Jol: Spurs Can't Crack Top Four

Former Tottenham boss Martin Jol has claimed his old club have no chance of breaking into the top four, insisting the financial barrier is simply too great…

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The Dutchman was recently unveiled as the new manager of SV Hamburger, his first post after being sacked by Spurs last October following a poor start to the season.

The former ADO Den Haag midfielder, who earned three caps for his country, twice came close to leading the Lilywhites into that rarefied air of Champions League qualification.

In 2006, Spurs went into the final game of the season sitting in fourth place, but lost to surrender the spot to North London rivals Arsenal.

The club have since failed to mount a serious challenge to the traditional table-toppers, but new boss Juande Ramos is keen to remedy, having already signalled his ambition with the ₤16.5 million purchase of Croatian star Luka Modric.

But Jol is less optimistic, insisting the discrepancy in funds between Spurs and the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United is too great to overcome in the foreseeable future.

“When I was with Spurs we finished fifth twice,” he said. “It’s not realistic for Tottenham to be top four because the financial differences are too much. Everton were the last club to do it and that was merely a one-off.”

Sevilla: No Spurs deal yet for £12m Capel

Spurs boss Juande Ramos is a known admirer of Capel and is expected to make a firm bid to bring the exciting midfielder to White Hart Lane.

"From the discussions with his agents, I have no news if Tottenham are going to pay his buy-out clause, which is €15,6 million (£12.3 million),” Del Nido told Sevilla ABC.

"And I ask: Would a foreign club use the clause in Spain?

"Clubs have asked for three or four players from our squad, but we do not put them on the market.

"f there are players with low buy-out clauses who could leave, as it happened with [Seydou] Keita [and Barcelona], the club can come and see me on Tuesday."

Del Nido's comments are in reaction to reports in England that Spurs have agreed to meet the buy-out clause and discussed a four-year contract with the player's representatives.

Interestingly, the Sevilla supremo did admit to a previous interest in Spurs midfielder Boateng before landing Keita.

"The one we chose last year was Boateng, the second one was Keita and our scouts went to Germany and France but we offered half the money Tottenham proposed for Boateng," he explained.