Spurs must decide if they want to make an offer for
Manchester United striker Alan Smith with Middlesbrough likely to
up their £5m bid.
Boro have reportedly had an initial offer for the former Leeds
firebrand accepted by their Old Trafford counterparts but face an
uphill task to persuade the England international to switch to the
Riverside Stadium because they cannot offer him European
football.
Tottenham, Everton and Sunderland have all registered their
interest in the 26-year-old, while Portsmouth have now entered the
running after their manager, Harry Redknapp, revealed his
admiration.
"Alan Smith is good value at the money they are talking about,"
said Redknapp. "He was in the last England team and is
proven."
Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce is a fan of Smith but reports that
he made a £3.5million offer for the player last week were wide of
the mark.
Smith fears his days with the Premiership champions are numbered
after chief executive David Gill confirmed manager Sir Alex
Ferguson would be in the market for a top-class striker before the
start of the new season.
