The ongoing speculation surrounding the future of Internacional striker Leandro Damiao is beginning to become this summer's 'will he, won't he?' saga. His club have confirmed bids and then denied them the following day, with the list of potential suitors growing seemingly by the minute.
With the talk of his transfer not disappearing and some genuine contenders still believed to be in the running, Sports Mole considers five possible destinations for the Brazilian striker, should he decide not to remain at Internacional.
Tottenham Hotspur:
Spurs probably win the award - if there was one - for being Damiao's longest admirers. Even last summer there was speculation of his arrival at White Hart Lane, but the North London side face strong competition 12 months later.
It would be easy to see where Damiao would fit into Andre Villas-Boas's setup, with his attack arguably the area of the Spurs squad that requires strengthening the most. With Emmanuel Adebayor inconsistent, Jermain Defoe another year older in a squad lacking in other proven out-and-out forwards, Damiao would have a first-team spot waiting for him.
The club have already signed Damiao's Brazil teammate Paulinho, so the Londoners would be one of the few club the striker would get game time straight away alongside some familiar faces.
© PA Photos
Napoli:
Last year's Serie A runners-up Napoli sold the immensely talented striker Edinson Cavani to Paris Saint-Germain a little over a week ago, which left new coach Rafael Benitez with an enormous hole in his strike force that, in truth, would be almost impossible to adequately fill.
The Italian side moved quickly to bring in Gonzalo Higuain but with a striker such as Cavani able to do all the work up front himself, Benitez could still need another option. The Spaniard has always maintained that he wants to sign two strikers this summer, and Damiao could be the second.
His strength and aerial ability would certainly restore some of the presence Napoli lost when the Uruguayan left for France.
Zenit St Petersberg:
Perhaps the most surprising team so far linked to Damiao are Russian side Zenit. Their interest had not been known until the last few days, when it was reported that Zenit have agreed terms. However, as with most reports all summer, Internacional quickly denied it.
As with Spurs, the Russian side certainly have room for a striker in their squad. Their current star centrally is Russian international Aleksandr Kerzhakov, who likes to come deep to create chances. He is now 30, so Damiao would not only offer youth but also a plan B in attack.
Southampton:
Spurs are not the only Premier League side with a reported interest in the Brazilian hitman. Mauricio Pochettino's Southampton were linked strongly, particularly earlier in the summer. The South Coast club have already shown that they can draw big names with Gaston Ramirez's arrival last year, but Damiao could be a step too far.
Certainly, the Brazilian would be able to make an impact at St Mary's. Although Ricky Lambert impressed last season and Jay Rodriguez has shown plenty of potential, there is room in the squad for a striker who would start week-in, week-out.
Damiao would be that, for sure, but considering some of the other teams interested, the Saints would have to be considered an outside bet only.
Marseille:
Aside from Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco, the big transfers of the window are rarely linked to French sides. However, Marseille have had a passing interest in Damiao for some months now. It would remain to be seen, though, if a move to a side unlikely to be challenging for Ligue 1 next year would be what the Brazilian would want.
The French side do already have a wealth of attacking options, such as Dimitri Payet, Andre-Pierre Gignac and Andre Ayew but none - except Gignac on occasions - are quite of the same calibre of Damiao. However, having been reportedly priced out, a move to Marseille looks unlikely.
Matt Domm
