Real Lower Morientes asking price

Tottenham could finally sign Fernando Morientes this week after a summer-long chase for the Spanish striker.

Real Madrid are reportedly ready to drop their asking price to £15m and accept the money in installments.

That would mean that Spurs were not forced to offload players in order to bring in Morientes - who has been on Hoddle's wanted list for several months.

Although Morientes publicly said that he was not interested in a move to Spurs, Real Madrid have since made it quite clear that he has no real future at the club and that they are ready to do business with the north London club.

But he is thought to want in excess of £35,000-a-week wages - which would stretch Tottenham's wage structure to the limit.

Hoddle has regularly insisted that he is still in the chase for Morientes despite press reports to the contrary.