AVB provides Spurs transfer update as Damiao link resurfaces

Wednesday, January 30, 2013
7:29 AM

Transfer news: Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas insists he is content with the “risk” of having only two out and out strikers in Jermain Defoe and Emmanuel Adebayor.

With both Defoe and Adebayor missing at Leeds, Villas-Boas could have been forgiven for jumping straight into the transfer market for another forward to bolster his attacking options.

Germany international Lewis Holtby has joined for £1.5million after originally agreeing to a move to White Hart Lane in the summer when his contract at Schalke was due to expire.

Holtby’s arrival could be the only signing Spurs make between now and the close of the window, despite the re-emergence of interest in Internacional striker Leandro Damiao and, although he acknowledges the danger of not adding to his squad, Villas-Boas is pleased to continue with Defoe and Adebayor.

“We’ve told you that there is a certain risk involved,” he said. “The risk involved obviously took Jermain out of the game against Leeds. I’ve told you also that it’s not impossible that the club and ourselves might think about the striker position.

“We’ve strengthened in some way our attacking options with Lewis Holtby, [although he’s] obviously not a pure striker. We’re still with two pure strikers and Clint Dempsey, who we believe can fulfil that position. At the moment, it’s a risk that we took.”

Holtby will go straight into the squad for the trip to Norwich, where Defoe is likely to return to a Spurs side who currently sit fourth in the table with a three-point gap back to Everton in fifth.