Ossie Ardiles backed Harry Redknapp's claim Tottenham Hotspur could win the Premier League this season - but only if they sign a top-class playmaker and striker. Ben Rumsby has more...
Harry Redknapp boldly declared last week that Spurs were capable of ending their 50-year wait for the league title, an assertion that raised a few eyebrows.
Despite the 63-year-old master-minding the club's best-ever Premier League finish of fourth last season, Tottenham were 16 points adrift of champions Chelsea and would face a huge task to close that gap entirely this term.
But Spurs legend Ardiles, who spent a decade as a player at White Hart Lane before returning as manager, insists Redknapp's claim is more than pie in the sky.
"Realistically, you would say there are only going to be a few clubs that can challenge for the Premier League title," Ardiles said.
"Spurs can do it. This is what Harry thinks and what everybody connected with the club wants.
"I believe Harry thinks - and I think as well - that we need one or two more top players in crucial, crucial positions. I would say an attacking midfielder and a front player."
Joe Cole would have filled the former vacancy but he snubbed Spurs for Liverpool, while Redknapp has been linked with a number of strikers this summer, including the likes of Luis Fabiano and Raul.
The Tottenham boss also confirmed he was in the market for a goalkeeper and that he was trying to sign Croatia's Stipe Pletikosa on loan from Spartak Moscow. Redknapp reportedly failed to land the 31-year-old last summer after he suffered a knee injury.
Redknapp is looking to add to his goalkeeping pool of Heurelho Gomes and Carlo Cudicini, with youngster David Button heading out on loan.
Cudicini has also only recently returned from a long spell on the sidelines following a motorcycle accident.
So far, Spurs' only summer signing has been Sandro Ranieri, who will officially join them next month.
Ardiles said: "The transfer market in England right now, apart from Manchester City, has been very quiet.
"I believe that everything is going to be very close to the deadline. At the moment, everybody's spec-ulating. Even clubs are speculating. They have Plan A, Plan B, and so on.
"And from the players' point of view, they are doing exactly the same thing."
And although he believes Spurs could be title contenders, Ardiles accepts they have a fight on their hands simply to qualify again for the Champions League.
"It's a huge task this season with the Premier League and the Champions League," he said.
"There are a lot of clubs fighting for position. First and foremost, I would say Manchester City and Liverpool.
"But you're also talking about Everton and so on. So it's going to be very interesting indeed."