Woodgate: on his way to the bright lights of London?Tottenham have agreed a £7m deal with Middlesbrough for Jonathan Woodgate - and they are also hoping to tie up the signings of Tiago, Alan Hutton and Gilberto da Silva Mela before the transfer window closes.Woodgate, who is known to have impressed Juande Ramos during the rare times he played for Real Madrid, will now head to London to discuss personal terms. However, the chances of Boro winger Stewart Downing joining Woodgate at White Hart Lane are now said to be "close to zero" by sources close to the deal.
Instead Spurs will redouble their efforts to sign Juventus midfielder Tiago for £9m - a deal they expect to go through when Mohamed Sissoko completes his move from Liverpool to Juve later today. The one sticking point remains Tiago's wages, with the midfielder wanting £50,000-a-week and Spurs offering £10,000-a-week less.
Elsewhere, Spurs believe they are close to agreeing a pre-contract deal with Hutton that would see the Rangers defender move to London during the summer, and they are also hopeful that the Hertha Berlin left-sided wingback Gilberto will be moving to London in a £2.5m deal after he fell out with his club over his demands for a new contract.
"[The move] is all in the hands of Dieter Hoeness [Berlin's general manager]," Gilberto told Bild. "If he says I may go, I am away." Hoeness, meanwhile, sounded just as trenchant: "Our entire recruitment budget for the winter break would be taken up meeting Gilberto's demands," he said.
