Spurs tempt West Ham with £6m bid for Defoe

Tottenham Hotspur made a £6m move for the West Ham United striker Jermain Defoe last night and hope to tie up a deal over the weekend.

Although Defoe had been hoping to move to one of the top three, Manchester United dropped out of the running for his signature and Tottenham's neighbours Arsenal are undecided about making an offer. The striker is expected to accept a place in the Premiership with a club who appear to be ready to invest heavily.

West Ham will sell because their manager, Alan Pardew, has started a signing spree of his own and is well off for strikers, with Defoe often suspended this season and apparently more interested in leaving than playing for the club. Defoe's advisers are waiting to speak to Spurs, with West Ham likely to accept the bid as there are no serious rivals on the horizon now.

Spurs also appear to be overstaffed with strikers, but Robbie Keane's recent run of goals masks their overall problems in that department. If Defoe joins Spurs in the next few days it could lead to a departure, with Keane wanted by Birmingham City and Frédéric Kanouté and Helder Postiga also having their admirers.

Spurs had a £5m bid for the Leeds United pair of Paul Robinson and James Milner rejeceted but the Defoe bid will not prevent them from pursuing those two potential moves. That could mean that White Hart Lane will be the scene of considerable activity before the transfer window closes at the end of the month.

Spurs have also loaned out their Slovenia midfielder Milenko Acimovic to the French club Lille until the end of the season. The 26-year-old, who has 37 caps, joined Spurs from Red Star Belgrade in 2002 but has not made a Premier League start this season.