Villas-Boas pleased with striker stocks

Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas does not expect to sign more strikers and is hoping Jermain Defoe stays at White Hart Lane.

Spurs completed the signing of Emmanuel Adebayor from Manchester City this week but have also been linked with several other attack-minded players, including Brazilians Leandro Damiao and Willian.

Yet Villas-Boas is not expecting to boost his attacking stocks in the current transfer window.

“Leandro is a fantastic player that I know of. I went to see him in Brazil when I was doing nothing,” he told reporters.

“He is obviously a good, good player but he is not on our prospect at the moment, because I think we are closed on what we are trying to do with the striker situation.”

Villas-Boas was equally dismissive when asked about a reported offer for Willian.

“No. He (Willian) is a player I was interested in last year, an extremely talented player,” the Portuguese boss said.

“I wouldn’t want to go very deep because I feel it would be disrespectful for Shakhtar, which is a club I have a good relationship with.

“In that sense the only thing I can tell you is that last year when I was at Chelsea I was interested in the player and I appreciate his qualities.”

Defoe has also been linked with a move away from the club, with QPR reportedly interested in the England international, but Villas-Boas is hopeful he will remain in north London.

“I spoke to his (Defoe) agent two days ago and the conversations have been extremely productive, the player is a player I have immense confidence in,” he said.

“I appreciate his qualities so I am hoping he will continue to be a Tottenham player in the future.”

One player who does seem destined to depart is Luka Modric, but Villas-Boas insisted talks were still ongoing between the club and Real Madrid over the potential transfer of the Croatia international.

“The situation is in the chairman’s hands,” he said.

“The chairman has told me that the talks are ongoing, they are making some progress but the situation can be solved in the next couple of days.

“At the moment, as I told you before, he continues to train apart and it will be like that until the end of the transfer window, I guess.”