Big spender: Juande Ramos wants to bolster the Spurs
squad.
Juande Ramos has outlined Tottenham's intentions to
dislodge the so-called "big four" and break into the Champions
League but has warned the board of directors at White Hart Lane
that his ambitious target will require substantial
funds.
The Tottenham manager has yet to meet his executive chairman,
Daniel Levy, to discuss next season's budgets, but if his ambitious
target is to be achieved, it will require finacial backing. It is
fortunate then that Joe Lewis, the Bahamas-based billionaire who
controls Tottenham's parent company Enic, announced that the club
would not suffer from his £500m loss following the collapse of the
American bank Bear Stearns.
"It's strange when Wednesday comes around and you see
these games happening. Yes, I miss it because I liked that
competition a lot and I hope to be back soon," Ramos said. "I like
the Champions League, I like teams of high competition. It would be
nice for Tottenham to be there one day competing with them. It's
what we are aiming to do, what we want to do is fight and compete
in order to remove one of the teams in the top four and replace
them. It's our obligation to do that."
But he added that the squad will need significant
reinforcements before Tottenham can mount a successful challenge
for an European place. One player Ramos is determined to retain is
Dimitar Berbatov. The 27-year-old Bulgaria striker says he is
"flattered" by the latest link with Milan, and Manchester United's
manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, is another potential suitor. Ramos,
whose team face Middlesbrough tomorrow, claims he is pleased clubs
want to buy him. "It means he is a good player."
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