Tottenham are desperately trying to secure the £8m deadline day transfer of Rafael Van der Vaart from Real Madrid.

The North London club reportedly moved for the Dutch international only two hours before the close of the transfer window as Spurs look to bolster their squad for their forthcoming Champions League campaign.

Van der Vaart has failed to set the Bernabeu alight since he joined from Hamburg in 2008, but helped his native Netherlands reach the World Cup final in South Africa.

 

And Spurs boss Harry Redknapp claims he was on the verge of joining Bayern Munich for £18m before the transfer collapsed, allowing the Premier league side to snap up the 27-year-old in a cut price deal.

Last ditch transfers are common as the deadline draws to a close, with the vast majority of those that happen close to the cut off point allowed to go through by the footballing authorities.

There was also speculation linking current White Hart Lane strikers Robbie Keane and Roman Pavlychenko with moves away from the club.

The pair have struggled to hold down regular places in Tottenham’s starting line-up but with a tough group lying in wait in the Champions League, it looks as if Redknapp has decided to keep the experienced duo at the club.

They reminded everyone of their qualities when Spurs trailed Young Boys 3-1 in the Champions League play-off, linking up superbly to score a crucial goal that swung the tie in Tottenham’s favour.

With the likes of Inter Milan and Werder Bremen drawn against them, their guile and track record is likely to be important for a club making their debut in the group stages.