Middlesbrough chief executive Keith Lamb has hit out at Tottenham, saying their bid for Stewart Downing was "derisory".

Spurs have been linked with a move for the England winger for some time and appear keen to step up their interest this month.

But Lamb told the News of the World: "It is a derisory offer."

He added: "Who on earth do they think they are? They bleated away when Dimitar Berbatov left for Manchester United in the summer - but they sold at top dollar.

"Then they want to snatch other players for derisory offers and try to unsettle players. That is what has happened here. Their offer is a joke.

"Why would we sell our best players to our nearest rivals? Stewart is going nowhere."