Tottenham made £35m bid for Giuseppe Rossi

(GETTY IMAGES)

Harry Redknapp has warned Tottenham's rivals he expects to be in the market for a marquee signing again this summer after confirming the club had made a £35million bid for Giuseppe Rossi on transfer deadline day.

Redknapp spent most of Monday at the club's training ground hoping to land a big name and had targeted Villarreal's Rossi and Atletico Madrid forward Sergio Aguero, for whom Tottenham reportedly offered £38.5million.

Had either bid been successful, Tottenham's transfer record of £16.5million which they paid for Luka Modric, would have been smashed.

Redknapp insists Tottenham were serious about paying such high fees and expects chairman Daniel Levy and owner Joe Lewis to fund a similar purchase if he deems it necessary when the transfer window reopens.

He said: "Daniel always said that if we found the right player then we would have gone for him but it was difficult.

"He tried something with Rossi. I think he offered £35million in the end.

"It's hard to get top players unless you pay top money.

"You couldn't get Rossi because Villarreal don't want to sell you him.

"The chairman would have bought someone for £30million though, for sure. He wanted to bring someone in.

"There was no doubt that he wanted to do it. He wanted to get somebody in and if Daniel and Joe Lewis can find the right people they will have a go again."

Redknapp also failed in bids to land Everton defender Phil Neville and Blackpool's Charlie Adam.

In contrast to their mega-bucks approaches for Rossi and Aguero, Spurs are thought to have initially offered just £250,000 for Toffees captain Neville before upping their bid to £1.5million yesterday.

David Moyes slammed Tottenham's original bid, describing it as "insulting" and Redknapp understands the Everton manager's disappointment.

"It was a pretty low offer for a good player. I couldn't argue with David on it," Redknapp said.

"He would have been a great signing for us. He is a leader, a captain, a character and he can play in three or four positions."

Redknapp revealed ahead of tonight's game at Blackburn his defensive crisis had deepened with the news that Ledley King requires an operation on his groin injury.

With William Gallas a doubt with a hip problem, and Younes Kaboul (knee) and Michael Dawson (suspension) definitely out, Redknapp could give Jonathan Woodgate his first start after 14 months on the sidelines with a groin injury.

Redknapp feared at one stage that injury-plagued Woodgate's career was over but he has now challenged the former Real Madrid man to get back to the kind of form that saw him become an England regular and earn a contract extension.

Redknapp added: "I definitely thought his career was over.

"Two weeks ago we were talking about loaning him out for the rest of the season and his contract is up at the end of the year so really.

"Now he can play for his future. If he comes back then you are going to want to keep him."