Ramos tracking Sevilla duo
by Joseph Caron Dawe, 28 October 2007
Juande Ramos has issued a stark warning to his new charges at Tottenham by telling them that none of their places in his starting XI are assured.
The new arrival from Sevilla has also said he believes he will be able to restore Dimitar Berbatov’s form, and stated his desire to land Sevilla stars Daniel Alves and Fredi Kanoute as he sets about turning the North London club’s fortunes around.
"Nobody has a place guaranteed, it doesn't matter who they are,” said Ramos in The People.
“If we need reinforcements in the winter we will do that, but I trust in the players already at the club.
"Berbatov is a great player - I will know how to get the best out of him”.
Ramos was forthright in his admiration for two of his former players as well.
“I’d like to sign Alves and Kanoute,” he was quoted as saying in The News of The World.
“These two players would be sensational for any club in the world but I am not sure if Sevilla would accept this".
Meanwhile, Sevilla president Jose Maria Del Nido moved to quell any hopes Ramos may harbor of bringing the duo to White Hart Lane.
Reports have also tipped Andres Palop to follow in his former boss’s footsteps and make a switch to Tottenham.
“In the past we have received great offers for a lot of our players, some of them almost irresistible, but we have turned them down,” Del Nido said.
“The players have buy-out clauses and at this moment we have no intention of selling any player. That is how things stand today. But tomorrow I don’t know.”
Goalkeeper Palop stated his admiration for Ramos’s new employers, and refused to rule out a move to The Lilywhites if a transfer was proposed in the near future.
“Tottenham is a very important club with a very impressive history,” said Palop.
“You never know in football, as we can see with what has happened with Juande. Every season is a new start.
"If they let him build the team that he wants he can have them competing at the highest level and that means the Champions League.
"Under him we were a team that played from the back and the sole aim for us was to attack the opposition's goal.
"If you look at the statistics, we are the team that create the most chances - between eight or nine every match. That shows he's a coach who loves to attack."