Spurs move for hotshot Pierre

TOTTENHAM have moved to bring Dutch striker Pierre van Hooijdonk back to the Premiership.

The player’s agent, Rob Jansen, met Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and other directors at White Hart Lane last Friday, it was reported yesterday.

The former Dutch international is contracted to Feyenoord until 2004 but will almost certainly leave the Rotterdam club in the summer after they signed Holland Under-21 striker Dirk Kuyt from Utrecht.

Van Hooijdonk, 33, has hit 27 league goals in 25 appearances this season, including a recent hat-trick against leaders PSV Eindhoven.

“Rob was in England but as a rule we do not talk about transfer speculation until the deal is completed,” a spokesman for Jansen said.

Van Hooijdonk left English football under a cloud in 1999 when he went on a three-month strike at Nottingham Forest and demanded a transfer over what he saw as the club’s lack of ambition.

Van Hooijdonk, a £4.5m signing from Celtic in 1997, eventually moved on to Vitesse Arnhem and later had a spell at Benfica.

Tottenham will face competition for Van Hooijdonk from newly-promoted Portsmouth. Their interest has been confirmed by manager Harry Redknapp as he seeks to strengthen his squad for their Premiership campaign.

Ipswich midfielder Matt Holland could be another summer arrival at Tottenham. The 29-year-old Republic of Ireland international said: “I want to play in the Premiership and I wouldn’t say no if Spurs made an offer.”

But Hoddle is unlikely to be successful in poaching Kaiserslautern striker Miroslav Klose whom he enquired about during the January transfer window.

Klose helped the Bundesliga side avoid relegation and insists he does not want to leave despite interest from Juventus.

Arsenal’s rebuilding plans for next season have been dealt a blow by Sylvain Wiltord rejecting a new contract offer.

The club’s record £11m signing has one year left on his present deal, and Bayern Munich were reported to be interested in him if he cannot reach an agreement to stay at Highbury.

Wiltord wants a substantial increase on his wages, thought to be in the region of £20,000 a week, and Arsenal may be forced to sell him.