After capturing the £10m signature of Peter Crouch over the summer, Stoke City are hoping to reunite the towering forward with former striker partner, Jermain Defoe, in the hopes of completing a January deal.

Defoe has worked alongside Crouch at Portsmouth and Tottenham as well as linking up on the international stage as part of the England side.

At numerous points in their careers, the pair have proven to have an efficient centre-forward/striker relationship; something Tony Pulis will be hoping to revive at the Brittania Stadium.

Defoe has found himself spending more time on the sidelines at White Hart Lane, falling behind on-loan Emmanuel Adebayor in the pecking order.

The 29 year-old has been linked with moves to QPR and Liverpool and despite claims that the forward is unwilling to move outside of London, he may reconsider with the chance to hook up with Crouch again.

Harry Redknapp remains adamant that Defoe will not be leaving the North London outfit this month and while one would like to believe the manager, it’s hard to think that his sale wouldn’t arise should Spurs purchase a replacement striker before the month is out.

Having spent over £20m in the summer months, we can see that the Potters’ growth is partially down to investment and should the club spend big once again, any deal bringing Defoe to the club would be expected to cost around £10m.

However, the move may hinge on the future of Kenwyne Jones as the Trinidadian continues to be linked with a move away from the side with Wolves and West Brom showing interest.

Out of favour Jones’ sale could bring in a healthy £5m to the club, which will be expected to fund further moves for the ever advancing Stoke.