HARRY REDKNAPP has revealed Tottenham came close to signing ex-Chelsea star Eden Hazard in 2012.
The Belgian wizard joined the Blues from French side Lille in 2012 but then-Spurs boss Redknapp claims they were pipped to the post by their London rivals.
Redknapp explained to Sky Sports how Chelsea’s Champions League triumph that year meant Spurs missed out on the now Real Madrid man – and instead watched him enjoy eight largely successful years in blue.
He said: “I lost Eden Hazard, he wanted to come to Tottenham but he said he would only come if we got Champions League football.
“We finished fourth that year, Chelsea finished sixth, they won the Champions League and we didn’t make it.
“He ended up going to Chelsea.”
Spurs occupied third place for much of the 2011-12 season but a poor run of form saw them slip to fourth, causing them to miss out on Champions League football when Chelsea beat Bayern Munich on penalties to lift the trophy that year.
Redknapp had hoped to team Hazard with Gareth Bale, who was starring for Spurs at the time during his first spell at the club, in a bid to end the north London outfit’s long wait for a league title.
Bale is now back with Spurs after seven years at Real Madrid.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
