Unhappy Pavlyuchenko wants to leave Spurs

Tottenham Hotspur striker Roman Pavlyuchenko said he wants to leave the north London club because spending most of the first half of the season on the bench has cost him his place in the Russian national team.

Asked if he was definitely planning to leave in the next transfer window in January, the striker said: "Yes, because it's impossible for me to stay in the present situation."

Pavlyuchenko joined the Premier League club for 17 million euros ($24.9 million) from Spartak Moscow in August 2008 but has found it difficult to earn a regular first-team spot in his second season at White Hart Lane.

"I've been sitting on the bench for half a year now and because of that I've lost my place on the national team," he was quoted as saying by daily Sport-Express on Wednesday.

"If we qualify for (next year's) World Cup, would they (Russia's coaches) need a player who doesn't play regularly?

"I want to play, not warm up the bench."

Russia coach Guus Hiddink has included Pavlyuchenko in his 24-man squad for the World Cup playoff against Slovenia but the Dutchman indicated the 27-year-old is no longer his first-choice option for the first leg in Moscow on Saturday.

"Right after the two games against Slovenia, me and my agent will fly to London to have decisive talks with the club," said Pavlyuchenko, adding that he has several offers from various clubs in Russia, Germany and England.

"I want to talk directly (with the club's management) and ask them to lower my transfer fee."

Asked if he had tried to talk to Spurs manager Harry Redknapp about his situation Pavlyuchenko said: "No, all we say to each other is 'Hello and Goodbye'.

"At the start of the season the manager was saying that he needed four strikers but now he insists that even three should be enough," he added.

"Because I'm the fourth striker on the team's pecking order that means we must go our own separate ways."