Tottenham and Arsenal Rekindle Interest in Signing Leandro Damiao - Report

Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal have reignited their interest in signing their long-term transfer target Leandro Damiao in the summer, according to the Express.

The Brazil international has been on the Spurs' radar for the last two summer windows, while their north London neighbours Arsenal have closely monitored him over the past few years. The striker joined Santos from Internacional in January.

Damiao rejected a chance to join the European club last summer and continued at Internacional to boost his chances of making it to the World Cup. However, he was not included in Luiz Felipe Scolari's squad, which was announced earlier this week.

The 24-year-old's sporting rights were purchased by the investment group Doyen in January, who helped Damiao leave Internacional and join Santos earlier this year. Since his move to the new club, the Brazil international has seen a dip in form.

The report suggests Damiao is looking to leave Santos and make a switch to Europe in the coming transfer window. The investment group Doyen are ready to offer him to the European club and are looking for a transfer fee of £15m for their client's services.

The situation has alerted the English clubs Arsenal and Spurs, who are set to reignite their interest in signing Damiao. The same report also claims that Southampton are also in the race in signing the striker.

However, any approach from either Premier League outfits for Damiao's signature would see them buy the player outright as he has third-party ownership. FC Porto and Atletico Madrid are also believed to be interested in signing the Santos striker, as third-party ownership is allowed in Spain and Portugal.

The curtain falls on this season's Premier League on Sunday and the Spurs face Aston Villa in the final game of this campaign. The north London club's manager Tim Sherwood is looking to finish the season on a high with a win over Villa.

"I would expect us to have a lot of the ball. It will make life a lot easier if we do break through early because they will have to resort to a Plan B and that will leave more space," Sherwood told the Spurs' official website.

"We have to make sure we apply ourselves correctly and get what we need, and that's a victory. It's always good to win your last game to send the fans home with a positive result."