Ramos happy to pick Defoe

Tottenham manager Juande Ramos believes Jermain Defoe will agree a contract to keep him at the club.

The England striker's current deal expires in 2009 so Spurs may be keen to sell him at the end of this season rather than allow him to become available on a free transfer.

Defoe will miss the Uefa Cup match against Aalborg with a cold but Ramos is happy to pick him in future.

The Spaniard said: "He has expressed that he likes the club and wants to stay here.

"There are some difficulties with the contract but it is nothing major, and they should agree.

"If he is in form and playing well he will continue playing. Sport and contracts are two different matters."

Meanwhile, Ramos has hinted that he will not make any major signings until the end of the season.

He said: "I don't like the January transfer market, because the good players are already with their teams.

"If a team has a good player, they are not going to give him away. In January, the only teams that sign players are the desperate teams.

"You've got to make your signings calmly and be certain about what you want and what you need.

"We need experience and leadership. Because the team is very young, it's possible we need somebody to take responsibility and cope with the pressure we're under at the moment."

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