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Harry Redknapp: Looking to retain servic
Tottenham will be "finished" if they start offloading top players such as Luka Modric this summer, according to manager Harry Redknapp.
The north London club fought a ferocious battle with Chelsea to hang onto the Croatian last summer and the playmaker looks set to be at the centre of another transfer saga this year, with Manchester City and Paris St Germain the latest clubs linked with the player.
Spurs reluctantly agreed to sell Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Carrick to Manchester United under Martin Jol and there are no shortage of admirers for their current stars like Modric and Gareth Bale, who has reportedly been attracting the attention of Barcelona recently.
Redknapp last week admitted Modric could leave this summer, but has insisted the 26-year-old must stay to prevent the club sliding into obscurity.
"Once you start selling your best players you're finished," Redknapp said. "I don't know why Tottenham should be seen as a club that will sell its best players.
"We are not looking to sell our best players. We are looking to build a team here, not dismantle.
"The chairman made a stance with Modric last year - the stance was that we are looking to build, to add to the group we've got and improve for next year, not to go backwards.
"If we go backwards, we're going nowhere basically are we? We will slump back into mid-table mediocrity and we don't want that."
Modric's future is of particular concern. He fell out with chairman Daniel Levy after he rejected his transfer request and talks between the two over a new deal have stalled.
The player underlined his importance to the club with a blistering strike in Tottenham's 4-1 win at Bolton on Wednesday and Redknapp claims the midfielder is irreplaceable.
He said: "He's just a fantastic player, a great professional and a top bloke, so you want him here.
"He's right up there with the better players in the world.
"You can't replace him. You wouldn't be able to replace him with somebody as good. That's why the other clubs want to buy him - because he is worth the money. But we don't want to sell him.
"We've got to keep all the best players and add to them if we're going to keep progressing."
Redknapp's future has come under the spotlight in the last four months after he was tipped to leave Spurs to take the England manager's job.
A worrying dip in form, and Roy Hodgson's appointment as Three Lions boss, has dampened talk of Redknapp signing an extension to his current deal, which expires next summer, but he is not concerned.
"I have never spoken to anyone about a contract," the 65-year-old said.
"I have not chased Daniel (Levy), and he doesn't have to chase me. I have a contract here still at the moment so there is no problem.
"I am pleased and privileged to be at a club like Tottenham. They're one of the top clubs in country and in Europe. They're a great club to work for so long may it continue."
Having been so heavily backed to take the position of national manager, Redknapp would have been forgiven for holding a grudge for missing out on the job but he has no problem with the Football Association or Hodgson.
"There shouldn't be negativity. We have to move on now," Redknapp said.
"Roy is in place. We have to get behind him and get behind the team and look forward to the Euros.
"We've got good players in this country, some outstanding footballers so I don't see why we cant go and have a great tournament. We just need to get behind Roy and the team. "You will always have your doubters but I'm sure he'll do great and turn those people around."
Redknapp has midfielder Scott Parker fit again for Sunday's trip to Aston Villa - one of two remaining Barclays Premier League games his team must win to stand any chance of leapfrogging Arsenal in to third to guarantee Champions League football next term.
"Third would be lovely but we have to try to win the last two games and see where we finish," Redknapp added.
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