Harry Redknapp insists he wants Republic of Ireland and Tottenham captain to remain at the club, unless someone can come up with an improbably gigantic offer to prise the Dubliner away from White Hart Lane.
The frontman, who was due to return to Anfield this weekend before the game against Liverpool was postponed, has been linked with a move to Aston Villa during the January transfer window but the Birmingham club would not to have deep pockets.
“Please God, he’ll still be here in February,” said Redknapp today. “He is the captain, he’s here, he’s done great job for us and is very important to us.
“There’s real competition between him, Roman Pavlyuchenko, Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch but unless someone comes up with £50 million or something for him I can’t see any way he won’t be here.
“He’s part of the plans and I haven’t spoken to anyone about him leaving or wanting to leave. I never made any enquiries at Aston Villa, if I did I would have spoken to Martin O’Neill who is a very good friend.”
The Villa manager was similarly forthright in his dismissal of the rumour.
“I see us linked with players and some of our players are being linked with other clubs but at this minute I have nothing to report,” said the Irishman.
“There is no definite movement in either direction. Maybe like most Premier League managers, I’d probably like to keep it that way. Robbie Keane? There is absolutely nothing in it.”
Phil Brown, meanwhile, has ruled out the possibility of Stephen Hunt moving to Wolverhampton Wanderers, despite reportedly being under orders to reduce the wage bill.
“Stephen, as far as I and the chairman are concerned, will be going nowhere,” he said. “I‘ve had the lad in and asked him where he wants to be. His heart is firmly at Hull City and I‘d like to keep it that way.”