Jermaine Defoe
Spurs order Ramos into big U-turn as Defoe wins a new
contract
Jermain Defoe will end speculation over his Spurs future by signing
a new contract after boss Juande Ramos was urged to keep him by
technical director Damien Comolli.
Defoe, who has 18 months left to run on his contract, is now set to
put pen to paper on a fouryear deal worth £40,000 a week plus
bonuses for appearances and goals.
The 25-year-old England striker's White Hart Lane future was thrown
into jeopardy earlier this month when he was informed by Ramos that
he was surplus to requirements.
Just a week later, however, Defoe captained the Tottenham side in a
shock move by the Spurs boss designed to patch things up between
the pair. While Ramos tried to insist afterwards that there was
nothing in it, Defoe - who has scored eight goals so far this
season - admitted he had been told by the Tottenham manager that he
WAS needed after all.
And it has emerged since then that Ramos was persuaded to make the
U-turn by Comolli the day after the Spaniard decided to give Defoe
the boot.
The news will disappoint Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill who was
keen to sign Defoe.
But it is an embarrassing situation for Ramos, who yesterday
admitted decisions on transfer policy are not his alone to make,
even though he does have the power to veto targets put forward by
Comolli or chairman Daniel Levy.
Ramos said: "We evaluate the players as a group, decide whether we
are interested in players and make a final decision."
He claimed recently that he had never heard of Rangers rightback
Alan Hutton, even though Tottenham had agreed an £8m fee for the
player with the Scot tish club. Ramos also revealed he had turned
down other players put forward to him by the Spurs board.
He confirmed: "I already have done on various occasions.
Maybe six to eight players that I don't like and that aren't right
for the team."