Tottenham aim for quick move in window with deal for Holtby

Holtby looks likely to be heading to White Hart Lane Christof Koepsel/Getty

Oliver Kay Chief Football Correspondent The Times Published 1 minute ago Tottenham Hotspur are notorious for leaving their transfer business until the last moment, but they start 2013 in pole position to secure a pre-contract agreement to sign Lewis Holtby, the young Germany midfielder. As of today, Holtby, 22, is eligible to sign a pre-contract agreement to join any non-German club at the end of the season, having made clear that he will not sign an extension to his deal with Schalke. Arsenal and Liverpool have been strongly linked with Holtby, but Tottenham are understood to be confident of striking a deal this month that would leave him free to move to White Hart Lane at the end of the season.

The signing of Holtby would give English fans a closer look at a player who was eligible to play for England his father, Chris, is a former British soldier who was stationed at RAF Rheindahlen, near Mnchengladbach until he pledged his commitment at international level to Germany, the country of his birth. He represented Germany at various youth levels and, although he could still have switched his allegiance to England at that point, the matter was resolved when he made his competitive debut for Germany in a Euro 2012 qualifying match against Azerbaijan in June 2011, since when he has won two more caps. Holtby and his representatives have already informed Schalke that he will leave at the end of the season, having rejected the clubs final contract offer, which was worth just under 50,000 a week. Tottenham are prepared to make Holtby one of their biggest earners as they look to add him to a core of young players that includes Hugo Lloris and Moussa Dembl as well as Gareth Bale, who is persistently linked with moves away from the club. Transfer policy at Tottenham tends to be driven by Daniel Levy, the chairman, but Andr Villas-Boas, the head coach who was frustrated by the clubs failure to agree a deal to take Joo Moutinho from Porto in August, is understood to be enthusiastic about Holtby. Renowned for his energy, as well as his creativity, Holtby would be a key addition as Tottenham look to remould their midfield after the departures last summer of Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaart. There is a possibility that, with a pre-contract agreement, Tottenham could look to force Schalkes hand by offering a transfer fee in order to bring forward his arrival. Nevertheless, a pre-contract agreement with Holtby would represent an enterprising start to the new year for Tottenham and for Levy, who has previously faced accusations of missing out on leading targets by waiting until the final days of the transfer window to try to strike an agreement. Villas-Boas has reminded his players of the need to replicate their away form against Reading at White Hart Lane today. Tottenham have dropped 12 points from ten home games, including losing to Wigan Athletic and conceding late goals to draw on two occasions. Yet they recorded a sixth away victory against Sunderland on Saturday.

Weve done extremely well away from home, but we have to keep up the momentum at home and it would be silly of us not to continue at this level, Villas-Boas said. Carlo Cudicini looks ready for a fresh start in the United States after Tottenham announced they have reached an agreement to sell the goalkeeper to the Los Angeles Galaxy. Cudicini moved to White Hart Lane from Chelsea in 2009. but has found his opportunities limited. Brian McDermott, the Reading manager, is likely to pick the side that beat West Ham United 1-0 on Saturday to take them to five points from safety. He is considering a move for Tomas Rogic, the 20-year-old Australia midfielder. We can build on that win, he said. It was a miracle last year when we won the Championship. I really dont look too far ahead. We will do something in the transfer window.