'Mourinho Would Favour Kane'  (Sky Sports)

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho would have Harry Kane up front rather than Diego Costa, according to former Blues star Tony Cascarino.

Tottenham meet Chelsea at White Hart Lane on Sunday with Kane in superb form after a slow start to the season, while Costa and the Blues are yet to hit the heights of their own title-winning campaign.

Newspaper reports claim Kane, who signed a new five-year contract in February, is one of several potential Chelsea targets and speaking to Sky Sports News HQ, Cascarino said that it was a "no brainer" that Kane would play ahead of Costa who has scored only three all season.

Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino was quick to play down the speculation, while when asked if Mourinho would prefer to have Kane or Costa leading the Chelsea line, Cascarino said: "Kane, without a doubt.

"Harry Kane, as a 21-year-old last season, came into the team in early November and just smashed it. He has been exceptional. the way he has played up front on his own. I spoke to [former Arsenal striker] Ian Wright and he said he couldn't play that way in the Tottenham team.

"When the ball comes to him, he can score on either foot. He had an indifferent spell at the start of the season, but he has really come back."

Kane has scored 10 goals this season, nine of which have come in his last six appearances while Costa has scored just four times, three in the Premier League.

West Brom's Saido Berahino, Leicester striker Jamie Vardy and Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann are also among the names the Blues have been reportedly linked with and Cascarino feels Mourinho would prefer a forward like Kane or Costa, but that Griezmann could still be very useful to ease Chelsea's goal-scoring worries.

He added: "With Costa, I still think he is Mourinho's most loyal centre forward. Jose has always played with a big forward - Diego Milito and Zlatan Ibrahimovic at Inter Milan, Didier Drogba and Costa at Chelsea. I don't see him going away from that guy who holds the line.

"Griezmann is small, only about five foot six. He might be used as an added forward, to give Chelsea something different."