ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE:HARRY REDKNAPP is exploring the possibility of bringing Joe Cole to Tottenham Hotspur, the manager hoping to convince the Chelsea midfielder to make the move to further his England hopes in a World Cup year.
Cole has less than 12 months to run on his contract at Stamford Bridge and although the club are keen to prolong the agreement and the player, a boyhood Chelsea fan, is not agitating for a move, other clubs, including Spurs, have scented an opportunity.
Carlo Ancelotti, Chelsea’s manager, intends to play a four-man diamond midfield this season and has said that Cole could feature in the most advanced role or in the wider positions, where he has tended to play under previous regimes. But with Frank Lampard most likely to start at the tip and with the new signing Yuri Zhirkov as well as Florent Malouda, Michael Essien and Michael Ballack providing fierce competition for the wider berths, Cole knows his chances of being a regular starter have diminished.
They will lessen even further if Ancelotti completes the signing of Andrea Pirlo from his former club Milan. Chelsea have opened talks with the Italian club over the 30-year-old playmaker and it is understood that figures have been discussed.
Ancelotti also wants two overlapping full-backs to help to provide width. Cole, an England international who is determined to play regularly in the run-up to a probable World Cup in South Africa, is recovering match fitness after suffering a serious knee injury last season in an FA Cup tie against Southend United.
Redknapp, who has confirmed his interest in Newcastle centre-back Sebastien Bassong, is a confirmed admirer of Cole – not only the talent but also his professionalism and work ethic – having given the 27-year-old his professional debut as a teenager at West Ham United.
The Spurs manager has made a series of expensive forays into the transfer market since his arrival, spending around €52 million on Wilson Palacios, Jermain Defoe and Robbie Keane last January and a further €10.6 million on Peter Crouch last week. He remains in the market and the Real Madrid striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is also a target.
Redknapp has to offload players to help balance the books and Darren Bent remains likely to move to Sunderland. The North-east club have also shown an interest in the centre-half Michael Dawson and the midfielder David Bentley who, surprisingly, did not travel with his team-mates to Asia for a pre-season tour. Redknapp has already sold Didier Zokora to Sevilla for €9.4 million.
He faces problems in accommodating all his leading players in the starting line-up and with Defoe and Crouch expected to be Redknapp’s first-choice strike partnership, there has been conjecture about where the captain Robbie Keane will fit in.
The Spurs manager sprang something of a surprise in yesterday’s 2-0 friendly defeat to South China by introducing Keane as a half-time substitute in central midfield. “I brought him on as JJ [Jermaine Jenas] had a bit of an injury and I didn’t want to push him too far,” said Redknapp. “Robbie came on and he played in there. He is a good player and he can play several positions.”
Bassong was left out of Newcastle’s 1-1 draw with Dundee United yesterday though their interim manager Chris Hughton claimed this was because he is suspended for Newcastle’s first league match of the season. The defender is believed to be keen on the switch to White Hart Lane, if the clubs can reach a deal.
Spurs have problems in central defence with Dawson and Jonathan Woodgate set to miss the start of the new season with injuries and Ledley King yet to kick a ball in pre-season. “He [Bassong] is a player that I was interested in,” said Redknapp.
Bassong is determined to leave St James’ Park to play top-division football. Newcastle are likely to demand about €12 million for him.
