Spurs reward Redknapp with new £3m two-year deal

(GETTY IMAGES)

Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp was handed a two-year contract extension as a reward for leading the club to its highest Premier League finish in his first full season in charge.

The new deal, worth around £3m a year, will keep Redknapp, 63, at the club until 2013. He had one year remaining on the original deal he signed when he joined Tottenham from Portsmouth in October 2008 after Juande Ramos had been sacked with the club four points adrift at the bottom of the Premier League.

The Tottenham chairman, Daniel Levy, approached Redknapp in March about an extension to his deal but the manager requested a delay until the summer. Talks began last month and it is understood Redknapp was given a relatively small increase in his salary to reflect his success last season.

Redknapp can now focus on strengthening the side ahead of the upcoming Champions League qualifying tie, and yesterday he admitted he would love to sign both the Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano and the England midfielder Joe Cole.

Redknapp said he has had long conversations with Cole, 28, who is available on a free transfer after he was released by Chelsea last month, and hopes the offer of regular football playing in the centre of midfield will tempt him to sign, even if he has been offered more money elsewhere.

Redknapp was less optimistic about his prospects of signing Fabiano from Seville. The 29-year-old Brazilian has one year left on his contract in Spain, but Redknapp accepts Tottenham may be priced out of the market.

The Tottenham manager said: "I like him. He's a fabulous player and would be a brilliant addition to any team. It was put to us that he might be available. For sure, he is a class act, but I don't know what he earns. He might be on mega money, so it might prove to be impossible for us."

David Bentley has been forced to miss the north London club's tour of the United States after suffering an ankle injury. The 25-year-old was forced off during Spurs' 4-0 win in the pre-season friendly at Bournemouth on Saturday and scans yesterday revealed Bentley had damaged right ankle ligaments.