No Jol compo deal, says Spurs chief

TOTTENHAM chairman Daniel Levy has issued a statement denying that a compensation package has been agreed for Martin Jol to leave White Hart Lane.

Jol’s position as boss has appeared under threat since Spurs officials met Sevilla coach Juande Ramos last month, and Levy was linked with a move for Jose Mourinho when the ‘Special One’ left Chelsea.

With Ramos understood to be staying in Spain for the time being and Mourinho ruling out a move to an English club as his “next step”, there are no obvious candidates to take over should Jol depart.

Levy said: “There has been no board meeting, let alone any emergency board meeting, and reports that we have agreed a compensation package with Martin are wholly inaccurate — we have not discussed the subject and there is no reason to.

“We will not allow ourselves to be side-tracked or undermined by external agendas or media hype.”

Jol has been told to aim for the Champions League this season but winning a cup looks the more likely route to success at the moment, and they face Middlesbrough in the Carling Cup tonight.

Jermain Defoe’s place in the pecking order has contributed to a campaign characterised by internal problems, and the striker could be recalled after getting left out of the squad for the Bolton clash.

Gareth Bale is also in the reckoning for the third-round clash at White Hart Lane.

Jol’s tactics and his failure to keep Defoe happy has been one of the criticisms he has faced.

The Dutchman argues that Defoe started more league games than Robbie Keane last season but he clearly favours Keane and Dimitar Berbatov for important games.

Spurs played 21 cup games last season and Jol was looking at making sweeping changes for Carling Cup games, yet any victory will be welcomed as Spurs have only beaten Derby and Anorthosis Famagusta so far in the current campaign.