Spurs set for Cole bid

Tottenham are set to make a £2m bid for Chelsea striker Carlton Cole as Mido was left pleading his innocence after his dismissal against the Blues.

The red card means centre-forward Mido now faces a ban of up to three matches, which could rule him out of league games against Liverpool and Aston Villa as well as the Carling Cup tie against Grimsby.

With Fredi Kanoute already sold, that increases the urgency in signing another powerful forward, with head coach Martin Jol preferring not to partner two livewire strikers such as Robbie Keane and Jermain Defoe.

“That was the problem last season. When we didn’t have Kanoute, we needed Mido. When Mido wasn’t there, we used Kanoute. So that is a slight problem now,” revealed Jol.

Spurs were originally interested in Cole when they were seeking compensation for director of football Frank Arnesen’s move to Stamford Bridge.

However, even though Cole has not been involved in the first team yet this season, Jose Mourinho was keen to keep the 21-year-old striker, who was on loan last season at Aston Villa, at the club.

Spurs are nevertheless poised to test Chelsea’s resolve with a £2m bid, which may have to be raised if they are to have any success before the end of the transfer window in the next few days.

Cristiano Lucarelli, who plays for Livorno in Serie A, has also put himself in the frame for a potential move to White Hart Lane, although Jol has discounted a new move for Norwich’s Dean Ashton.

“I read that we were furious at not getting Ashton but that’s not true. We had the chance to take him and we didn’t so you can’t complain afterwards. He’s doing well, like Darren Bent is doing well at Charlton,” he said.

Jol, who is also keen on midfielder Jermaine Jenas and left-back Lee Young-Pyo, was otherwise giving little away ahead of the final few days of the transfer window, observing that “we have to keep quiet and you have to wait and see”.

Mido’s red card at White Hart Lane for a forearm into the head of Asier del Horno has nevertheless reduced Spurs’ attacking options, even though the Egypt international was close to tears as he left the pitch.

“I went for the ball. It’s true that I went with my arm but I didn’t want to hurt the guy so I put my hand between his head and my head to protect myself and to protect him,” he told BBC1’s Match of the Day.

“If I didn’t put my hand there, it would have been head against head.”

Goalkeeper Paul Robinson added: “I questioned the referee at half-time and said ‘did you send him off for an elbow?’

“He said that he sent him off for using excessive force in a tackle. Considering it wasn’t even a tackle, that was a difficult one to swallow.”

Even when Spurs were reduced to 10 men and went a goal down against Chelsea, Jol preferred to keep Keane on the bench as he moved centre-back Michael Dawson into the attack in the final stages.

Asked about playing Keane and Defoe together, he added: “If you play in Europe, it would work. You can build up and play through midfield.

“But in England, when they pressurise you, the goalkeeper may have to play long balls. Then it looks a bit silly when we play with two little strikers.”

The Spurs boss does not want Mido to lose his attacking instincts but is keen for him to control his aggression and avoid any more red cards.

“It’s always difficult. I would have said it was a yellow card. It was maybe a bit enthusiastic and a bit dangerous as he came in from the side, but it was not intended to hurt somebody,” he said.

“I have talked to him already. I have said that being positive is a great quality but you can’t exaggerate. He was going in with his whole body and sometimes you can only use one arm.

“With John Terry’s challenge in the first minute, which was not even mentioned by the referee, you saw two arms going in, but he always does it in a controlled way – and Mido didn’t.

“It was not the most clever thing to do to go in like that. Then again, I did the same when I was playing in England but I never got a booking!”