Paul Lambert has England Under-21 international Stephen Caulker pencilled in as one of his defensive recruits – but he faces stiff competition.

Caulker is currently on Tottenham's books, but is likely to be loaned out for a second season.

And Spurs boss Harry Redknapp claims Norwich City are one of the sides interested in acquiring his services.

'We think Caulker's got a great future, but I would be happy to loan him out,' said Redknapp. 'He played at Bristol City last year on loan, did really well and had a great season for them.

'And I know Swansea want him – but so do Norwich and there are a couple of clubs in there.'

Redknapp made it clear that a loan move to Swansea would be acceptable.

'I'd let him go to Swansea – no problem,' he said.

A product of the Spurs academy, the 19-year-old impressed at Bristol City, and although his campaign was ended by a knee injury in March, he was voted the club's young player of the season.

City boss Lambert has three centre-halves on his books – Zak Whitbread and Elliott Ward, who became the first-choice partnership over the last third of the season after Leon Barnett was ruled out with a serious hamstring injury. Barnett is expected to be fit for the start of the Premier League campaign, but with Jens Berthel Askou having been released last month, City are short of numbers.

The loan deal is perhaps not one that Lambert would usually pursue; he has usually avoided the loan market when possible and hasn't signed a player on a season-long loan deal.

There have been 11 loan deals, although three of those – Leon Barnett, Russell Martin and Anthony McNamee – became permanent.