Harry Redknapp has confirmed that Tottenham are planning an audacious attempt to loan Emmanuel Adebayor from their rivals Manchester City.

Ex-Arsenal forward Adebayor has a prolific history of scoring against Spurs, having netted 10 goals against the Lilywhites since signing for the Gunners in January 2006.

That tally includes two goals for Real Madrid in the crushing 4-0 victory over Harry Redknapp’s side in last season’s Champions League quarter-finals at the Bernabeu, when the Togo international was on loan with Jose Mourinho’s Galacticos.

With Spurs desperately seeking to add a world-class striker to their forward line, and Redknapp preferring to sign a proven Premier League goalscorer, the Tottenham boss admits that Adebayor is at the top of his wish-list.

“The chairman, Daniel Levy, has been speaking about it, I am not sure if it will happen. He is a name that has certainly been mentioned,” said Redknapp.

“I spoke to the chairman about loaning the player and if we could work out a deal for him, I would like to bring him to the club.”

Given that Manchester City have previously been loath to sell any of their players to Spurs, the idea that the Eastlands outfit would loan a player to one of their biggest rivals is a novel one.

However, Adebayor is clearly surplus to Roberto Mancini’s requirements, and his relationship with his current employers has deteriorated to such an extent that City may be tempted to consider a Tottenham offer.

The 27-year-old, who cost �25million two years ago, was livid by the manner of his exclusion from the first team’s pre-season tour of America, and failed to turn up for a training session at the club’s Carrington headquarters last week.

“No-one at City is man enough to speak to me face-to-face to explain,” he said recently. “I just received an email from [the football director] Brian Marwood’s secretary, a lady at the club called Claire, telling me to report for training on July 9.

“But when I spoke to the other players, I found out the first team was leaving for the pre-season tour of the USA on July 8. It’s clear they don’t want me here but no-one even called.”

Despite Carlos Tevez’s desire to leave Eastlands, it is looking increasingly unlikely that Adebayor will be named in City’s 25-man squad this season – and Real Madrid’s pursuit of Santos star Neymar makes it unlikely that he will return to the Bernabeu.

However, Redknapp and Levy are keen to offer a solution, and Adebayor is believed to be willing to take a pay cut on his prohibitive �175,000 a week wages to secure a move to White Hart Lane.

The striker could become the second former Arsenal player to join Tottenham in the space of a year, after ex-Gunners skipper William Gallas joined the Lilywhites on a free transfer last August.

Spurs have already signed one striker this week, with 16-year-old Souleymane Coulibaly arriving at White Hart Lane after scoring nine goals in four games for the Ivory Coast during the recent Under-17 World Cup, and winning the Golden Boot.

Follow me on Twitter @BenPearceSpurs