The rumour mill is back in full swing as clubs prepare to embrace the January transfer window. Tottenham are once again keen to lure Joe Cole away from Chelsea with a fresh £5m bid the 23-year-old, who was bought from West Ham for £6.6m in August 2003.
Cole could offer Spurs width and is also capable of operating as a playmaker, as shown playing for Chelsea in the early part of this season. However, whilst Damien Duff and Arjen Robben continue to dazzle for the Stamford Bridge side, Cole has found himself on the sidelines since October.
Cole's England colleague and former teammate at West Ham, Jermain Defoe says, "Joe Cole would fit in well down here. He's such a good player. Hopefully he will come to Tottenham but you never really know."
Reports also link Cole with a loan move to Southampton until the end of the season. New Saints manager Harry Redknapp was manager at West Ham United while Cole’s career was blossoming.
FH Hafnarfjordur will accept a £500,000 offer from Spurs for Iceland's young player of the year Emil Hallfredsson. Following two successful trials in London the player is set to agree a deal up to the end of the 2006/07 season with an option of an additional year. Hallfredsson was also attracting interest from Everton and Feyenoord.
"Emil showed so much talent in his time here that we decided to take him on," says Frank Arnesen.
Tottenham are hoping to prise wideman Steed Malbranque away from Fulham. The West London club values the Frenchman at £8m. Meanwhile Crystal Palace is hopeful a fresh five-year contract will prevent winger Wayne Routledge considering a move to White Hart Lane.
Spurs have apparently shown further interest in Auxerre midfielder Teemu Tainio. The 25-year-old is a holding midfielder capable of also playing on the left wing.
He is the driving force at Auxerre who rely on his ability to resist and then quickly play on the counter attack, according to former teammate Jean-Alain Boumsong, who wants his manager at Glasgow Rangers, Alex McLeish to sign the Finn.
Tainio, available on a free transfer in the summer, was once on the verge of completing a move to Manchester United, but is keen on a move to Tottenham.
"In another three or four weeks I'll be able to make a proper assessment of where we are going," says Tottenham coach Martin Jol, after witnessing a third consecutive league win last weekend.