tottenhamhotspur.com
Harry Redknapp has conceded he tried to sign Blackburn Rovers defender Phil Jones before the young man sealed a move to Manchester United. He stated that he believed Jones would captain England in the future and that he will be a fantastic signing for United.
It has been a frustrating transfer market so far for Redknapp who stated that he is struggling to find players that are better than what he already has. He also had a look at Sunderland midfielder Jordan Henderson before the England Under-21 international secured a move to Liverpool for a reported figure of £20 million.
Tottenham enjoyed a somewhat successful season last year, competing in the Champions League for the first time and reaching the quarter-finals where they were defeated by Real Madrid; but they saw Manchester City move above them into the top four which left them fifth and with just a place in the Europa League.
There is no question that they lack a proven striker who can score a consistent amount of goals. Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe and Roman Pavlyuchenko only managed 18 league goals between them, with 10 coming from the latter. They had been linked with a move for Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, but even if he were to become available, it seems the price and his wages may prove to be a major stumbling block.
They also face a fight to hang on to star players Gareth Bale and Luka Modric whose heads may be turned by the lure of Champions League football. Bale’s season ended with injury but he exploded into form in the early season and scored a hat-trick in the Champions League in the San Siro which well and truly put his name on the world stage, whilst Modric has enjoyed a wonderful season and is rated by many as one of the best central midfielders in the Premier League, with Manchester United monitoring the situation closely.
They have signed experienced goalkeeper Brad Friedel who will provide competition for error prone Gomes whilst they have also been linked with a move for Lassana Diarra if Sandro secures a move to AC Milan. They hope that Ledley King enjoys a relatively injury-free campaign next season which would be a major boost to their chances.
Tottenham have to contend with the fact they have lost the lure of Champions League football, they face a serious fight to break their way back into the top four next season with a vast number of clubs improving. Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal are all unlikely to miss out which leaves Manchester City (who are intent on spending more money and will be a real threat next season) and Liverpool fighting with Tottenham for fourth spot. That is, without mentioning the likes of Everton and Aston Villa who are likely to be much improved. Tottenham must spend big or risk being left behind by their rivals.
Tags: Brad Friedel, Gareth Bale, Gomes, Harry Redknapp, Jermain Defoe, Jordan Henderson, Karim Benzema, Ledley King, Luka Modric, peter crouch, Phil Jones, Roman Pavlyuchenko, Sandro, Tottenham Hotspur
