Spurs striker is on Stoke’s wanted list

Roman Pavlyuchenko is this week’s rumoured transfer target as the search goes on for the much-needed new striker.

Last week it was Carlton Cole that was said to be a target and now we have the Spurs’ striker. The common theme between these two rumours is that we seem to have around £12m to splash on a replacement for Messrs. Beattie and Kitson who are both well known to be likely to depart before the start of the season.

It’s a sign of our increased ambition that we’re being seriously linked with players of this sort of calibre. It may surprise those outside the Potters that we have such cash to splash, but Peter Coates has often said that he has no set transfer budget and that he’ll back the manager with the cash if he comes up with the right players.

With Tony Pulis’s well known close friendship with the Spurs’ boss, Harry Redknapp this story doesn’t seem too far fetched, so the big question is whether the 28 year old Russian will see a move to the Brit in a favourable light as he’s said to prefer a return to his homeland.