Harry Redknapp will scour the globe this summer looking for a new striker after admitting Tottenham's frontmen have let him down this season.
Spurs may have enjoyed dismantling the likes of Inter Milan and AC Milan in the Champions League this year, but the dream of taking on Europe's best again next year is fading thanks to a recent poor run of form.
Defeat at Chelsea on Saturday and a victory for Manchester City over West Ham will leave the club seven points off fourth with four matches remaining.
The prolific form of Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch and Roman Pavlyuchenko was key to the Londoners' successful attempt to beat City to fourth last year, but they have floundered in front of goal this term.
The trio chalked up 31 league strikes last year, but have managed just 15 between them this season, with Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart being the main source of goals this time around.
Redknapp's squad scored 67 league goals last year, but have managed 49 this term - only six more than Manchester United have bagged at Old Trafford alone.
The Spurs boss concedes that is not good enough and will be looking to bring in a striker this summer as a result.
"It's been one of those years," Redknapp said. "Normally Defoe would have had 18 goals by now. He hasn't got them this year, Crouchy hasn't scored many, he's scored his goals in Europe. We're still in it without the frontmen having scored the goals they should have done."
Redknapp sought to remedy his side's goalscoring problems with club-record bids for Diego Forlan, Giuseppe Rossi and Sergio Aguero in January, but none of the trio arrived, thanks mainly due to their wage demands.
Redknapp admits that hurdle could be hard to overcome once the transfer window opens, but he is still committed to signing a proven striker who can guarantee him 15-20 goals a season.
"I'd like to get another front man if I can," Redknapp said.
"They're difficult to find though. We went for Rossi last year and he was suddenly £35million.
"We're looking for strikers, not £35million ones, they're hard to find because everyone's looking for them.
"It would be up to the chairman (in terms of the cost). But we've been chasing all around the world, looking for people. They all cost big money."
Forlan recently suggested he would be ready to quit Atletico Madrid but Redknapp said there is little chance of the club going back for the former Manchester United marksman.
"We can't afford him. He's on about £120k a week or something," Redknapp said.
"If you work it out on a two or three-year contract, you're talking about £28million and there's no return on your money."
Redknapp hopes to partly fund a move for a striker by getting rid of the deadwood in his squad.
Jamie O'Hara, Robbie Keane, David Bentley and Giovani dos Santos are all out on loan and the Spurs boss believes a smaller squad will make his team better-equipped for a serious tilt at the top four.
Serious repercussions could follow if Spurs finish fifth. They will experience a drop in revenue, attracting the continent's biggest names will prove harder, and a gruelling schedule of extra games will make the season long and hard.
Redknapp admits he will have to reluctantly accept playing in the Europa League if they fail to make fourth.
"We've got to try to finish fifth if we don't finish fourth," Redknapp said.
"The Europa League is one of those competitions that teams get in and they try and get out of.
"The English teams all seem to play the reserve teams in it.
"I remember going to West Ham a few years ago and watching Palermo play and they were fantastic. They beat West Ham that night and I came back and told a few friends 'They'll win this competition'.
"They played at home the following week and made 11 changes and they got beat at home, that's how the competition seems to be.
"It's a million miles away from the Champions League."
Redknapp will be without Tom Huddlestone for Saturday's game at Stamford Bridge after the ankle injury that ruled him out for five months earlier this season flared up again.
