Tottenham target Damiao keen to remain at Internacional 'for a long time'

Feb 4, 2013 6:00:00 PM

Spurs failed in deadline-day move for their long-term target, and while the 23-year-old is flattered by their interest he hopes to stay in Brazil for the foreseeable

Leandro Damiao has admitted he is flattered by the interest shown in him by Tottenham, but insists he is fully committed to current club Internacional.

Damiao, who has been capped 14 times by Brazil, is a long-term target for the Premier League outfit with failed attempts to capture his signature dating back to 2011.

However, the 23-year-old insists he aims to remain at Internacional "for a long time".

"[Internacional's] president Giovanni Luigi knows I always wanted to stay at Internacional, regardless of any offers that could come," Damiao told Brazilian newspaper Correio do Povo.

"I certainly thank Tottenham [for their interest], they are a big club in Europe, but my focus is on Inter.

"I hope to help Inter for a long time, I have a long contract and I am very happy and focused."

Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas admitted shortly after the January transfer deadline that a summer move for Damiao was improbable with the north London club’s interest in the striker “probably finished”.

“Could it [a deal for Damiao] happen in the summer? No I don’t think so, it’s probably finished now," the Portuguese told reporters.

“The player has been linked recently with Spurs, we’ve made it public before that it’s a player that we chase, but we couldn’t agree on the full conditions so we’ve moved on.”

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