Jol warns United off Carrick
Tottenham manager Martin Jol today re-iterated Manchester United
target Michael Carrick is not for sale - and maintained his side
`cannot do without' the England midfielder.
United see Carrick, 24, as a the ideal replacement for Roy Keane,
the no-nonsense Irishman who left the club last December following
12 seasons as the driving force at the heart of the team.
Spurs, though, have already rejected a £10million offer from Old
Trafford and would not welcome any more approaches for a player
they see as integral to the development of Jol's emerging side, who
finished fifth in the Barclays Premiership last season.
Jol declared: `They put a bid in, we turned it down and that is it,
because we do not want to lose a player like Michael Carrick.
`He was probably our best midfield player this season, so why
should we sell him?'
Spurs bought Carrick from West Ham in a £2.75m deal in August 2004.
Although a big-money transfer to United could represent a healthy
profit, Jol has no intentions of dismantling his side.
Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov has arrived this summer for
£10.9m from Bayer Leverkusen and France Under-18 captain Dorian
Dervitte from Ligue 1 side Lille as Jol looks to strengthen his
squad ahead of their UEFA Cup campaign next season.
The Spurs boss said on BBC Radio Five Live's Sportsweek programme:
`I have told my chairman Daniel [Levy] I want to keep him.
`We are building something, so I cannot do without him.'
United are reportedly ready to increase the terms of their
offer.
But while Jol accepts any player has his price, the Spurs manager
is not looking to cash in on one of the club's prized assets.
Jol said: `You can go on and on, and that is what they always do,
but I think I was pretty clear - we do not want to sell him, the
board do not want to sell him; Michael Carrick has got a contract
for another two years, so that is the situation.
`The chairman is a Spurs fans as well and he is always listening -
that was his reaction as well, that we do not want to sell him
because Michael Carrick did well for us.'
Carrick is currently away on international duty at the World Cup,
but Jol maintains the midfielder will be all too aware of just how
highly regarded he is by everyone at White Hart Lane.
Jol noted: `Michael knows when he came to our club, Pedro Mendes
was playing there as well, and Mendes was a terrific player. I made
a choice for Michael, and he knows that.
`He made progress, so he owes this club. Spurs are a great club, he
knows that, he is telling everybody.
`It is always difficult, because you have specific feelings if a
big club is coming in - but I think we will do maybe a good job in
the next couple of seasons and he will be happy at Spurs.'
