Spurs end interest in Portsmouth’s Defoe

Tottenham Hotspur will have to continue their hunt for a good striker as the Londoners were forced to end their interest in Portsmouth’s Jermain Defoe.

Manager Harry Redknapp, who recently joined Spurs from Pompey, brought Defoe to Portsmouth eleven months ago and hoped to bring him along to Tottenham in order to improve the side’s qualities up front.

But Portsmouth claim to have received a “massive offer”, which leaves Tottenham empty-handed: “I think they have a massive offer from somebody for him, so good luck to them. He is a good player but we’re not going to pay over the top for anyone,” said Redknapp.

Spurs have already had a bid rejected for Newcastle’s Craig Bellamy, as it becomes more and more difficult to find a good addition for its troubled striking force which consists of Darren Bent, Roman Pavluchenko and Fraizer Campbell. Bent and Pavlyuchenko supposedly can’t play together, and the Russian is ineligible to play in Europe.

Redknap revealed that his next target could be Middlesbrough’s Stewart Downing: “I like Downing but I don’t know whether Middlesbrough want to sell him.”