Redknapp In Italy To Watch Adriano?

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Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp is in Italy to run the rule over Inter Milan striker Adriano, who is due to start for Inter in their Coppa Italia clash with Genoa at the San Siro on Tuesday, according to Corriere della Serra.

Despite securing the return of Jermain Defoe to White Hart Lane from former club Portsmouth last week, Redknapp is still keen to add another striker to the squad at Spurs, with Brazilian International Adriano reportedly on the Redknapp radar.

26-year-old Adriano has fallen down the pecking order at the Nerazzurri since the arrival of former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho at the Serie A Champions and has been widely tipped to leave Inter this month.

Redknapp is in Italy to check the form of Adriano out for himself, according to the Italian paper, with a view to bringing the striker to the Premier League. In what will be a rare start for the Brazilian, who has 31 goals in 51 caps for his country.

However, despite being one of the most feared strikers in Europe not so long ago, Adriano is deemed surplus to requirements at Inter for Mourinho, who has preferred Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Julio Cruz upfront in the Scudetto for Inter this season.

Adriano has scored 67 goals in 155 appearances for the Italians since joining from Flamengo in 2001 and spent time on loan at Fiorentina in 2002, before scoring 26 goals in 43 appearances for Parma in two seasons at the side, who, had co-ownership of Adriano’s registration at the time.

Spurs Set To Sign Polish International Keeper?

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Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp is set to make Polish International goalkeeper Sebastian Przyrowski his second signing of the transfer window after securing the return to Spurs of Jermain Defoe from Portsmouth earlier this week.

Redknapp has been linked with a host of keepers since he left Pompey for Spurs last October, with Wayne Hennessey at Wolves, Newcastle United’s Shay Given and Robert Green at West Ham amongst those on the Redknapp radar.

However, 27-year-old Przyrowski, who plays for Polonia Warsaw is set to be the keeper that will provide competition for Brazilian Heurelho Gomes at White Hart Lane, with Redknapp not convinced by Cesar Sanchez or Ben Alnwick as an understudy to the former PSV Eindhoven stopper at the Premier League club.



Despite being out for two-years with a career-threatening injury before going back to Warsaw in 2008, Przyrowski is to undergo a medical for the Premiership club, which is expected to be a formality, with the Pole expected to complete a £1million move in the next few days.

Przyrowski has been capped five time for Poland and had just made his breakthrough into the National side before his injury and is highly thought of in his homeland, with his impending arrival sure to cast doubt over the future of Cesar, who has been linked with a move to La Liga side Valencia.

Defoe Completes Spurs Switch

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Jermain Defoe, is set to be pitched straight into the first-team for Tottenham Hotspur’s Premier League clash with Wigan Athletic at the JJB Stadium on Sunday. After the finer details of his move back to White Hart Lane from Portsmouth were completed.

26-year-old Defoe left Spurs for Pompey last January after four-years at the Premiership club, where he scored 64 goals in 177 appearances for Tottenham before deciding to leave for Fratton Park to work under Harry Redknapp.

Redknapp, who left Portsmouth to take charge of Spurs in October had already worked with Defoe at West Ham United and is now set to work with the England International again, with Redknapp likely to start Defoe against the Latics this weekend.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy expressed his delight at having Defoe back at White Hart Lane, with Levy revealing that Defoe is also excited at being back and the prospect of working with Redknapp at Spurs.

“We are delighted to welcome Jermain back to the club,” said Levy.

“We had previously been keen for Jermain to sign a new contract to extend his initial stay but at that point in time he felt it was in his interests to move on in order to guarantee himself more starts.

“I know the club is close to his heart and that he is thrilled to be back and to once again link up with Harry.”

Redknapp echoed the sentiments of Levy and reiterated how highly he thinks of Defoe, who he has just signed for the third time in his career.

“I am pleased to have him here and I am sure the supporters are looking forward to seeing him back in a Spurs shirt,” he said.

“Because I know what a top class player he is as well as a proven goalscorer.”

Spurs To Swoop For £3million Brazilian Striker?

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Despite just clinching the signing of Jermain Defoe from Premier League rivals Portsmouth, Tottenham Hotspur are considering a swoop for Brazilian International Fred from French Champions Olympique Lyonnais, according to the Daily Mirror.

Defoe rejoined Spurs to be reunited with Harry Redknapp after a 12-month spell at Pompey and was thought to be back at White Hart Lane to form a partnership with summer signing Roman Pavlyuchenko at the North London club.

However, Tottenham still have a shortage of options upfront at the Premiership club, with Darren Bent on the sidelines with a groin injury and Fraizer Campbell widely tipped to rejoin parent club Manchester United, when the England Under-21 International’s loan spell ends.



This has led Redknapp to 25-year-old Fred, who could be available for as little as £3million due to the Brazilian being out of contract at Stade Gerland in the summer. The Ligue 1 side want to offload the striker in January rather than let Fred leave for nothing at the end of the season.

Spurs along with a host of other clubs had been linked with Fred in the summer, with a fee of £10million being bandied around for the striker, who holds the record for the fastest goal in Brazilian football at 3.17 seconds, while playing for America.

The situation at Lyon has changed now for Fred, who has fallen down the pecking order behind French International Karim Benzema at the French club and is believed to have asked Lyon for his contract at Les Gones to be terminated.

Fred has since claimed that he will stay with OL until the end of the season, but Lyon are understood to be ready to cash in on the Brazilian in the light of the interest from Tottenham, with the former Cruzeiro forward open to a move to England.

