Published: 31 January, 2013
by DAN CARRIER

SPURS fans have been told to expect a touch of familiarity from new signing Lewis Holtby, with Andre Villas-Boas tipping the German to shine like Rafael van der Vaart.

Holtby had been expected to make the move to White Hart Lane in the summer but Tottenham pushed through the deal early after reaching an agreement with Schalke.

He has cost a reported £1.5million and Villas-Boas thinks that represents a wonderful piece of business. “Is he the bargain of the century?” said the Spurs manager.

“I think so because it’s difficult to find a young player who is running his contract down and we faced tough competition. He’s recognised as an exceptional young talent and we have high expectations of the player.

“Because of his creativity you can compare him to Rafa – to a certain extent anyway because Rafa was a greatly experienced player when he joined and Lewis has all his career ahead of him.”

With some fans questioning Spurs’ lack of attacking options, Villas-Boas insisted things at the club are looking bright. “We have had good news on Jermain Defoe’s injury and it is not true that he will require surgery, so this is extremely important for us,” he said.

“And I’m extremely happy with the way Clint Dempsey is playing in the forward position. He hasn’t been used too often in this position in England but it doesn’t mean he can’t play it.”