TOTTENHAM Hotspur are lining up a bid for Burnley’s star striker Danny Ings, the Lancashire Telegraph understands.

The England Under-21 international recently indicated he had no intention of leaving Turf Moor before the end of the season.

MORE TOP STORIES:

But with the Clarets at risk of losing Ings for nothing more than compensation in the summer, in the seemingly unlikely event he signs a new contract, Spurs are aiming to steal a march on their rivals in the January transfer window.

Boyhood club Southampton have already been named as suitors for the 22-year-old’s signature, along with Premier League rivals West Brom, German side Wolfsburg and Dutch giants Ajax, while his reputation among the Newcastle United hierarchy was only enhanced by his performance in the New Year’s Day draw at St James’ Park.

Early last month Burnley co-chairman Mike Garlick said: “Come February 2nd, Danny will be playing for Burnley, 100 per cent guaranteed.

“Everyone loves having him here, and hopefully he will be here further on.”

It is a determined stance reiterated by Ings himself, who after Burnley’s 2-2 comeback draw at Manchester City on December 28 said: ‘I’m contracted until the end of the season and that’s the way it’s going to be. Now I can fight for the team as much as I can and do my best for them.

“I’ve got a job here to do at Burnley and am contracted until the end of the season - and that’s the way it’s going to be.”

But those messages are not likely to prove a deterrent to Spurs, who could make an official approach ahead of Burnley’s home game with Queens Park Rangers on Saturday, which will mark the return of former Clarets top scorer Charlie Austin.

Austin, currently the top scoring English player in the Premier League, was sold to QPR for around £4million on the eve of Burnley’s promotion season, and went up with the Rs via the play-offs.

Burnley would not consider a lesser offer for Ings, who cost in the region of £1m from Bournemouth in August 2011. But with top flight survival at stake, and Ings’ value in achieving that, Spurs would have to come up with a substantial fee to even tempt the Clarets board.

Meanwhile, Burnley boss Sean Dyche is confident defenders Jason Shackell and Michael Duff will be in contention for the visit of QPR this weekend, while Sam Vokes will be hoping to push for a start after coming off the bench to score against Tottenham on Monday.

Vokes’ goal, his first in only his second appearance of the season after nine months out with a ruptured cruciate knee ligament, earned the Clarets an FA Cup third round replay at Spurs.

Of the fit-again target man’s impact from the bench, Dyche said: “When someone has waited that long to come back from a very serious injury, to come on and deliver a performance and get a goal (is great.

“I thought he looked sharp in general and his movement was good for the goal.

“We’re absolutely delighted to see him back. He went down ill last week and missed three days with a virus and if it wasn’t for that we might have even got him on the pitch from the start.

“It’s very important we look after his recovery. We want it to be one recovery period rather than two which sometimes happens when people are on their way back from injury.”