English FA Premiership: Tottenham Hotspur have responded to Nottingham Forest turning down their "derisory" £2.5 million bid for Andy Reid by returning to the first division club with a £6 million package for the left-footed Irish playmaker plus his team-mate Michael Dawson.

Again, however, Spurs are unlikely to succeed, falling well short of Forest's valuation for their two most prized assets. Nigel Doughty, the club's owner, has put a £6 million price tag on Reid alone and, though that may just be a bartering figure, Forest are entitled to consider Tottenham's offer unrealistic, especially as it would include a downpayment of only £1 million with the remainder to come in instalments over the next year.

David Pleat, Tottenham's caretaker manager, has already confirmed his interest in Reid, but it was not known until now that the London club were also secretly negotiating to lure Dawson to White Hart Lane, too.

Liverpool have also been monitoring the Dawson situation, although the 20-year-old centre half has suffered from recurring hamstring problems this season and has struggled to recapture the imperious form he showed in helping Paul Hart's side reach the play-offs last May.

Reid, by general consensus the most creative player in Division One, has admirers throughout the Premiership, but Forest's asking price might put off the likes of Fulham, Charlton Athletic and Birmingham City. Newcastle United are regarded as Tottenham's main challengers.

Selling one of the two might be a fiscal necessity for a club of Forest's stature, even though their financial difficulties are nowhere near as grave as a couple of seasons ago when every player was made available for transfer.

To offload them both, however, might be a grave mistake given that Forest have fallen to within four points of the first division relegation zone.

Reid's international team-mate Robbie Keane said he believes Tottenham can leave their poor form this season behind them.

"We have to be strong enough not to let the flak bother us," Keane said yesterday.

"We've a strong set of lads and we'll be okay. We have good characters here. We're aware of our position, but we won't let it affect us."