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Harry Redknapp has been very vocal about his intention to not only keep Luka Modric at White Hart Lane but also bring in several big names to make the Croatian feel happier about staying and boost their chances of a Champions League return, and progress appears to be being made on both fronts.

The Tottenham boss had already expressed an interest in Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi and if the Daily Mail are to be believed, the Italian international isn't the only player that he is hoping to lure from the east coast of Spain in pursuit of a top-four finish [4.6].

The Mail report that Valencia winger Juan Mata has emerged as an ambitious target for Spurs, with Redknapp supposedly trying to persuade chairman Daniel Levy to part with £21 million to sign the Spanish World Cup winner, who also starred in their European Under-21 Championship success.

Valencia, who lost David Villa and David Silva last year and look like struggling to retain the services of Mata and Ever Banega this summer, are said to have confirmed enquiries from two English clubs about purchasing the 23-year-old, with Arsenal thought to have been the keenest admirers.

Of even more importance to Lilywhites fans than new arrivals though will be Levy's claim that his brief meeting with star man Modric on Wednesday afternoon was encouraging. He has maintained his stance that the midfielder won't be leaving and Betfair punters are listening, with hefty odds of 3.25 offered on him exiting in this window. Gareth Bale also seems almost certain to stay at 1.04.

Instead, the anticipated bids for the likes of Rossi and Mata will be part-funded by the departure of several fringe players, with the Mail speculating that one of those is Scottish right back Alan Hutton, who has allegedly been offered to his former international manager Alex McLeish at Aston Villa.

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