement and Louis Saha's continued problems, aligned with Wayne Rooney's broken foot, have left Ferguson seriously short up front. Apparently Spurs officials are concerned that JD may do a Sol Campbell and see out his contract, which is up in the summer of 2009, and reap the financial benefits at Tottenham’s expense. To this end, Daniel Levy and co may be forced to sell their sub striker before he leaves for nothing.

Manchester United are also allegedly planning a £22m bid for Dimitar Berbatov - but Spurs are holding out for £40m (Daily Mail). The Bulgarian has in recent days committed his future to the club and insisted his future is at White Hart Lane. So this story-to-be doesn’t really appear to hold much water. However, I am not personally convinced that Martin Jol’s No.9 is totally committed to the club, though this is just a gut feeling and not based in any cold facts. I just have a sense that come next summer Berbatov will no longer be a Tottenham player.

Micah Richards has apparently been lined up by Arsenal as a possible future purchase (skysports.com). Tthis comes just days after the hugely-talented Manchester City defender was apparently offered a lucrative new contract to stay at Eastlands.

The young England international teenager is probably the brightest prospect in the Premier League and equally no doubting that every manager in the league would love to have him. But it seems pretty clear that for the next few years at least, Richards is going nowhere. City are moving in the right direction and for that reason alone there seems little reason for him to consider alternatives. I am also sure he will stay loyal to the side that gave him his big break, especially given the talent that is flooding into the club.

Middlesbrough will apparently put aside moves for Heerenveen's Afonso Alves and Adriano as they switch their attentions to Manchester City striker Georgios Samaras (Daily Mirror). The way the Mirror word the story gives the impression that it’s actually a decision that Gareth Southgate has taken to ignore world-class talent and instead plump for that poor excuse for a striker, Samaras. In all likelihood, neither Alves or Adriano will ever go to the Riverside, but in my opinion that is no reason to go and waste money on the City ‘striker’.

It is good to see Mido performing well, though, and maybe the Boro boss thinks he will work a similar miracle with the Greek international. But I would tell him that lightning doesn’t strike twice, and whatever I have said about the former Spurs man in the past, the Egyptian striker is miles better than Georgios.