“England is a big league and it is natural for any player to want to go there,” Fred is quoted as saying recently.

Defoe Wants Redknapp Reunion

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Portsmouth striker Jermain Defoe has revealed that he wishes to leave Fratton Park in order to join Tottenham Hotspur so that the England International can work with Harry Redknapp again, who left Pompey for Spurs in October.

New Portsmouth manager Tony Adams admitted that he didn’t know if Defoe would play for Portsmouth again on Friday, with Aston Villa and Juventus said to be interested in the striker along with Tottenham.

While Redknapp has made no secret of his desire to lure Defoe back to the club he left 12 months ago. Defoe has now hinted that White Hart Lane is the only destination of interest and only left the North London club to work under Redknapp, who he has also worked under at West Ham United.

Pompey value Defoe in excess of £20million, despite paying Tottenham only £9million for the forward a year ago. Spurs are understood to have made an offer of £16million, with Defoe eager for the two Premier League sides to reach an agreement. So that he can rejoin the club he spent four-years at between 2004-2008 before his move to Portsmouth.

“If Portsmouth can agree an acceptable deal with Tottenham I would like the opportunity to talk to them,” Defoe told the Sunday Mirror.

“I've enjoyed my time immensely here, but I can't deny that Harry Redknapp's departure as manager hit me hard particularly because he was the reason why I joined Portsmouth in the first place.

“I have a great deal of respect for Tony Adams and what he's trying to achieve. We have a very good working relationship.

“But I left Tottenham to join Portsmouth with the intention of working with Harry for a considerable time to come. I could have gone to other clubs when I left Tottenham, but I wanted to work with Harry.”

Villa Line Up £12million Serbian Defoe Alternative?

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Aston Villa are believed to be considering a £12million offer for Serbian International striker Milan Jovanovic at Belgian side Standard Liege, with Villans manager Martin O’Neill keen to keep the Midlands club charge into the top four in the Premier League intact.

O’Neill is resigned to losing out to Tottenham Hotspur in the race for Portsmouth striker Jermain Defoe, who stated on Sunday that Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is the manager he wants to play for and was the reason he left for Pompey in the first place.

Reports are also suggesting that Danish International John Carew is to leave Villa Park, with the former Valencia player likely to move on in the summer if not this month.

This makes the need for O’Neill even more urgent to add a striker to his squad, with the Serbian hitman said to be high on Villa’s wish list following 35 goals in 76 appearances for Liege since his move from Lokomotiv Moscow in 2006.



27-year-old Jovanovic has already turned down Everton, Spurs and Real Madrid, with a source close to the striker claiming that it is a straight race between the Premiership club and Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart for Jovanovic.

A close friend of the striker told the Daily Star: “Aston Villa have made it clear they would love to sign Milan – and the deal is ­possible. Milan has already turned down the chance to play for Real Madrid, Everton and Spurs.

“Now, it is a straight choice between Villa and Stuttgart.

“At the moment, though, the Germans are favourites – and maybe Villa have only a few days to change that.”

Defoe To Join Spurs Again In Next 24 Hours?

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England International Jermain Defoe is set for a return to Tottenham Hotspur in the next 24 hours, less than a year after leaving White Hart Lane for Portsmouth, according to The Mirror.

26-year-old Defoe had spent four-years at Spurs before his switch to Fratton Park last January and now looks set to be reunited with Harry Redknapp, who brought the striker to the South Coast club, but then left Pompey to take charge of Tottenham in October following the sacking of Juande Ramos.

The Mirror claims that Spurs are to offer Portsmouth £5million for Defoe and will write off any outstanding payments from the sale of the striker last year as well as anything owed for the summer sale of Younes Kaboul to the Premier League club. This is understood to put the total value of the deal at around £12million.

Manchester City had also been heavily linked with a move for Defoe, but reports on Friday have suggested that City are ready to launch a £50million bid for Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o. Should City move for the Cameroon International then a return to Spurs for Defoe looks even more likely, with Portsmouth chairman Peter Storrie already resigned to losing the former West Ham United player.

However, despite paying £9million for Defoe from Tottenham last year, £12million is still short of Pompey’s valuation of the striker, who reportedly want in excess of £20million for the player that has scored 14 goals in 30 Premiership matches during his time at Portsmouth.

James Plays Down Portsmouth Player Exodus To Spurs

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England International David James has played down a reunion with former Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp at Tottenham Hotspur, with the Pompey keeper insisting that nothing has changed regarding his future at Fratton Park and that he expects his team-mates to stay also.

Since Redknapp took over at White Hart Lane the former Pompey boss has been linked with a number of players at the South coast club, with Jermain Defoe, Glen Johnson, Lassana Diarra and James all reported to be on the Redknapp radar.

“Although Harry has left, nothing has changed as far as I'm concerned regarding my future at the club,” James said.

“I'm very confident for the future with the players we've got here. If we'd lost half of the players when Harry left then things might be slightly different.

“But we haven't lost any players and I'm confident we'll continue to do well.

However, while James is confident that other players at Portsmouth will remain at the club the former Liverpool player did concede that if anyone should leave it would be down to financial reasons and that they would have left if Redknapp was still in charge.

“I'd imagine that if any players left, it would be down to financial reasons and nothing else,” he added.

“You could argue that, if some do leave, it would have happened with Harry had he been here anyway.

“Of course, I'm hoping everything will stay exactly as it is.

"We've got some excellent players and I don't know of any who want to leave just because Harry has gone.”