'The Octopus' Wants To Stay At Spurs A Long Time

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Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes has claimed that he is not ready to quit Spurs in the transfer window next month, despite recent reports linking the Brazilian International with a move back to former club PSV Eindhoven in January.

27-year-old Gomes, who only arrived at White Hart Lane in the summer for £7.8million from Eredivisie Champions PSV, has had his future at the Premier League club called into question after a string of high-profile errors upon his arrival in the Premiership.

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has been linked with a number of keepers in January, with Robert Green at West Ham United and Welsh International Wayne Hennessey at Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers just two of the keepers reportedly on the former Portsmouth bosses radar.

Gomes however, has kept clean sheets in his last 2 Premier League matches against West Ham and Manchester United, with the Brazilian pulling off vital saves in the dying minutes of both games to earn Spurs a win against the Hammers and a point against United.

Now Gomes has revealed that he is committed to Tottenham and intends to be at White Hart Lane for a long time, with the Brazilian known as ‘The Octopus’ also claiming he will get even better once fully fit.

“In my head I still think big and think I will play for Tottenham a long time,” said Gomes.

“I came here to play but it was very difficult for me because everyone said I’m a bad goalkeeper, not the goalkeeper to play for Tottenham.

“I still think about this and it was a difficult moment. I’ve come back step-by-step.

“I know I am a very good goalkeeper at the top level.

“It’s difficult for the opposition to score goals against me. I am confident now and I know I am better. But I’m not 100 per cent fit yet and the next games will get even better.”

Fulham, Spurs, Milan & Celtic To Fight It Out For Croatian International

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Tottenham Hotspur are set to battle it out with Premier League rivals Fulham along with AC Milan and Celtic for Croatian International goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa, who id due to face Spurs when they play Spartak Moscow in the UEFA Cup on Thursday.

29-year-old Pletikosa is the subject of interest of all four clubs, according to the keeper’s agent Mark Naletilic. With Naletilic also revealing that while enquiries have been made no firm offer has been made for Pletikosa, who is valued at £6.5million by Spartak.



“There are several interested clubs, but we are still at an early stage,” he told sportskenovosti.hr.

“Fulham is certainly among them, but the club have not yet submitted an official bid. Everything will depend on the price.

“Spartak are pleased with him, but they will not make things complicated if a real opportunity presents itself. Russians behave in the market, if a good offer arrives they do not stand in a player’s way.”

Naletilic went on to declare the interest from Celtic, while claiming that Tottenham were keen on Pletikosa to replace Heurelho Gomes, who has made a string of high-profile errors since his summer move to White Hart Lane from PSV Eindhoven.

Along with the interest from the Rossoneri, who while not dismissing a move to the San Siro highlighted the problem of the Serie A side having too many players from outside the EU in their squad.

“Contacts with Celtic are there from before, while Tottenham are interested due to the bad form of Heurelho Gomes,” he added.

“Milan also seek a goalkeeping solution, but there could be perhaps the problem of too many players from outside the EU. Everything is possible.”

Tottenham Keeper Seeks PSV Return

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Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes wants a return to his former club, Eredivisie Champions PSV Eindhoven, with the Brazilian International apparently telling people at PSV he wishes to quit White Hart Lane to return to the Philips Stadion, according to Dagblad.

27-year-old Gomes joined Spurs in the summer from PSV for £7.8million, but has had a shaky start to his career in the Premier League, with the Brazilian making a string of high-profile errors in the Premiership since his arrival at the North London club.

Spurs manager Harry Redknapp has been linked with a number of keepers in the January transfer window, with Robert green at West Ham United along with Welsh International Wayne Hennessey at Wolverhampton wanderers said to be on the wish list of the former Portsmouth boss.

The Dutch paper claims that Gomes is not happy in the Premier League at Tottenham and is seeking a move back to PSV, who he played for between 2004-2008 and has the record for highest percentage of clean sheets for a goalkeeper in Holland at 60%.

However, Gomes has improved in the last couple of games for Spurs and it is unlikely that Redknapp will let the keeper known as ‘The Octopus’ leave, Tottenham in January. Spurs already look set to off load No2 Cesar Sanchez to Valencia in January and Redknapp has publicly backed the Brazilian to come good in the Premier League.

In addition to this Gomes would have to take a massive pay-cut should he make the return journey from White Hart Lane to the Philips Stadion, which makes a January reunion for Gomes and Eindhoven very unlikely.

PSV Have Loan Move For Alex Rejected By Chelsea

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Dutch Eredivisie Champions PSV Eindhoven have confirmed that Premier League club Chelsea have rejected their request to take their former defender Alex back on loan to the Philips Stadion.

26-year-old Alex has become unsettled at Stamford Bridge in recent weeks, with the Brazilian International handing in a shock transfer earlier in the week to Blues manager Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Former Santos player Alex, who spent three seasons on loan at PSV from the Premiership club between 2004-2007, is unhappy at being left out by Scolari, with the Chelsea manager preferring Branislav Ivanovic in the absence of the injured Ricardo Carvalho.

PSV director Jan Reker has now revealed that the Dutch side did approach Chelsea about the possibility of taken Alex back on loan at PSV, but was tiold that the Brazilian will not be leavinf the Blues under any circumstances.

“We contacted Chelsea, but the answer was clear: they don't want to let him go under any circumstances,” Reker told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.

