Spurs hunt sugar-daddy

Tottenham are clearing the decks for a Roman Abramovich-style, super-rich figure to come in and buy the club outright.

That is the reason no moves have been made to bring in a new manager since Glenn Hoddle was sacked in September.

It is understood that feelers have already been put out to find a saviour to wipe out all of the club's debts and provide a £100million war chest for a manager of any new owner's choice to spend.

But that cannot happen until current leading shareholders ENIC can raise their 36 per cent stake in the club to a majority of 51 per cent and allow any new owner overall charge.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy will today address the shareholders' annual meeting to explain just why director of football David Pleat has been keeping the club on autopilot.

Pleat, who would love the manager's job himself, has guided Spurs away from the relegation area and into the quarterfinals of the Carling Cup, where they face Middlesbrough in the quarter-finals.