Tottenham defender Kevin Wimmer staying despite Cologne offer

Tottenham Hotspur remain intent on retaining out-of-favour defender Kevin Wimmer after rejecting offers from the Premier League and the Bundesliga. The Austria international has started just three top-flight games this season and was left out of the squad which faced West Bromwich Albion on Saturday (14 January).

The 24-year-old enjoyed an encouraging first season at White Hart Lane as he made 21 appearances in all competitions, which included a run of 10 consecutive games at the heart of the Spurs defence. Wimmer then saw just three minutes of action for his country as they were knocked out of the group stage at the European Championships in the summer.

Opportunities in his second campaign at Tottenham have been few and far between. Wimmer replaced Dele Alli for his first league outing of the season but scored an own goal as Maurcio Pochettino's side were held at The Emirates Stadium. Speculation regarding his future has grown having been handed just two further Premier League appearances, but the player's agent says he is going nowhere.

"Cologne made an offer," representative Mithat Halis told ESPN. "There have been a few offers from the Premier League and the Bundesliga. There is a lot of interest. Tottenham do not want to sell. All offers have been turned down and he is staying."

German side Cologne had flirted with bringing Wimmer back to the club following his three-year spell between 2012 and 2015, where he was originally brought to Tottenham's attention. However, the club later confirmed he was not on their radar despite being marginalised by Pochettino.

The Argentine coach has remained unmoved amid speculation over Wimmer's future. "We are not talking about that internally. I'm happy with him – he's still very young," Pochettino said in December, according to a ESPN report. "We brought him not only for the present but for the future. There's nothing to discuss about him."

Wimmer's patience may be rewarded in the near future after defender Jan Vertonghen was ruled out for six weeks with ankle ligament damage, according to The Daily Telegraph. The Belgian was taken off during the 4-0 victory over West Brom, with Pochettino describing the injury as looking "very bad". Tottenham's immediate games include visits to Manchester City and Sunderland in the Premier League before hosting Wycombe Wanderers in the FA Cup before the end of January.