Spurs beat transfer deadline to clinch $8m Van der Vaart

• zocoss

  1 Sep 10, 10:44

  Tottenham still hoping to clinch shock deadline day move for Real Madrid star Van der Vaart

   

  

  Flying Dutchman: Rafael Van Der Vaart is set for a move to Spurs

   

   

  Harry Redknapp was last night hoping Tottenham had beaten the transfer deadline to complete an £8million swoop for Real Madrid midfielder Rafael van der Vaart.

  Spurs boss Redknapp revealed he was alerted to the Holland star's availability just two hours before the window closed at 6pm but, hours later, the clubs had still not confirmed if the deal had been done.

  Redknapp claimed 27-year-old Van der Vaart had been set to join Bayern Munich for £18million but the move broke down. 

  He said: 'It's still dragging on. We have been trying to do something but we are waiting to see if it has all gone through and we are hoping it has.

  'It's something to do with clearance. I think he was going to Bayern Munich yesterday for £18million and suddenly he became much cheaper.

  'They let me know around 4pm that he was available for £8million and, for that money, he is a top player who will definitely improve us. 

   

  

  Staying: Redknapp also made a move for Ryan Babel

   

   

  'The fee has come crashing down because the deadline is so close. He's a great passer of the ball, he's a top footballer, he will join in here and be a big plus for us.'

  Van der Vaart helped Holland reach this summer's World Cup final but has struggled to establish himself at Real since signing from Hamburg two years ago.

  Redknapp also revealed he had made an approach for Liverpool winger Ryan Babel, saying: 'He was a player we made an enquiry about but it never came close.'

  
  

• zocoss

  1 Sep 10, 12:09

  SPURS SWEAT ON £8m VAN DER VAART DEAL

  

   

  Tottenham were sweating on clearance to make the signing of Rafael van der Vaart the biggest coup of transfer deadline day as the window closed in unexpected drama.

  Manager Harry Redknapp revealed he became aware of Real Madrid midfielder Van der Vaart's availability for a cut-price £8million just two hours before the 6pm cut-off.

  But, more than three hours after that, there was still no confirmation from either club that the move had been completed in time.

  Redknapp claimed 27-year-old Holland star Van der Vaart had been due to join Bayern Munich for £18million on Monday but the move broke down.

  He hopes he will be given good news by his chairman Daniel Levy, as he believes Van der Vaart would be a useful addition to his already star-studded squad. 

  "It's still dragging on. We are just waiting to see whether it's all gone through," Redknapp told Sky Sports News. 

  "We are waiting for clearance. The chairman is dealing with it and Darren Eales the secretary, there is nothing more I can do now." 

  Redknapp revealed he turned his attention to Van der Vaart, a man who graced this summer's World Cup final, once it became apparent that Real were prepared to part with him in a cut-price deal. 

  "I think he was going to Bayern Munich yesterday for about £18million, but suddenly it became an awful lot cheaper," added the Spurs chief. 

  "He is available now for about £8million. He is a quality player. He is a Dutch international and a great footballer. 

  "For that sort of money, he is a top player and he will improve us for sure. We have made the effort, whether we can pull it off or not we will have to see. 

  "I am hopeful. It could happen. It was a last-minute job. When I came in this morning it certainly wasn't something I was looking to do." 

   

  Bargain 

   

  On the attributes Van der Vaart would bring to Tottenham, Redknapp said: "He is a great passer of the ball, he is a top footballer. He will join in here and play the way we like to play, he would be a big plus for us. 

  "He looked like he was going for £18million but then the fee came crashing down because the deadline got close. If the chairman can pull it off, I think he will have got a real bargain." 

  While Redknapp looks set to land one Dutchman, he insists he was never close to striking a deal with Liverpool for Ryan Babel. 

  He said: "We were interested in Ryan Babel. He has got pace, he is lighting quick and he was a player we made an enquiry for, but we never got that close."

• BEARZAIS

  1 Sep 10, 12:44

  go spursss!!!!

  but hor...sign liao...who is he gonna replace? palacios??

  since spurs got quite a number of mid fielders liao............in fact they need defenders.. :(

• omgukilledkenny

  1 Sep 10, 18:30

  If this goes through, coup of the transfer season?

  £8m is defenitely a steal here!

• Bus&Soccer l0v3r (VO3x 1)

  1 Sep 10, 18:34

  he play AM

   

  while Modric play LM  

  Kranjcar go Wing

  Any ppl take DM/CM slot

• omgukilledkenny

  1 Sep 10, 18:45

  Huddlestone.

• Bus&Soccer l0v3r (VO3x 1)

  1 Sep 10, 18:53

  

• zocoss

  1 Sep 10, 20:51

  If it goes through, Spurs can always play 5 in midfield mah...

   

  Modric / Huddlestone / Van der Vaart  / Palacios / Lennon

   

  With Kranjcar, Modric and Van der Vaart able to exchange positions...

• zocoss

  1 Sep 10, 23:16

  Tottenham beat transfer deadline to clinch $8m Rafael van der Vaart signing from Real Madrid

  

  Flying Dutchman: Rafael Van Der Vaart is set for a move to Spurs

   

  Tottenham have confirmed the £8million signing of Rafael van der Vaart from Real Madrid after the Premier League gave them the green light to add the Holland midfielder to their squad.  

  Spurs had been sweating on clearance to bring the 27-year-old to White Hart Lane after technical difficulties hampered their efforts to submit the relevant paperwork for the move before yesterday's 6pm transfer deadline.