Alex has been at Chelsea since joining from Santos in 2004, but was immediately loaned out to PSV due to a joint contract with the Dutch club, with a clause that Chelsea could sign the Brazilian at any time for €1million. An option they took in 2007.

Keane: "Some Players Would Be Crying, But I'm Too Strong For That"

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Liverpool’s summer signing from Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur Robbie Keane, has claimed that he “will score a lot of goals” for the Reds, despite recent reports linking the Republic of Ireland International with a return to Spurs in January.

28-year-old Keane arrived at Anfield from White Hart Lane in a deal worth £20million, but has been misfiring since joining the Merseyside club, with the former Inter Milan player only managing to find the net twice in 15 Premiership matches for Rafa Benitez’s side so far this season.

Keane was an unused substitute for the 3-1 win against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, which fuelled speculation that the Irishman was due foe a short stay on Merseyside, with Tottenham linked with a January move to bring Keane back to North London.

This led to Benitez, having to tell Keane that he would not be sold in January and that the striker had a future at Anfield, but just needed more time to settle in. Keane, who was restored to the starting line-up for the 3-1 win over PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Tuesday has also claimed that he wishes to remain at Liverpool and has vowed to repay Benitez’s faith in him by scoring lots of goals for the Reds.

Keane said of his performance against the Eredivisie Champions: “I am happy with my own performance, I was delighted to play in a position that I like, just off the striker.

“It meant that I was always involved, and I got an assist with the third goal. Yes, I like scoring, but I always like helping others get their goals too.

“My confidence has not been affected by things that have been said about me, things like that never get me down.

“I am confident that I will score a lot of goals for this club, I am not worried about the way things have gone, there is a lot more to come from me.

“Some players would let their heads go down and they would be crying, but I am too strong for that.

“I have only been here a few months, and it takes time to settle, so it is too early to judge me now.

“I am always confident in own ability, I have scored a lot of goals in the past, and that ability doesn't go away just like that.

“But I accept that at club like Liverpool, as a striker you are judged on the goals you score. I love scoring goals, but I also love being involved.

“I am just as pleased with assists so I will carry on doing that and it will be fine.”

Has He Got To Gomes?

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The Jake Briggs Column at TheProudCockerel.co.uk

A while ago a friend of mine created a loosely scientific theory for the gaffes that England goalkeeper David James was prone to so often in his earlier career. He called it Roli’s Barnet Theory of Culpability, which had a formula M=HF². This equated to H=hair, F=flamboyant and M=(night)mare. So in easy speak every time James did something flamboyant with his hair a mare was not far round the corner M=HF².

Alas I have no such explanation or theory for Senor Gomes, who seems to have been at fault for the vast majority of goals that Spurs have conceded this season. Which has surprised me for of all the signings that Tottenham made this summer, Gomes was one I expected to excel and become a cult hero at White Hart Lane.

You see I can understand mistakes and errors while playing in a team that is making them all over the pitch, as we were under Ramos, but as Tottenham under the guidance of Redknapp have started to flourish and play with confidence Gomes continues to disappoint. I admit the Brazilian has made some outstanding saves since his big-money move from PSV Eindhoven this summer, but his decision making and positional sense on crosses leaves a lot to be desired and is very reminiscent of a younger James. Not to mention his habit of hospitalising his own team-mates.

It seems that Harry is also of the same opinion and has been linked with a number of keepers since his arrival at White Hart Lane, with Spurs linked to England International’s Robert Green and Ben Foster along with Shay Given at Newcastle United, who Redknapp has publicly revealed an interest in and from further ashore Russian International Vyacheslav Malafeev at Zenit St Petersburg.

So if Gomes is to be shown the door at Tottenham in January, who is the most likely to replace the Brazilian between the posts at Spurs, Green, Roberts, Given or Malafeev?

Well if we rule out the Russian keeper then we are left with three who all know what the Premier League is about. Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has started to think in terms of use Foster or lose Foster in light of our interest and is ready to play him and offer a new deal, while the impending fire sale at Upton Park in January could see us land a reportedly unhappy Green from West Ham for a song. With the Hammers Player of the Year last season believed to be unhappy at not being on par financially with other players at West Ham.

However, I believe Given would represent the best option, having been one of the most consistent goalkeepers in the Premiership over the past decade for the Magpies. The chances of luring Given away from St James’ Park are pretty good to, with Newcastle owner Mike Ashley reportedly prepared to sell any asset he can before selling the club and with a source close to the Republic of Ireland International claiming recently that Given is still hungry to win something in his career and is prepared to leave the Toon in order to achieve that.

Spurs In January Zenit Raid, But It's Not Arshavin?

Tottenham Hotspur are one of a group of European clubs reportedly interested in Russian International goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeev at Zenit St Petersburg, according to Sport-Express.

Recent reports have suggested that new Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is not convinced with current White Hart Lane No1 Heurelho Gomes after a string of high profile errors since the Brazilian International’s arrival in the Premier League this summer from PSV Eindhoven, with Robert Green at West Ham United and Ben Foster at Manchester United both linked with the North London club.

Tottenham are now believed to have made initial enquiries about Malafeev, who has been at Zenit since 1999 and has nearly 200 league appearances during his time at the Petrovsky Stadium and has 16 caps for the Russian national side.

However, there is also interest in the Russian keeper from Greek side Olympiacos, who are believed to be the favourites to sign Malafeev in January should he become available.