Spurs boss Glenn Hoddle could be prepared to let long-serving midfielder Darren Anderton leave the club as part of a player-plus-cash deal for Robbie Keane.
Although reluctant to let the inspirational midfielder go, he does have cover in that department with summer signings Jamie Redknapp and Milenko Acimovic. More pressing is the need to add youth to an aging forward-line.
David pleat, Spurs’ director of football, recently confirmed the Londoner’s interest in Keane. The Irish World Cup Star turned down a move to join Sunderland earlier in the summer, vowing to stay and fight for his place at Elland Road.
But his former manager at Wolves, Mark McGhee, today urged him to make the move south. “Robbie is a terrific player. I’ve no doubt he’d be a great signing for Tottenham. The way Glenn Hoddle as got them playing would suit Robbie down to the ground.”
The other major stumbling block is Keane’s price-tag. Leeds are keen to recoup most of the œ12 million they paid to Inter Milan for the Irishman’s services. With little cash available, Hoddle’s only solution may be a œ10 million deal involving Anderton.
New Leeds boss, Terry Venables, has long been an admirer of the player he first signed for Spurs back in 1992. Anderton then played some of his best football under Venables as part of the England team that reached the 1996 European Championship semi-finals.
“There’s no doubt that Terry is the best coach around,” said Anderton, “He knows everything about football …. what i learned under him was immense.”
A key issue could be Venables’ increasing impatience with Lee Bowyer’s reluctance to sign a new deal. He had originally targeted Feyenoord’s Brett Emerton to fill the right-hand berth, but felt the Australian’s œ7 million price tag was too high.
