QPR and Reading are among the clubs to have expressed an interest in Defoe, who is keen for regular first-team football after growing frustrated at being forced to play second fiddle to Emmanuel Adebayor last season.
Tottenham value the England international at £8 million (€10m) and plan to reinvest the money as they seek to sign three new strikers before the start of the new campaign.
Spurs are yet to receive a formal approach for Defoe but are aware of interest from Premier League clubs and are ready to open negotiations, with QPR boss Mark Hughes particularly keen on adding firepower to his squad..
Defoe is the only senior striker on Spurs’ books after Louis Saha was released and Emmanuel
Adebayor returned to Manchester City following his loan spell at White Hart Lane last season.
Adebayor, who scored 17 Premier League goals last term, is set to move to Spurs permanently in a £5m (€6.4m) deal to become the main central forward for the coming season - but the Londoners want further additions to bolster their options in attack.
Villas-Boas is also looking for two young, adaptable forwards to provide competition for Adebayor and Spurs have been linked with the likes of Brazilian Leandro Damiao, France international Loic Remy and Atletico Madrid's Adrian.
It leaves Defoe facing an uncertain future. The former Portsmouth striker has made little secret of his desire to start on a weekly basis and has admitted that he has considered leaving the club in the last two transfer windows.
Defoe scored 11 league goals last season in 25 appearances, 14 of which were made as a substitute. Villas-Boas, like his predecessor Harry Redknapp, is believed to feel Defoe can be a useful squad player but does not see him as the club’s first or even second choice striker.
The England striker has spent seven years at Spurs during two spells at the club in which he has scored a total of 118 goals in all competitions.
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