Have Tottenham made a bid for Brett Emerton?

By Gary Beaumont
July 3 2003

It is becoming increasingly clear that Tottenham Hotspur are one of the three unnamed premiership clubs who have made enquiries into the Australian international Brett Emerton. With Newcastle out of the running it appears that Middlesbrough and Chelsea are the other two interested parties.

Earlier on in the day Feyenoord revealed talks were ongoing with three premiership clubs. They were quoted as saying;
“The chances of Brett Emerton playing for the club next season are small”.
This was followed by a confirmation that there should be a swift closure of the issue “We expect a final decision this week”
Glenn Hoddle would be keen to get the player as he can play as both a right back and as a defensive midfielder. The latter position is something that is high on the list of priorities at White Hart lane. With the continuing saga of whether Carr will stay, the arrival of Emerton would soften the blow if Carr does decide to leave. If Spurs were to lose Carr then Emerton could fill in on the right of defence, yet Hoddle would prefer to have him as a defensive midfielder as this allows him to try out Dean Marney on the right. This would appear to be shrewd business by Spurs and would prepare them for the coming season in style. Sources say that he is available for a mere 4 million, yet Newcastle were unwilling to pay this amount for the player. This value would be perfect for Levy and would fit into the clubs policy on transfers and wages. Recently Spurs had been interested in Parker, but Charlton were refusing to budge on his 10 million valuation. This has caused them to turn their attentions away from the 22 year old and towards the Feyenoord starlet. If Spurs were to land Emerton then this would be a real coup for them, especially if they can trump some of their premiership rivals along the way. Emerton has been in impressive form for his country of late and is sure to improve upon this even more. However Middlesbrough are also stepping up their interest in the player after they conceded all hopes of landing Geremi. Chelsea could also be in the hunt considering they will have masses of funds available after their recent take over, although Chelsea may be more interested in higher profile players, as money is less of a problem.

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