Spurs will use Sporting Lisbon friendly to strike a deal for Newcastle target Yannick Djalo

By Sportsmail Reporter
Updated: 06:23 EST, 21 July 2010

Tottenham could use their friendly against Sporting Lisbon as a chance to step up interest in Yannick Djalo.

The 24-year-old forward's agent claimed earlier this month that both Spurs and Newcastle United had expressed interest and reports in Portugal claim the Londoners could set up a move this week.

The White Hart Lane outfit and Sporting face each other for a pre-season friendly in New York on Sunday and are already in separate talks about a potential season-long loan of Roman Pavlyuchenko to the Portuguese side.

Newcastle reportedly had a £4.2million bid rejected for the forward, who has been used in wide positions in recent friendlies. Sporting are said to want about £6m for the Portugal B international who has a release clause set at £25m.

His agent Lionel Silva said recently: 'He fancies the idea of going to England, because playing in the English Premier League is a dream for most players.'

Djalo is a devastatingly quick forward with an explosive if sometimes wayward shot and he has scored 17 goals in 74 league games for Sporting.