Soccer:QPR are believed to have added Jermain Defoe to their wish list as they seek to tie up a deal for his Tottenham team-mate Michael Dawson in the next 48 hours, after agreeing an €11.5 million fee for the Spurs defender yesterday.
The London club’s priority this week has been shoring up a defence that was beaten five times by Swansea on the opening day of the season, but no goals on Saturday and the arrival at White Hart Lane of Emmanuel Adebayor for €7m has sparked interest in a potentially unsettled Defoe.
The England striker, who scored the winner against Italy recently and then found the net in the 2-1 defeat at Newcastle, is expected to be behind Adebayor in the pecking order following the Togo international’s arrival from Manchester City, while Spurs are also tracking €20m-rated striker Leandro Damaio from Brazilian club Internacional.
With new manager Andre Villas-Boas fond of a 4-3-3 formation, the prospects for a 29-year-old Defoe in a three-way scrap for one position with two new high-profile signings would appear grim.
QPR have already been working closely with Spurs to complete the signing of defender Dawson and manager Mark Hughes today agreed a season-long loan for Real Madrid’s veteran Portuguese centre-back Ricardo Carvalho.
Carvalho enjoyed six successful seasons at Stamford Bridge before moving to the Spanish champions in 2010, but he is now surplus to requirements. The 34-year-old may complete his move to Loftus Road before the end of the week and Dawson could also become a QPR player in time for Saturday’s game at Norwich.
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