Spurs wait on van der Vaart transfer

English Premier League club Tottenham were still awaiting clearance Wednesday on the last-gasp, cut-price transfer of Dutch playmaker Rafael van der Vaart from Real Madrid.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp became aware of 27-year-old van der Vaart’s availability just two hours before the transfer deadline.

Redknapp claimed the Holland star had been due to join Bayern Munich for 18 million pounds but the move broke down on Monday, and Spurs had swooped in a bid to sign the player for a slashed eight million.

“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.”

Redknapp revealed he turned his attention to van der Vaart, who played in the World Cup final in South Africa, once it became apparent that Real were prepared to part with him in a cut-price deal.

“I think he was going to Bayern Munich yesterday for about 18 million, but suddenly it became an awful lot cheaper,” he said.

“He is available now for about eight million. 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 (Tuesday) it certainly wasn’t something I was looking to do.”

On the attributes Van der Vaart would bring to Tottenham, Redknapp said: “He is a great passer of the ball, he is a top footballer. 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 18 million 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.”