Spurs hope to avoid more transfer deadline drama

Ledley KING hopes Tottenham are not involved in another transfer deadline drama concerning Luka Modric.

Chelsea are thought to be considering returning with a third offer for Modric after seeing that the Croatian plead with Spurs boss Harry Redknapp not to select him for Sunday’s 5-1 defeat to Manchester City.

Spurs have a history of negotiating deals on deadline day. Last summer, Rafael van der Vaart completed an 11th-hour transfer from Real Madrid and went on to star for the club last season in what turned out to be a shrewd bit of business by chairman Daniel Levy.

One late deal which King does not remember fondly is the £30.75 million departure of Dimitar Berbatov to Manchester United.

The Bulgarian left White Hart Lane in September 2008 after refusing to play for then manager Juande Ramos. The striker’s late move meant Spurs were left without a suitable replacement and they went on to go without a Premier League win until the end of October – a run which led to Ramos’s sacking and Redknapp’s appointment.

King thinks the speculation surrounding Modric’s future has all the hallmarks of the controversy that surrounded Berbatov’s departure and wants the situation resolved as soon as possible.

“It’s been ongoing for the whole of the summer,” he said. “As players we want him to stay, he’s a great lad.

“The sooner it’s done, either way, the better. I don’t think it (the speculation) helps at the end of the day. We’ve had this issue before with Berbatov. It was a similar start for us then.

“I don’t think it helps in any way. We, as players, want the window to close now so we can get on with the squad that we’ve got and get on with business.”

The 5-1 hammering against Roberto Mancini’s men made it clear that reinforcements are needed at Tottenham. Brad Friedel and Emmanuel Adebayor have been the only arrivals of note at the club this summer, but Redknapp is keen to bring in three new faces before tomorrow night’s 11.00pm deadline.

West Ham’s Scott Parker is thought to be top of the wish list. No deal has been agreed yet, but the Hammers hope the transfer will be concluded today to give manager Sam Allardyce time to find a replacement.