Tottenham Hotspur’s manager Harry Redknapp is hopeful of securing a deal to loan former England captain David Beckham for three months during the MLS close season.
While Beckham has recently turned down similar approaches from Everton, West Ham and Leicester City in England, Redknapp is hoping that Beckham will want to prove he is fit by playing at the “top level” of English football. Spurs are also still in the UEFA Chamions League and, should a deal be secured in time, Beckham might be persuaded by the opportunity of two fixtures against AC Milan in the last 16 of that competition.
Speaking on the proposed deal, Harry Redknapp said:
“We’ll contact LA Galaxy to see if they will let him go and if David is up for a three-month deal, we will definitely be interested,”
“I’m sure he can still do a great job at the top level, otherwise I wouldn’t bother,”
“He isn’t going to come here and get big money – we aren’t massive payers at this club.”
“But he wants to come over here to the freezing cold and play football.”
“Doesn’t that tell you something about the boy that he lives in Los Angeles and might be a billionaire?”
However, Tottenham already have one of England’s most exciting right-sided midfielders, in Aaron Lennon. Redknapp insisted that Beckham would only be introduced as an experienced backup player:
“I’m not saying he’s going to come in and take Aaron Lennon’s place but he would be a good option.”
“I am sure Aaron would love to work with him, on his crossing and everything, and on his final ball.”
“He would be a good influence around the place.”
If Spurs can pull off a deal, their media profile would certainly be raised by introducing perhaps the world’s most famous player into their playing staff, even if only temporarily.
With Spurs sitting only four points from the head of the Barclays Premier League, and still in the UEFA Champions League, at 35 years old, this could be Beckham’s last chance to taste the European big time.