Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp would be interested in signing Didier Drogba on a free transfer this summer but admits the Chelsea striker's wage demands may scupper any potential deal.
At 34 years old, many thought Drogba was past it but the Ivory Coast frontman belted a stunning volley past Carlo Cudicini to help Chelsea cruise past Spurs into the FA Cup final last weekend and then hit the winner in the first leg of the Blues' Champions League semi-final against Barcelona three days later.
Redknapp said: "He is a free but I was just reading in the paper about him going to China.... He would be a great player for Chelsea to keep or for somebody else to take. Anyone would be interested but you would have to be able to afford his wages. That is going to be the key. If he is on a free you are going to have to pay him a fortune."
Drogba could leave Stamford Bridge this summer after failing to agree a contract extension. And, although Redknapp is interested, he expects the former Marseille man to be tempted to China, where he is being courted by mega-rich Shanghai Shenhua, who are managed by Drogba's former Chelsea team-mate Nicolas Anelka.
He added:" It seems the money in China at the moment is incredible. Players can go there and make a fortune... But he is a powerhouse when he is on his game. He is strong and almost unplayable when he is really at it.
"It was an amazing goal he scored against us. He smashed it from an angle.
"His strength in holding (Spurs defender William) Gallas off and then hitting the ball from where he did, there aren't too many players who could have done that."
Redknapp received public backing for the first time from an FA board member on Friday - Bolton chairman Phil Gartside, who claimed the Tottenham boss would do an "outstanding" job as national coach.
The 65-year-old claimed he was unaware of Gartside's comments but what he does know is his team have only won one Barclays Premier League game since Fabio Capello resigned. Redknapp's side could drop to sixth by the time they face QPR.
"Other people talk about (England) but I don't talk about it," Redknapp added. "I just concentrate on my job here and never look beyond Tottenham."
Source: PA
