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Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is set to veto Lewis Holtby’s move to Schalke – because he doesn’t want to help Arsenal land Julian Draxler.

Spurs tried in vain last summer to delay the sale of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid after realising the Gunners were lining up a move for the Spaniards' odd-man-out-to-be Mesut Ozil.

The Germany midfielder DID join Arsenal for a record £42.5million and has inspired their impressive title challenge.

In contrast to Ozil's league leaders, the White Hart Lane club have since sacked boss Andre Villas-Boas and are languishing behind their bitter rivals and neighbours in sixth.

Schalke want a loan deal for their old boy Holtby as a replacement for Draxler, after admitting they could not stand in the way if a club triggered the 20-year-old’s £37million release clause this month.

General manager Horst Heldt said: “We are still hopeful Julian (Draxler) is to stay on at our club. However, there are certain arrangements we cannot change.”

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Villas-Boas' Spurs replacement Tim Sherwood is planning a clear-out of the club’s fringe players with summer signing Nacer Chadli having followed Holtby in asking for a loan move to rescue his World Cup hopes.

Following our story yesterday, Chadli’s agent Daniel Evrard confirmed the Belgium midfielder - capped 18 times - is the latest of Tottenham's seven summer arrivals to want out.

Evrard even hinted there were more players at White Hart Lane unhappy at a lack of match action.

He said of Chadli: “His situation is not easy at the moment. The World Cup is arriving, so it’s a problem. For him to play at the World Cup it’s important, so why not a loan? We haven’t spoken to Tottenham yet, but I know there are clubs interested in him.

“There are a lot of players in the same situation who are not in the team and they want to play in the World Cup, so there is a market for a lot of clubs. It’s important for him not to take any risks by going to a country he doesn’t know well.”

Chadli could now return to Holland, where he played for FC Twente.

(Image: Action Images)

Evrard blames his failure to impress - the attacking midfielder has started just once under Sherwood - on the 24-year-old being played out of position under Villas-Boas.

He added: “Nacer had to play in a role which doesn’t suit him. They wanted him to play on the left wing and he is not exactly a winger – he prefers to play through the middle.

“It’s very difficult for him because we’ve not seen the best of him at Tottenham. He has big potential so he is a little bit frustrated.”