Jol: I'm staying at Spurs

In a statement he said: "I am fully committed to Tottenham, I'm very happy here, I'm not in discussions with anyone else at this stage.

"I don't want to go elsewhere. People will always speculate but at the end of the day I've come to Tottenham to do a job and, as I have said before, I want to bring success back to this great club."

Spurs find themselves in a highly unusual position. Never before in the club's recent history has one of their managers been in demand from another high-profile club.

The Spurs job has become something of a poisoned chalice for aspiring and experienced coaches. Gerry Francis, George Graham, David Pleat and Jacques Santini have all vanished into managerial obscurity, while Glenn Hoddle's star has waned. Only Christian Gross, in recent times, has restored his reputation, but he had to return to Switzerland to do so.

In Jol, however, Spurs finally appear to have found a coach capable of matching the high expectations of the club's fans and board. Spurs have won 11 of 20 games under his charge and emerged as realistic contenders for a UEFA Cup place.

Chairman Daniel Levy will be anxious to keep Jol, and the club may consider giving him a pay rise as a reward for loyalty. Star players Ledley King and Jermain Defoe are in negotiations over improved deals, even though, like Jol, they have not reached the end of their contracts.

Jol's contract, which was renegotiated when he was promoted in place of Santini last October, has nearly three years left to run. Should he choose to resign to join Ajax, Spurs would demand substantial compensation.