Spurs boss rules out move for Arsenal target and expects quiet transfer deadline day

Thursday, January 31, 2013
12:22 PM

Transfer news: Tottenham manager dismissed talk of a last-ditch move to sign Barcelona forward David Villa and admitted he anticipates there will be little activity before the transfer window shuts tonight.

The Spurs boss had said prior to last night’s 1-1 draw at Norwich that he was prepared to take a risk on the fitness of Jermain Defoe and the striker played after undergoing plasma injections.

Rivals Arsenal had been interested in signing Spanish international Villa but Arsene Wenger announced earlier this week that the Catalan giants did not want to sell him.

Speculation quickly spread last night that he could be a target for north London rivals Spurs but Villas-Boas denied this., saying: “No, I don’t think so. That’s completely unreal at the moment.”

Zeki Fryers and Lewis Holtby are the only arrivals so far this month and Villas-Boas does not expect any more.

Of the transfer window, he said last night: “It finishes tomorrow, thankfully.

“We look to be quiet in the market. It’s not impossible that a couple of things happen. It’s highly unlikely.

“We need to add quality to the squad and our quality to the squad is keeping the players we have now and Lewis [Holtby] arriving.”