Harry Redknapp will hold talks with chairman Daniel Levy over Tottenham’s summer transfer plans next week…and a move for Footballer of the Year Scott Parker will be top of his agenda.
Redknapp confirmed he wants to bring the West Ham midfielder to White Hart Lane but knows he faces competition from Arsenal and Liverpool.
The Spurs manager also revealed that he watched Lille’s highly rated forward Eden Hazard this week, while Didier Drogba, Emmanuel Adebayor and Pablo Osvaldo have all been mentioned as possible targets to spearhead the attempt to get back into the top four.
His list includes goalkeepers Maarten Stekelenburg, Ben Foster and Shay Given, who have all been considered as replacements for the error-prone Heurelho Gomes. Redknapp said, ‘I’m sure people are going to be interested in Scott. I know a couple of other clubs are interested, big clubs, but we’ll wait and see.
‘Which clubs? Arsenal and Liverpool. I think they’re big clubs in for him, so it will be hard.’
The future of Jermain Defoe could be a hot topic when Redknapp sits down with Levy.
The Spurs boss, whose team host Birmingham tomorrow, blasted Defoe yesterday after the England striker again spoke publicly about his frustration at the lack of first-team football.
‘He hasn’t played much this year because he hasn’t played well enough to play regularly,’ said Redknapp. ‘No-one has more faith in him than me. I signed him at West Ham as a kid, then at Portsmouth and brought him back to Tottenham.
‘He’s a fantastic player in my opinion but his form this year has not been anywhere near where it’s been in the past.’
We can also reveal Tottenham have moved to sign Porto forward Falcao as they fear Manchester United may try to poach Luka Modric this summer.
Modric has been in dazzling form all year and Sir Alex Ferguson is known to be an admirer. The United boss picked the Croat as his choice for Player of the Year.
But Redknapp knows he will have to sell players before he can spend, with Sebastien Bassong, Jermaine Jenas, Jonathan Woodgate, David Bentley, Niko Kranjcar, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Robbie Keane candidates to move on.
Redknapp confirmed, ‘Probably half a dozen will leave. They’re all good players and no problem, but they want to play.’
by Terence Johns