Tottenham's Didier Zokora wanted by Sevilla while Tom Huddlestone interests Aston Villa

05 June 2009 08:44
Alvarez, former Spurs manager Juande Ramos' assistant at both Sevilla and Tottenham before he was sacked in November, is convinced the midfielder could have a similar impact in Spain to that made by Lassana Diarra at Real Madrid, following his £20 million switch from Portsmouth in January. Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham manager, who has confirmed that he will be selling players to bring in revenue he can use to buy three new players, will let Zokora leave and is understood to value him at £8m. He revealed today that he considered buying Gareth Barry because he wants to bring a leading England international to White Hart Lane to prove the club's determination to battle for a European spot. Manchester City thwarted his attempts when they paid £12m for the Aston Villa midfielder, and now Redknapp needs to sell. Sevilla would rather pay £6m but Alvarez has no doubts that he wants the player. He said: "Zokora is professional, experienced and hard-working in all areas on the pitch. "If Sevilla are looking for a player like Lassana Diarra, he would fit the bill perfectly and would be within their means." Meanwhile, Redknapp may raise further funds for his own rebuilding project by offloading Huddlestone to Villa. O'Neill is an admirer of the midfielder and, after losing Barry, is looking to strengthen his options in the middle of the pitch. The 22-year-old would be available for around £6 million, leaving O'Neill with half of the money received for Barry to spend elsewhere.

Source: Telegraph