Harry Redknapp has suggested that Tottenham were “encouraged” in their bid to sign West Ham midfielder Scott Parker and admitted that a move for Craig Bellamy could be on the cards.
West Ham reacted angrily to their attempts to sign club captain Parker, but reports indicate Parker, 29, may be keen on the move as he wants to play Champions League football.
“Any club is perfectly entitled to make an enquiry about a player from another club,” he said. “West Ham have been interested in Jamie O’Hara for some time and I don’t have a problem with that.
“We get people ringing us up all the time asking about our players’ availability – it’s how the whole business works. This club has behaved correctly.
“We didn’t go public on our interest in Scott – we approached West Ham through the proper channels. If our chairman wants to improve the offer that’s up to him, but I like Scott, he’s a good player.”
He added: “I’m sure the chairman must have got some encouragement or he wouldn’t have made an offer, so I’m not sure the full story has been told about that one.
“The chairman wouldn’t have made an offer unless he thought there was a chance that they wanted to do something.”
Redknapp has also long been linked with a move for Manchester City forward Craig Bellamy, who is surplus to requirements at Eastlands.
“I like Craig Bellamy but I don’t know if they would sell him,” said Redknapp. “The chairman deals with all the transfers. He asks me what I want and I tell him. I don’t know where he’s at with Bellamy, if anywhere.”
Speaking after Spurs lost 4-1 to Villarreal in a friendly at White Hart Lane on Thursday, Redknapp said he felt his squad was lacking experience.
“If you’re going to be really successful you need a few men in your team, not lads that are learning,” he said. “We’ve got a good group of players but two or three players with experience would make a massive difference to the team.
“You look at Inter Milan – they won the Champions League with a team of men, they were all experienced players. You need players with experience.”
