Boro boss hits out at 'derisory' Spurs bid for Downing

Middlesbrough chief executive Keith Lamb has hit out at Tottenham and labelled their bid for Stewart Downing “derisory”.

Spurs have been linked with a move for the England winger for some time and appear keen to step up their interest this month.

But Lamb insists the Londoners’ offer was nowhere near enough to land Downing.

“It is a derisory offer,” he told the News of the World.

“Who on earth do they think they are? They bleated away when Dimitar Berbatov left for Manchester United in the summer – but they sold at top dollar.

“Then they want to snatch other players for derisory offers and try to unsettle players. That is what has happened here. Their offer is a joke.

“Why would we sell our best players to our nearest rivals? Stewart is going nowhere.”