Five Strikers Tottenham Should Sign to Replace Emmanuel Adebayor in January

Africa-bound Adebayor has scored just two goals in 13 Premier League games this season
Clive Rose/Getty Images

Tottenham will be forced to look for a striker in January's transfer window as Emmanuel Adebayor agreed to play for Togo in the Africa Cup of Nations this week.

The centre-forward will miss five Spurs games during January and February, which will leave Jermain Defoe as the Spurs only first-team striker.

Adebayor's had previously cast doubt in his involvement in the cup, held in South Africa this year, following a row over expenses and team security.

The former Arsenal and Manchester City striker was on the team bus which was attacked by gunmen as they headed to their African Cup of Nations base in Angola in 2010. Three people—the bus driver, a press officer and an assistant coach—died in the incident.

However, Adebayor has been in poor form for Spurs this season—scoring just two goals in 13 Premier League games. Luckily for them, Defoe has had a great start to 2012-13, with ten league goals in 21 games.

So who can Andre Villas-Boas bring in to solve Tottenham's striking woes?

Fernando Llorente

Can Spurs hijack Juve's move for Llorente?
EuroFootball/Getty Images

Athletic Bilbao's star striker, who scored 29 goals last season to propel the Basque club to the Europa League final, is out of contract in the summer and has attracted interest from a host of Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, Spurs and Liverpool.

Fast, strong and with an eye for goal, it is no wonder that Italian champions Juventus have opened talks with him over a potential free transfer this summer, according to Goal.com. However, he has previously expressed interest in a move to the Premier League, so Spurs could still potentially hijack the deal.

Leandro Damião

Can Spurs pry Leandro away from Internacional this summer?
Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Long-term Spurs target Leandro finished as top scorer in London 2012's men football tournament, scoring six goals in five appearances to propel Brazil to the final. He is a classic centre-forward—strong, dominant in the air, skillful with both feet and a smart finisher, 70 goals for club team Internacional.

Spurs are rumoured to be planning a £15m bid for Leandro in the transfer window, with Brazilian football in its offseason. After previously making bids for the 23-year-old, maybe Tottenham will finally get their man this month.

David Villa

Could Spurs pull off a sensational move for Villa?
David Ramos/Getty Images

David Villa was an integral part of the team which won Spain the 2010 World Cup, and up until last season he was a key member of Barcelona's first 11, having scored 23 goals in the 2010-11 season. However, since missing most of last season with a broken leg, he has lost his place to Pedro Rodriguez.

Spurs are one of many Premier League teams linked with Villa this January, and Barcelona are said to be prepared to accept bids of £16m. At 31 and having recovered from a serious injury, Villa's best days may be behind him. But his goalscoring record, along with his pace, trickery and finishing abilities, will surely attract some top teams if Barca deem him surplus to requirements.

Alvaro Negredo

Can Tottenham lure Sevilla's Alvaro Negredo this January?
Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Sevilla's Negredo has scored eight goals in 16 La Liga games so far this year, and the Tottenham target has revealed that he would be tempted by a Premier League move.

Negredo, formerly of Real Madrid, stands tall at 6'1", and can out-muscle a defender in the air. He also has a deft touch and an eye for plenty of goals, having scored 52 goals in 112 games since joining Sevilla in 2009. He is also a Spanish International, and made four appearances as his country won Euro 2012 last summer.

Loïc Rémy

Will Tottenham make a last-minute bid for Newcastle target Remy?
Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

France international Remy, who has scored 42 goals for Marseille in 110 appearances for the club, has been strongly linked to Premier League rivals Newcastle this month. However, Remy is said to be holding out for a move to White Hart Lane before committing.

The forward has been playing poorly this year, however, only scoring one goal in 14 games. But Remy's pace through the channels and heading ability can help him revitalise his career with a move to the Premier League.