Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has entered the transfer market with trademark gusto since his appointment last October.

Barring cash-rich Manchester City, Spurs were the January window’s big spenders, splashing the cash on Wilson Palacios, Jermaine Defoe and Robbie Keane.

And since the summer window opened on June 1st, the Lilywhites have been linked with numerous players, including ex-Arsenal favourite and current Internazionale midfielder Patrick Viera. Having been at the two Milan clubs either side of his distinguished Gunners career, Viera moving to Spurs might not lack that much credibility.

But Spurs have failed to land more credible targets such as Real Madrid striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Redknapp claiming that Spurs cannot pay the stellar wages Real are looking to offload in order to fund their other considerable expenditure.

Such claims are also trademark Redknapp. Nonetheless, this week’s double swoop for Sheffield United’s two defensive Kyles, Naughton and Walker, was Spurs’ first of the window. Everton had bid £5m for Naughton last week.

As part of the deal, Walker returns on-loan to the Blades and arrangements are in place for the Championship side to take Spurs players on-loan

Spurs face a huge defensive headache in advance of their Premier League season opener at home to Liverpool on Sunday August 16^th.

Jonathan Woodgate is taking specialist advice in America on his long-term groin injury, Michael Dawson has been ruled out for four weeks with an Achilles problem.   And Ledley King’s well-documented chronic knee condition may leave Spurs bereft of all three main centre-backs for the visit of last year’s Premier League runners-up.   Spurs defensive frailties were exposed by a second-string Barcelona line-up in the first round of Wembley Cup matches at the national football stadium this week.   Redknapp experimented with a centre-back pairing of Vedran Corluka and Tom Huddlestone in the first-half and Pascal Chimbonda took over in the second half as Huddlestone returned to his more accustomed midfield role.   Corluka himself was replaced late on by French under-21 international Dorian Dervite.

The makeshift line-ups were stretched to the limit by Barcelona’s swift passing game, with former Rangers full-back Alan Hutton also having to deal with a “warm reception” from Celtic fans, whose side won the opening game of the showpiece tournament.

Bojan Krkic gave Barca a half-time lead and an entirely new second-half line-up held on until a late equaliser from 20-year-old Jake Livermore, who headed home from close range after a well-worked set-piece.

Redknapp is also looking to expand Spurs attacking options, which at Wembley amounted to little more than Defoe, with Keane struggling through injury.

As well as Jan Huntelaar, Spurs had a £17m bid for Roma striker Mirko Vucinic turned down by the Montenegran. And Redknapp has predictably been linked with his former Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch.

Darren Bent, top-scorer and misfit rolled into one, is likely to follow Ivory Coast midfielder Didier Zakora out the Spurs door. Zakora joined Sevilla last month while Bent is being linked with a move to Sunderland for the second consecutive transfer window.