Defoe sticks it out at Spurs as Bent checks in
Jeremy Wilson and Matt Scott
Saturday June 30, 2007
The Guardian
Jermain Defoe intends to start next season with Tottenham despite the possibility of being Martin Jol's fourth-choice striker. The completion of Darren Bent's transfer from Charlton for a club record £16.5m has provoked fears that Spurs were ready to sell Defoe but the player feels reassured he still has a future at White Hart Lane.
In Dimitar Berbatov, Robbie Keane, Defoe and Bent Jol believes he has a quartet of strikers with the ability to propel Tottenham into the Premiership's top four and, with a Uefa Cup campaign to consider, he knows that the club could play around 60 games next season.
Bent, 23, yesterday agreed a four-year contract with the option of another two years and it is understood that his wages will be about £45,000 a week . The England striker, who cost £15.5m with the remaining £1m dependent on appearances, said: "Tottenham have a lot of young English players and it's a young squad, it's a squad going forward and that's the direction I wanted to take. They seem to be getting better and better every season and I would love to be part of that."
Jol said of his new signing: "Darren's strength is his stamina. He has pace, he links play well and can see a pass. He knows Spurs is the place to be and that's something to be proud of."
Question - Can we afford to keep Defoe ? So far we've spent 26m ( albeit in structured payments ), we're about to spend a further 8m on a CB and everyone knows a LM is required. Are we that cash rich ? If Defoe wants to stay, fine but he's gonna have to sign a new contract. Wonder if Levy was banking on Defoe leaving ??