Downing - linked with SpursTottenham coach Martin Jol has praised midfielder Teemu Tainio as he continues to be linked with Middlesbrough's Stewart Downing.
Jol steadfastly refuses to comment on speculation linking the club with another bid for England winger Downing and instead chose to praise the work of Tainio as a makeshift left-winger.
The Dutchman politely resists the temptation to reveal whether or not the north London club will spend some of the £18.6million from the sale of Michael Carrick to Manchester United, on highly-rated left-winger Downing.
Middlesbrough have rebuffed all Tottenham's previous advances for their prized asset and now talk in terms of £15million for the player who enjoyed limited success with England in the World Cup finals.
But any offer Spurs do make is unlikely to be above £8million for a player who remains far from the finished article.
But Tottenham, preparing for the visit of Everton on Saturday, clearly need more options on the left-hand side even though Jol continues to praise the work of Finland midfielder Tainio.
Jol is also ready to unleash the speed and trickery of Aaron Lennon on the left wing.
Lennon already terrorises Barclays Premiership left-backs with ease but Jol maintains the England teenager can do the same on the opposite flank.
With speculation mounting of a bid for Downing before the transfer window closes in a week, Jol said: "Maybe yes, maybe no. There are a couple of days left and we will have to wait and see. I don't want to talk about others' players."
The last time Jol refused to speak about a possible transfer target, Wigan full-back Pascal Chimbonda, the Lancashire club revealed hours later they had rejected Tottenham's bid.
However, it would be wrong to draw any conclusions from Jol's latest stance, especially as he remains adamant he is more than happy with the contribution of 'Tiger' Tainio.
He missed the defeat at Bolton on the opening day of the season with an ankle injury before playing a major part in their win over Sheffield United in midweek.
There is no doubt he provides an outlet for Spurs on the left but the lack of crosses into the penalty area from that flank was more than noticeable.
But Jol said: "I felt Teemu came in and gave us everything. They call him a 'Tiger'.
"He's got a lot of determination. He can play on the left and on the right or in midfield. He wants to win.
"For the last game I was happy that Teemu was there. If Teemu is there, we always play well.
"If he is there we have a face and that is what you need in a team. It's about team work and he is a team player. He was injured for the last three weeks so he couldn't play."
Jol, meanwhile, is sweating on the fitness of midfielder Jermaine Jenas and striker Dimitar Berbatov ahead of their clash with Everton.
Jenas failed to train today after collecting a knock on his toe while Berbatov is nursing an ankle injury.
Both players were on the scoresheet in their 2-0 win over Sheffield United and Jol remains hopeful they will recover in time.
Jol added: "Berbatov got a knock on his ankle but hopefully he will be okay.
"JJ did not train because he had a problem with his toe. We will have to wait and see but hopefully he will be available."
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