Pavlyuchenko's strike partner says Spurs are 'watching him'

Senegalese striker Oumar Niasse has claimed that Spurs and Chelsea have been scouting him over the last year, with the Lokomotiv Moscow player making strides in the game.

The African forward netted 12 goals in 33 outings for Turkish team Akhisar Belediyespor last season, before being snapped up by the Russian side in the summer.

However, Niasse has stated that Spurs had an interest in him before he moved to Moscow and are still monitoring him now.

"Last season, Chelsea four, and six times Tottenham came to watch me,” Niasse said.

“I guess that explains everything. I know that they are currently watching. I am in constant contact with my agent. For example, you must play really great to be transferred to Tottenham.”

He also claimed that he had the chance to move to Galatasaray but instead opted to move to Russia upon the advice of countryman and now Hull City forward Dame N’Doye.

Since moving to Lokomotiv the 24-year-old has been used in a squad rotation system and has scored four goals in the space of seven games.

He has been capped twice by the Senegal senior side without scoring but was omitted from the national squad to feature in the African Cup of Nations last month.

Spurs fans will know a number of his current team-mates well, with Roman Pavlyuchenko and Vedran Corluka currently on the Moscow-based side’s books.

Pavlyuchenko cut a forlorn figure during four years on Spurs’books, struggling to hold down a regular first-team position but left with the relatively reasonable Premier League goal return of 21 strikes in 78 games - mostly as a substitute.

Corluka was at Spurs for the same period, 2008 - 2012, but never fully convinced. Half decent on the ball, the former Manchester City defender’s attitude and positioning were the stuff of nightmares.

In reality, Niasse seems like a relatively good prospect but not the striker that Spurs need.

There is scope for a player of his ilk to come to the Premier League and play at a bottom-half side, like N’Doye has done at Hull, but for a team with realistic top-four ambitions, more established options are needed.

Another day, another transfer rumour, but little likelihood of seeing the latest linked player in a Tottenham strip any time soon.