Stipe Pletikosa finalises Spurs loan deal... a year after agreeing Spartak Moscow departure

31 August 2010 11:44
Tottenham Hotspur have finally clinched the signing of Croatia keeper Stipe Pletikosa on a season-long loan from Spartak Moscow - a year after first agreeing the deal.[LNB]The 31-year-old was all set for White Hart Lane last summer but suffered a serious knee injury in what was supposed to be his final training session in Moscow before jetting to London.[LNB]Pletikosa has been training for weeks with Spurs under the supervision of medical staff and boss Harry Redknapp confirmed at the weekend that he would be joining as competition for Heurelho Gomes and Carlo Cudicini.[LNB] Hands on: Stipe Pletikosa will bolster Spurs' goalkeeping staff[LNB]Spartak have today confirmed that the paperwork has now gone through and Sportsmail understands that the Barclays Premier League club have the option of signing him for £1.6million during the loan.[LNB]Pletikosa has won 80 caps for Croatia and appeared in the World Cup finals of 2002 and 2006 and the 2008 European Championships.[LNB]He also lifted two Croatian Cups during more than 172 appearances for hometown club Hajduk Split and scored six goals from the penalty spot. His performances during the 2001-02 campaign earned him the Croatian Player of the Year accolade.[LNB]Pletikosa moved to Spartak in 2007, following four years with Shakhtar Donetsk, and appeared against Tottenham in the UEFA Cup group match in December 2008 at White Hart Lane.[LNB] Tottenham primed to sign Spartak keeper Pletikosa on season-long loan CHARLES SALE: Dealer tag makes Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp wheely madTottenham miss out on £7m Parker and unsettled Everton star PienaarTOTTENHAM HOTSPUR FC

Source: Daily_Mail