Spurs in bid to swap Roberto Soldado for Jackson Martinez

Roberto Soldado could be preparing to pack his bags for Portugal, with reports suggesting the Spaniard will be used as bait by current club Tottenham (6/4 for a top six finish with Coral) as they try to land prolific Porto predator Jackson Martinez.

Spurs head coach Mauricio Pochettino has been patient with his misfiring forward, but is keen to land a new striker in the January sales, and could offer struggling Soldado as a makeweight in player-plus-cash deal.

Colombian and deadly Dragons hitman Martinez has supposedly stalled on signing a new contract, which could see Portuguese giants Porto eager to offload their star man in return for a direct replacement.

Soldado was a hero against Everton recently, grabbing his first Premier League goal of the campaign, but failed to hit the target again as Chelsea sank Tottenham 3-0 last time out.

With only England Under-21 international Harry Kane and temperamental Togo frontman Emmanuel Adebayor on their books, Spurs must dip into the transfer market if they are to compete for a European place.

Tottenham’s Premier League rivals Liverpool have also been suffering from striker woes this season, however, and could scupper any potential deal for £30m valued Martinez.

Brendan Rodgers’ Reds have failed to hit the heights of last season, with £16m summer signing Mario Balotelli seemingly unable to settle at Anfield.

With Daniel Sturridge still sidelined, Liverpool are thought to be ready to make a marquee signing in January. Much sought-after Martinez is believed to have been on Rodgers’ radar for some time, which could spark a winter window transfer tussle.

Martinez, now 28, is at the peak of his powers and could provide a solution to both Pochettino and Rodgers’ problems.

The Colombia World Cup star is thought to be keen on testing himself in the Premier League after dazzling the Estadio do Dragao for three seasons, where he has racked up 74 goals in 109 games.

Now the powerful frontman could start a bidding war for his services, after netting 14 times in 18 matches this term.

Spurs will be hopeful that including Soldado in a swap deal may give them the edge over free-spending Liverpool, but the Reds can also offer Champions League football, which could yet tip the balance in their favour. Tottenham are 8/1 shots to crash the top four once more.