Spurs 'almost' signed Rivaldo
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Your support makes all the difference.Glenn Hoddle, the Tottenham Hotspur manager, has revealed that the club came close to signing the Brazilian World Cup winner Rivaldo just before he joined Milan.
The Spurs chairman, Daniel Levy, flew out to Spain last Friday to meet the player, who was made available on a free transfer by Barcelona as the Spanish side wanted to cut their huge wage bill.
In the end Rivaldo decided to join Milan, with Tottenham unable to offer him European football. He nevertheless said: "I was very excited about the possibility of playing for Spurs and in England. I would like to thank the club for their efforts in trying to sign me."
Hoddle insisted that the failed move was proof of the club's ambitions, which were publicly questioned by the midfielder Tim Sherwood at the weekend. Sherwood was subsequently fined two weeks' wages.
"This illustrates the high nature of our ambition and the fact that we prefer to operate away from the spotlight," Hoddle said. "Unfortunately, it didn't happen this time but the search goes on."
Tottenham's attacking problems have increased with the news that Les Ferdinand is likely to miss the start of the season with a wrist injury.
Manchester City could be without their new goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel for the start of the season after the veteran Dane injured his knee in a friendly at Preston on Tuesday. However, any worries that the City manager, Kevin Keegan, may have had could be eased with the early return of the reserve goalkeeper Nicky Weaver, who has recovered from a recent knee operation.
The suspended Leicester City midfielder Dennis Wise will learn his fate today or tomorrow after a fracas in Finland which left his team-mate Callum Davidson with a double fracture of his cheekbone.
The Leicester board of directors met yesterday afternoon to discuss the incident, which occurred on the club's pre-season tour. The most likely outcome is that Leicester and Wise will now part company after behaviour which the club view as gross misconduct.
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