Tottenham Hotspur are waiting to hear if their bid for Real Madrid midfielder Rafael Van der Vaart was completed in time.
Spurs made a last ditch bid for the Dutch international yesterday when it became apparent that he would be available for a cut-price fee of somewhere in the region of £8million.
Spurs’ bid for Van Der Vaart was one of the biggest news stories on a somewhat quiet transfer deadline day and although Redknapp only became aware of his availability two hours before the close of the window at 6pm, he remains hopeful that a deal may be completed.
“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.”
“I think he was going to Bayern Munich yesterday for about £18million, but suddenly it became an awful lot cheaper.
“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.”
Redknapp is a big admirer of Van der Vaart, who has also appeared for Ajax and Hamburg and was a prominent figure for Holland in their march to the World Cup final in South Africa in the summer.
“He is a great passer of the ball, he is a top footballer,†Redknapp said.
“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,†he added.
Click here to see a complete list of all the signings that took place in the Premier League on transfer deadline day.
