Tottenham defensive duo Michael Dawson and Gareth Bale are being tracked by Championship high flyers Nottingham Forest.

Dawson, 26, left the City ground in 2005 for North London as Spurs made a double swoop for both him and playmaker Andy Reid.

While Irishman Reid failed to settle at the club, and is now plying his trade with Sunderland, Dawson has bedded in nicely at the Lane and is something of a terrace favourite. He was on target for The Lillywhites yesterday too as they battled back from a goal down to earn a draw at Villa Park.

But Spurs will have to rebuff a January offer for both Dawson and enigmatic defender Gareth Bale from Billy Davies' Nottingham Forest.

Forest are understood to be prepared to spend big in January in order to cement their place in the upper echelons of the Championship, and will make substantial offers for the duo.

They will look to add Dawson on loan until the end of the season, with a view to a permanent deal, but will table a bid of around £4million for the former Manchester United target Bale.

While neither player will be too keen to drop down to the Championship, Bale especially might be tempted to end his White Hart Lane tenure, which hasn't worked out nearly as well as he'd have hoped.