Moving on? Benoit Assou-Ekotto could move to Inter Milan as part of a swap deal (Picture: Getty)

Andre Villas-Boas is prepared to send Benoit Assou-Ekotto to Inter Milan in a swap deal which would take his former Porto favourite Alvaro Pereira to White Hart Lane.

Tottenham coach Villas-Boas tried to sign the Uruguayan defender when he was in charge at Chelsea and the 27-year-old was sold by the Portuguese club to the Italians for £8million last August.

Sources in Italy suggest the deadline day deal could go through as the Spurs chief seeks to improve the squad which was left to him by predecessor Harry Redknapp.

Assou-Ekotto has been sidelined by injury for most of the season and is clearly considered expendable if Pereira, who was one of AVB’s key players when Porto won the treble a couple of seasons ago, can be recruited instead.




Cameroon international Assou-Ekotto has been a regular starter since he joined from Lens in a deal worth £3.5milliom in June 2006.

He has made 175 appearances for Tottenham in all competitions, scoring just four goals.

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