TOTTENHAM are reportedly set to launch a £60m spending spree before the transfer deadline - with Southampton's Jay Rodriguez number one on their hitlist.

The striker has been out all season since injuring his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) at the Etihad Stadium last year against Manchester City.

However, ex-Saints boss Mauricio Pochettino has been continually linked with the Burnley-native ever since he left St Mary's for White Hart Lane last summer.

Rodriguez is believed to be at least a number of weeks away from a return to first team action, after suffering a couple of of setbacks during his recovery from his ACL injury.

He joined for Saints for £7m back in 2012 and has since made his England debut and only missed out on going to the World Cup due to his injury.

Last year, he was Southampton's top scorer while Spurs have been having trouble with strikers flopping in front of goal, with the exception of Harry Kane.

According to today's Sunday Sun, Spurs are after Rodriguez, as well as Yohan Cabaye and Aymeric Laporte.

Whether or not Southampton would be prepared to do business with Pochettino remains to be seen, after the manner in which he left the club in the summer, as does whether or not the North London club would be prepared to meet Saints' valuation of the player.

During the last transfer window, the Saints' board rejected out of hand a £10m for Morgan Schneiderlin - vastly below what would be considered an appropriate amount.