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Tottenham suffer setback in pursuit of Real Betis teenager Alvaro Vadillo
TOTTENHAM have suffered a setback in their pursuit of Real Betis winger Alvaro Vadillo with the Spanish club saying he is not for sale.
Tottenham had been linked with a move for 18-year-old Vadillo as a potential replacement for Gareth Bale but Betis are not keen to sell.
Betis sporting director Vlada Stosic has tried to dissuade Spurs from making a bid, saying: “We’re not listening to offers for Vadillo. We want to keep him."
But Tottenham could still force the issue if they are willing to meet the youngster's £17m release clause.
Stosic added: "Unless someone comes and pays the clause, or a figure very close to his buyout clause, then he'll be staying."
And Betis manager Pepe Mel reiterated the Spanish club's stance.
Mel said: “There's nothing to talk about regarding Vadillo because as far as we're concerned he's not for sale."
But even Mel was forced to conceded the club would be powerless to hold onto Vadillo if Spurs were determined to push ahead with a move for the player.
“Obviously, if someone lays his full buyout clause on the table and the player wants to leave then there's nothing that we can do.”
Vadillo has been linked with moves to Tottenham, Manchester United, Arsenal and AC Milan since making his first team debut for Betis as a 16-year-old, and reportedly started taking English lessons to improve his chances of a move to the Premier League.