Leeds boss Terry Venables faces a fight to hang onto another of his star names after Tottenham confirmed they were considering an offer for Republic of Ireland international Robbie Keane.
Spurs boss Glenn Hoddle, Venables' successor as England coach in 1996, is mulling over a reported £8million swoop for 22-year-old Keane.
White Hart Lane director of football David Pleat disclosed that Keane was on Spurs' transfer shortlist which would cap the summer signings of Jamie Redknapp, Milenko Acimovic, Jonathan Blondel and Rohan Ricketts.
"We are keeping abreast of the Robbie Keane situation," Pleat told the London Evening Standard.
With Chris Armstrong released this summer, misfit Sergei Rebrov still struggling and Teddy Sheringham and Les Ferdinand in the twilight of their careers, Hoddle needs a young attacker to lead his forward line for years to come.
Leeds had agreed to sell Keane to Sunderland before the player turned down a move to the Stadium of Light.
If Spurs move from assessing to actually bidding for Keane, they could become the Dubliner's fourth club in a frantic three years which has already seen him change hands for a remarkable total of £31million.
The Wolves trainee joined midlands rivals Coventry for £6million in 1999 - but was on his way to Inter Milan in a shock £13million deal less than 12 months later.
That move turned sour, sparking a loan back to England with Leeds before the Yorkshire club snapped him up on a permanent basis for £12million in April 2001.
With Ferdinand's controversial cross-Pennines transfer to Old Trafford handing Leeds a #15million windfall up front, Venables has already cleared some of United's mounting debts.
But the sale of Keane would allow him greater scope to revamp his squad - and with Keane, Robbie Fowler, Mark Viduka, Alan Smith and Michael Bridges all battling for starting berths, Venables is hardly short of strikers. - PA