BLACKBURN Rovers are ready to rebuff any approach from Tottenham Hotspur for manager Mark Hughes.

According to several well-placed sources within the national press, the Tottenham board have switched their attention to Hughes as they consider possible successors for Martin Jol, who is on the brink of the sack following an alarming start to the season.

However, the Rovers hierarchy are adamant Hughes is happy at Blackburn, and they will resist any attempts to lure the impressive Welshman away from his post at Ewood.

An impeccable Rovers source told the Lancashire Telegraph: "We've had no contact whatsoever from Tottenham Hotspur regarding Mark Hughes and we are not unduly concerned by the recent speculation.

"As far as we are concerned, Mark is perfectly happy where he is. Because he has done a great job here since he was appointed three years ago, it's inevitable his name will get linked with jobs elsewhere.

"However, he recently made it clear he sees his immediate future with us, and we have no reason to believe that situation has changed."

Jol is under increasing pressure at White Hart Lane after a dismal return of just one win from the opening 10 league games has plunged Spurs into the relegation zone, and another defeat on Sunday - coincidentally at home to Rovers - could well spell the end for the Dutchman, whose position has been the subject of intense speculation since Tottenham were caught speaking to the Seville coach, Juande Ramos, in August.

Several high-profile figures, including Marcello Lippi, Fabio Capello and Jurgen Klinsmann, have since been linked with the post, but reports would seem to suggest the Tottenham board are now considering moving for Hughes instead.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is known to be a big admirer of Hughes and he once tried to lure him to the Lane, in 2004, as assistant to the Italian coach Giovanni Trapattoni, only for the deal to collapse.

Since then, Hughes' stock has risen even further after he has successfully transformed Rovers from relegation candidates into European contenders, making him one of the brightest young British managers in the game.

However, in a recent interview with the Lancashire Telegraph, Hughes stressed he was happy at Blackburn and after overseeing Rovers' best start to a season for a decade, he seems genuinely excited by the prospect of reaping the rewards of three years' hard work.

"I'm at a club now where I've got great backing from the chairman and the board, I've got great staff around me, so it's a good situation," said the Rovers boss.

"It's taken me three years to put things in place here and you don't walk away from that lightly."

The pressure on Jol will intensify if Spurs lose to Getafe in the UEFA Cup tonight or to Rovers on Sunday, but the beleaguered Dutchman is adamant he has the players to turn things around.

"Our players are fighters and good characters and we will address this - we will do better because we have to," he said.

"It is a case of having to grind out the results at this stage while leaving out the mistakes. I know we keep talking about mistakes each week, but it is not about confidence. We have got ourselves in a position and we have to get out of it."