Manager Villas-Boas signs deal with Spurs

Spurs have agreed terms with former Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas, with the Portuguese’s appointment at White Hart Lane being confirmed Tuesday afternoon. Villas-Boas has signed a three-year deal, which will see him replace Harry Redknapp, who was sacked last month by Spurs chairman Daniel Levy. The 34-year-old will be bringing assistants Jose Mario Rocha and Daniel Sousa with him to the club, and has been entrusted with the task of establishing Tottenham among the Premier League elite. Villas-Boas’ first action as Spurs boss will likely be to make a move for Chelsea forward Daniel Sturridge. The former Manchester City player has fallen down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge, and is reportedly seeking assurances from new Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo. Sturridge is highly rated by the Blues and the club are unlikely to consider any offer below 10 million pounds ($15.8 million) for the striker named in Stuart Pearce’s Team GB squad for the London Olympics. Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has revealed his confidence that Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez will remain at the Anfield club for the foreseeable future. Juventus have frequently been linked with a move for the player, with latest reports suggesting the Italian champions are preparing a player plus cash offer. The Turin side’s desire for a new forward is well known, with the club believed to have set their sights firmly on the Liverpool No. 7. It has been reported that the player is unhappy at the club, believing both the FA and media have unfairly targeted him during his year-and-a-half spell in the Premier League. However, Rodgers has revealed that he has held discussions with Suarez for the first time since being appointed as Kenny Dalglish’s replacement, and has claimed he has no doubts that the player will remain on Merseyside. “I’ve had a brilliant chat with Luis,” Rodgers told The Guardian newspaper. “He’s really looking forward to being here and we are obviously hoping that we can get him on to another new contract. “He’s really looking forward to the new season.” Rodgers added that the club are hopeful of bringing in a number of additional players before the start of the Premier League season. “I’m looking forward to bringing in three or four players that can really affect the group,” he added. “The reality is there are very few players who can come and make a difference to Liverpool.” One of these players could be Newcastle striker Demba Ba, with the Senegalese forward available for just 7 million pounds. A clause in Ba’s contract means the player is available for well below his market value, but after July 31 interested clubs will be required to pay closer to 20 million pounds to tempt Newcastle to sell one of their prize assets. Ba enjoyed a prolific start to last season, bagging 16 goals in the first half of the campaign before he was moved to the left side of a forward line in order to accommodate his compatriot Papiss Cisse. The Daily Mirror reports that Tottenham are also considering a move for the former West Ham striker, and are believed to be readying a bid for the player. German midfielder Sami Khedira is believed to be contemplating a move away from Real Madrid, with fichajes.net reporting that the player feels undervalued at the club. A return to the Bundesliga is believed to be favored by the player, with Bayern Munich reported to be interested in adding the talented midfielder to their squad. These latest developments have led to reports suggesting the possibility of a swap deal involving German powerhouse Bastian Schweinsteiger, a player Real boss Jose Mourinho is known to admire. While Khedira is a first-choice player for the club under Mourinho, he is thought to be unhappy at being asked to shoulder much of the side’s defensive duties. Arsenal striker Robin van Persie is scheduled to hold talks with the club about his future next week, after failing to agree to a new deal before Euro 2012. Club Chairman Peter Hill-wood has announced that the club have no intention of selling the free-scoring Dutchman, with the Gunners determined to hold on to their star player. Van Persie has only 12 months remaining on his current deal with the north London side, and The Daily mirror reports that the player will speak with Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger this week by phone. Hill-wood denied reports that Juventus have made a bid for the player, saying the club have yet to receive any offers for the 29-year-old. “As far as I am aware, nobody has made any offer for him and he is away so we are not in any dialogue at all.” “We are not in the remotest bit interested in selling him,” he added.