  But after investigating the club's claims that there were difficulties involving computer servers used in the transaction between themselves and Real, the Premier League ratified the signing.

  The Premier League said in a statement: 'The Premier League can confirm the transfer of Rafael van der Vaart's registration from Real Madrid to Tottenham Hotspur.'

  Tottenham announced: 'We are delighted to announce that we have reached agreement with Real Madrid for the transfer of Rafael van der Vaart.'

  Manager Harry Redknapp last night revealed he was alerted to Van der Vaart's availability just two hours before the window closed.

  Redknapp also claimed the player had been set to join Bayern Munich for £18m on Monday but the move broke down.  

   

   

  

  Rumour mill: Holland international Van der Vaart was said to be on the verge of a big-money switch to Bayern Munich before his Spurs move

   

  However, that was categorically denied this afternoon by the Spanish giants, with sports director Miguel Pardeza telling his club's official website: 'It is absolutely false that Real Madrid received a 21million euro offer from Bayern Munich for Van der Vaart.

  'In fact, the German team never showed an interest to sign the player, so the allegations made in England have greatly surprised us.'

  Van der Vaart's transfer is not the first to be assessed by the Premier League over whether a deal has been completed before the deadline.

  In February 2009, they took a day to sanction Andrei Arshavin's move to Arsenal. A year earlier, Manchester City were unable to formally announce the signing of Benjani Mwaruwari's from Portsmouth for almost a week due to a wrangle over whether the paperwork had been submitted before the deadline.

  But they needed to make a decision on Van der Vaart by 5pm today, as that was the cut-off point for clubs to submit their 25-man senior squads for the first half of the Barclays Premier League season.

  Speaking yesterday, Redknapp said of Van der Vaart's impending arrival: 'They let me know around 4pm that he was available for £8million and, for that money, he is a top player who will definitely improve us.  

  'The fee has come crashing down because the deadline is so close. He's a great passer of the ball, he's a top footballer, he will join in here and be a big plus for us.'

   

  

  New boys: Van der Vaart joins other deadline day signing Stipe Pletikosa at Spurs

   

   

  Van der Vaart helped Holland reach this summer's World Cup final but has struggled to establish himself at Madrid since joining them two years ago. 

  The midfielder came through the ranks at Ajax and won two league titles before transferring to Hamburg in 2005. He was the Bundesliga side's leading scorer in his first season and went on to captain them before moving to the Spanish capital.  

  He has won 83 caps for Holland, scoring 16 goals and representing his country at two European Championships and two World Cups.  

  The midfielder technically becomes Redknapp's second deadline-day signing.   Croatia goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa finally completed his season-long loan switch from Spartak Moscow yesterday afternoon, with the north Londoners thought to have an option to make the deal permanent.

   

• stellazio

  2 Sep 10, 01:43

  Honestly, spuds have way too many midfielders, its the defense that they should put more efforts into.

• Bus&Soccer l0v3r (VO3x 1)

  2 Sep 10, 07:03

  Gratz

   

  

   

• zocoss

  2 Sep 10, 09:50

  

   

  RAFAEL VAN DER VAART has joined Spurs — two weeks after claiming it would be a step down to play for any Premier League club except Manchester United.

  The Real Madrid midfielder's £8million move was ratified yesterday after technical problems held up the deal before Tuesday's deadline.

  Van der Vaart had said: "I could never play for another club in Spain.

  "If you are leaving Real Madrid, there is only one club you can join that is not a step down — and that's Manchester United."

  But yesterday Van der Vaart, 27, seemed delighted with his switch.

  He said: "I want to play again and if possible every week, with a beautiful club. I'm totally happy.

  "The fact Tottenham were playing in the Champions League influenced my decision a great deal although I know I have to earn my place in the team because they have a number of sensational players. I'm proud of this transfer."

  Boss Harry Redknapp said: "The fee came crashing down because the deadline was so close. He's a great passer of the ball, a top footballer and will be a big plus for us."

• dragg

  2 Sep 10, 10:02

  Originally posted by BEARZAIS:

  go spursss!!!!

  but hor...sign liao...who is he gonna replace? palacios??

  since spurs got quite a number of mid fielders liao............in fact they need defenders.. :(

  palacios sucks.

  he is a reckless player.

  i agree with stellazio. spurs need to take a good look at their defence.  with the type of defenders they have i doubt they will ever win the premiership.

   

• zocoss

  2 Sep 10, 10:46

  I personally don't think their defence is as bad as some make it to be... They have just added the experienced Gallas which I belief is going to be very important. Cos he is not just a good defender, he is also a very good organiser at the back which Spurs don't really have one all this while. And the return of Hutton after missing out alot of last season...

  Ledley King is also a very good defender when he is not injured but I guess the arrival of Gallas will make up for it.

  Dawson and Bassong are also decent defenders, both are still young at 26 and 24 only with Dawson beginning to show his quality as a defender as he come of age...   Last season with King in and out, Dawson kept them going and this season with Gallas around, they will be much better prepared.

  Then finally, there is Gareth Bale...   What else can we say about the guy... I think any of the top 4 and even Barce would have him if he was available... And if you ask me who would I get at this moment in time between Ashley Cole and him, without a doubt I would go for Gareth Bale. And the guy is still only 21. Wow.

  And with Bassong, Kaboul, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Corluka as back-ups, I would say it isn't too bad a set of defenders...