• Premier League

'Insanely good' AVB persuades Holtby to accept Spurs

ESPN staff
January 8, 2013
Lewis Holtby has turned down Arsenal's advances © PA Photos
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Tottenham's latest recruit, Lewis Holtby, says he snubbed interest from Arsenal in order to play under the "insanely good" Andre Villas-Boas.

Holtby, 22, has signed a deal reportedly worth £67,000 per week and is set to join Spurs in the summer upon the expiry of his current contract.

Arsene Wenger had approached the Schalke midfielder last year, but Holtby declared the decision to instead move to White Hart Lane next season was a simple one to make.

"[Tottenham] are not a small club and have an insanely good manager," Holtby explained.

"I simply had to take the offer from Tottenham. New things don't scare me, they excite me. In my opinion Tottenham is a big club in Europe.

"Tottenham have belonged to the top five in England since many years and they only missed out on the Champions League because Chelsea won the cup last year.

"Without Tottenham's offer I would have signed at Schalke. I can only repeat that [club chief] Horst Heldt made a very good offer.

"I believe that I have a good relation to the fans, because I have always been authentic and honest. Now they can decide on their own how to react."

Holtby may yet complete his switch in January, with Schalke confirming they are willing to negotiate an early release for the player.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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