Source: Telegraph
Manchester City and Tottenham eye Robbie Keane
Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham manager, has praised the Irishman's "fantastic" qualities, while City were understood to be monitoring the situation in case Liverpool put Keane up for sale following the forward's boycott of Sunday's 1-1 draw with Everton. Any City move for Keane would also depend on the breakdown of their efforts to acquire Roque Santa Cruz from Blackburn.[LNB]Although manager Rafael Benitez has said there will be no departures this month – with Liverpool claiming that position stands – his relationship with Keane has been strained by the striker's failure to turn up for the Everton game. It is believed that if Tottenham were to make a substantial enough offer Benitez, ultimately, would not stand in his way.[LNB]The Spaniard has struggled to accommodate Keane at Liverpool since a £20 million move from Tottenham last summer, such is his preference for using Fernando Torres as a lone striker.[LNB]The improbable prospect of Keane rejoining Spurs also depends on whether he is receptive to the idea, but Redknapp said: "I wouldn't say I wouldn't like to have Robbie Keane at my football club. But he belongs to Liverpool so it is not an option, unfortunately. As a player and a person I have a lot of time for Robbie Keane, I think he's fantastic."[LNB]Keane did not turn up at Anfield on Sunday after learning that David Ngog, a teenager, had taken his place on the Liverpool bench, but Redknapp is being forced to tread carefully in expressing interest in other clubs' players after Sunderland hit out at their pursuit of Kenwyne Jones. Ricky Sbragia, the Sunderland manager, insists his striker has been unsettled by the approach but Redknapp responded by disclosing that Darren Bent had been the subject of interest from Sunderland – Bent's agent having been contacted without the manager's knowledge.[LNB]
